Ready to LAUNCH!

AmeriCorps of New Jersey's LAUNCH party was held at the Rutgers University Student Center in New Brunswick, NJ (Middlesex County) on November 18, 2013. This event brings all of the AmeriCorps program members from throughout the State together for a fun-filled, informative day!

AmeriCorps NJ Program Directors spoke to us about the history of the program and specifics we need to know for a successful term of service. We were celebrating the 20th year of AmeriCorps service (began in 1994). Afterward, each group presented on their individual program's goals and background.

AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassadors LAUNCH song "Where Does Pollution Go?

I think we did pretty awesome! Credit to Eric (WMA 10) for lyrics and vocals!

After networking with many of the NJ programs including Jersey Cares, we parted ways after this wonderful event. I was extremely pumped for my term of service!

Bald Eagle Site Cleanup in Camden

I was looking forward to this event in Camden (Camden County)-- a cleanup, and an important one, too! The cleanup site is right off Farragut Ave. near Petty's Island, the location of several bald eagle nests. Unfortunately, this area is a popular dump site-- bottles and trash littered the open space along with tires and construction debris deep in the forested area. Numerous ambassadors joined South Jersey Land & Water Trust (SJLWT) volunteer coordinator Mike Hogan and other members of the community to help keep this area clean for our protected species, the bald eagle!

Bald eagles can be found throughout the state of New Jersey, but they are an endangered species in NJ we need to protect with only 70 active nests throughout the state. The Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey has a fantastic fact sheet on bald eagles to read up on their life cycle and threats to their species.

We worked until about noon after arriving around 9am, and we did a great job collecting over 100 tires, several bags of litter, and multiple truckbeds of construction debris. 

A glimpse of some of the litter, tires, and debris we collected (photo credit: Mike Hogan)

However, there is still more to be done. Please hold on to trash and recyclables until you reach a proper disposal receptacle-- don't litter your watershed! All our bodies of water are connected, so issues upstream will most definitely affect those downstream. This is our home, and I cannot stress that enough-- a thought to take with you!

A few of the Yr 14 ambassadors plus one amazing volunteer!

Rain Barrel Training at FREC

November 11, 2013 was a very anticipated day-- I learned how to create a rain barrel! The training was held at the Forest Resource Education Center in Jackson, NJ (Monmouth County) with NJDEP employee Katie Barnett. The entire group of 20 ambassadors were in attendance along with our NJWAP program managers from NJDEP-- Kathy, Kim Cenno, and Jen Noblejas. Though it was a dreary day, I was excited to use my hands!

As explained earlier, a rain barrel is a water tank that stores stormwater runoff from roofs through gutters. While you can purchase a rain barrel, creating one is a great way to reuse a barrel that was previously utilized for oil, fruit juice, etc. and reduce the planet's waste-- this is a concept related to "closing the loop."

I was eager to use the tools necessary to build my rain barrel. Here is a list of equipment necessary to build a proper rain barrel:

• 1 large plastic barrel 
• The larger it is, the more water you can collect!
• 50 gal is a good start
• 1 tube of watertight sealant or roll of Teflon tape for plumbing
• 2 rubber washers
• 2 metal washers
• 1 hose clamp
• 1 spigot
• A drill
• Landscaping fabric 
• Mosquito dunk (to prevent infestation-- this is standing water after all!)
• Paints (if you would like to decorate the outside)

This is a good video of the building process and some reasons for getting a rain barrel:

I have mentioned what a rain barrel is used for, and how it is a green infrastructure BMP, but why should you put in the effort of buying or making one?

• Rainwater can be used to water your plants and garden (and is better than tap)
• Reduce stormwater runoff by disconnecting your gutters from directly rushing into storm drains
• Reduce pollutants from entering waterways through stormwater runoff
• Conserve water!

This is the EPA's Rain Barrels website; feel free to browse the articles to find out more about the benefits of rain barrels and how to customize them for any house and season!

"So what?" you may be thinking, "I have a small roof, so is it worth it?" YES, IT IS! Here is the Rutgers NJAES Rain Barrels website-- in addition to general rain barrel info, there are listings for rain barrel workshops in NJ through Rutgers NJAES. Here is a quote to answer this question:

For an 800 square foot roof area that is being drained into one downspout gutter, 500 gallons of water will come off your roof in an one-inch rain storm ( about 80% of rain events are up to one-inch).  If your entire neighborhood installs a rain barrel, it may have an impact on flooding and water pollution within your community.

