(From left-to-right: Rachel Denby, Ellen Woytowitz, Jake Leizear, Corinne Griffith)
Rachel Denby is at MD DNR in the Monitoring and
Non-Tidal Assessment Division. As part of her job, Rachel is a crew member that
assists with the Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS), all over the state.
Through MBSS, they collect data on stream biota (mostly fish), water and
physical habitat quality, and geomorphology. Rachel also assists with mussel
surveys that take place largely in Harford County and with processing
macroinvertebrates with microscopes. During her CCC year, she will also focus
on restoring the Blackbanded Sunfish in Maryland, an endangered fish, by
developing partnerships and assisting with stream data entry, analysis,
interpretation, and presentation.
Ellen Woytowitz will provide support
for the USGS MD-DE-DC Water Science Center with the Baltimore Urban Waters
Partnership (BUWP), a federal initiative that aims to reconnect urban
communities to their waterways. Her capstone project will determine if a
relationship exists in the Gwynns Falls watershed between water quality
constituents, specifically bacteria and total suspended solids, and proposed factors
of influence including climate, land use, sewer overflows, infrastructure
repairs, Best Management Practices (BMPs), and socio-economics &
demographics. This analysis will help BUWP stakeholders determine if
investments in restoration and compliance for stormwater permits, sewer
overflow consent decrees, and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) have produced
desired improvements in water quality. Additionally, Ellen will assist with
fieldwork and data processing for the Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES) Long-Term
Ecological Research (LTER) and Baltimore Streamflow Gage Network and Water
Quality Real-Time Networks in greater Baltimore and D.C.
Jake Leizear will work with the Chesapeake Conservancy for the next year, focusing
on improving access to green spaces and the Patapsco River in Baltimore and
raising awareness of and engagement in the Greater Baltimore Wilderness
Coalition. Through this Coalition, the Chesapeake Conservancy works with
partners such as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and Baltimore City
Department of Recreation and Parks to advance urban wildlife conservation,
public access, and environmental opportunities in Baltimore.
Corinne
Griffith is working with the Prince Georges County Public Schools, over at the Schmidt Outdoor Education Center. Her role is to facilitate and lead school groups in a unique outdoor education experience. This includes taking children out into the elements and educating them on a diversity of topics, including: stream ecology, forest ecology, and pollination. She is a specialist in the first grade program, but also helps across grade levels.