Tonawanda Moonlight Paddle 9/4/09

Hello everyone! I am Adrienne Kina, the new Citizen Action Volunteer Coordinator here at Buffalo Niagara RIVERKEEPER. I am an Americorps member and will be with RIVERKEEPER for a year. If you ever have any questions about volunteering, rain barrels, EcoTours or general questions feel free to ask!

"Moonlight Success"

By: Adrienne Kina

Unloading six long canoes and hauling the other five shiny kayaks down to the water’s edge, I knew this Moonlight Paddle EcoTour would be one to remember. The 23 of us piled into the canoes two-by-two or hopped into single kayaks. We were a bit wobbly at first, but quickly found our balance as we set off up the Tonawanda Creek. It was picturesque—our pack of paddlers, with the sun low behind us in a cloudless, balmy sky. Ahead of us the moon began its ascent into the atmosphere. The colossal, scarlet orb rose leisurely as a curtain of darkness fell around us.

Our experienced guide taught us about the creek’s ecosystem, while we learned firsthand through the musical samplings and brief sightings of its wildlife. With the moon as our leading light, we followed the twists and turns of the creek, discovering new surprises around every bend. After an hour’s tour up-stream, we had to turn our backs on the moon and begin our journey home. Slicing through the thick mysterious water, we paddled more diligently than before due to the chilly night air stinging our faces and toes. There was little conversation on the way back, as everyone zoned in on the night’s wonders and concentrated on the rhythmic strokes.

Back on land we circled up to discuss the paddle. “It was magical,” one of the kayakers mused. The other paddlers declared the event a wonder, voicing opinions such as, “I’ve never experienced anything like it,” “the smells were so strong, I think I smelled asparagus,” and “I loved it!” At that point, I knew the Moonlight Paddle was a success. I smiled as I thought of my contribution in making this Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper event possible. It was clear to me that the participants left the EcoTour with a new appreciation for our Buffalo Niagara waterways.

NOTICE THE SHIRT ON THE FAR RIGHT AND LEFT. Robbyn Drake took the shot.....don't know if she meant to catch the composition.

--------Green Team -------------------------Riverkeeper.....great partners. Thanks for all the helpful input in this "class project". We had a fun day getting drenched. We ripped out some knotweed, did the Lamotte Water test kit thing, Met Katie from y'alll yonder Georgia while tolerating Miss Drake.

Captains complete Coast Guard Spill Response Training

On Thursday, April 9th, about 15 Riverwatch Captains completed the 1st Responder Awareness Level, formerly Hazwoper, training at the US Coast Guard Base at the mouth of the Buffalo River. U.S. Coast Guard Marine Science Technician Scott Wakefield led a great program on how to recognize spill incidents, conduct initial identification & assessments to provide to spill response authorities. Some of the things we learned included how to properly protect yourself from possible contamination, how to proceed to a spill location, and how to use spill response reference materials, such as a chemical's MSDS or the emergency response guide, and what information to relay to the spill response authorities; such as the Coast Guard, DEC, or even emergency personnel.

At the conclusion of the training we were all certified at the Awareness Level (notify authorities and observe spill until they arrive) for Chemical Spills and as a 1st Responder (notify authorities and take defensive measures) for Oil Spills. While this training was great for those captains that want to take their waterway vigilance to a new level we are also providing help to the Coast Guard if the need ever arose. In an incident of a massive spill of some sort Riverwatch Captains could be called into action to help relieve the initial 1st responders and continue remediation efforts.

Thank you very much to all the captains that attended, Robbyn Drake for setting up this unique educational opportunity, and specialist Scott Wakefield for his time and knowledge.

A New Season Is UP ON US!

This guy was the youngest on site....and the most inspirational. I took this photo laying on the ground, telling him it will make him look like a giant (sneak Physics lesson). Coincidently, Louis correctly modified the Tee shirt. Love OUR water is the lesson the upcoming generation gave me on Saturday. Althoug he was the youngest volunteer, due to his exceptional dad, this is his second cleanup. Teach them young!

Many firsts at this cleanup. Dead deer found.....smelly!!!! No Picture. Pictures don't smell.

An exchange student from China

Dr. Robin Harris joined us on site. Incorporating The Bailey Peninsula (and surrounding area....like anywhere in our watershed) into high school classrooms is my masters project under her guidance. If you have watershed ideas for a classroom.....If you like to write......I can pay you in pizza.

We tried a new material in combating knotweed.

The South Park Green Team logo and tee shirt went for a test ride. On sale soon at a school near YOU!

RIVERKEEPER IS GREAT

Twenty years....of hard work. Thanks for the hat. South Park is signed on in red paint (sorry...can't do the blood thing). But, Red Paint is also thicker than water.

For a complete slideshow visit http://www.buffaloschools.org/webpages/ahovey/pictures.cfm

The Water Monitor Team's St. Patrick Parade float

Five members of the Valley Community Association's Water Monitor Team rowed in a float that was a boat in the great Old Neighborhood Parade on Saturday March 14th. The streets were lined with green people eager to catch candy and to say that they knew what they were drinking. They said that because the banner on the float asked the question, "Do you know what you are drinking? - referring to the contaminants that flow down our streams to end up in Lake Erie, the source of our drinking water.

