A team of local volunteers will start training Saturday to assess how successful aquatic species are in finding their way into the many culverts that drain water into the Roeliff Jansen Kill. The following is the full release outlining the project.

“The state Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River Estuary Program has been working with Cornell University to determine the capacity of culverts within watersheds that drain into the Hudson River Estuary. This summer they will be working in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension Columbia-Greene and Dutchess counties to lead a citizen science initiative where volunteers will assist in collecting data in the Roeliff Jansen Kill watershed, located in Southern Columbia and Northern Dutchess counties. Volunteers will assist in collecting field data that will be used to determine a culvert’s capacity and passability to aquatic organisms, and prioritize the municipality’s infrastructure based on those two criteria.

“Volunteers will be trained to take measurements of diameter, slope, length and other dimensions of the culverts during the summer of 2015. The data collected by volunteers will be analyzed by Cornell University staff and shared with municipalities in an effort to identify undersized culverts.

“The first training will take place on June 20th at 1:00 to 5:00 pm at the Town of Gallatin Town Hall. Volunteers will receive two days of field-based training and will assess culverts for an average of 10 hours per month over the summer and early fall of 2015.

“For more information about this volunteer opportunity in Columbia County, call 518-622-9820 extension 0 or contact Extension Educator Liz LoGiudice at eml37@cornell.edu. For more information about this project in Dutchess County, contact Carolyn Klocker at 845-677-8223 extension 135 or cak97@cornell.edu.”