Interesting, right? Even our small changes can add up to large impacts in our community if we can get the people behind an issue as important as our water! 

All in all, the training was excellent-- Katie is an informed environmentalist! Though it was raining (suitable, don't you think?), I have a great time constructing rain barrels with the other ambassadors. They were later utilized in another NJDEP project! 

If you are interested in hosting a rain barrel workshop or would like to attend one, please contact me at ambassador@passaiccountynj.org or call my office at 973-569-4055. Together, we can help improve our water issues!

Make a Difference Day!

Saturday, October 26, 2013 was Make a Difference Day at Island Beach State Park (IBSP), an AmeriCorps event in partnership with Jersey Cares. Numerous people attended from various environmental and public service groups along with members of the general public. There were a plethora of projects that day-- the NJWAP members took part in building and painting lifeguards chairs. This was my first experience building or painting anything!

Many of the ambassadors got dust and paint on them, but by the end of the day, we were happy we arose early to help IBSP recover post-Superstorm Sandy which continues to affect New Jersey residents to this day. After our volunteer shift was over, a handful of the ambassadors went out with Steve (WMA 14) to learn how to seine in the Barnegat Bay! We caught many small species including mummichog, shrimp, and croaker-- we let them go back into the Bay as they are a vital component of the food chain! Overall, this beautiful October day could not have been more fulfilling and fun!

Lifeguard chair volunteers at IBSP (photo credit: Kathy Giordano)

WPUNJ VMT!

My first Volunteer Monitoring Training (VMT) was held at the William Paterson University of New Jersey (WPUNJ) Alumni House Field Station in North Haledon, NJ (Passaic County). After being in contact with Soil & Water Analysis professor Dr. Jen Callalan, we set up this Visual VMT for her students (a group of 11). I received assistance from fellow ambassador Jon Pereira and Chris Marinello (WMA 5 and fellow Rowan alum!) with the day-of activities. 

We began by getting everyone situated with sign-in and volunteer release sheets. I conducted several presentations on the NJWAP and our duties, macros, and Visual Monitoring Training. We then drove to our access site on the Molly Ann Brook to conduct the VMT.

Access point behind North Haledon Municipal Building (water.weather.gov)

Chris, Jon, and I took small groups along with Dr. Callalan and the lab assistant and trained them in the procedures and techniques of visual stream monitoring. They were really excited when we got to use a rubber duck to measure fluvial velocity! Jon collected various macros from the stream before we returned to the field station. There, we separated and identified the macros, finding the Biotic Index (BI) of the Molly Ann Brook. The students were giddy working with bugs-- it really does bring the kid out in you! 

We ended the VMT with evaluations and questions before giving the students and professors our contact information. My first VMT was a success, and I cannot wait to give biological trainings in the spring!

Essex County Environmental Center partnership with PRI

Montclair University's Passaic River Institute (PRI) in the College of Science and Mathematics has partnered with the Essex County Environmental Center (ECEC) in Roseland, NJ (Essex County)! Friday, October 18, 2013 was the celebration of this partnership and tour of the environmental center. Led by representative from PRI including Dr. Meiyin Wu and graduate students Jayce Araque and Kassandra Archer (Yr 13) as well as Tara Casella (Yr 1-- ambassadors are everywhere!), the Essex County Environmental Affairs Coordinator and Center Manager, attendees were treated to breakfast and heard about the details of the partnership.

ECEC will be hosting PRI students as well as functions, analysis, and events; the site is a great place for water assessments and the Center has rooms available for environmental education activities. I attended this event with fellow ambassadors Peggy Monkemeier (WMA 6), Jon Pereira (WMA 4), and Jon Dugan (WMA 7). We toured the facilities and property which is a part of the Essex County Parks System. The edge of the site overlooks the Passaic River, a stunning view from the streambank.

This was a wonderful experience-- I was able to network with grad students and potential advisors from MSU and learned about an exemplary environmental center in my area. ECEC falls in Peggy's WMA, and I know she is thrilled to be able to use the Center as a resource; I look forward to assisting her!

(essex-countynj.org)

Rutgers NJAES Watershed Restoration Paraprofessional Training

The Rutgers University New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) is a part of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE). The Water Resources Program is dedicated to solve New Jersey's water resources issues. Created in 2002 by Rutgers professor Dr. Chris Obropta, P.E., the Water Resources program has hosted numerous trainings, workshops, and events to create solutions across the state.

