SHARCS
Volunteer samplers, please take a pencil with you to the field. Below is the survey for you to fill out about the sample. Find instructions below.
Sign up here (view consent form first)
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SHARCS (Sampling for Healthy Aquatic Resources with Community Science) is a program at SUNY ESF that aims to train students to analyze various aspects of water quality. We have a team of volunteers who help to collect water samples through the Central New York region. Students at ESF will analyze these samples and compare data from across the region to better understand New York's diverse water resources.
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Information for volunteer samplers (October 4, 2025)
Thank you for volunteering to help us collect water samples! We will update this page and your emails as we get closer to the event. A brief overview of the project is below and the bottle pickup and dropoff locations are located at the bottom of this page.
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When and where
Sampling occurs at noon on Saturday October 4, 2025
Sampling location somewhere you choose in Central New York
Expect to spend approximately 10 minutes actually sampling
Additional time depends on where you choose to sample
What you’ll do on Saturday, October 4
Pick up a bottle from bottle site in the morning
Go to a nearby lake, river, or stream
Rinse the bottle three times, then fill the bottle
Take a picture and fill out a survey about the sampling site
Fill out the collection time and location on the bottle, use a pencil!
Return the bottle to the pick up location by that evening
Who can participate
Any adult (18+) interested in local water quality
No experience required
Bottle pickup and dropoff locations are shown below with the blue markers.