Biological Monitoring – Keeping our Streams Healthy
Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Meadowside Nature Center, Derwood MD
5100 Meadowside Lane Rockville, MD. 20855
To register, contact: Jennifer Simms at Jennifer.Simms@Montgomeryparks.org
Clean streams and healthy watersheds provide valuable ecosystem services that humans and wildlife depend on for survival. For most of Montgomery County, surface waters like the Potomac River are a primary source of drinking water. Thousands of miles of Montgomery County streams drain to the Potomac, Anacostia, and Patuxent Rivers, and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay. It is therefore vital to not only keep these waters clean but to monitor these important resources to understand how watersheds may be changing or responding to various pressures, including those of human activities (e.g., development).
Montgomery Park’s Natural Resources Specialists Rachel Gauza and Dave Sigrist will lead a workshop and electrofishing demonstration to explore our local water quality and discover common fish identification techniques. The outing will include a presentation about the importance of water quality in our region, job duties and program details, common fish identification and ecology, and a live electrofishing demonstration. Participants should come prepared by wearing closed-toe shoes and proper clothing to stay comfortable during a couple hours of streamside learning.
Rachel Gauza is a Principal Naturalist Resource Specialist and Biological Monitoring Coordinator for Montgomery Parks. She serves as the lead contact for issues related to aquatic resources management and oversees the stream biological monitoring program and interpretation. Ms. Gauza specializes in herpetology and aquatic ecology and has worked as a biologist and environmental educator throughout the DC Metropolitan region for 20 years. A champion for community science, she coordinated the FrogWatch USA monitoring program nationally and locally, served several roles with the Maryland Amphibian and Reptile Atlas, and is a Maryland Master Naturalist Instructor. She has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Hood College.
Dave Sigrist is an Aquatic Biologist who began working for Montgomery Parks in 2009. He assists Rachel in administering Montgomery Parks’ Biological Monitoring Program, and also serves as the program’s in-house taxonomist, certified by the state of Maryland and the Society for Freshwater Science for identification of Maryland freshwater fish and Eastern benthic macroinvertebrates, respectively. Dave has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Salisbury University.
We’ll meet at Meadowside Nature Center located at 5100 Meadowside Lane Rockville, MD. 20855.
Day of Contact: Jennifer Simms Cell: 240.446.0086
Dress for the weather and pack a bag lunch to eat outdoors. The tour, limited to 20 participants, will proceed unless dangerous weather or unsampleable stream conditions.
To register, contact Jennifer Simms at Jennifer.Simms@montgomeryparks.org
Facilitated Poverty-Related Trauma Blended Learning Course
Being poor in and of itself isn’t traumatic, but we do know that children living in poverty have a higher rate of experiencing the types of disturbing events and ongoing stressors that can lead to trauma.
In this course, we are going to look specifically at the trauma that can be experienced by children who are living in poverty. It’s important to think specifically about poverty (what causes it and how it impacts children) so that we as educators can provide non-judgmental support for our students. Moreover, regardless of the source of a student’s trauma, or whether we can definitely say that their behavior is linked to trauma, the support methods we present will create a learning environment that is more supportive for all students and provide a place where they can feel safe and have an opportunity to learn and thrive.
Course runs October 4 - November 8, 2023
Registration Closes: September 22, 2023
NEA (facilitated) national online blended learning courses run six-weeks with suggested deadlines to help you pace yourself and provide a certificate for *15-hours of professional development upon completion.
*Disclaimer: NEA Blended Learning course participants are encouraged to review the laws and procedures particular to their home state or country regarding the acceptance of NEA 15 contact hours for professional credit.
Note: NEA blended learning courses are offered at no cost to NEA members. Non-members may register for a $100 fee.
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