The autumn Thames WaterBlitz event is taking place on Friday 19th and Saturday 20th October 2018 as part of an effort to understand the water quality in the river Thames catchment. This event is being held by FreshWater Watch, which is a global programme developed by Earthwatch. Earthwatch is an international environmental organisation which connects people with science and nature.
The event is seeking volunteers in the Thames Valley to collect as many water quality samples as possible to get an overview of the water quality in lakes, ponds and streams throughout the Thames Valley.
This year's WaterBlitz will be the seventh such event and it is timed to coincide with the regular Thames sample run undertaken by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) as part of a long-term monitoring programme of the Thames and its tributaries. Along with data collected by CEH and data held by the Environment Agency, the continued Thames WaterBlitz efforts complement monitoring by providing information from areas and water body types that would otherwise not be monitored. This could be a particularly interesting WaterBlitz given the UK heatwave this summer. Click here to read what Dr Steven Loiselle has to say about the UK water crisis and the importance of water monitoring.
WaterBlitzes are also a fun learning experience for any volunteer, young and old, that is interested in their local environment and would like to learn more about water quality.
If you have taken part in a previous event and want to receive your new kit please click here and view the video to get registered. If you are new to the WaterBlitz and want to receive a free kit please fill the registration form.
Do share the event among your friends, family, colleagues and peers. You can find the team on Twitter here: @FreshWaterWatch