Meet Mel

Mel is the education and outreach coordinator for ORK, which means she is often found in classrooms, at outdoor events, or in the creek leading a cleanup. She works to make sure the public has access to the resources ORK has to offer and to make sure citizens have plenty of chances to interact with ORK’s many facets.

Birds and Bins cleanup

She works with volunteers who help with the Adopt-A-Stream program and with cleanups, coordinates efforts with municipalities and partner organizations, and shares educational tools with educators and the public.

No two days are ever the same in this work.  “I find what people have in common when it comes to environmental things, specifically related to water, and bring them together,” Mel says. “One day I might be doing data analysis, another I might be in the river doing cleanups, the next I might be planning social events for our members.”

Mel’s background and education is just as varied as the many aspects of water quality work. She received her bachelor’s degree from UGA in anthropology and archaeology, going on to do field work in Belize.  She worked on Maya ruins, unearthing communities and finding artifacts. 

Digging in Belize

For a time, Mel was based out of the West Coast between the Redwoods of California to Orcas Island, Washington, where she did a mixture of work with local food movements, archaeology research and a YMCA summer camp. 

Mel at a Project WET training

“It was a new environment, filled with natural beauty and unique opportunities,” Mel recalls. “I got to use my archaeology degree to do field work for several different projects and I had a chance to do environmental education in a different part of the world.”

She returned to Georgia and earned her master’s degree in social sciences with a focus in environmental anthropology.

“This job is a perfect combination of my various skills and educational background,” Mel says of Ogeechee Riverkeeper. “And I think people would be surprised just how much my anthropology and archaeology degrees truly relate to this job.” 

She also underlines the importance of digging in and learning from all your experiences. “Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and take positions that may not directly apply to your degree – you never know where it will take you and what connections you’ll make along the way.”

At Rock Eagle 4-H Center

Mel has found plenty in ORK’s watershed to inspire her – both in good and bad aways. The ecological variety is astounding and it’s amazing “how much cool wildlife you can find when you spend time observing.” She’s also discovered that river landings are considered party venues for many, and while she understands the draw to be in a beautiful setting, the disrespect displayed by what is left behind only makes her more determined to protect our waterways through education and volunteerism. 


What is your idea of happiness?

  • A sunset with a warm breeze & sounds of plants moving in the wind. And an endless supply of fresh mangoes. 

Who are your favorite painters and composers?

  • Too many painters….I was an art history minor so I won’t bore y’all with the list of names. Too many composers but definitely Paul McCartney is at the top of the list. 

What is your favorite bird?

  • 3 Way Tie: Mississippi Kite, Kingfisher and Turkey Vulture

What is your most treasured possession?

  • Harry Potter books. Just kidding. Maybe.

What is the dumbest way you’ve been hurt?

  • Fell down the stairs in high school on my birthday and sprained my ankle which ruined soccer season for me. 

What’s the best type of cheese for you?

  • Cabot Extra Sharp – or any cheese, really.

What’s the worst color that was ever invented?

  • Magenta Pink that is not a part of nature (flowers, the sky, etc.)

Which talent would you most like to have?

  • Musical talent

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

  • Vacuuming & organizing

What topic could you give a 20-minute presentation on without any preparation?

  • Local food movements

What’s the most amazing natural occurrence you’ve witnessed?

  • The after effects of the 2009 tsunami in Japan off the California coast.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

  • “At the end of the day…”; “Dude”

What is your motto?

  • Do yoga. 

G’Day, Fellow!

I attended the Society for Freshwater Science’s shared conference in Brisbane, Australia, earlier this month. I was in Australia from June 1-11 and got the pleasure of seeing old friends and colleagues, as well as meeting new ones. I also got to partake in some leisurely activities on my off time and on my extended stay after the conference. I am so excited to share my journey (and some photographs) with you all.

I started my adventure by flying from Savannah to Brisbane with two stops along the way. After arriving, we immediately dropped our stuff off and a group of my friends and I headed to the Australia Zoo. We spent the day at the zoo and got to see a lot of the native flora and fauna of Australia. Some key highlights would be the massive saltwater crocodiles which can grow up to 17 feet long. I also got to see one of my favorite birds, the cassowary. They were fairly shy and it was hard to get photos of them. There was a lot to see around the zoo, but you can tell the animals are very well taken care of.

The conference included seminars including for data analysis and Rstudio coding. I want to thank Dr. Eric Moddy and Dr. Felicia Osburn for giving me the opportunity to attend this conference and bringing me along through the STOICH Project. I learned some new skills using coding and helped make a cool graph for the project. After the seminar, I was able to kayak the Brisbane River and learn from the guides about the river and the city.

June 5 and 6 were spent supporting the National Science Foundation program Emerge Fellows during their presentations in the morning and early afternoon. Our group also took a trip to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane. They do a lot of local rehabilitation of animals in the Queensland area. We ended up seeing many koalas, birds, Tasmanian devils, kangaroos, wallabies, and even a platypus. I also got to experience feeding rainbow lorikeets and one even landed on my head!

June 7 was an intensive day with an all day trip that included a tour to see glow worms! The tour started by driving out to Springbrook Natural Park and stopping by a large dam along the way. In the park, we walked through the rainforest and saw a natural glow worm cave with a waterfall that broke through the middle of it. It was too bright during the day to see them glowing in their natural habitat, though. From there we headed over to Mount Tamborine and got to do ecotourism at a man-made glow worm cave built to protect and teach people about the glow worms. Glow worms are extremely susceptible to light so there are no pictures of them, but I highly encourage people to watch the PBS episode of SciTechNow on Glow Worms and how they glow.

