Event information: ALLARM Staff Orientation, September 2, Stuart Park at Barnitz Mill, Carlisle, PA
At the beginning of each fall semester, new and returning members of the ALLARM team join together for staff orientation, a day of wading and discussion. On September 2nd, we did exactly that. After meeting in our air conditioned conference room and doing introductions, we moved right on out to the lovely Yellow Breeches Creek for some fun in the hot sun and refreshing water.
It was a hot and muggy day outside and the forecast warned of possible rain showers. Nevertheless, in true ALLARM form, we braved the weather and began talking about stream monitoring. I felt even more grounded and at home once we arrived at our spot on the creek, since we go to the same one each year. Our first task was to form teams and collect a great indicator of water quality: aquatic macroinvertebrates! Many of us were more than happy to wade into the cool water and collect these special critters. One of my favorite things about ALLARM staff orientation is the willingness of returning staff to share their knowledge with new members, who also have some great knowledge to share in return. Our method of collecting macroinvertebrates is entertaining because it involves some degree of dancing, which we lovingly call ‘the macro shuffle.’
After sorting through and comparing our macroinvertebrate samples, we did some water chemistry and talked about what makes the Yellow Breeches and other limestone streams special. Once we completed our work creek-side, we took some time to meditate and reflect on what we want out of our year at ALLARM and Dickinson. The space opened up for discussion about the mission and methodology of ALLARM. New students bring in new perspectives that inform our work, and I noticed that as we talked about citizen science and environmental conservation. I am constantly learning more about how our organization interfaces with communities and individuals to collaborate and answer important questions, and I get excited when other students join the ALLARM team and learn as well.
Acting like macroinvertebrates