Citizen Science

The Foodshed Alliance Team is dedicated to caring for the Paulins Kill Watershed, a 41.6-mile river system that flows through twelve towns in Sussex and Warren counties in northwest New Jersey. Led by Coordinator Christine Dunbar, the team brings communities together, hands-on science projects, recreational events, and educational programs that connect people to the land and water around them. David de Wit shares his passion for local natural history through engaging presentations, videos, and outdoor activities while also conducting NJDEP- certified water monitoring. Brian Sayre contributes more than four decades of professional experience in environmental sciences, supporting the team with stream assessments, data collection, and community outreach. Together, they monitor the health of the watershed, train volunteers, and inspire residents of all ages to become active stewards of their environment. By blending science, education, and community spirit, the Foodshed Alliance is helping to protect Paulins Kill for generations.

• Brain Sayre – Program Assistant
• Christine Dunbar – Program Coordinator
• David de Witt – Program Assistant

The Hopewell Quarry team actively monitors three sites within Hopewell Quarry, Hopewell Township , Mercer County. Now in our second year of participation in the Traveling HAB program, we’ve gained invaluable knowledge and are grateful to Dr. Wu and her team for their support.

Our team includes Doug Meckel, a retired New Jersey Judiciary Employee,  Quarry board member, and dedicated member of the Hopewell Quarry Stewardship and HAB Prevention Team, alongside his partner, Sue Michniewski, a retired DEP environmental specialist. Sue and Doug are also active in a variety of other Citizen Science projects, including amphibian crossing and count, reptile rescue and surveys, kestrel box monitoring, while also volunteering widely throughout the greater Hopewell Valley.

Helping to keep the grounds in balance are Hadley, the mountain cur, and Ruby, a standard poodle, who assist with geese management throughout the year.

The team also includes Jeanne Waldman, a retired Nurse Midwife and Quarry Board member.

• Doug Meckel
• Jeanne Waldman
• Sue Michniewski

The Rock Lodge Club Citizen Science Team is led by Len Lesaski, Safety Supervisor, who began overseeing lake monitoring in 2020. Working alongside him, Val Lesaski helps collect water samples for New Jersey Center for Water Science and Technology’s Citizen Science Program during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Rock Lodge Pond, a manmade lake more than 100 years old, is a central part of the community life. While the dam was rebuilt in 2008-2009, the original sediment remains, contributing to ongoing challenges such as algae, weeds, and water clarity.

To help guide future conservation, the Rock Lodge Board of Trustees approved a bathymetric and dissolved oxygen study in 2022. The survey, completed in 2023, is supporting continued efforts to keep the lake healthy for years to come.

The Hopewell Quarry team actively monitors three sites within Hopewell Quarry, Hopewell Township , Mercer County. Now in our second year of participation in the Traveling HAB program, we’ve gained invaluable knowledge and are grateful to Dr. Wu and her team for their support.

Our team includes Doug Meckel, a retired New Jersey Judiciary Employee,  Quarry board member, and dedicated member of the Hopewell Quarry Stewardship and HAB Prevention Team, alongside his partner, Sue Michniewski, a retired DEP environmental specialist. Sue and Doug are also active in a variety of other Citizen Science projects, including amphibian crossing and count, reptile rescue and surveys, kestrel box monitoring, while also volunteering widely throughout the greater Hopewell Valley.

Helping to keep the grounds in balance are Hadley, the mountain cur, and Ruby, a standard poodle, who assist with geese management throughout the year.

The team also includes Jeanne Waldman, a retired Nurse Midwife and Quarry Board member.

• Doug Meckel
• Jeanne Waldman
• Sue Michniewski

Raritan Headwaters Association is a non-profit and accredited land trust working to protect and restore the headwaters of the Raritan River. Since 1959, Raritan Headwaters has engaged New Jersey residents in safeguarding water sources and the lands that support them through science and education programs, advocacy, land preservation and stewardship.

The Rock Lodge Club Citizen Science Team is led by Len Lesaski, Safety Supervisor, who began overseeing lake monitoring in 2020. Working alongside him, Val Lesaski helps collect water samples for New Jersey Center for Water Science and Technology’s Citizen Science Program during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Rock Lodge Pond, a manmade lake more than 100 years old, is a central part of the community life. While the dam was rebuilt in 2008-2009, the original sediment remains, contributing to ongoing challenges such as algae, weeds, and water clarity.

To help guide future conservation, the Rock Lodge Board of Trustees approved a bathymetric and dissolved oxygen study in 2022. The survey, completed in 2023, is supporting continued efforts to keep the lake healthy for years to come.

