GEORGIA Adopt-A-Stream Volume 3, Number 5, September/October 1996 Eve Funderburk, Editor Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division THIRD ANNUAL ADOPT-A-STREAM CONFERENCE "HANDS-ON SOLUTIONS" OCTOBER 26, 1996 NORTH GEORGIA COLLEGE DAHLONEGA, GA Come be a part of the Annual Adopt-A-Stream conference!! The "Hands-On Solutions" theme will be part of each session, showing successful water quality projects around the state of Georgia. Sessions planned this year include: Streambank Stabilization, Create a Greenway or Nature Trail, a special session highlighting the Adopt-A-Stream Teacher's Guide, Watershed Protection projects, Groundwater Guardians, and much more! Karen Firehock, from the Izaak Walton League of America, will be the keynote speaker and immediately following her will be Joe and Monica Cook presenting their slide show, "Canoeing the Chattahoochee". Joe and Monica documented their trip from the headwaters of the Chattahoochee all the way to the ocean! Don't forget about the Student Paper Presentations on either Sediment and Erosion Control or Groundwater Protection and the 3rd Annual Adopt-A-Stream Awards. Nominate a deserving member from your group now! Your $20 registration fee includes lunch, refreshment breaks, and a Georgia Adopt-A-Stream t-shirt. Any checks should be made out to "North Georgia College". Please call 404-656-4988 or 706-864-1893 (-1876) if you have any questions. There are more details inside about lodging and registration. DON'T MISS OUT ON THE FABULOUS FIELD TRIPS! Lower Chestatee Canoe Trip (contact Appalachian Outfitters for reservations - 1800-426-7177, $35 per canoe or bring your own!) Botanical Walk along Dockery Lake Stream Bank Stabilization Demonstration Add-A-Bug to your Reference Collection Native American Lore Etowah River Flow Study Visual Survey of the Etowah River Computer Lab Space is limited for field trips. Register early! 1996 GEORGIA ADOPT-A-STREAM 3RD ANNUAL CONFERENCE HANDS-ON SOLUTIONS Teachers Guide Wetlands Watershed and Projects Groundwater Computers Streams Obtaining Quality Assured Data 8:45-9:30 Welcome and Keynote Speaker Karen Firehock, Save Our Streams, IWLA and Joe and Monica Cook, Chattahooche e slide show 9:30 - 9:50 Break Exhibit Hall Open 9:50 -10:35 AAS Teacher's Guide -Nonpoint Source Pollution -Watersheds Wetland Restoration and Education Urban Watersheds CSO and Volunteer Led Studies Computer Lab--Using the Internet and WWW Greenways, examples, funding, easements, reasons for doing What Does My Data Mean? Biological Visual/Habitat 10:35 - 11:00 Break Exhibit Hall Open 11:00 - 11:45 AAS Teacher's Guide Chemical and Biological Monitoring Groundwater Protection and Use Groundwater Guardian Community Planning and Protection Computer Lab--Using the Internet and WWW Streambank Stabilization-benefits, designs, and examples What Does My Data Mean? Chemical Visual/ Watersheds 11:50 - 12:50 Basin Breakouts 1:00 - 2:15 Lunch and 2:30 - 5:00 Field Trips Awards Ceremony Student Position Paper Competition Computer Lab open 3rd Annual Adopt-A-Stream Awards Georgia Adopt-A-Stream is pleased to announce the third annual Adopt-A-Stream awards. If you would like to nominated an individual or project, choose a category and briefly describe (no more than 2 pages) what makes the nominee an outstanding candidate. Special prizes will be awarded to the winners during a special ceremony at the Adopt-A-Stream Conference. To be eligible, projects should mainly involve volunteers and take place July 1995 through July 1996. Categories will be judged by committee. Categories 1. Volunteer of the Year A volunteer who has made an outstanding contribution to stream, river, or lake protection through citizen involvement. 2. Program/Project of the Year An outstanding example of an education, restoration, or citizen monitoring program. 3. The Nymph Award Best new project involving any kind of Adopt-A-Stream effort. 4. Beautification Award The largest running or most substantial cleanup project. 5. Red-Flag Award Recognizing a serious water resource problem and bringing appropriate attention to it. 6. Student Project of the Year Outstanding students (K-12) participation in citizen monitoring and environmental stewardship. 