MountainTrue FAQ: SMIE Volunteering

Let’s chat bugs! Last December on the MountainTrue blog, we considered What’s Bugging Our Rivers. Today, we’ll take a deeper dive into our participation in the Stream Monitoring Information Exchange (SMIE) program and our partnership with the Environmental Quality Institute (EQI), based in Black Mountain, NC. We’ll split this blog post into two main sections: we’ll start with a summary of the SMIE program and our partnership with EQI and conclude with a brief SMIE volunteer FAQ.

About SMIE

SMIE is a collaborative, volunteer-based biological water quality monitoring program that analyzes aquatic macroinvertebrate population data from across Western North Carolina (WNC). The SMIE program was developed in 2004 by Clean Water for North Carolina (CWFNC) (as creative lead), EQI, Haywood Waterways Association, Riverlink, and two of MountainTrue’s predecessor organizations: the Environmental Conservation Organization (ECO) and the WNC Alliance.

Benthic macroinvertebrates — including aquatic stream bottom-dwelling insects like stoneflies, caddisflies, hellgrammites, and more — are excellent indicators of the comprehensive water quality of a stream because they have limited mobility, specific habitat requirements, and distinct pollution tolerance levels. You could say that aquatic macroinvertebrates are artists — they paint a revealing picture of the overall health of aquatic ecosystems. As the metaphorical art historians of the SMIE world, experts at EQI and their partner organizations analyze the physical cues left by these tiny yet essential aquatic insect artists. The expert analyses of SMIE data across multiple watersheds help us better understand our region’s vibrant water quality history and present reality.

About EQI and MountainTrue’s partnership

Our partnership began in 1992 when EQI partnered with ECO — one of MountainTrue’s three predecessor organizations — to conduct surface water monitoring in Henderson County as part of EQI’s *Volunteer Water Information Network (VWIN) program. Thirty years (and a whole lot of water quality testing) later, MountainTrue continues to collect and deliver monthly water quality samples to EQI, and we now provide EQI with our SMIE data for analysis.

One of EQI’s primary goals is to increase public awareness about regional water quality and environmental issues across WNC. Involving the public in the SMIE data collection process allows EQI and MountainTrue to significantly expand our sampling capacity and add credibility to citizen science programs.

EQI currently coordinates SMIE sampling at 49 sites in five WNC counties (Buncombe, Madison, Haywood, Mitchell, and Yancy). EQI also provides technical support for its partner organizations using the SMIE protocol throughout WNC and Eastern TN. As an EQI partner, MountainTrue coordinates SMIE volunteer training and sampling in Henderson, Polk, and Cleveland counties. SMIE sampling efforts occur each spring and fall, typically in April and October.

Check out EQI’s Water Quality Map to see sampling locations and review data from the past 30 years of water quality monitoring!

*One of EQI’s major programs, VWIN is a volunteer-based network that has been conducting chemical surface water monitoring in WNC streams on a monthly basis since 1990. Learn more about and get involved with EQI’s VWIN work here.

Why our partnership matters

The North Carolina Division of Water Resources (NC DWR) monitors water quality throughout the state, prioritizing testing sites with existing and pressing issues. The agency’s minimal number of testing sites and low sampling frequency have both continued to decrease over time due to lack of capacity — this means that water quality in many WNC streams is not regularly monitored… That’s where we come in!

The SMIE program monitors the water quality of urban, rural, and forested streams in priority WNC watersheds and tributaries without existing watershed plans or projects. By consistently monitoring WNC streams, EQI and MountainTrue can assess long-term water quality trends that highlight the interrelated relationship between the health of local waterways and resident aquatic insect populations.

This comprehensive knowledge provides valuable insights into the effects of *pollution in our local waterways. Essentially, WNC streams with higher pollution levels have fewer aquatic insects and are less hospitable to other aquatic and riparian species, like native fish, salamanders, and streamside plants. Alternatively, the presence of pollution-sensitive aquatic insect species indicates cleaner, healthier streams with greater biodiversity.

*The most common types of pollution include:

Stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces like parking lots, roads, buildings, and other structures. Littered trash is frequently swept up in the flow of running stormwater, quickly making its way into local waterways.
Bacteria and chemical pollution, often caused by sewer and septic system overflows, agriculture runoff, and industrial effluent.
Sediment pollution, often caused by erosion of stream banks, some animal agriculture practices, and runoff from construction sites and plowed fields.
Wastewater human and animal waste, industrial effluent, and trash.

SMIE Volunteer FAQ

Q: Why should folks want to volunteer for SMIE?