RCE-Water hosted a Watershed Restoration Paraprofessional Training for AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassadors on Monday, October 7, 2013; a session for the general public was held the week prior. Dr. Obropta and other RCE-Water employees spoke to us about stormwater management and how green infrastructure best management practices (BMPs) such as rain gardens and rain barrels can be utilized to alleviate overflows as well as deteriorating water quality. An informative first session, we also met the Rutgers NJAES County Environmental Agents that serve selected counties throughout NJ. Amy Rowe, the Passaic & Essex Counties Agent, has been a great resource for me since meeting her; she has provided me with information on volunteer recruitment and is assisting on the Wanaque River Watershed Management Plan (WMP) I am working with PCPD on.

The second session on Tuesday, October 22, 2013 brought the public and NJWAP groups together. We went outside and evaluated a site, the Biological & Environmental Sciences building lot, for potential green infrastructure adjustments. Some valuable tools that were discussed include the US EPA's Stormwater Calculator and NRCS Web Soil Survey. I would also take a lot at the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map if you are interested in learning more about rain gardens and which plants to use-- they are fun to plant and can alleviate numerous water issues in your area. After exchanging contact information with various members of the public, I left Paraprofessional Training looking forward to what was in store!

Rain garden at RCE of Burlington County (water.rutgers.edu)

A rain garden, or bioretention basin, is a planted depression that allows surface runoff water from impervious surfaces like roofs, streets, and sidewalks to permeate through the soil to be absorbed into groundwater recharge aquifiers.

Diagram of a rain barrel's functions (mtwatercourse.org)

A rain barrel is a water tank used to collect and store runoff from roofs via storm gutters. The water can be utilized in gardening and helps disconnect sources from directly flowing into storm drains; this eases stormwater force and velocity into local streams and rivers.

UPDATE: I recently attended a Rutgers NJAES/Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC) Green Infrastructure (GI) training on January 31, 2014 in Newark, NJ (Essex County) focusing on alleviating stormwater issues in the Lower Passaic River Watershed. We discussed in depth the benefits, construction, and maintenance of rain gardens and other GI BMPs for the region. 

I also attended a "Stormwater in Your Schoolyard" Teacher In-Service on January 28, 2014 at Duke Farms in Hillsborough, NJ (Somerset County) that focused on using these GI practices (specifically rain gardens) in school settings. The building and maintenance can be utilized as teaching tools for students as young as Pre-K up to high school level including core curriculum principles in math, science, language arts, and social studies. Feel free to contact me about setting up an informational workshop to get your rain barrel or rain garden project off the ground at your school or organization!

Parvin Orientation

Oh boy, time for Parvin!

Week Two of NJWAP Orientation took place at Parvin State Park in Pittsgrove, NJ (Salem County) from September 30-October 3, 2013. I had a lot to look forward to: reuniting with the ambassadors after our first week at our host agencies, Project WET, and visual assessment training!

Monday was filled with Project WET activities as part of a training workshop. The Project WET Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that strives to achieve worldwide water education. The guidebook is filled with lessons that include water and soil testing, games, coloring, and other hands-on activities. I have utilized many, and my favorite is Molecules in Motion: a very simple way to show students how water molecules react in different states!

To conclude our first day, the first half of ambassadors (including myself) conducted their watershed tour presentations. Here's a little information about WMA 3:

• Includes the Pequannock, Wanaque, Ramapo, and Pompton River watersheds
• Part of the larger Passaic River Basin
• Numerous towns reside in Highlands Preservation Area or Highlands Planning Area
• Greenwood Lake in West Milford-- where new NJ fertilizer ordinance originated
• More than 2.5 million people served by reservoirs in WMA 3

Passaic River Basin, Passaic River Institute (PRI) (montclair.edu/csam/passaic-river-institute)

Tuesday was a busy day learning how to visually assess streams. We learned about how we record the data during the morning and then proceeded to visually assess a segment of Muddy Run near Parvin State Park. We analyzed various parameters including sedimentation, erosion, and channelization. Afterward, we ended the day with the other half of watershed tour presentations and a talk from Mike Hogan, the Volunteer Coordinator of South Jersey Land & Water Trust (SJLWT). Mike gave us information on various volunteer events he has held and offered to assist us with obtaining projects and service hours. I was excited to see someone from SJLWT at Orientation; I had the pleasure of being introduced to the Glassboro-based non-profit while attending Rowan!

