NEW JERSEY WATERSHED AMBASSADORS PROGRAM
Watershed Management Area 9
Lower Raritan, South River, Lawrence

Hi, my name is Heather Barrett, and I am the 2008-2009 AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassador for Watershed Management Area 9 (WMA 9). WMA 9, the Lower Raritan Watershed, is comprised of the Lower Raritan, South River, and Lawrence Brook, covering parts of Somerset, Middlesex, Union, and Monmouth counties. I am based out of the New Jersey Water Supply Authority in Somerville, New Jersey. As a Middlesex County native who has spent the past 5 years away, I am eager to get reacquainted with Central Jersey, and to spend time with people interested in learning about and exploring the watershed.

I am a recent graduate of Boston University (BU) with a B.A. in Environmental Science with a minor in Biology, and a M.A. in Energy and Environmental Analysis. During my years at BU, I was able to spend a semester abroad in Ecuador with the BU Tropical Ecology Program and a week in Tanzania as a field component to a course on economic development and tourism. My field experiences have shown me how water is a precious commodity, and have heightened my interest in resource management and conservation.

I am available to provide presentations to school and community groups of all ages that are interested in learning about watersheds and watershed management. These interactive presentations can cover watershed topics including general information, the interactions of humans and animals with their watershed, and what you can do to improve the health of your watershed. I am also available to host trainings for volunteers on how to carry out visual and biological assessments of local streams. Data obtained from these assessments can be used by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection to evaluate the health and stability of the river or stream. I believe that it is essential for the communities to be aware of their local watershed and to be informed of how each person can help.

I am a free resource to you, and I am available for presentations, volunteer monitoring trainings, stream clean-ups, festivals, and much more. If you are interested or have any questions about WMA 9, please feel free to contact me. The health of our watershed depends upon everyone that lives, works, or passes through it. I look forward to hearing from you so that together we can make a difference in the Lower Raritan Watershed!

Heather Barrett
hbarrett@raritanbasin.org
(908) 685-0315 ext. 231

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