Retired-Course: Volunteer Stream Monitoring

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Science Background Not Required.

Students will coordinate and implement all aspects of the quality assurance project plan (QAPP) for the Student Watershed Research Project (SWRP)'s volunteer monitoring program.  Students will work as a team to ensure data quality for the 15 high school groups involved in SWRP. Non-science majors are encouraged to become "citizen scientists" through their participation in this capstone.

**Potential Students for this capstone should be aware that due to the field schedule, they should not schedule a class to begin right after our class sessions on MW 9-10:50AM

Course Goals:

• Communication 

  • • Learn to communicate the scientific and legal jargon of these topics into lay terminology and concepts for the public at large.

• Critical Thinking 

  • • Learn the technical lab and field skills used in water quality monitoring. 

    • Learn to use various tools for data analysis including data management in a database and data analysis using statistics 

Project Description

This project requires training, classroom, and field support. This course will integrate chemical, biological and physical watershed analysis skills. In addition students will be responsible for performing field/lab analysis of duplicate water quality samples, and determining whether the accuracy and precision goals of the QAPP are being met. Students will also be responsible for data management, auditing of student data, providing feedback to data collectors, and evaluating the impact of SWRP on participating students. Spring Capstone Students will support the Annual Student Watershed Summit, where the high school students give both oral and poster presentations on their research projects.