Ogeechee Riverkeeper – Page 3 – Ogeechee Riverkeeper

Blog Post alaska, belize, kris howard, science

Meet Kris

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper August 23, 2023

Kris Howard describes his job as the Ogeechee River watchdog. “Much of what I do is based on sampling and monitoring the river and its tributaries to ensure the water quality is where it needs to be.” And if it’s not, he follows the proper channels to find out why and does what he can to get it resolved.

Kris is originally from Augusta, Georgia. As a kid, he spent time outdoors and fostered a natural curiosity that led him pursuing a career in science. With fishing being his favorite pastime he was always interested in why fish do the things they do. His interest in fish and science came to a head in his first science fair in 3rd grade where he did a project on which bait caught the most catfish. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology with a concentration in marine science from Thomas More University in Kentucky. After graduation he accepted a position as a biologist for a pollution control agency in Ohio. Never one to shy away from an adventure, he also spent some time in the Bering Sea as a fisheries observer in Dutch Harbor, Alaska.

As an observer, Kris lived aboard a commercial fishing vessel for 3-month segments sampling the catch and conducting research projects. When sampling catch, Kris would take random samples from the main net weighing, sexing, counting, and identifying fish. The time he spent in the Bering Sea was an exciting experience where he was able to see so much wildlife like Orcas, bald eagles, seals, and sea lions.

“I feel like it’s cliche, but being a marine biologist is something that I’ve wanted to be as long as I can remember,” Kris recalls. “ I’ve always loved the water and was interested in science growing up, so it has always been something I wanted to do.”

Kris returned home to Georgia to earn his master’s degree in marine sciences from Savannah State University, and he started working with ORK shortly after graduating. He was surprised by the number of issues in the basin. “There are so many relatively small things taking place that lead to larger environmental issues.”

In spite of that, he is heartened by ORK’s effectiveness. “We are not a regulatory agency. People often ask when dealing with issues if ORK will place any fines and are surprised to hear we can’t do that. But my favorite thing to tell people about ORK’s work is all the successes we’ve had protecting the river. No matter how small all of the victories we have, work towards better water quality for the basin.”

What is your idea of happiness? Enjoying a day on the water!

Who are your favorite painters and composers? Jeff Koons

What is your favorite bird? Probably a raven

What is your most treasured possession? A tie between my Pikachu Nintendo 64 and my binder with the original 151 Pokemon cards.

What is the dumbest way you’ve been hurt? Diving in the ocean after a fish and hitting my head on the ground

What’s the best type of cheese for you? Mozzarella

What’s the worst color that was ever invented? Maroon because people try to convince me it’s different from burgundy.

Which talent would you most like to have? I would love to be able to play the piano.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Fairness. The fair is only a place they judge pigs.

What takes a lot of time but is totally worth it? Woodworking

What topic could you give a 20-minute presentation on without any preparation? Fish, whether it be about fishing or just fish in general.

What’s the most amazing natural occurrence you’ve witnessed? Diving in the blue hole in Belize

Which words or phrases do you most overuse? “Let’s do it/Let’s get after it.”

What is your motto? What’s the worst that can happen?

Blog Post, Press Releases photo contest, photography

RELEASE: ORK accepting entries for annual photo contest

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper August 18, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

08/18/2023
Ogeechee Riverkeeper
Contact: Meaghan Gerard
Communications and Administrative Director
meaghan@ogeecheeriverkeeper.org

OGEECHEE RIVERKEEPER ACCEPTING ENTRIES FOR ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST
Multiple categories will put on a spotlight the beauty of the area

Ogeechee Riverkeeper (ORK) is soliciting the best photographs from across the 5,500 square mile watershed. ORK’s watershed is home to an incredible diversity of ecological features, and it provides an important habitat for more than 160 rare species of plants and animals. Judges will be looking for images that highlight what makes the Ogeechee and Canoochee Rivers, and the surrounding areas, remarkable. This is the fourth year for the contest.

“We’ve been thrilled with the past entries,” said Meaghan Walsh Gerard, communications and administrative director. “The variety of subjects has been inspiring.”

Photographers can enter in multiple categories: Landscape, portrait, wildlife, plant life, underwater, aerial, black and white, and funny wildlife. Since this will be an annual event each December, ORK requests that any images submitted be taken within the same calendar year. ORK hopes to see entries from across the 21 counties encompassing the watershed.

Gerard also notes that this will be the first year ORK will consider sponsorships. “As always, winners will receive a household membership and ORK merchandise, but we are also looking for a business or two to partner with so we can offer even more prizes.” Interested companies are invited to contact Gerard.

Submissions are due by November 6, 2023. Winners receive a free membership to the organization and ORK merchandise. Winners will be announced early December 2023. Complete rules and submission guidelines at: ogeecheeriverkeeper.org/annual-photography-contest.

