LRWP Visual Habitat Assessment Training 12-1-2020

Hosted by the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership, this video shares information on how to conduct a "Habitat Assessment" of local streams. It was developed to prepare community volunteers with the information they need to become volunteer civic science Streamkeepers who monitor our area waterways. Our trainers for this session are LRWP Volunteer Outreach Coordinator Jon Dugan and New Jersey Americorps Watershed Ambassador Caitlin DiCara (Watershed Management Area 9). The video was filmed December 1, 2020. A healthy stream is a complex place. Vegetation grows along its banks, shading the stream and filtering pollutants before they enter the waters. Wildlife find shelter and food near and in its waters. And within the stream itself are fish, insects, and other organisms with specific needs for oxygen, food, and shelter. Certain land uses affect habitat quality and stream health. A stream corridor functions holistically, and any changes to a part may affect the entire habitat. A habitat assessment is a summary of different characteristics of a stream segment that help us better understand the health of our area streams. When we understand issues that affect our streams, we can do a better job of protecting them. This training details the “how-tos” of assessing the health of our local streams, and provides a general overview of the LRWP's Streamkeeper adopt-a-stream stream monitoring program.