First Flush

Description

"Dozens of volunteers participate each year in the event organized by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency, to detect pollution in storm water draining into the Monterey Bay sanctuary. Previous years' monitoring has revealed significant amounts of bacteria and harmful chemicals entering the sanctuary.

But it's much more than "First Flush." During the past year, thousands in California have contributed to other scientific studies.

"What they are doing for the environment and our community is really huge," said Bridget Hoover, coordinator of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary's network of citizen watershed monitors. "They do so much more work over large areas than any agency monitors could ever do."

Time is money, as the saying goes, and it's expensive to hire professionals for time-consuming jobs, such as collecting field data. When facing budget constraints, universities, government agencies and nonprofits often turn to volunteers." (http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2005/December/04/local/stories/04local.htm)