About Ogeechee Riverkeeper: Ogeechee Riverkeeper 501(c)(3) works to protect, preserve, and improve the water quality of the Ogeechee River basin, which includes all of the streams flowing out to Ossabaw Sound and St. Catherine’s Sound. The Canoochee River is about 108 miles long and the Ogeechee River itself is approximately 245 miles long. The Ogeechee River system drains more than 5,500 square miles across 21 counties in Georgia. More at ogeecheeriverkeeper.org.

***See previous entries

Blog Post, Educational astronomy, dog days, dogs, summer

Dog Days of Summer

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper August 11, 2023

The month of August is historically known as the Dog Days of Summer which “refers to a period of particularly hot and humid weather occurring during the summer months of July and August in the Northern Hemisphere” (almanac.com) and dates back to ancient Greek, Roman & Egyptian traditional beliefs.

Astronomy even plays a role in deciphering when the “dog days” will be each year. Sirius the Dog Star, is a part of the constellation known as Canis Majoris and is associated with nearby Orion the Hunter.

Other than our solar system’s Sun, Sirius is the brightest star that we can see. When Sirius rises at dawn, that signals the beginning of the “dog days,” which were believed to be higher temps and more humidity.

(If you’ve read/seen Harry Potter, you might learn something about the character Sirius as well!)

As a part of this activity, we ask that you do several things:

Take a picture of your dog in an ORK pet bandana, share with us or tag us on social media.
See what else you can research and learn about the history of the Dog Days of Summer.
Try to find Sirius the Dog Star in the night sky (If you need help locating it, there are several free apps to learn about stars and constellations).

Throughout month of August only, our pet bandanas will be on sale for $7!

Blog Post intern, james burke, yale

ORK intern becomes a Yale Bulldog

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper August 10, 2023

James Burke first came to ORK by taking the initiative at his school to raise money for our organization, as a part of a student fundraiser. He ultimately became an intern with us, assisting with water quality monitoring, assisted with various research projects, facilitated education and outreach at community events, and co-trained other Adopt-a-Stream volunteers. James helped pave the way for future high school interns and wish him all the best at Yale!

I started working with ORK the summer before my junior year of high school. I went to my first event, an Adopt-a-Stream training in May 2021, followed by a litter cleanup through the Don’t Litter Lotts Initiative in June.

What started as a way to fulfill my high school’s community service requirement turned into a new passion for citizen science, environmental stewardship, and freshwater ecology. I quickly began working with ORK as a student intern, where you could find me passing out informational fliers at the Statesboro Farmer’s Market or crouched over a creek testing for dissolved oxygen levels.

Although my role as a Lead Volunteer ended in February of 2023, I’ll always treasure the experiences ORK gave me, and I’ve grown to appreciate the environmental nonprofits across the country that give everyday people like myself the opportunity to help the environment.

I wrote my main college admissions essay on the community I found at ORK and the different personalities I met that shape this incredible organization. Thanks in part to that essay, Im headed to Yale University! I couldn’t be more excited, and my experience at ORK helped me land on a major: environmental engineering.

ORK changed the course of my life for the better, and I’ll always be grateful for the people I met and the things they taught me. I know ORK will continue to thrive, grow, and serve our watershed for years to come, and I hope the community continues to support their work.

-JB

Blog Post bulloch county, hannah, litter

Hannah’s Landing Project

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper July 30, 2023

Back in late February, after a heavy rainfall, I went to check on the Hwy 301 boat ramp before a cleanup and noticed four fifty-five gallon blue drums just off the ramp stuck in bushes in the river.

This inspired an idea. Compared to the surrounding counties, Bulloch County’s boat ramps are underserved. There is typically a high amount of trash usually present all over the boat ramp sites that are underbuilt or a trashcan is absent. For this project, I placed trash cans at the boat ramps. The cans are managed by myself and local volunteers, being emptied on a monthly basis. The hope is that the implementation of the trash cans at these will help make a difference in the overall appearance and quality at each of these sites.

I was able to retrieve all of discarded blue barrels them and clean them for use and I sourced additional one from a local business who buys and resells old barrels from a food processing plant. I then began repurposing them.First, using an electric drill, I made a hole near the top just below the edge of the lid. Then I used a jigsaw with a PVC blade to cut the lid off the rest of the barrel. From there, I drilled five holes with a quarter inch drill bit to help make the trash can predator-proof and more accessible for people. There are additional holes on the bottoms of the trash cans as well for drainage when it rains.

The barrels have the logos of Georgia Southern University (where I’m enrolled) and Ogeechee Riverkeeper (who I’m doing the practicum project with). The goals are to reduce the amount of litter entering the waterways via the human population from boat ramps and to make people more aware of their social responsibility in the outdoors.

-HD