It’s a super fun way to connect with the environment and your community through citizen science and shared experience. SMIE volunteers get hands-on experience with a unique and essential facet of environmentalism (aquatic insects!) and make meaningful contributions to environmental protection!

Q: What does a typical SMIE volunteer day look like?

MountainTrue or EQI’s SMIE experts meet volunteers at our sampling sites and provide all the supplies needed for a day of aquatic insect sampling: nets, buckets, filters, ice cube trays, forceps, datasheets, and waterproof waders. A group leader accompanies each volunteer group, completing all aquatic insect identification and ensuring proper SMIE protocol is followed. The data collected by SMIE volunteers is recorded and sent back to the EQI or MountainTrue labs, where it’s entered into our long-term database.

In total, sampling an SMIE site takes between one and a half to three hours. Volunteers are expected to sample at least two SMIE sites each spring and fall season. We collect our samples using the three collection methods detailed in the SMIE protocol:

Kick Net Collection

One volunteer holds the large net while another kicks just upstream. The kicking disturbs the stream bed, dislodging aquatic insects from the sediment and off of rocks before they’re picked up in the stream’s flow and caught in the net. SMIE protocol calls for two volunteers to collect macroinvertebrates from the net for 20 minutes.

Leaf Pack Collection

Fallen leaves are an important source of nutrients and shelter for many aquatic insects. As the leaves move downstream, they collect on rocks, fallen sticks and logs, and along stream banks — as they decompose, insects move in. Volunteers fill a bucket with decomposing leaves and sort through the leaf pack to find insects. Volunteers can also collect insects with a strainer used to filter water from the soggy leaves. Volunteers typically spend five minutes collecting insects from the leaf pack.

Visual Collection

A volunteer wades through the stream and examines various microhabitats for aquatic insects. Insects are typically found under rocks, along river banks where tree roots interact with the stream, and in leaf packs. They can also be found by filtering stream water through a strainer.

Q: Do I have to be trained to volunteer? Where can I sign up for a training/when is the next one?

In order to ensure our data is reliable, the SMIE program requires all volunteers to be trained. EQI and MountainTrue host SMIE training workshops twice per year in the fall and spring. Training workshops are broken into morning and afternoon sessions. Morning sessions are education-focused — volunteers learn about the basics of stream ecology, aquatic insect identification, SMIE protocol, and the history and importance of the SMIE program and water quality monitoring in general. Afternoon streamside sessions offer volunteers the chance to put their newfound knowledge to the test — volunteers are trained in all collection methods and get hands-on practice with aquatic insect identification.

Additionally, EQI offers group leader training to especially passionate SMIE volunteers. Group leaders receive additional training in SMIE protocol and insect identification.

Both EQI and MountainTrue are hosting SMIE training workshops this spring! MountainTrue will be training volunteers for Henderson and Polk counties on March 5. EQI will be training volunteers for Buncombe, Madison, Haywood, Mitchell, and Yancy counties on April 2. Stay tuned for updates on upcoming training workshops in MountainTrue’s High Country Region!

Click here to register for MountainTrue’s 3/5 training workshop!

Click here to register for EQI’s 4/2 training workshop

Have other SMIE questions? Feel free to reach out to our SMIE experts and SMIE Volunteer FAQ co-authors:

Mara Chamlee, MountainTrue's AmeriCorps Water Quality Administrator

Kaila Christensen, EQI's AmeriCorps Stream Monitoring Coordinator

French Broad Water Quality Intern – summer

French Broad Water Quality Intern

Position Description:
The French Broad Riverkeeper team is currently seeking an intern to help with monitoring for E.coli and microplastics in our local waterways. Bacteria is one of the biggest pollutants within the French Broad River basin. We have two monitoring programs aimed at tracking its sources. Our intent with these programs is twofold— 1). to alert the public of high E. coli levels to ensure safe water for safe recreation, and 2) pinpointing sewer/septic leaks and agricultural runoff problems in order to get them fixed.

Microplastics are an emerging issue we are tackling. Not many studies have been done on microplastics on freshwater systems, especially on headwater watersheds. It is our goal to begin quantifying this pollution.

Ideally, this intern would help facilitate both programs, 2-3 days per week. The experience is a particularly excellent opportunity for a public health, chemistry, biology, geography, or environmental science student who wants to demonstrate skills in leadership and project management with measurable outcomes. The ratio of inside to outside time is about 50:50.

Responsibilities:
The position involves coordinating sampling volunteers, performing lab and field work, managing data, conducting research, and distributing results to the public. The ideal candidate will possess charisma and leadership skills, and an above-average attention to detail. No prior knowledge or experience in water quality monitoring is necessary; training will be provided. Special attention will be given to individuals who historically have been underrepresented in the environmental field.

