2022 Spring RiverWatch Workshops

At our workshops, volunteers are trained to be RiverWatch citizen scientists who can monitor and protect a local stream. You will be taught to perform stream habitat surveys and biological surveys. Stream habitat surveys describe the physical conditions in and immediately surrounding the stream. Biological surveys focus on the diversity of organisms living in a stream. To measure diversity, RiverWatchers look at small stream organisms, known as macroinvertebrates, that live in the water.

The morning of the workshop is spent indoors learning about RiverWatch and water quality as well as using microscopes to learn to identify the macroinvertebrates. In the afternoon, we go to a nearby stream to do a practice survey together. Upon completing training and becoming certified, volunteers may adopt a stream site where they can monitor water quality using these RiverWatch survey methods.

To register for a RiverWatch Training Workshop, please click on a link below.

Saturday, March 19th - Danville (Vermilion County)

Saturday, March 26th - Joliet (Will County) Cancelled

Saturday, March 26th - Makanda (Jackson County) Cancelled

Saturday, March 26th - Lincoln (Logan County)

Saturday, April 2nd - Peoria (Peoria County) Cancelled

Saturday, April 2nd - Olney (Richland County)

Saturday, April 2nd - Joliet (Will County)

Sunday, April 3rd - Godfrey (Madison County)

Tuesday, April 5th - Mt Vernon (Jefferson County) Cancelled

Sunday, April 10th - Genoa (Dekalb County)

Saturday, April 16th - Rockford (Winnebago County)

Saturday, April 23th - Mahomet (Champaign County)

Sunday, April 24th - Bourbonnais (Kankakee County)

Sunday, April 24th - Ingleside (Lake County)

Friday, April 29th - Franklin Grove / Dixon (Lee County)

Saturday, April 30th - Galesburg (Knox County)

The Illinois RiverWatch Network is a statewide, non-profit, volunteer stream monitoring program. Minimum registation is 5 participants for the workshop to run. If none of these dates/locations work for you, please contact the RiverWatch staff for additional options.

Special instructions for teachers. Continuing education credits may be available, contact the RiverWatch staff for details.

Special instructions for children (Under 18). Kids are allowed to attend the workshop for free with a paid adult registrant, up to two children with one adult. Kids do not need to register but must be noted on their adult chaperones registration form. Any kids attending a workshop for free will not receive any of the printed materials. Kids will also need to have a liability form signed by a parent or legal guardian to participate.

Special instructions for large groups. If you have a group of 6 or more participants that would like to attend a workshop, you can request a special workshop to be done at the date and location of your choosing.

Special instructions for previously trained RiverWatch citizen scientists. You are allowed to attend any of the workshops for free, but are not required to attend. Please click the corresponding workshop link to register, and select "payment by check" method so that your registration will go through even though you are not paying.

Registration and Payment Deadline. Registration and payment must be made one week in advance of the workshop to guarantee your seat and materials for the workshop. Anyone registering or paying after this date is not guaranteed admittance.

Payment Refund Policy. Workshop registration payments are fully refundable (-2% processing fee if paying by credit card) if refund is requested at least one week before the workshop. Refunds requested later than one week before the workshop WILL NOT be granted.