7.3. WQM Volunteer Roles

Assigned Volunteers.

Our WQM Assigned Volunteers are an incredibly dedicated group of people who care deeply for their rivers and go out - rain hail or shine - every month, to test water quality at 30 sites across the Bellinger and Kalang catchments. The dedication of this group is quite outstanding.

• Assigned WQM Volunteers are assigned a testing site and test at the site every month, either by themselves or with another volunteer. (For safety, we prefer volunteers to test in pairs wherever possible.)

• Assigned WQM Volunteers need to have access to a car, be available on the second Tuesday or Wednesday of the month and partners ask that testing occurs between 12noon and 2pm (ideally, wherever possible).

• It takes two or more training sessions to become an Assigned WQM Volunteer. It is important to build confidence before testing on your own.

• It may take a little while to be assigned to a site.

Roving Volunteers.

Roving WQM Volunteers volunteers step in if an Assigned WQM Volunteer is ill, on holidays or are unable to test for any reason. They hold a vital role in the program.

• The Bellingen Riverwatch Coordinator contacts our roving volunteers as needed, with as much notice as possible, and asks if they are able to test the site/s needed that month.

• Roving volunteers pick up a kit from OzGREEN’s office in Bellingen, and can test at any of our 25 sites across the Bellinger and Kalang catchments, or alternatively, can specify the sites that they are happy to support.

• Testing occurs rain hail or shine. For safety, we prefer volunteers to test in pairs wherever possible. As such, we endeavour to assign two roving volunteers to test together wherever possible.

• Roving WQM Volunteers need to have access to a car, be available on the second Tuesday or Wednesday of the month and partners ask that testing occurs between 12noon and 2pm (ideally, wherever possible).

Upload Volunteers

Being an uploading volunteer is a great way to be involved in the program if you have less capacity during the week or live outside of the Shire. They play an important role in our program and fill a vital gap.

• Upload volunteers assist testing volunteers who have poor access to the Internet or are nor very confident with using a computer by uploading their data to the NSW Waterwatch website.

School Support Volunteers

Roving WQM Volunteers volunteers step in if an Assigned WQM Volunteer is ill, on holidays or are unable to test for any reason. They hold a vital role in the program.

• School Support Volunteers are assigned to a school site and assist teachers and students to test for water quality monthly (or at whatever frequency works for them).

• All School Support volunteers must have valid Working with Children Check (WCC).