Adopt-a-Stream Become a Volunteer

Anyone Can Join

Register for a workshop that suits you best. You will learn everything you need to know at the event.
No workshop in your area? Join our waitlist or contact scaas@dhec.sc.gov to request one.

Training Types

  • In-person
    • Workshops are free, last 5-6 hours, and include a classroom lesson, outdoor field practice, and open-book certification test.
  • Hybrid
    • Three-hour, live trainer virtual lesson, 3-hour field day (separate date), open-book certification test.
  • Online
    • LAKE MONITORING ONLY. Full online certification. Watch a video, read the handbook, take the test, purchase your kit, and begin monitoring. **First 50 certified volunteers get a free test kit!**
  • En Español
    • Talleres de arroyos de agua dulce y macroinvertebrados únicamente. Envíe un correo electrónico a scaas@dhec.sc.gov para solicitar un taller. Disponible en el área de Greenville.

Workshop Selection

Freshwater Tidal Saltwater Macroinvertebrates Lake Monitoring

Freshwater Stream Workshop

Volunteers with gloves are in a creek testing water

 

Learn to measure temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, transparency, and bacteria in freshwater streams monthly. Choose a site that flows year-round, is wrist to hip deep, and can be safely accessed with proper permission. If you don't know where to sample, we can help you locate a
site.

Register

Freshwater Stream Protocol Videos

YouTube

Tidal Saltwater

Woman with hat hanging behind her neck uses binoculars to look out into the ocean

 

Learn to measure temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and transparency in tidal saltwater. Tidal saltwater sites must have a salinity above 0.5 ppt and are sampled monthly. If you don't know where to sample, we can help you identify a site.

Register

Tidal Saltwater Protocol Videos

YouTube

Macroinvertebrate Workshop

A male volunteer is using magnifying glass to look at macroinvertebrates from nearby waters

 

Macroinvertebrates are visible organisms without a backbone that are good indicators of stream water quality. Learn to collect and identify macroinvertebrates to assess freshwater stream habitat health. Monitor a wadeable stream twice per year. Ideal sites have enough flow to push the macroinvertebrates into nets and have a variety of habitat (substrate, leaf packs, woody debris). Macroinvertebrates must be collected from freshwater stream sites that flow year-round, are wrist to hip deep and can be safely accessed with proper permission. If you don't know where to sample, we can help you identify a site.

Register

Macroinvertebrate Protocol Videos

YouTube

Lake Monitoring: Online Certification

Female wearing a blue life jacket is sitting cross-legged on a raft collecting data from the lake

 

Learn to make observations and measure transparency, hue, lake level, and temperature monthly. Keep an eye out for algal growth and report possible invasive aquatic plants. Sample from a dock, boat, or kayak/ canoe/SUP. Select monitoring sites greater than 5 acres and do not
sample engineered ponds. If you don't know where to sample we can help you locate a site.

Coming this summer.

Virtual Certification Process