Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Teaches Workshop In Macon

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Don’t take that glass of clean water for granted–it may have once been in a river or a stream.

The Georgia Adopt-A-Stream program came to Macon Saturday to show people how to monitor our water sources.

It runs all over the world.

It helps sustain life, and it can be a lot of fun as well.

I’m talking about water–and for the folks at the Adopt-A-Stream workshop Saturday, it’s all about keeping our wettest resource clean.

“I try to learn how to do this so I can go back to the school I work at and teach the young people there, we rely on this water, and we take it for granted alotta times and it’s a part of the reason why I’m here and try to pay it forward,” said workshop participant Paul Midkiff.

The workshop lasted all day, and after passing a test, participants become certified to find out what’s in our water.

They used thermometers and other tools to measure different parts of the Ocmulgee River.

“You get people from all walks of life coming out here–from lawyers to doctors to Cub Scout groups to–you name it–citizens that have retired to college level students so it really appeals to all age groups and interests,” says Tara Muenz, state coordinator for Georgia Adopt-A-Stream.

Tara Muenz travels across Georgia and does hundreds of workshops for Georgia Adopt-A-Stream. She says volunteers are a huge part of keeping Georgia’s water clean.

“Our state can only get out to so many streams and rivers, so a lot of the citizens find that it is important that they go out and monitor a certain waterway. And maybe our state isn’t able to monitor that particular one, so for them it’s like fulfilling their own personal goals of contributing to help the state out which is very, very helpful to us.”

And that’s why these participants didn’t mind getting their boots a little dirty–to keep something much more important clean.

The workshop also worked closely with the Macon Water Authority to teach the class.

If you want to learn more about the Adopt-A-Stream program, check out the The Georgia Adopt-A-Stream website.