For the past nine months, Alison Smith has been monitoring water
quality on Terrell Creek and two tributaries of Bertrand Creek,
McCelland Creek and the West Tributary. This project fulfilled
her requirement of a 300 hour internship to earn her B.S. in Environmental
Science at the Huxley College of the Environment, Western Washington
University.
The two projects required her to visit the twelve sites that
she monitors on a weekly basis. Alison’s dedication to this
schedule was unwavering. She skillfully juggled her busy class
and work schedules so that she wouldn’t miss her weekly
appointments. Her attitude was always positive. Even when we told
her she would be taking a leaky raft out into the middle of five
small irrigation ponds to take her measurements. Even when it
was snowing outside and the roads were bad. Even when it was getting
dark and she had two more sites to visit and a paper due the next
day.
For her reliability, competency with monitoring equipment and
positive attitude, she is the 2006 NSEA volunteer of the year.
