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Oakton Hosting
Accessing an FWC "Oakton" or other more advanced equipment & our area equipment hosts - Where and How
Oakton Hosts & Other Equipment
The FWC Oakton’s form a basic part of our volunteer field kit. Used in measuring basic freshwater chemistry (water temperature, conductivity, pH). If collected regularly, over time the data collected is "baseline" information, useful for characterising freshwater in a number of ways: identifying groundwater vs surface water components in a water body, and in identifying potential pollutants (spikes).
We have a number of these devices placed at various "Oakton Host locations" around the island. The approximate locations for these Oakton devices (and our Swoffer and other - in-field kit) are indicated on the SSI watershed map (left).
To borrow an existing SSIFWC Oakton (or other FWC field kit) for field sampling, please have a look at the FWC equipment available, and our field note on contacting Oakton equipment hosts to make an arrangement for pick-up and drop-off.
If you are interested in being an Oakton host, read on!
Oakton & Equipment Hosting
If interested in becoming a new Oakton (or other FWC field equipment) host (always needed!), we have some ground rules (below) to try and maximize the effective use of these devices for the SSIFWC project. If interested in SSIFWC Oakton hosting please read the following “SSIFWC Oakton host guidelines and responsibilities":
Organizing secure/safe storage Oakton device and chemicals
Hosts are anticipated to be regular SSIFWC project Oakton users (or the leader of such a group).
Regular (and most effective) is to have a regular calendar event (a Facebook event/calendar post on our SSIFWC Facebook page would be great) for field work, this allows other SSIFWC volunteers to see when the device(s) may be available, and to perhaps join you/help in the field.
Providing access to the hosted device for other SSIFWC project volunteers gathering data in the same area of the island “North west” “Central east” etc
Before each field day - Oakton recalibration (Ph and conductivity, it takes << 10 minutes). Training can be provided for this (and refreshers if necessary!). See the guidelines on SSIFWC Oakton recalibration.
The Oaktons remain the property of the SSI Water Preservation Society and may be moved to alternative locations as needs dictate.
Interested in Oakton hosting? Please drop the FWC Project Lead, our FWC equipment coordinator, a line.
For the SSIFWC Oakton hosts who have taken ownership of a FWC Oakton field chemistry device, the notes on re-calibration are here.
For information on the other more advanced equipment shown on the map above, please refer to our FWC Field Equipment manuals list.