Requirements:

Strong attention to detail and organization
Ability to adhere to strict, but simple, Quality Control measures
Ability to lift and carry cooler full of ice, bend over to collect sample up to 30 times per day, and maintain a steady hand in the lab
Familiarity with Excel and ability to keep accurate records
Ability to teach others
Willingness to drive your own car up to collect samples
Commitment to the goal of improving water quality through citizen science
Experience with communication around environmental issues preferred

Start date: Flexible between late May and June
End date: Flexible, but ideally through late September

Work schedule: Approximately 2-3 days per week

Compensation: Flat daily rate (amount to be determined contingent upon grant funding) plus mileage reimbursed at approximately $0.47 per mile

Location: This position will work with staff in our Asheville office. The samples will be collected throughout the French Broad Watershed

There are no required documents with the application form, but please tell us about your skill set, personality and passions. Including a resume or cover letter is optional. Apply through this form.

Western Region Water Quality Intern

Western Region Water Quality Intern

Internship Overview:

MountainTrue’s Western Regional Office is located in Murphy, NC, serving seven counties in Southwestern North Carolina and two counties in North Georgia. This paid internship is within MountainTrue’s Clean Water program and is part-time for a total of 150 hours. The intern must live within 50 miles of Murphy, NC, as the majority of the work will be within that radius. However, the work schedule within the week is somewhat flexible.

Position Description:

The intern’s primary responsibilities will be to assist with collection and analysis of weekly E.coli samples for our Swim Guide monitoring program and to manage the microplastics sampling program in the Hiwassee River basin. This work involves traveling around a four-county area, collecting water quality samples, interacting with volunteers, and conducting lab analyses.

Another major focus of the internship is to assist with distribution of supplies and certification workshops for the long-established volunteer water quality monitoring program in the Hiwassee River watershed (Cherokee & Clay counties in NC and Towns & Union counties in GA). And planning a summertime social event for all water program volunteers.

Other responsibilities may include sampling natural drinking water sources and helping with educational events related to water quality in rivers, lakes, and streams.

Eligibility:

Must have completed your junior year of high school (at minimum).
Must have independent, reliable transportation, valid driver’s license, and be willing/able to travel alone within a 50-mile radius of Murphy
Must be committed to completing the whole internship (150 hours)
Should be considering a career in one of the fields listed on our scholarship webpage

Desired skills:

Organized, with a high level of attention to detail
Experience working with volunteers, or as a volunteer
Ideally some background in water quality monitoring, but not required

Application deadline: March 30, 2024

Start date: May 21, 2024

End date: Early August 2024

Work schedule: Internship is approximately 12.5 hours/week for 12 weeks. Tuesday-Thursday are the preferred days of the work week, but the intern will often be working independently and some work can be done remotely.

Location: The intern must live within a 50-mile radius of Murphy, NC.

Compensation: The WRO intern will receive a taxable stipend of $1,500, and mileage will be reimbursed at $0.67 per mile.

Including a resume is optional. Apply through this form.

MountainTrue and The Creation Care Alliance of WNC on Eco-Grief

It’s hard to keep up with the news and harder still to process.

We see images of fires raging across the American west, driving both human and non-human communities from their generational homes. We hear farmers speak, in choked sobs, of unpredictable growing seasons and lost crops. We shake with the knowledge that we are losing species at 10 to 100 times the rate considered “natural” by scientists. We witness persistent environmental racism inflicted upon BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities. We live in a reality in which BIPOC and low-income communities are the most affected by climate change and most frequently excluded from climate conversations.

Many of us find ourselves numb with grief and overwhelmed by the pain of the world we love. In other words, many of us are experiencing ecological grief and climate anxiety — completely reasonable responses to deeply challenging truths.

As we grapple with our changing climate and the devastation of natural spaces, we may feel fear, sadness, anger, or a sense of despondency. We may feel burnt out. It may be challenging to plan for “the next thing.” It may be difficult to do anything other than try to “fix the problem,” making it impossible to rest. This is why recognizing and processing ecological grief is so important.

Together, we can learn to navigate and be present in the world as it is — grounding our lives and our activism and perhaps discovering hope and community in the process. As Francis Weller says, “grief and love are sisters.” By honoring our grief, we can develop a clearer understanding of why we care for this world in the first place and ultimately reconnect to our love for it.

Those working at the intersections of climate and environmental justice often suffer from depression and anxiety. The impacts of climate change — like increasingly frequent and severe storms and the damage they leave in their wake — can lead to panic attacks and PTSD in impacted populations. Activists, educators, and vulnerable communities all deserve support in addressing the mental and physical health aspects of being climate-informed and climate-impacted. We and many others are striving to provide that support to all in our mountain communities who are in need and interested.