7. Partnership Award Excellence in a cooperative approach to citizen monitoring and environmental stewardship. 8. Best Bug Story Most humorous story relating to volunteer monitoring-a training session gone wrong, a streamwalk encounter with other groups, bugs left on the shelf too long, etc. 9. Adopt-A-Stream Photo of the Year Send in your photos! The best photo will be featured in the Adopt-A-Stream newsletter. 10. Special Recognition Awards A chance to recognize significant individuals and /or communities projects. Nominations are due by October 5, 1996. We know someone in your group deserves an award - get those nominations in!! Student Position Paper Competition High School students are invited to present position papers at the 3rd Annual Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Conference. Position papers will be read during a general session, with the best two presentations for each topic voted on by participating students. A distinguished panel of Georgia legislators and water quality professionals will critique and comment on the finalists. Presentations should be no more than 5 minutes long and may include slides, overhead transparencies, or other appropriate audio-visual enhancement. An individual or small group (no more than three) may present a position paper. Students may choose one or both position paper topics. The topics are as follows: Sediment and Erosion Control-What Can Communities Do? How severe a water quality problem is sedimentation? What effect does sedimentation have on aquatic life and stream ecology? What can individuals, businesses, industries, and local governments do to control erosion? How can communities promote erosion and sedimentation control? Groundwater Protection Who uses groundwater and why does it need to be protected? What steps can individuals and communities take to protect groundwater supplies? A draft copy of the position paper must be submitted to Georgia Adopt-A-Stream no later than October 11, 1996!! Where can we stay in Dahlonega? Dahlonega Days Inn - 706-864-2338 - Identify yourself as part of the `North Georgia College Group' to get the group rate price of $69.00 plus 11% tax. Camp Wahsegah has bunk beds in rustic cabins for those of you willing to rough it - $8.00 per night,. 706-864-2050 Other area accommodations: Smith House 706-864-3566 Econo Lodge 706-864-6191 HoJo Inn 706-864-4343 Make your reservations Forest Hills Resort 706-864-6456 now! Amicalola Lodge 706-265-3115 Sign Up Early For The Next GSAMS! September 18 Gather a group together for our quarterly "HOW TO PLAN A COMMUNITY ADOPT-A-STREAM PROGRAM" September 18, 1 - 3:00 p.m. Utilizing the exciting two way communication of GSAMS Distance Learning, Georgia Adopt-A-Stream will take your group step by step through planning a community or watershed project. Most appropriate for local governments, colleges, Keep America Beautiful Affiliates, Water and Wastewater Utilities and student groups. There are hundreds of sites statewide. Out of state links are also possible! For more information or to register, contact Georgia Adopt-A-Stream or Dr. Susan Gannaway at North Georgia College (706) 864-1893. Due to system demand, reservations must be made as soon as possible. Reserve your site soon! . 1996 Adopt-A-Stream Training Workshops The following workshops introduce volunteers to specific water quality monitoring techniques and background information. Call to reserve your space in the following workshops. Space is limited! What Level I & Chemical Level I & Biological Level I Level I & Chemical Clayton County Adopt-A-Stream Kickoff Event!! When Sept. 7 Sept. 7 Sept. 14 Oct. 5 Oct. 19 Where Savannah Fernbank Reynold's Nat. Ctr. Chatt. Nature Center Reynold's Nat. Ctr. To Register 912-356-2809 404-656-4988 770-473-5467 404-656-4988 770-473-5467 A Pre-Registration form should be sent to you soon. If you don't get a Conference Registration form, please call 404-656-4988! The Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Newsletter is published six times per year. For more information about the Georgia Adopt-AStream program or to contribute to the newsletter, call or write to: Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Environmental Protection Division 7 ML King Dr. SW, Suite 643 Atlanta, GA 30334 404-656-4988