WE ARE CURRENTLY RECEIVING APPLICATIONS FOR THE AWW TIGER GIVING PROJECT MINI-GRANT PROGRAM!! CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE APPLICATION.
If you are a certified AWW monitor and need some help to get started monitoring at an orphaned site or a new site, in the form of a water chemistry test kit, water chemistry reagents to refill an existing kit, or bacteria supplies, this mini-grant program is for you!
Project Overview:
AWW and the College of Ag Communications launched the AWW Tiger Giving (TG) Project, Protect Alabama Waterways, on Tiger Giving Day, February 21, 2017 (https://rise.auburn.edu/project/4766 ). The project raised funds to promote AWW water monitoring statewide by providing kits, monitoring supplies, and training resources targeted at adoption of some of the many orphaned AWW monitoring sites around the state, and in support of new AWW monitors. The day was highly successful, with 164 generous individuals contributing $10,325, surpassing the project’s goal of $10,000! The AWW TG Project funds were raised for very specific purposes which were laid out in the project proposal submitted to the AU College of Agriculture, see excerpt below:
By supporting Alabama Water Watch, you will help us recruit and train new volunteers as Water Watch monitors while helping supply current volunteers. This, in turn, will enable us to activate new areas for regular monitoring or re-activate orphaned areas – waters that once were monitored regularly, but now are not due to lack of resources. Your gift will specifically help in the following ways:
- $300 – Will provide a new water chemistry test kit for a new volunteer monitor while activating a new area or re-activating an orphaned area of the state for monitoring.
- $100 – Will replenish a water chemistry test kit with supplies while activating or re-activating an area for monitoring.
- $50 – Will help recruit and train a new AWW volunteer monitor.
- $25 – Will supply a volunteer with a bacteriological monitoring supplies to begin monitoring a new area or re-activate an orphaned area of the state for monitoring.
How does this help local water watcher monitors and groups?:
The AWW TG Fund can assist any AWW monitor/group in Alabama by providing you with a LaMotte water chemistry test kit, chemical refills for your water chemistry test kit, Coliscan Easygel bacteriological monitoring supplies, or funds for supporting a local AWW water monitoring workshop.
How do I request supplies from the AWW TG Fund?:
AWW will accept applications for TG funds year-round and evaluate on a quarterly basis (June 15, September 15, December 15, March 15), or quicker if possible. You must meet the criteria below to request TG Funds for your local monitoring efforts:
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- You must be a certified AWW monitor, and up-to-date on your AWW certification.
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- You must either:start monitoring at an orphaned site (check the AWW site map here: www.alabamawaterwatch.org/water-data/AWWmap, if the site is a red dot, it is an orphaned site; or start monitoring at a new site.
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- You must commit to monitoring for one year (at least 9 of 12 months) and regularly submit your monitoring data within two weeks after each sampling event.
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- You must be open to sharing your new test kit with others in your area, if the need arises.
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- You must agree to send us a report on your monitoring activities after 6 months of monitoring, along with some digital pictures of you monitoring at your site(s).
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- You must print out and complete the AWW Tiger Giving Mini-grant Application Form; and on the form request specific supplies: Water Chemistry Kit, Water Chemistry Chemical Refills, or Bacteriological supplies; with a limit of $300 per monitor for Water Chemistry (new test kit) and $100 for Bacteriological supplies (or a total of $400 per monitor). Note: for new test kits, you will need to fill out the MOU (memorandum of understanding) portion of the application, agreeing to return the kit to AWW if you are not using it to monitor.
- And submit the application to the AWW Program Office by snail-mail, or by email (awwprog@auburn.edu), at:
Alabama Water Watch Program Office
Auburn University Water Resources Center
559 Devall Dr.
Auburn University, AL 36849
Once we receive an application, the AWW staff will evaluate it quarterly to verify that it meets the above criteria, and then notify you if your application has been approved or not.
Upon approval of an application, the AWW Office will order the water monitoring materials and have them shipped to your address. In the case of a local training, AWW office staff will coordinate with the local individual/group in setting up and conducting the desired workshop.
Thanks to the 164 generous contributors to the AWW TG Project, we are pleased to offer AWW monitors throughout the state assistance in preserving and protecting Alabama’s world-class waters!