OTC: Fish & Wildlife Students A Valuable Asset To Ogeechee Riverkeeper

Ogeechee Technical College Fish & Wildlife Management students, Naomi Harmon and Shawn Crampes, are gaining valuable experience while serving a summer internship with the Ogeechee Riverkeeper (OKR).

“Ogeechee Riverkeeper staff have been thrilled to work with our two OTC interns this summer,” said Melanie Sparrow, the Education and Outreach Coordinator at OKR. “They have been instrumental in our water quality monitoring project in Savannah and the litter prevention and collect project in Statesboro, amongst many other things. We thank them for all their hard work.”

Both Harmon and Crampes were recently highlighted in the OKR June Newsletter, and have been working closely with Sparrow to gain valuable experience in their field. Harmon’s internship involves collecting and recording litter and water quality monitoring data, as well as conducting citizen science monitoring for wildlife and recruiting volunteers for the OKR Adopt-a-Landing program.

Crampes is working directly with Vernon River Project. According to the Ogeechee Riverkeeper, the Vernon River is part of the Ogeechee Estuary and drains approximately 40% of the City of Savannah. The river has been listed as ‘impaired’ by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), and the goal of the Vernon River Project is to reduce pollution to the point that it will be delisted by the Georgia EPD.

“I am excited for Naomi and Shawn to get this real-world experience in hydrology. The availability of water is important, but the quality of clean water is even more vital for our survival,” said Fish & Wildlife Management Instructor, Casey Corbett.  “Their internship is showing them firsthand the impact we have on our streams and the importance of stream monitoring, as well as what can be done to improve our water quality.”

To learn more about the Fish & Wildlife Program at Ogeechee Technical College please visit www.ogeecheetech.edu/FWMT.

OTC