September 2, 2020 – San Juan, Puerto Rico – The non-profit organization, the San Juan Bay Estuary Program (Estuary), encourages the public to participate this year in the twelfth Water Quality Monitoring Day, in accordance with Executive Order #2020-062 signed by the Governor of Puerto Rico. Instead of requiring them to go out on a specific day, they have been given the opportunity to choose to sample a body of water near their community on a day between August 20 and September 20, 2020.
The Estuary received a waiver from the Secretary of the Governor's Office, Hon. Antonio Pablo Batle, to hold the event this year. To obtain this waiver, the Estuary established a COVID-19 protocol, which was communicated to the public. All participants will collect water samples accompanied by their immediate family, wearing masks, and washing their hands frequently. They may not gather in groups or remain stationary at the water sample collection site. Participation is also prohibited on Sundays. This protocol is possible due to the nature of the event, which focuses on citizen science; it is limited to collecting a water sample, evaluating the data, recording the results, and emailing them to the Estuary.
“Moving forward with this citizen science event this year was very important to us. Doing so responsibly and safely was even more so. This event is our opportunity to thank our volunteers and supporters for their support in achieving the mission of restoring the water bodies of the San Juan Bay Estuary system. Receiving the waiver from the Government of Puerto Rico allows us to hold a safe, outdoor, and family-friendly event – something we don't get to do very often given the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Brenda Torres Barreto, Executive Director of the Estuary.
For years, the Estuary has trained and empowered over 10,000 citizens to monitor the waterways near their homes, schools, and recreational areas. Currently, 110 groups are registered, totaling 450 participants. Additionally, academic institutions at key locations across the island are collaborating to collect samples following the USEPA-approved protocol, enabling the Estuary to accurately report water quality at specific points on the island.
The Estuary offers all of Puerto Rico the opportunity to connect with water and participate in the care of this natural resource. It's an educational science activity for the whole family where participants have the opportunity to learn about and interact with their environment, collect water samples, evaluate them, and report their findings. This year, the Estuary partnered with Mapfre and Farmacias Caney, private companies that contributed to the event's success.
For more information and registration, you can visit the Facebook page: EstuarioSanJuan or the website www.estuario.org. You can also write to us through [email protected].
The Estuary received a waiver from the Secretary of the Governor's Office, Hon. Antonio Pablo Batle, to hold the event this year. To obtain this waiver, the Estuary established a COVID-19 protocol, which was communicated to the public. All participants will collect water samples accompanied by their immediate family, wearing masks, and washing their hands frequently. They may not gather in groups or remain stationary at the water sample collection site. Participation is also prohibited on Sundays. This protocol is possible due to the nature of the event, which focuses on citizen science; it is limited to collecting a water sample, evaluating the data, recording the results, and emailing them to the Estuary.
“Moving forward with this citizen science event this year was very important to us. Doing so responsibly and safely was even more so. This event is our opportunity to thank our volunteers and supporters for their support in achieving the mission of restoring the water bodies of the San Juan Bay Estuary system. Receiving the waiver from the Government of Puerto Rico allows us to hold a safe, outdoor, and family-friendly event – something we don't get to do very often given the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Brenda Torres Barreto, Executive Director of the Estuary.
For years, the Estuary has trained and empowered over 10,000 citizens to monitor the waterways near their homes, schools, and recreational areas. Currently, 110 groups are registered, totaling 450 participants. Additionally, academic institutions at key locations across the island are collaborating to collect samples following the USEPA-approved protocol, enabling the Estuary to accurately report water quality at specific points on the island.
The Estuary offers all of Puerto Rico the opportunity to connect with water and participate in the care of this natural resource. It's an educational science activity for the whole family where participants have the opportunity to learn about and interact with their environment, collect water samples, evaluate them, and report their findings. This year, the Estuary partnered with Mapfre and Farmacias Caney, private companies that contributed to the event's success.
For more information and registration, you can visit the Facebook page: EstuarioSanJuan or the website www.estuario.org. You can also write to us through [email protected].
