Volunteering with StreamWatch

Do you want to become a StreamWatch volunteer? The next training workshop will be on Saturday, January 24th, from 10am – 4pm. To learn more or to sign up, please contact Rose

Do you want to hear about training and stream monitoring opportunities? Sign up for the StreamWatch volunteer listserve: SWvolunteers

StreamWatch volunteers monitor stream conditions in order to help the community protect water quality and stream health. Currently, most of our effort is directed towards benthic macroinvertebrate sampling. Benthic monitors wade into shallow streams to net invertebrates (insects, crayfish, snails, etc.), and then analyze the relative abundance of the different types of organisms collected.

The initial training workshop requires about six hours, and each sampling excursion requires about four hours. The time commitment requested of StreamWatch benthic monitors is approximately 24 hours during the first year and 12 hours per year thereafter.

Volunteers are also needed to help with special projects, habitat surveys, office work, accounting and more.

If you’re interested in volunteering with StreamWatch, please contact Rose.

Training and Certification

There are three steps to becoming a StreamWatch monitor: initial training, skill development, and certification.

StreamWatch training workshops cover the fundamentals of field techniques and bug identification. Volunteers learn how to:

  • Use a standardized method for collecting samples of stream-dwelling invertebrates.
  • Identify and classify the organisms they collect.
  • Analyze samples through a series of calculations that generate a stream health “score”.

After attending the initial training, volunteers spend time reviewing and mastering the material introduced during the workshop. New volunteers are encouraged to assist certified monitors in the field, and to develop bug identification skills through experience and study.

The last step, certification, entails a test of skills and understanding. Anyone who is motivated to be a stream monitor can master the requisite material and become certified.

Monitors can acquire supplies and equipment for field work, or borrow full equipment kits from StreamWatch. Please refer to the StreamWatch equipment list on the Forms and Documents page.

Volunteer Resources

  • For more information about stream monitoring, and for a virtual bug training course, visit Virginia Save Our Streams Monitors’ Page
  • A Guide to Common Freshwater Invertebrates of North America, by J. Reese Voshell

Safety Tips for Field Work

Watch for ticks!


Black-legged Tick (deer tick): scale is in centimeters

Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases are becoming increasingly common in our area. Please educate yourself about prevention and early detection. For more information, visit the Lyme Disease Foundation and the CDC’s Learn about Lyme Disease

Hunting Seasons

Before you plan your field work, please be aware of hunting seasons. For a list of seasons by game, visit the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries website