Students to Monitor Local Streams for Hands-on Clean Water Education

Chemistry professor, Dr. Alan Anderson, BSU’s liaison for the alliance partnership, says clean water is vital to preserving the health of people and the planet. When toxins, like fertilizers, pour into waterways through storm water runoff, they can stimulate excessive algae growth, which harms plants and fish. Volunteer monitors, like the BSU students, can help detect changes in water quality that impact surrounding communities.

“A main aspect of my academic research is focused on eliminating toxic waste from the environment. To have drinking water and for important species to survive in the ecosystem, cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay is very important," Dr. Anderson said. “There is little to no monitoring of the streams in close proximity to Bowie State University. We want Bowie State students to do that research themselves. We’re right in the heart of one of the most important bays in the country.”

The streams selected for this project are part of a 64,000-square-mile network of more than 100,000 waterways across six states that make up the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The bay watershed is home to more than 18 million people and 3,000 species of plants and animals, including some threatened and endangered species.

The expanding partnership means more opportunities to diversify the professionals entering green careers and to include diverse voices on issues affecting the environment. In addition to the water monitoring, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay continues to grant BSU students competitive scholarships to attend its annual Chesapeake Watershed Forum, attracting more than 400 practitioners to encourage clean water action. This month, 24 BSU students will receive scholarships for the virtual conference. Starting in spring 2021, students who have attended the forum or volunteered with water monitoring will work with Alliance staff to develop topics for a Forum seminar series. These events for the university community and the public will feature experts exploring issues that affect the local environment.

“It’s important that environmental nonprofits like the Alliance focus on maintaining a career pipeline for people of color by fostering a safe and inclusive work environment, and supporting professionals of color in their career paths,” said Jenny McGarvey, Alliance senior program manager. “That’s why I think it’s so vital for the Alliance to facilitate these spaces for learning and dialogue, like we are doing with the Chesapeake Watershed Forum and Forum seminars. We are providing touchpoints between the conservation community and Bowie State students, which will help cultivate and encourage the growth of talent.”

Dr. Anderson also believes that engaging students in the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay’s clean water work will help deepen students’ interest in other environmental issues, like environmental justice and air quality.

“Water is a good touchpoint for me. Water is the connection to expose students to the environment in general,” said Dr. Anderson. “Everybody drinks water, and we all know that clean water is very, very important.”