Current Student Opportunities
Students interested in immersing themselves in a meaningful project with a local watershed group can do so by signing up for courses participating in the Common Waters program, or individually by participating in WVU's RAP, SURE, or Purpose2Action programs with us as your mentor. If you're passionate about this work, please reach out the amaya.hamilton@mail.wvu.edu and we will find the best way for you to collaborate with us.
- Participating courses
- RAP program
- SURE program
- Purpose2Action program
If you are currently conducting a project and would like to be connected to local groups to collaborate or share your findings with, we can help! Even if you are not able to participate through the opportunities above, Common Waters would still love to collaborate with you. Whether you want to participate in projects relating to research or outreach, this program can work to match you to a watershed group that needs your help. If accessibility or concern about time commitment are preventing you from joining the Common Waters program, reach out to amaya.hamilton@mail.wvu.edu and we can find a project that works for you!
What is a Watershed Group?
A watershed is an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers or basins.
Watershed groups are local nonprofit organizations that typically work within a specific watershed on environmental and community focused projects. Their missions differ based on the specific issues and interests of their local watershed, however many complete tasks such as:
- Water quality monitoring
- Trash cleanups
- Outdoor recreation
- Advocacy
- Community Engagement
- Environmental Education
In West Virginia and Pennsylvania, there are hundreds watershed groups, as well as countless other organizations that work on water-related issues, such as waterkeepers and other environmental nonprofits.
Why do they need your help?
Watershed groups throughout West Virginia and surrounding states are typically volunteer-driven
nonprofit organizations, though some have the capacity to support paid staff members.
In addition, most were formed in the late 90’s and are aging out. As a result,
many struggle to recruit and retain board members and volunteers, complete projects,
and engage their communities. Watershed groups often have specific problems that
need solved through research or technical assistance, but don’t have the personnel
or expertise to tackle them.
How can you help?
Most watershed groups have technical, advocacy, and community engagement needs related to conservation and recreation. So whether you're interested in an applied research project, or an opportunity to promote local kayak trails, we have a project for you. Some examples of potential projects include:
- Creative ventures (e.g., video production, photography, art displays)
- Collecting/analyzing water quality data
- Evaluating erosion and sedimentation
- GIS assistance
- Researching topics in the literature, performing interviews, etc.
- Preparing newsletters, infographics, or social media posts
- Assisting with restoration planning
- Sharing research findings to the general public
Why participate in Common Waters?
As a student, you'll not only be given a project with real-world impact, but also assistance elevating your project through access to existing data, local knowledge, resources, and physical sites for research. More importantly, you'll learn how to engage communities in research and be exposed to potential careers and networking opportunities. This is an opportunity to get to know your community and environment better while gaining experience collaborating with others on meaningful projects.