Event information: Conodoguinet Creek Snapshot, December 1, ALLARM offices in Kaufman Hall, Carlisle, PA
As the hectic autumn semester nears its end, I’ve been doing a lot of reflection on my work with the local community at ALLARM thus far. It’s hard to believe that as a senior entering the spring semester, I’ve already been working at ALLARM for nearly three years! Even over the last four months, I’ve grown a great deal in terms of my abilities, confidence, and experience with teaching volunteer water quality monitors.
In a way, helping out with the latest Conodoguinet Snapshot validated the personal growth I feel I’ve made. I remember preparing for my first Snapshot: I read the directions for the pH procedure over and over again, anxiously rehearsing so I wouldn’t “mess up” or make any mistakes during the event. This time, I set up my station and jumped in without a second thought. All of the little tips and tricks of the pH procedure came easily to me since I have done the test numerous times over the years, so it was really satisfying to be able to instruct the volunteers so effectively and seamlessly. Being able to confidently convey the steps of the procedure to volunteers makes them more likely to confidently perform that procedure, which is always gratifying to see.
What I also noticed about working the pH station at the latest Snapshot is how much more I was personally interacting with the volunteers in addition to solely walking them through the test. Since I’ve internalized the important “Trainer Tips” by now, I was able to also be friendly and engaging to the volunteers. This was actually my first Snapshot where I connected all of the familiar names to the familiar faces, and it always feels good to remember details about a person and to make them smile when you bring it up in conversation. This Snapshot exemplified to me the ways ALLARM helps to bring the community together, since it was one of the first times that I actively noticed myself becoming increasingly familiar with the other members of the community around me. I’m eager to see how I can keep helping to foster that sense of community during the next Conodoguinet Snapshot next semester.
Teaching techniques on water quality testing.