Volunteer Monitoring Program Honors Volunteers
The Morro Bay Volunteer Monitoring Program (VMP) is proud to recognize the outstanding contributions of three local volunteers. 2009 Volunteer of the Year goes to James Wright of Grover Beach while Outstanding Contributions Awards go to San Luis Obispo resident BK Richard and Los Osos resident Marina Michel.
(Above; Annie Gillespie, Monitoring Projects Manager, and Volunteer of the Year, James Wright, collect eelgrass in the back bay.)
The Morro Bay Volunteer Monitoring Program is a vital part of the mission of the Morro Bay National Estuary Program. Volunteers collect environmental data that assist both local and state agencies in assessing and monitoring local ecosystems. In 2009, nearly 50 local volunteers have contributed over 800 hours to the program. These three volunteers have made notable contributions to the program.
James Wright, a relative newcomer to the program, has already gotten involved in many aspects of the monitoring effort. Currently a student at Cuesta College with an interest in marine biology, Wright wanted to expand his knowledge about the local marine ecosystem while gaining some technical experience. Since joining the program a year ago, Wright has monitored water quality in local creeks, collected and identified plankton samples from the bay, and assisted with eelgrass mapping efforts.
“James’ enthusiasm and interest in learning have been a big asset to the program. Although he hasn’t been with us that long, James has really made an impact in many different areas of our monitoring effort,” said Ann Kitajima, the monitoring program manager.
Marina Michel, one of the Outstanding Contribution honorees, has been volunteering since January of 2008 and has already contributed 150 hours. Recently retired from the county’s Public Health Department, Michel was never one to keep idle, and she splits her time between cycling, volunteering and travel. Her dedication and attention to detail have led to creation of a valuable set of data for assessing the success of various improvement projects throughout the watershed. Michel has participated in monitoring the water quality of local creeks, monitoring of bacteria levels to determine if waters are safe for swimming, collecting freshwater insects as an indicator of creek health, and mapping of bay-wide eelgrass. In addition to volunteering for the Estuary Program, Michel has participated in trail maintenance volunteer work in Yosemite and is an active member of the SLO Bicycle Club.
BK Richard, also an Outstanding Contribution honoree, is a retired engineer who dedicates his time to volunteering, outdoor adventures and travel. A volunteer for the program since 2003, Richard monitors water quality and conducts bacteria analysis on one of the creeks in the Morro Bay watershed. It was his monitoring work on the creek that helped the program identify consistently elevated bacteria levels. With this data, the Estuary Program has been able to partner with local ranchers installing fencing which keeps cattle out of vulnerable creeks areas. Richard’s work continues with post-project monitoring to help assess the fencing effort ‘s effectiveness. Richard also serves as a board trustee for the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo and is a world traveler, with recent trips to Turkey, Greece and India.
The Volunteer Monitoring Program encourages local residents to join their volunteer team and check out the possibilities on their website: www.mbnep.org/volunteer.
