Become a Water Quality Monitor
Completing water quality monitoring training and adopting a site to regularly test, is a great way to help the community identify problems before they get out of control.
There are a number of opportunities to volunteer in ways that can help create a clean water future for generations to come
Volunteer Opportunities
Become a Certified Water Quality Monitor
Completing water quality monitoring training and adopting a site to regularly test, is a great way to help the community identify problems before they get out of control. Learn More
Weeks Bay Reserve Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers assist in the operation of the Visitor Center, provide staff support for public events, and assist with education and research programs. This diverse group includes naturalists, retired educators, local residents, and others interested in sharing their knowledge of Weeks Bay Reserve. Learn More
Graham Creek Nature Preserve
Volunteers of all ages and skills are greatly appreciated, though children will need to be accompanied by an adult. They are more than happy to schedule volunteer days for corporate groups, Boy Scout troops, or school groups who wish to help with projects throughout the year. Visit Site
Watershed Planning
Become involved in watershed management planning in your area. The Mobile Bay National Estuary Program has been working with community members to create plans for all coastal watersheds in Southwest Alabama. Your involvement can help improve water quality, habitats, resilience, and expand opportunities for community access. Visit Site
Join an Environmental Advisory Board
Many Municipalities have environmental advisory boards which are made up of volunteers and which provide policy advice to the mayor and city council regarding environmental matters that concern the city.
Join Your Watershed Group
Volunteer, place-based grassroots groups, promote are committed to creating a clean water future for their communities. Through water quality monitoring, education and outreach, and assessment. Visit Page.
Related Actions
Join a Community Cleanup
Community cleanups are a social, hands-on way that teens can help cleanup the litter and debris that gets washed down storm drains and into our waterways where it can pollute the water and injure marine creatures.
Get On The Water
Getting out on the water is not only fun and great exercise, the more you use the water, the more likely it is you'll think about protecting it. So go ahead, go for a swim, get your fishing pole, take a boat for a ride, or attend a water festival near you.
Types of Pollution
When water rushes off hardened surfaces, erosion of sediments degrade water conditions and smother and disrupt seagrass growth and the habitat for benthic organisms they provide.
Compounds like oil, grease, and heavy metals take a long time to break down and threaten the health of both aquatic and human life.
Litter is not only unsightly, but it also causes a variety of problems to the ecosystem as it enters our waters where it is often is mistaken for food by fish and invertebrates.
Too much fertilizer, pet waste, and other nutrients in our water often lead to serious problems like lowering dissolved oxygen levels, preventing seagrass growth, and killing fish.
Disease-causing microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and other single-celled organisms, are referred to as pathogens, some, like Salmonella, cause human health problems.
While pesticides are designed to be toxic to certain organisms, they can often be harmful and kill other species in the marine system that are important for the entire ecosystem.