Wednesday had Ariane and former NJWAP Amanda Lotto explaining to us how AmeriCorps data is used at NJDEP; it is thrilling to see how the information we analyzed is implemented in state regulations and policy! We then proceeded to practice Enviroscape model presentations as well as being introduced to a fun role-playing game called "NPS Live!" People act out scenarios in which NPS pollution occurs and discuss how to prevent that pollutant from entering our waterways. Trish Ingelido and other NJDEP employees assisted us in measuring our stride and working with our GPS units. It's imperative that we can visualize or pace out about 100m for our stream reach during assessments. Wednesday concluded with a bunch of team building exercises including one-minute speeches on any topic, grouping by similarities, and a scavenger hunt. My group was only one object away, and it turns out it was right by the starting point-- common milkweed!

Our final day at Parvin concluded with information on AmeriCorps paperwork & reporting, project documentation, and how to use the MyAmeriCorps Portal. Our team leaders (second year NJWAP), Joanna Marino and Zach Nickerson, assisted us with any questions we had so far-- they are great ambassadors, and I am excited to serve with them! After lunch, we ended Orientation with our AmeriCorps Pledge & Pin Ceremony; I felt grateful to be a part of this program, and looking back now as we approach the midway point, I cannot say anything but good things about NJWAP and the opportunities the program has provided for me!

(hopewwamericorps.org)

First Day at PCPD!

Monday, September 23, 2013 was my first day at my host agency, the Passaic County Department of Planning & Economic Development-- I will use the abbreviation PCPD (Passaic County Planning Department) from here on out.

My host agency supervisor, Kathleen Caren, is the Open Space Coordinator for the County. She is a wonderfully enthusiastic person, and her enthusiasm for preserving open space is infectious. I am very lucky to have her as a mentor!

I met other members of PCPD including Director Michael LaPlace and Senior Planner Mike Lysicatos whom is a fellow Environmental Studies graduate! They, along with the other employees of PCPD, have been so supportive and friendly. 

PCPD is a great host agency for NJWAP as it puts the WMA 3 ambassador right in the thick of it all with access to ArcGIS, County meetings, local management plans, and more. I have taken advantage of my location particularly when I only need to walk down the hall to attend an Open Space or Planning Board meeting!

I look forward to my partnership with PCPD and the rewarding projects we will undergo!

Stokes Orientation

Let Year 14 begin!

The first week of NJWAP Orientation occurred at the New Jersey School of Conservation (SOC) at Stokes State Forest in Sandyston, NJ (Sussex County) from September 16-19, 2013. We all arrived bright and early to kick off our term of service. 

The first day included introductions, safety, the AmeriCorps contract & history, and team building activities. Our Program Manager-- Kathy Giordano from NJDEP Water Monitoring & Standards- Bureau of Environmental Analysis, Restoration, & Standards (WMS-BEARS)-- had the 20 ambassadors throw around a plastic ball and proclaim what alliteration nickname we were; I am "Terrific Tilly." :) All in all, a fun and tiring first day of training!

After a handful of the ambassadors traveled to Sunrise Mountain, we all met for breakfast before recapping the previous day's events. Tuesday was the first day of biological stream monitoring training. Christina Medved from the Stroud Water Research Center in Avondale, PA conducted a "Getting to Know Your Streams" presentation which included:

• Stream biodiversity
• Cleam Stream Ethics
• Field experience

We began working on benthic macroinvertebrate identification after lunch with Christina and two NJDEP employees, Ariane Guidicelli and Katherine Axt.

Benthic macroinvertebrates are organisms that are visible to the naked eye ("macro") without backbones ("invertebrate") that live on or near the bottom ("benthic" from the term "benthos" meaning "depths of the sea") of streams, rivers, and lakes around sediment and rocks.

We worked with a multitude of macros from each taxa including Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Plecoptera (stoneflies), and Trichoptera (Caddisfly) orders (collectively known as "EPT") along with scuds, dragonflies, damselflies, midges, etc. 

My favorite macro, the case-building caddisfly, uses its surroundings to build its case-- some have utilized their building powers to make jewelry! (laughingsquid.com)

Macroinvertebrate Taxa Groups

• Group One: Pollution-intolerant
• Group Two: Pollution-sensitive
• Group Three: Pollution-tolerant

An abbreviated chart containing the three taxa of benthic macroinvertebrates (discovercarolina.com)

After some free time to pack and dinner, we began working on the Enviroscape! Our "bread and butter" for presentations, the Enviroscape is a great tool to show the effects of point and non-point source pollution on the watershed level. There are other models that focus on other aspects of the environment including wetlands and coastal areas.