The Creation Care Alliance of WNC — MountainTrue’s faith-based program — began offering seven-week-long Eco-Grief Circles virtually in the fall of 2020 to help meet the needs of our community members struggling with ecological grief and climate anxiety. These Eco-Grief Circles are led by environmental advocates, counselors, and pastors, and sessions are inspired by the work of Francis Weller and Joanna Macy. In past meetings, participants provided mutual support, healing, and insight as they explored grief and sorrow, anxiety and fear, guilt and shame, anger, despair, and emotional integration. Participants expressed profound gratitude for being among people who could talk honestly about grief, suffering, and the ecological and social challenges of our time.

Since 2020, our grief group offerings have evolved substantially. What began as a local, online effort to offer support has blossomed into an initiative supported by various organizations and individuals internationally and throughout the United States. We’ve hosted in-person and virtual groups (serving more than 150 individuals), offered training and curriculum to support others as they lead their communities in this work, and we’ve spoken on panels for national organizations about our offerings and learnings.

Click here to learn more about eco-grief and our Eco-Grief Circles and click here to learn more about our current eco-grief efforts. Because our current Eco-Grief Circles have limited capacity, we continue to consider the next iteration of this work and how we can achieve that developing vision.

We know the need for this work continues. We know that many others are championing this necessary work in their own communities, both physical and online. We’re deeply inspired by the thought-leaders, educators, creators, innovators, and activists at:

The All We Can Save Project, whose mission is “to nurture a welcoming, connected, and leaderful climate community, rooted in the work and wisdom of women, to grow a life-giving future.” The All We Can Save Project offers an anthology of helpful and empowering resources, including resources for educators, climate emotions, and information on starting your own All We Can Save Circles.
Marine biologist and climate solutions communicator Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson — The All We Can Save book co-editor, along with Dr. Katharine Wilkinson.
Intersectional Environmentalist (IE), who provide accessible and inclusive, educational, and empowering resources — “IE is a climate justice community and resource hub centering BIPOC and historically under-amplified voices in the environmental space.”
Earthrise Studio, whose “goal is to humanize the impacts of the climate crisis by sharing the diverse experiences of those living on the frontlines of climate change and the activists who have devoted their lives to tackling it.”
The Work that Reconnects Network, whose mission is to “help people discover and experience their innate connections with each other and the self-healing powers of the web of life, transforming despair and overwhelm into inspired, collaborative action.”
The BTS Center, whose mission is to “catalyze spiritual imagination with enduring wisdom for transformative faith leadership.” The BTS Center offers various programs providing support in eco-grief and is also one of the partners supporting the Creation Care Alliance’s upcoming Eco-Grief Circles.

Have additional resources you’d like to share? Want to learn even more about our eco-grief offerings? We invite you to reach out to us! In the meantime, we’ll continue to learn from and listen to the climate activists, community educators, and creators leading the charge (including those mentioned above) so that we’ll be better equipped to engage with our communities as we process ecological grief and climate anxiety together.

Contact Us: Sarah Ogletree, Creation Care Alliance Director

Plastic-Free WNC

Plastic pollution: we’ve all seen it littered on the side of the road, blowing in the wind, floating down rivers and streams. Plastic pollution is a global problem, but we all have to be part of the solution.

Watauga Riverkeeper Andy Hill on plastic pollution: “We’ve spent years conducting river cleanups, engaging hundreds of volunteers and partner organizations. We spend a lot of time on the Watauga, New, and Elk Rivers collecting water samples, planting trees, and tracking pollution. I thought we had a good handle on the plastic problem. A watershed change and paradigm shift for how I considered the issue came about when we partnered with the Town of Boone and Asheville Greenworks to install a passive litter collection device known as a Trash Trout. The data we began collecting on the type and amount of single-use plastics — including styrofoam and other littered items — truly blew us away.”

MountainTrue Watershed Outreach Coordinator Anna Alsobrook clearly remembers the day she and French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson were confronted with the dismal reality of the plastic pollution crisis: “It was the final straw — figuratively and literally. A few years ago, Hartwell and I were paddling the Swannanoa River. Plastic was everywhere — thousands of plastic shopping bags littered the trees around us, and plastic bottles floated in the river like rafts of ducks. These weren’t new sights for us by any means, but they were the ultimate kick in the gut to start making more permanent changes to protect our rivers and streams.”