The Lake Owassa of Sussex County team monitored five sites at Lake Owassa in Frankford Township, Sussex County as part of the Traveling HAB Lab- Citizen Science Program.

Team Members

Heather Ronco

Tom Mangan

Deb Dimattia

Gary Pomeroy

“The training, guidance and loaner equipment we’ve received from NJCWST have allowed us to truly become citizen scientists! We can accurately assess the health of our lake and keep our community informed. Our goal is to not only identify emerging Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) but to also work with our community to minimize the inflow of nutrients that cause HABs. We fly a blue flag from the boat when we are conducting water monitoring to raise awareness. We are sharing our knowledge, answering questions and oftentimes alleviating concerns such as identifying algae vs aquatic plants.”

The Musconetcong Watershed Association team monitored seven sites as part of the Traveling HAB Lab/Citizen Science Program: two at Lake Musconetcong in Morris County, one at Lake Musconetcong in Sussex County, two at Saxton Lake in Warren County, one at Cranberry Lake in Sussex County, and one at Jefferson Lake in Sussex County.

Team Members

Christa Reeves

Craig Fleming

Ellen Pehek

Ellen is an Ecologist with over 25 years of experience conducting ecological surveys, conservation-oriented research and protection work in natural areas. Ellen received a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Rutgers University, with a thesis on amphibian community ecology. She worked for federal and state wildlife and land management agencies as well as conservation non-profits in New Jersey, Oregon, Arizona and Texas before spending 21 years at NYC Parks & Recreation’s Natural Resources Group as a Wildlife Biologist and Research Ecologist. During this time Ellen studied and strove to protect the many ecosystems found in New York City, including salt marshes, freshwater wetlands, streams, forests and meadows.

Carla Rodrigo

Samantha Johnson

Samantha is a resident and teacher in Hackettstown and started her environmental interest with River Watchers as a student at Centenary University. She was hired as the Field Specialist for a year before leaving to finish her teaching certification and is still involved with the MWA as a River Watcher and camp counselor for Camp Musky.

Tiffany Bai

Tiffany lives in Clinton NJ and has been a River Watcher for almost 3 years. She helps with macroinvertebrate collections, habitat assessments and HAB monitoring.

Ryan Jiorle

Michael DuFour

Living in Franklin (Warren), NJ along Pohatcong Creek Michael sees the impact humans have on that natural resource. Working with MWA and Montclair State University allows me to look closer, under a microscope, where the team can research possible human involvement in (and future mitigation of) harmful algal blooms (HABs) on the Musky and beyond.

Michael Ricketts

Michael, a retired science teacher, resides in Union Twp (in the Raritan watershed). First connected with MWA on a Musconetcong kayak trip a long time ago (12 or more years ago with Beth S-B). Volunteer with both MWA and Raritan Headwaters Association (RHA) because of interest in the outdoor environment. An extra benefit from volunteering is meeting people and making good friends who care about the environment.

Bill McQuide

Bill is a retired resident of Hampton concerned about preserving and improving the water quality of the Musconetcong River. He has been a River Watcher for the last 3 years

This merry group of Citizen Scientists leads double lives as fierce protectors of the New Jersey Highlands region in their staff positions with the New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council. Covering more than 880,000 acres in northern NJ, the Highlands region makes up less than 20% of the state’s area but is the source of drinking water for most New Jersey residents. The Highlands Council team monitored three sites as part of the NJCWST Traveling HAB Lab Program: two at Durham Pond in Rockaway Township, Morris County, and one at Frenches Pond in Byram Township, Sussex County.

Team Members

Jocelyn van den Akker

GIS Manager

Carolyn Klaube

Natural Resources Specialist

Sarah Friend

Environmental Scientist

Alex Hascha

Resource Management Specialist

Kelley Curran

Science Manager/Hab Lab team lead

Carole Ann Dicton

Communications Manager

Casey Ezyske

Water Resource Management Specialist

The Plumsted Environmental Committee team monitored three sites within Plumsted, New Jersey as part of the Traveling HAB Lab- Citizen Science Program: one at Oakford Lake in North Hanover Township, Burlington County; one at Crosswicks Creek in Upper Freehold Township, Burlington County and one at Crosswicks Creek in Plumsted, Ocean County.

Team Members

Katherine Tallon

Robert Tallon

Lauren Gelak

Libby Witham

John Neyenhouse

William Bonnell

Stacy Reed

Gabrielle Fox

The Upper Greenwood Lake Property Owners Association team monitored three sites at Upper Greenwood Lake as part of the Traveling HAB Lab-Citizen Science Program.

Team Members

Terry Gianniotis

Dave Surman

Andrew Quirk

Kathy Straubel