Glow worm cave

At the end of the conference I said my goodbyes to new friends before heading on my own to explore the city of Brisbane. I got to see some great flora and fauna in the Roma Street Parklands and the Brisbane Botanical Gardens. The city is filled with flying foxes everywhere. They’re kind of hard to photograph, but super cute to observe sleeping in the trees.

Mulgumpin (Moreton Island)

On my last day, I made it out to Moreton Island, just outside of Brisbane. The island has great bird watching. There are also a lot of shipwrecks and other snorkeling and diving spots filled with fishes. The island is home to the largest stable sand dune in the world as well. I got to see a lot of cool birds and fish as I explored the island and the beach. It was the perfect ending to my trip.

RELEASE: ORK commissions local artist to create iconic imagery

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
06/13/2023
Contact: Meaghan Walsh Gerard
Communications and Administrative Director
meaghan@ogeecheeriverkeeper.org

OGEECHEE RIVERKEEPER COMMISSIONS LOCAL ARTIST TO CREATE ICONIC IMAGERY
Juliana Smith is a linocut artist based in the Lowcountry 

Ogeechee Riverkeeper (ORK) commissioned local artist Juliana Smith to create a custom artwork entitled “Blackwater Barons” featuring the plants and wildlife in the Ogeechee River watershed. The work includes the Ogeechee lime tree, spider lilies, white ibis, bald-faced hornet, cypress knees, American alligator, robust redhorse, and redbreast sunfish. 

Smith designed the piece, carved the linocut by hand, and pulled a limited number of prints. 

“For me, working on a piece representing an entire river was a welcome challenge,” said Smith. “As a naturalist, I recognize that an ecosystem is the sum of its parts and enjoy drawing connections between and amongst them. So, to develop this piece, I relied heavily on the guidance of the riverkeeper to make sure I knew its iconic inhabitants. Through them I was introduced to the namesake tupelo and robust redhorse – both of which play huge roles in the piece, just as they do in the river.”

Each print is signed and numbered by the artist, and are only available by making a minimum donation of $500 to ORK. 

ORK will offer merchandise such as t-shirts, totes, and more in future.

Donate to receive a print: https://www.ogeecheeriverkeeper.org/prints/

About the artist: Juliana Smith is a local artist dedicated to spreading knowledge about the organisms we share our home with and encouraging outdoor exploration. She is a naturalist for an environmental education non-profit in the South Carolina Lowcountry where she shares experiences and information about our native flora and fauna with others. Though she is particularly drawn to birds, bugs, and wildflowers, she finds fascination in all wild things and spends endless hours observing, studying, and illustrating them.

Juliana’s Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/knowyourearth

Juliana’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knowyourearth_


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.

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Flower Power

Hydrangea

In our area, late spring and early summer is the perfect time to watch the transition of the seasons and all the blooms that change along with it. The adjustments in temperature and rainfall affects when certain plant species bloom and bear fruit. The seasons prompt gardeners and farmers to plant new crops, and they stimulate new flowers and fruits to bloom. 

Alter your perspective on these changes by taking photos of the same plants each day. Watch how time passes when you review your images.

You can do this in your backyard, a neighborhood greenspace or venture out to new place. A smartphone camera works just as well as a professional camera. Play around with the natural light at different times of the day, different cloud cover, or just after a rain when the petals and leaves are still wet. Use natural lighting, test the macro settings, and capture the smells and sights of different flower blooms!

RELEASE: ORK announces updated Vernon watershed management plan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
05/30/23
Contact: Meaghan Walsh Gerard
Communications and Administrative Director
meaghan@ogeecheeriverkeeper.org

OGEECHEE RIVERKEEPER ANNOUNCES UPDATED VERNON WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN

ORK, City of Savannah led multiple stakeholders in the official process 

Ogeechee Riverkeeper (ORK) and stakeholders from the City of Savannah Water Resources, Chatham County and area residents adopted an updated watershed management plan (WMP) for the Vernon River. It includes new data and recommendations to achieve the goals to: restore the waterways in the Vernon River basin to the point that it can be delisted as an impaired waterbody by GA EPD; and to reduce the amount of litter and plastic pollution entering the waterways. 

Work on Vernon River started in 2001 when a group of citizens came together to focus on protecting the Vernon River from urban pollution when it was listed as ‘impaired’ by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA EPD). The 2023 updates are made to the WMP adopted in 2013. The updates will act as a guide for next steps in improving the water quality. 

The Vernon River receives a significant amount of the stormwater leaving the City of Savannah, via Wilshire Canal, Harmon Canal, Casey Canal, and Hayners Creek, all part of the Ogeechee River watershed. The goal is to improve water quality, restore ecological habitat, and “Protect The Vernon River” from current and future threats.

The stakeholder committee includes representatives from: The City of Savannah, Chatham County, Cuddybum Hydrology, Ogeechee Riverkeeper, Savannah State University, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (UGA), Georgia Southern University, Town of Vernonburg, and concerned residents from neighborhoods throughout the Vernon River basin.

In addition to the WMP, ORK has made a number of steps to improve the water quality in the Vernon River basin. ORK and the City of Savannah have installed four litter booms which trap trash before it makes its way into the wider river. So far, more than 3,600 pounds of litter has been removed. ORK is also monitoring 61 sites for bacteria levels and mapping the results.

View data and read the 2023 WMP at: https://www.ogeecheeriverkeeper.org/vernon

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.

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PDF of release – 2023 Protect the Vernon River WMP