Category Archives: Education

Testing Water Quality, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2019-02-10

Reporter Patrick Barry of The Spectator, VSU’s independent, student-run newspaper, was there, came to One Mile Branch yesterday to follow up on the One Mile Branch Cleanup WWALS did in November 2017. He found more than one story.

Plating a sample

Yesterday Sara Jay tested the water from One Mile Branch, downstream from VSU, at the bridge on Wainwright Drive. She plated bacterial samples upstream and down. The results will be interesting, considering the foul smell. Also, each set of four PetriFilm plates costs about $6, so maybe you’d like to contribute to the WWALS Water Quality Testing Program. Continue reading →

WWALS at South Georgia Pride Saturday 2018-09-15

WWALS will have a booth at the South Georgia Pride Festival this Saturday. We will share information about our programs and activism with the local community.

When: Noon-7PM, Saturday, September 15, 2018

Where: John W. Saunders Park, 1151 River Street, Valdosta, Georgia

Volunteer: You can help at the WWALS booth. Sign up on this form or send us email.

Event: facebook

Waterkeeper Alliance says “we know equality and human rights are intrinsic to environmental values.”

South Georgia Pride is open to the community and family friendly and we invite you to come and visit us there.

-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Picture: WWALS @ VSU The Happening 2018-08-23

Erica and I were so busy this is the only picture we took at The Happening at VSU yesterday afternoon.

Many students came by, and a surprising number of them took intern flyers. We shall see how many of them apply.

We have a sheet full of Continue reading →

WWALS at VSU The Happening 2018-08-23

Come join WWALS and 10,000 of our closest friends at VSU this Thursday:

When: 1PM to 4PM, Thursday, August 24, 2017

Where: Front lawn, VSU, 1500 N Patterson St., Valdosta, Georgia 31698

Event: facebook

Gretchen talking to students, picture by John S. Quarterman for WWALS, 2018-08-23.

Gretchen will not be back in time this year, so we really need volunteers. Come on down! It’s fun!

Jessica Pope, Newsroom, VSU, 15 August 2018, The Happening Returns to the VSU Front Lawn Aug. 23, Continue reading →

WWALS at Suwannee Spring Reunion at the Music Park 2018-03-22-25

Come down to the Suwannee River with Suwannee Riverkeeper, listen to music, and talk about the rivers and the aquifer, outings and advocacy, education and fun. If you want to come all four days, we have a deal with camping if you help out at the WWALS booth. If you want to help just one day, we have a way for that, too.

When: March 22-March 25, 2017

Where: Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park
3076 95th Dr, Live Oak, Florida 32060

Event: facebook, meetup

What: Suwannee Spring Reunion, featuring The Infamous Stringdusters, David Bromberg Quartet, Donna the Buffalo, Larry Keel Experience, Dar Williams, Billy Strings, Amy Helm, Jim Lauderdale, Verlon Thompson, Shawn Camp, The Grass is Dead, Rev. Jeff Mosier and Biscuit Tragedy, Jon Stickley Trio, Front Country, Roy Book Binder, Grayson Capps, Ralph Roddenbery, Grandpa’s Cough Medicine, Nikki Talley, Quartermoon, Sloppy Joe, Big Cosmo, Suwannee Spirit Kids, and Tania & Magic Moon Traveling Circus.

It looks like all but four of the acts from last year Continue reading →

Douglas, GA: SGRC Regional Plan Update 2018-01-18

Received January 8, 2018. I think this is the last workshop, so if you haven’t been to one….

Good Afternoon Everyone,

This email is a quick reminder to attend the 4th Regional Plan Update Workshop in the City of Douglas, Georgia, on:

January 18th, 2018 10:00 a.m. to 12:30p
City of Douglas City Hall,
224 East Bryan Street, Douglas, GA 31533,
912-389-3401

Photo: Mjrmtg on Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0.

This fourth workshop will cover the following topics: Continue reading →

Third Regional Plan Update: SGRC in Tifton 2017-12-07

If you haven’t been to one, here’s another chance to get your input into the SGRC regional comprehensive plan.

When: 10AM to 12:30 PM, Thursday, December 7, 2017

Where: Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce,
100 Central Avenue, Tifton, GA 31793

What: 3rd Regional Plan Update Workshop

Page 19, SGRC Regional Plan Update Workbook

The notes in red look familiar.

Reminder received yesterday: Continue reading →

One Mile Branch Cleanup 2017-11-11

Good turnout for the One Mile Branch Cleanup at VSU, including the new Valdosta Utilities Director, Darryl Muse, and his wife. Thanks Scotti Jay for organizing this outing, including bringing a cart for the materials and going back with a pickup truck to collect the bags of trash.

There were waterfalls just like Scotti said, Tom Potter fished a lawn chair out of the creek, we celebrated Armistice Day, we took some pictures with the Suwannee Riverkeeper banner, and we heard a word from Valdosta’s Utilities Director, all in addition to picking up a lot of trash for two hours on a cold windy November day.

Continue reading →

New water educators at UGA Extension

New location for this needed education about water conservation.

Sharon Dowdy, UGA, 27 September 2017, New UGA Extension water educators will teach Georgians how to conserve water,

New UGA Extension water educators John Loughridge (left) and Luke Crosson (right) collect center pivot information from a landowner, David Burk (middle).

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension recently welcomed eight water educators to the organization. Formerly part of the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission, the positions were transferred to UGA Extension by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal.

“The governor’s plan was to streamline program services so the Environmental Protection Division handles regulatory issues and the Soil and Water Conservation Commission handles sediment and soil erosion and (watershed) dams,” said Associate Dean for Extension Laura Perry Johnson. “We now have more resources in Extension to address water issues, there will be fewer duplications of efforts, and services will be enhanced at the local level. The more I learn about the experience these gentlemen have, the more excited I am about the skills and talents they bring to us.”

These new Georgia water educators and their bases of operation include:
Continue reading →

WWALS @ Hahira Honeybee Festival 2017-10-06-7

At the WWALS booth at the 36th Annual Hahira Honeybee Festival, we will be talking about water trails, paddle outings, holding poluters accountable, and making sure that water in our area is swimmable, fishable, drinkable. Come help us spread the water word.

When: 9AM-6PM, Friday and Saturday, 6,7 October 2017

Where: West Main Street, Hahira, Georgia