Drift: the Podcast Save Barnegat Bay

After a busy summer and brief hiatus, Graceanne and Avery are thrilled to be back on Drift: The Podcast, hosting conversation about the people, places, and science of Barnegat Bay. The fall return of the show welcomes two incredible interviewees, Emily Pirl and Rita Hjelm, who share their experiences running community science programs and the important contribution these efforts bring to the scientific understanding of our local environment.

Community science, which involves training and empowering citizens to go out into the field and collect observations as part of a project, is a powerful tool in advancing science and connecting people to the health of their communities.

No matter one’s interest or ability level, there is a plethora of ways for people to get involved with the stewardship of Barnegat Bay. In this episode, Graceanne and Avery discuss the different opportunities in our local community to join community science efforts and contribute to meaningful bay science. Explore the links below to see how you can get involved with the programs mentioned in this episode.

Plastic Wave Project - Microplastics Surveys: https://plasticwaveproject.org/microplastics

Clean Ocean Action - Beach Sweeps: https://cleanoceanaction.org/beach-sweeps

Rally for Barnegat Bay - Community Science Sampling: Email Assistant@SaveBarnegatBay.org to join the team

Great Backyard Bird Count: https://www.birdcount.org/

Paddle for the Edge: https://www.barnegatbaypartnership.org/protect/restoring-barnegat-bay/volunteer/paddle-for-the-edge/

Light Pollution https://scistarter.org/

Graceanne and Avery welcome experts Steve and Chris back to the podcast to discuss how stormwater is managed by the state of NJ and how citizens can get involved in advocating for this issue in their own communities. Everyday actions from installing rain barrels to attending local town meetings can make a huge difference. 

Want to get involved with attending local town meetings? Join our Captains group, which gives citizens the tools to become advocates in their own communities: shorturl.at/gBO03 

For more information about NJ's MS4 system, the state's municipal stormwater regulation program, you can visit our website: https://www.savebarnegatbay.org/initiatives/understanding-njs-ms4-permit-a-guide-for-local-representatives/ 

Learn more about stormwater and how it affects the Bay: https://www.savebarnegatbay.org/initiatives/the-impact-of-stormwater-on-barnegat-bay/ 

Check out the Rutgers rain garden manual: http://water.rutgers.edu/Rain_Gardens/RGWebsite/misc/3_Planning_14-31.pdf 

May is stormwater month here on the Drift podcast! Graceanne and Avery are thrilled to welcome stormwater experts Steve Souza and Chris Obropta to the show to discuss the basics of stormwater management and green infrastructure projects in New Jersey. Chris and Steve are working with Save Barnegat Bay as a part of the Non-point Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) grant program, which is partially funded by the NJDEP and which seeks to provide educational opportunities about stormwater management across the state and watershed. 

This episode will be followed up by another featuring Chris and Steve and is part of the Charting a Course for Barnegat Bay Stormwater Series. Interested in learning more? Register to attend our free upcoming virtual webinars, which will dig more into this conversation. Register for the June 2nd Zoom here, the June 21st Zoom here, and the July 21st in-person event at Mill Creek Pavilion here. 

Looking for the Rutgers University rain garden manual that Chris mentioned in the episode, you can find it here: https://issuu.com/rutgerswater. 

Graceanne and Avery return this month after a brief hiatus to discuss NJ's plastic bag ban, one of the most progressive environmental laws in the country! Celebrate Earth Month with the Drift: the Podcast team as your hosts commemorate this watershed victory in the fight against plastic overtake of the environment. Get your reusable bags ready— May 4th, 2022 marks this momentous occasion in NJ!

For more information on the new law and how to prepare, visit NJ Clean Communities' website: BagUpNJ.com. 

Curious about the actual law that went into effect? You can read more about it here: https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562020/20201104a.shtml

This week's episode features Rory Hogan, a two-time alumnus of the Barnegat Bay Student Grant Program and current senior at Stockton University. Rory shares memories from his experiences working in the Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone (SIMCZ) and on the Rally for Barnegat Bay Water Quality Team, discusses the scientific data he contributed to, and tells us how this program shaped his career aspirations. 

We are now accepting applications for the Summer 2022 Student Grant Program cycle. For more information on this year's projects and how to apply, visit our website: https://www.savebarnegatbay.org/educate/student-grant/.

Discover the science from students from previous years' programs: https://www.savebarnegatbay.org/educate/student-grant/. Simply scroll down the page!

To access the application and important dates, visit here: https://www.savebarnegatbay.org/programs/student-grant-program-application/.

Graceanne and Avery ring in February with two special guests from an SBB partner organization, Clean Ocean Action. Catie Mitchell and Alison Jones join the hosts in discussion about Rally for Barnegat Bay, an initiative that seeks to find and fix sources of pathogen pollution in the six towns along the Toms River. 

**The first Rally community science meeting will take place on 2/23/22 at 6:30 PM**

Want to get involved with this project as a community scientist? Email Catie at programs@CleanOceanAction.org. 

Watch our video and explore the field investigation phase of the project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJDCgvI3Pn4

Check out our page on the project: https://www.savebarnegatbay.org/initiatives/rally-for-the-bay/

Hear from our students as they present on their water quality research: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVpjY2RvQAc

Learn more about the project from COA: https://cleanoceanaction.org/rally-the-waterways/rally-for-barnegat-bay



This project is funded by a Non-point Source (NPS) Water Quality Restoration and Federal 319(h) grant awarded by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to address pathogen pollution in the Barnegat Bay Watershed.