Category: Blog Post

Blog Post, Press Releases , , ,

RELEASE: ORK commissions local artist to create iconic imagery

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper June 13, 2023

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.

***

Blog Post, Educational ,

Flower Power

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper June 5, 2023
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!

Blog Post, Press Releases , ,

RELEASE: ORK announces updated Vernon watershed management plan

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper May 30, 2023

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.

***

PDF of release – 2023 Protect the Vernon River WMP

Blog Post, Press Releases , , , ,

Ogeechee Riverkeeper contributes to scientific paper

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper May 22, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
05/22/2023
Contact: Meaghan Walsh Gerard
Communications and Administrative Director
meaghan@ogeecheeriverkeeper.org

OGEECHEE RIVERKEEPER CONTRIBUTES TO SCIENTIFIC PAPER
The journal article was edited for young readers and their educators

Damon Mullis, executive director and riverkeeper at Ogeechee Riverkeeper (ORK) and Checo Colon-Gaud, Ph.D., professor & associate dean of the Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies at Georgia Southern University and ORK board member, published their findings on various methods for collecting macroinvertebrates. Macroinvertebrates are creatures without a spine that can be seen with the naked eye. Common ones in the Ogeechee watershed include dragonflies, crayfish, mayflies, and beetles.

Checo Colon-Gaud, Ph.D.

Mullis and Colon-Gaud, along with fellow co-author Kelsey Willbanks, a student at the University of Georgia, experimented with using various types of sampling devices – netted pouches filled with bark, leaves and other natural materials that attract the wildlife they wanted to study. They compared the number of macroinvertebrates they captured with each type of device. Although the snag with wooden pieces captured the greatest number of organisms, all types caught sufficient numbers for sampling.

Damon Mullis

The findings of this article were first published in the Journal for Freshwater Ecology. The article was edited and repurposed for young readers and their educators, and was published by Frontiers for Young Minds. The site makes technical science accessible for students in multiple disciplines.

“I’m excited that our work is available to younger students,” said Colon-Gaud. “As a teacher, I am always looking for ways to engage interested minds in what I love studying.”

Snags

Sampling macroinvertebrates is a key way for scientists to test the ecological health of a body of water. For example, many need certain levels of dissolved oxygen in the water to thrive. Determining the presence, or lack thereof, of certain species helps scientists understand if the oxygen level in a waterbody is out of balance.

“ORK is dedicated to practicing good science, but also to making it accessible to the public,” said Mullis. “We want people to understand what we are doing so that they understand why clean water is important to us all.”

The article is available at: https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2022.705218
Ogeechee Riverkeeper also maintains a library of free resources and educational activities for teachers and curious students at: https://www.ogeecheeriverkeeper.org/education-resources/

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.

Blog Post, Fellowship , ,

Fellowship Outreach

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper May 16, 2023

April and May were very eventful months for my fellowship. In April, I hosted an educational program for a class of young prospective STEM students at William James Middle School. I created a water trivia quiz for the students and they all exceeded my expectations. A lot of students were interested in getting themselves and their families signed up for volunteering which was great to hear.

I also got the chance to volunteer for the Canoochee Paddle Race. This is an event Ogeechee Riverkeeper has brought back to Evans County, Georgia. The race was successful, despite the low water levels in some areas. The feedback from the event was positive. ORK is already working on next year and hopes to see the number of participants grow. Congratulations again to all the winners!

A third event I assisted in was the career day at Nevils Elementary School. I spoke about different projects ORK works on, as well as my own research and university studies. The children we met were so attentive and considerate. They all made sure to correct each other on littering and hold each other accountable. The students were also very curious and asked a lot of great questions. I even had a student give me a hug and tell me, “Thank you.” Another student told his teacher he wanted to be a riverkeeper when he grows up.

I have also been continually participating in the Don’t Litter Lotts cleanups in Statesboro, Georgia. This project has been increased to cleanups twice a month because the amount of litter in the creek has unfortunately also increased. As the summer months come, we will need some more volunteers as many students head home for the summer or are busy with jobs.  Check out the cleanups and sign up!