Volunteer Results-Thank you, volunteers!

Most of the water sampling for the MST project is done through the dedication of community volunteers. Sampling for the Webhannet watershed ended in September, and results of genetic analysis for that watershed are in. We are currently working on our draft report. Water sampling for the Little River watershed goes from December 2002 to May 2003.

• Over thirty-three sampling events, with approximately 20 sites sampled on each of these days. Over 700 water samples tested so far.
  
• A total of 40 volunteers have contributed over 350 hours of water sampling, lab assistance and animal tracking so far. Want to volunteer?
• Project staff with volunteer help have tested each water sample for fecal coliform bacteria and E. coli bacteria. Pictures of charts, raw data in tables. See data comparing precipitation and fecal coliform results.
• Project staff with volunteer help have isolated E. coli bacteria from each site with high bacterial counts, and those isolates have been taken to Jackson Estuarine Lab at UNH for genetic analysis.
• Volunteers and project staff have searched for and collected scat samples within the watershed to create a library of known bacteria sources. Scat collection will continue as a vital part of the project. So far, scat from one domestic and eight wild animals has been analyzed.