In Santa Cruz County: Become a Citizen Scientist

Gain valuable water monitoring skills and spend time outside with the most adventurous monitoring event of the season, First Flush.

Throughout the summer urban pollutants like bacteria, nutrients, and metals are deposited along urban surfaces. It is not until the first significant storm of the season, the “First Flush,” that these pollutants get mobilized and make their way to nearby waterways and to the Monterey Bay. Every year, at the first rains begin, CWC studies the pollutants that are mobilized, and we couldn’t do it without our rocking First Flush volunteers.

Become a First Flush volunteer, learn monitoring skills and have a chance to explore storm drains and urban waterways of Capitola. We'll train you and other citizen scientists to take basic field measurements like pH, temperature and conductivity, collect samples and field observations. When the big storm hits, you and your team will mobilize, and take on any potential urban pollutants as lean mean citizen science machines. Residents of the community from all ages are contributing to the search for water pollutants, and so can you!

All volunteers must join us at both trainings: Wednesday, September 7 from 6 to 7:30pm and September 10th from 9am to noon at Capitola City Hall, 420 Capitola Ave, Capitola, CA 95010. For more information on how you can benefit from volunteering or to RSVP contact CWC River Scientist Alev Bilginsoy at abilginsoy@coastal-watershed.org