Following their experience, Anna and Hartwell started researching the plastics industry. The more they learned, the more they disliked. The strategy of the plastics industry is akin to the tobacco industry — both forced themselves on unsuspecting populations, fully aware of their products’ adverse health and environmental impacts. Both marketed themselves as “cool” and continue to disproportionately burden our most vulnerable populations with hazardous health concerns.

Cigarette usage has been on the decline since the tobacco industry’s regulation. The plastics industry, to this point, has gotten a free pass. Wrapped up in the oil and gas industry, Big Plastic is cozy with the idea of buying politicians and bullying consumers into buying their products. With few sustainable, affordable, and accessible plastic alternatives, we — the general public — remain Big Plastic’s captive audience.

Some places have started implementing their own rules on plastic — eight states have implemented their own single-use plastic bans, along with 345 municipalities across the nation. We at MountainTrue want to follow their lead, hopefully inspiring others to do the same. We based our proposed ordinance on the various successes of existing single-use plastic bans. It’s intended to mitigate plastic pollution in Western North Carolina by addressing the single-use plastic problem at its source.

Now, let’s get into the details:

We begin the ordinance with a whole slew of “Whereases” — a standard practice in bills and ordinances. Our Whereases spell out atrocities of the polluted reality perpetuated by the plastics industry: a reality characterized by environmental injustice, rife with increasingly negative impacts on human and environmental health.

The ordinance’s first section defines key terms and concepts, like what makes an item single-use, compostable, reusable, etc. We based these definitions on best practices across the country.

The following sections are the figurative meat of the ordinance:

Section two details prohibitions on:

Polystyrene as a primary chemical additive in styrofoam food and beverage containers
Plastic shopping bags at points of sale
Plastic stirrer sticks and splash guards
Plastic straws (we recommend a request-only policy, though nursing homes and hospitals are exempt from this policy)

Some items in this section have built-in exceptions: the ban on plastic shopping bags excludes bags used for produce, bulk items, meats, seafood, flowers, small hardware, live animals (like fish or insects), dry cleaning, or hotel-provided laundry bags. It also excludes yard waste, pet waste, and garbage bags.

With the ban on plastic shopping bags at points of sale, we hope to encourage people to bring their own bags to the store. But, people are human and will forget sometimes. To cover those times, stores can provide paper bags for a fee of $0.10 each. They can also offer reusable bags for sale at checkout. Some locations already provide empty cardboard boxes for customers to use, and that’s ok too. The purpose of the paper bag fee is to discourage customers from relying on paper bags — which have their own environmental impacts — each time they shop. Anyone with SNAP or WIC benefits will be exempt from the fee.

Section four highlights our proposed bans on disposable plastic service ware. The ban differentiates dine-in versus take-out operations. We recommend that no disposable plastic service ware be provided for dine-in customers and encourage businesses to provide reusable service ware instead. Should a business lack the dishwashing capacity to provide reusables, they are exempt and can provide alternative sustainable service ware. We recommend businesses provide no disposable plastic service ware for take-out operations and instead provide sustainable service ware at the customer’s request.

The next sections highlight the ordinance’s implementation and enforcement criteria:

From the passage of the ordinance, businesses will have a set amount of time to source new sustainable alternatives and exhaust their current stocks of and contracts for single-use plastics. Businesses that fail to comply with the ordinance after that period will face penalties of $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second offense, and $500 for a third offense.

You can read our proposed ordinance in its entirety here.

Together, we can stop plastic pollution at its source. Let’s enact common-sense laws at the state and local levels to limit the use of single-use plastics before they end up as litter in our rivers, lakes, and streams. Visit our Plastic-Free WNC site to learn more and take action against plastic pollution in WNC. And join us at 7 p.m. on January 26 for our virtual screening of The Story of Plastic.

French Broad Water Quality Intern

French Broad Water Quality Intern

Position Description:
MountainTrue’s French Broad Riverkeeper and Clean Water team are hiring a French Broad Water Quality Intern for summer 2025. The French Broad Water Quality Intern will assist our team with a variety of tasks needed to help improve ecosystem health within the French Broad River Basin. We’ll teach on-the-job skills — prior experience is not necessary but is helpful. Examples of tasks include but are not limited to the following:

collecting water samples from streams
processing water samples in our lab
analyzing water sample results
data organization/analysis
preparing organizational resources
research projects based on current program needs

Application deadline: March 30, 2025

Flexible start date: mid-May 2025

Flexible end date: late September 2025

Work schedule: Approximately 15-20 hours per week

Compensation: Stipend to be discussed during interview process

Location: This position will work with staff in our Asheville office. The samples will be collected throughout the French Broad Watershed.

Including a resume or cover letter is optional. Apply through this form.