A watershed is a given area of land that drains to one point which may be a river, lake, stream, estuary, or ocean (drainage basin). In the words of John Wesley Powell, scientist geographer, "that area of land, a bounded hydrologic system, within which all living things are inextricably linked by their common water course and where, as humans settled, simple logic demanded that they become part of a community."

My Enviroscape Setup

We ended the night around a fire with AmeriCorps NJWAP alum that came out to give us some advice and chat about our potential struggles and successes. A great experience I will not ever forget!

Wednesday began with a nature walk around Stokes with Ariane before continuing with Christina's presentation; day two's topics, "Streams Within the Watershed Context," included:

• Riparian buffer & stream ecosystems
• Didymo Decontamination
• Field Experience

Didymo, (Didymosphenia geminata) also known as "rock snot" (nj.gov/dep/wms/bfbm)

We continued practicing our macroinvertebrate identification before receiving information on our watershed tour presentation, tips for creating an effective presentation, and time to practice the Enviroscape model. After a long, thorough day, I was exhausted! One day left at Stokes...

Thursday was an abbreviated day which included general environmental education principles, AmeriCorps accountability, and tips on how to work copacetic with your host agency. It was great to hear about things we could do the following week to get on the ground running especially from a Yr 1 ambassador, Nathanial Sajdak of the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority (SCMUA), the host agency supervisor for WMA 2. After we had all our equipment distributed, we headed home looking forward to our first days at our host agencies and Parvin Orientation the following week. Here we come!

 Lake Walapanne at Stokes State Forest (photo credit: Thalya Reyes)

The Commencement

LinkedIn Account
Contact: ambassador@passaiccountynj.org
973-569-4055 (office)  
Hello!

My name is Thalya Reyes (also known as Tilly), and I am the AmeriCorps New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Watershed Ambassador (Yr 14) of Watershed Management Area (WMA) 3! After receiving fantastic advice from Jade Greene (Yr 13-- thanks!), I hope to utilize blog to record the significant events that have and will take place during my 2013-2014 term of service with the NJ Watershed Ambassadors Program (NJWAP). Please feel free to comment, ask questions, and give suggestions-- I am always open to change!

Here's a summary of my service description and duties:

• Execute visual and biological stream assessments with parameters including:
• Benthic macroinvertebrate collection and identification
• Sedimentation
• Streambank erosion
• Channelization
• Fluvial velocity, etc.
• Host projects, workshops, and trainings in various fields including:
• Rain gardens
• Rain barrels
• Stream cleanups
• Park cleanups
• Tree plantings, etc.
• Conduct environmental presentations to K-12th, college, and community groups on:
• Watershed stewardship
• Water quality
• Non-point source (NPS) pollution 
• Water conservation
• Ecosystem health, etc. 

Contact me about coming to your school or organization for FREE presentations, workshops, and trainings!

My environmental background:

• Rowan University ('13) in Glassboro, NJ (Gloucester County)
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Environmental Studies (summa cum laude)
• Minors in Geographic Information Science (GIS) and Geography
• Vice President of Rowan Environmental Action League (REAL), 2013
• Awarded Rowan University Gold Medallion for Excellence in Environmental Studies 2013
• Geospatial Research Lab intern (Department of Environment & Geography), 2012-2013 
• Assessed water quality of four aquatic bodies on Glassboro campus utilizing temperature, pH, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen as Field Methods & Research Design course project, 2012 
• Aided Gloucester Township (Camden County) Green Team in attaining Silver certification in Sustainable Jersey program; organized events, prepared audits & related documents (2011)

A little about me and my goals:

• Raised in Passaic County, NJ
• Snowboarding enthusiast
• Fitness background
• Formerly Group Fitness Instructor (Zumba, AFAA), Fitness Area Assistant
• Enjoy running, hiking, rock climbing, sports conditioning, weight training, at-home workouts
• Black belt (first degree) in Shotokan Karate
• I enjoy being an environmental educator-- kids are great!
• Pursuing my Master's degree in 2015; my research interest lies in the interconnectedness of food, forests, and water specifically in the fields of: 
• Natural resources, forestry, sustainable food systems, agroforestry, watershed science & restoration, and food/water policy & law
• I hope to eventually earn my Ph.D. 

Thank you very much for reading my introduction; I hope to hear from you! 

NJWAP Yr 14 Ambassadors (photo credit: Kathy Giordano)