The Water Monitor Team is sampling the Buffalo River at three sites on a monthly basis and sending their data to BNR. Water Monitor Team member Kayla Hardy (a student at DaVinci High School) designed and painted the Team's banner. It was rigged on a mast in the center of the boat so that it could turn in a full circle to display on the reverse side the banner of Buffalo-Niagara Riverkeepers.

The Team members riding in the float were Kayla Hardy, Kayla Carpino, Ashley Luna, Eric Prentice, and Jordan Kulesz. Team member Chelsea Locke was marching with another VCA contingent. They were joined by Green Team members Angelo Rosati, Samantha Hayes, and Teresa Vanloan. Our camera person was South Park High School teacher (and Green Team coordinator) Adam Hovey. Ashley, Eric, and Jordan are students from South Park are Green Team members. The Green Team's major project is the restoration of the habitat of the Bailey Peninsula.

The Water Monitor Team is led by the Valley's Science Firsthand program manager, Jennifer Pigeon. The Team is one-third of the VCA's "In Our Backyard" project, a DEC-funded program to increase environmental justice in the Valley Community through gardening, composting, recycling and water monitoring programs. For more information contact Lori Overdorf or Jennifer Pigeon at 823-4707 x 4.

Ice Jam 2009

February's spectacular Ice Jam on Buffalo River and Caz Creek!
Posted at Captain Mark K's request, with great thanks to Jerry the Intern for the daytime (Feb 10) pics. Night pics are from the eve of Feb 11. Captions follow the photos.

Caz at Leydecker bridge, W Seneca, looking upstream.

Caz at Leydecker, looking downstream.

Caz Creek at Parkside & Willowdale, W Seneca, looking upstream. Just starting to buckle and crunch.

Caz at Stevenson St bridge, looking upstream.

Caz Creek at at Caz bridge, looking upstream and to the left bank.

Caz Creek at Caz bridge, looking upstream.

Caz Creek at Caz bridge, looking downstream.

Confluence of Buffalo River and Cayuga Creek, looking upstream from Harlem bridge.

Buffalo River, looking downstream from Harlem bridge.

Buffalo River, looking upstream from Harlem Rd fishing access site.

Buffalo River under thruway overpass, downstream from Harlem Road fishing access site.

Buffalo River at Ogden bridge, downstream side.

Buffalo River at Ogden, looking downstream.

Caz Creek at Bailey Bridge, looking upstream.

Caz Creek at Bailey, looking downstream towards the confluence with Buffalo River.

Buffalo River, looking upstream at Seneca bridge.

Buffalo River, looking downstream at confluence with Caz.

The Cotter ramming ice at Babcock St.

High water at Seneca Bluffs as the ice jammed at Buffalo River & Caz confluence.

Big jam at Buffalo River confluence with Caz; looking downstream from Mongovan Park.

Riverwatch Intern Update!

(Cazenovia Creek @ Mill Rd. Bridge looking upstream)

Good Day Riverwatch Captains and H2O concerned citizens,

I just wanted to give a little update as to what I, the intern, have been up to. With January being an extremely brisk month, and waterways being frozen over, I have spent a bunch of time working on our databases and streamlining data collection for web posting pourposes. With that said you may have noticed a slightly different look to the pages that contain the data collection charts.

First we have added a link to Google maps where you are able to see exactly where each water testing site is located. Many of them also have pictures of the exact site with some of our captains in action! I was hoping to be able to add a link to each site that would take me to their exact location, without having to save individual maps, but I wasn't successful in figuring that one out. If any of you have any ideas feel free to share them with me!

Another change you may notice is that we have seperated the data witnessed in the charts into more manageable pieces. I did this so that it would be easier to read the data, as well as manage it on a year by year basis, meaning we have seperate links for data from the beginning of a sites testing data to the end of 2008 and a new graph for 2009. If anyone has any problems with the size of the graphs just let me know and I'll make them bigger for you.

When was the last time you checked out the e.coli data graphs? Beginning with 2009's data you will see multiple graphs when you click on a specific site's e.coli link. The first you will see is the usual graph tracking data on a monthly basis for the entire year. The new graph is a merging of the data you have collected for us with the daily precipitation totals. We did this to help show how precipitation can correlate with the e.coli readings that we get.

Does anyone remember Robbyn mentioning the Icewatch Program in the January Captains Report? If not the US Army Corp. of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory in New Hampshire asked for Riverkeeper's help in monitoring the Buffalo River and Cazenovia Creek for ice conditions. Recently I went around to 25 different sites between the two waterways taking pictures of the ice conditions and forwarding them on the Army Corp. If anyone else would like to participate that would be GREAT! Just give Robbyn a call at 716-852-7483. Here is a link to view current conditions on Cazenovia Creek as seen from an Army Corp placed camera!

Well I hope everyone is well and looking forward to seeing you at the upcoming Volunteer Appreciation Party!!!