Blog posts by Alexandra Fries
The final Long Island Sound Report Card. – inner spread of LIS report card

Lessons learned during the Long Island Sound report card process

Alexandra Fries ·
20 October 2015
Environmental Report Cards | Science Communication | Applying Science | 

Caroline Donovan and I were invited to speak at the joint meeting of the Long Island Sound’s Citizens Advisory (CAC) and Science and Technical Advisory Committees (STAC). After completing the Long Island Sound Report Card in June, they asked us to give some wrap up and next steps information for where the report card is going in the future. Overall, the Long Island Sound report card included water quality, human health, and ecosystem/habitat indicators.

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Many participants joined us for the workshop from a range of areas throughout the Guaviare River Basin.

Guaviare River Report Card Workshop

Alexandra Fries ·
15 October 2015
Environmental Report Cards | 

This blog is part of the Basin Report Card Initiative: a partnership between the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) On September 21st, 2015, Simon Costanzo and I traveled to San Jose de Guaviare, Colombia for the Guaviare River Report Card Workshop. This was the third workshop in Colombia to develop report cards for three tributaries of the Orinoco River.

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Three rivers meet in Puerto Carreño, from left to right, the Meta, Orinoco, and Bita Rivers.

Bita River Report Card Workshop - The Orinoco River Basin, Colombia

Alexandra Fries ·
16 September 2015
Environmental Report Cards | Science Communication | Applying Science | 

This blog is part of the Basin Report Card Initiative: a partnership between the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) On August 9th, 2015, Simon Costanzo and I traveled from Bogota, Colombia to Puerto Carreño, Vichada, Colombia for the Bita River Report Card Workshop. This was the second of three workshops that will occur in Colombia, to develop report cards for three tributaries of the Orinoco River.

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The mill. Photo by Caroline Donovan.

Mid-Atlantic Volunteer Monitoring Conference

Alexandra Fries ·
10 September 2015
Science Communication | Applying Science | 

Caroline Donovan and I participated in the Mid-Atlantic Volunteer Monitoring Conference in Winchester, Virginia last month. This conference focused on volunteer monitoring efforts in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia. The theme was bridging the water quality data gap, and the way to do this proposed as expansion and improvement of volunteer monitoring efforts.

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The lakes surrounding Puerto Lopez, Colombia.

The Meta River Report Card Workshop - The Orinoco River Basin, Colombia

Alexandra Fries ·
23 July 2015
Environmental Report Cards | Science Communication | 

This blog is part of the Basin Report Card Initiative: a partnership between the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) On June 29th, 2015, Simon Costanzo and I traveled from Bogota, Colombia to Puerto Lopez, Colombia for the Meta River Report Card Workshop. The workshop spanned from June 30th-July 2nd, and was the first of three workshops that will occur in Colombia, to develop report cards for three tributaries of the Orinoco River.

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As we drove up to the entrance to The Webb Institute, I was wondering if I was underdressed for the event. Credit: Alexandra Fries

Long Island Sound Report Card release in Glen Cove, New York

Alexandra Fries ·
19 June 2015
Environmental Report Cards | Science Communication | 

On June 7th, Caroline Donovan, Bill Dennison, Suzi Spitzer, and I traveled to New York and Connecticut to release the Long Island Sound Report Card. In addition to the overall report card, we also released two embayment report cards, the Norwalk Harbor Report Card, and the Inner Hempstead Harbor Report Card. After picking up a second rental car, Bill and I continued on to Glen Cove, NY for the release on the southern side of the Sound.

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Outside the courtroom, there were many photos, maps, and posters about Mamaroneck’s history.

Long Island Sound Report Card

Alexandra Fries ·
28 October 2014
Environmental Report Cards | Science Communication | 

On October 9th, Bill Dennison, Caroline Donovan, and I traveled to New Rochelle, New York, for a meeting on the Long Island Sound Report Card. The Long Island Sound Study includes two working groups, the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC), and the Science and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC). These committees had a joint meeting on October 10th that we participated in, to further the progress of the Long Island Sound Report Card.

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Jacqueline Talbot and Meghan Ruta talking about goals of the conference.

2014 Connecticut Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Conference

Alexandra Fries ·
28 August 2014
Environmental Report Cards | Science Communication | 

In conjunction with our work on the Long Island Sound embayment report cards, I was invited to speak about report cards at the first annual Connecticut Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Conference. The conference was held on July 25th, 2014 at Goodwin College. The organizers of the conference were Jacqueline Talbot with the Connecticut River Watershed Council and Meghan Ruta with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP).

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Alex Fries in Cincinnati, Ohio for the National Water Quality Monitoring Conference.

National Monitoring Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio

Alexandra Fries ·
3 July 2014
Science Communication | 

On April 29, I traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio for the National Water Quality Monitoring Conference. This year’s theme for the conference was Working Together for Clean Water, a true issue IAN tackles in almost all of our projects. Alex Fries in Cincinnati, Ohio for the National Water Quality Monitoring Conference. After meeting with Julie Vastine from Dickenson College, she asked me to attend the Volunteer Monitoring Gathering and Dinner.

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