Biomonitoring volunteers pick through a preserved BMI sample in CSI’s lab.

Join us for a fun evening of getting to know the aquatic critters that live in our local streams! During Biomonitoring Open Lab Nights, volunteers come to Community Science Institute’s lab in Ithaca to sort through samples of benthic macroinvertebrates (stream dwelling organisms like insects) collected by volunteers during the previous summer. These samples allow us to understand the ecological health of our streams while allowing you to become acquainted with the amazing biodiversity right here in the Finger Lakes.

During Open Lab Nights, you will receive training from our talented Biomonitoring Program Coordinator, Adrianna. No experience is necessary – Adrianna will teach you everything you need to know to get started.

To join an Open Lab Night or to get more information, please email adrianna@communityscience.org! We are always looking for volunteers for this program. 

Open Lab Nights will take place at 95 Brown Rd in Ithaca (Room 288) from 6-9 PM.

Dear CSI volunteers, friends, and supporters,

Join us at Liquid State Brewing Company on March 22 (1-3 PM) to raise a glass to the volunteers who created a baseline of water quality in New York through CSI’s Red Flag Monitoring Program!

Light refreshments will be provided as well as drink tickets to enjoy Liquid State’s local libations. Non-alcoholic drink options will also be available. Friends and family are welcome to join us as well!

TO REGISTER, CLICK HERE: Raise a Glass to Water Quality: A Red Flag Farewell & Celebration

History of the Red Flag Monitoring Program: CSI’s Red Flag Monitoring Program started in 2009 in response to the immediate threat of fracking in New York. CSI volunteers’ commitment to collecting vital water quality data was instrumental in establishing a baseline of 30,000 data points that would be crucial in the event of fracking coming to our state. Even after fracking was banned in 2016, several Red Flag volunteers continued to collect this valuable baseline data.

Evolving to Meet New Challenges: As we close this chapter on the Red Flag Program, we are committed to ensuring that its legacy lives on. CSI is building on the Red Flag Program’s successful model of streamside monitoring to address emerging water quality concerns. The invaluable Red Flag dataset will remain available indefinitely on our public water quality database. In December 2024, CSI’s dedicated Red Flag volunteers performed their final field assays, packed up their blue LaMotte kits, and sent their last data sheets to CSI for entry on our public database. We hope you will join us this March to recognize their hard work and dedication to water quality monitoring throughout New York State!

Biomonitoring volunteers pick through a preserved BMI sample in CSI’s lab.

Join us for a fun evening of getting to know the aquatic critters that live in our local streams! During Biomonitoring Open Lab Nights, volunteers come to Community Science Institute’s lab in Ithaca to sort through samples of benthic macroinvertebrates (stream dwelling organisms like insects) collected by volunteers during the previous summer. These samples allow us to understand the ecological health of our streams while allowing you to become acquainted with the amazing biodiversity right here in the Finger Lakes.

During Open Lab Nights, you will receive training from our talented Biomonitoring Program Coordinator, Adrianna. No experience is necessary – Adrianna will teach you everything you need to know to get started.

To join an Open Lab Night or to get more information, please email adrianna@communityscience.org! We are always looking for volunteers for this program. 

Open Lab Nights will take place at 95 Brown Rd in Ithaca (Room 288) from 6-9 PM.