• Address:
  705 Spear Street
  South Burlington, Vermont 05403
  United States of America
  
  Phone: (802) 391-4135
  Email: femc@uvm.edu
  Website: www.uvm.edu/femc

A survey (approved via low-risk exemption as STUDY00000950 by the University of Vermont, USA, Institutional Review Board, with anonymous analysis of data) to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on volunteer monitoring programs was conducted over an 8-week period from late May to late July 2020. Responses to the survey were sought from two groups: (1) individuals who participated in the April webinar who self-identified as volunteer monitoring program coordinators/directors, staff, administrators, or volunteers; and (2) directors/coordinators of volunteer water monitoring programs included in a national directory available at http://volunteermonitoring.org whose programs were not represented in the April webinar.

• Label: Participate in webinar

• Description: Did you participate in the Citizen-based aquatic field sampling in the time of COVID webinar on April 21, 2020? Options were Yes (1); No (2), but I watched the recording or reviewed available online materials; No (3)

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Expect to share knowledge

• Description: "Do you expect to use or share any knowledge or practices you learned from the webinar in the next 6-12 months? Yes (1) ; No (2) ; Unsure (3) ; NA (4) "

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: DistributionChannel

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Duration_seconds

• Storage Type: int

• Label: EndDate

• Storage Type: datetime

• Measurment Type: datetime
• String Format: M/D/YY hh:mm

• Label: Finished

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Progress

• Storage Type: int

• Label: Training to be held live online

• Description: Please describe how you plan to or have provided your online training. Was/Will your training (be) offered live? Yes (1); No (2): Does not apply (3); Unknown/TBD (4)

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Training to be held using recorded video online

• Description: Please describe how you plan to or have provided your online training. Did you/will you use recorded videos? Yes (1); No (2): Does not apply (3); Unknown/TBD (4)

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Need to create new training videos?

• Description: Did you need to create new training videos or did they already exist? Check all that apply. Existed for my program (1) ; Need(ed) to create (2) ;Used/will use videos from another organization (3) ; Other (please describe) (4)

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Create new video other please describe text

• Description: Did you need to create new training videos or did they already exist? Check all that apply. Other (please describe) text

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Other actions to protect volunteers or staff during pandemic

• Description: Please feel free to share other actions not previously mentioned that you are planning to implement, or that you have implemented to protect volunteers and/or staff during the pandemic.

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Program losses anticipated or known due to COVID

• Description: Do you anticipate any of the following losses as a result of COVID-19-induced programmatic changes? Please check all that apply. Reduction in number of data observations (1); Economic loss to your volunteer monitoring program (2); Loss in number of volunteers (3); Loss of staff or staff time (4)

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Other type of loss due to COVID text

• Description: Do you anticipate any of the following losses as a result of COVID-19-induced programmatic changes? Other type of loss or negative outcome (please describe) text

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Expected economic loss to program

• Description: "What is the extent of expected economic loss to your volunteer monitoring or citizen science program? (If you have a broader organization than just volunteer water monitoring and can report on just the volunteer monitoring program component, that’s what we’re aiming to collect here and in the next

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Annual volunteer mnitoring program income 2019

• Description: "In 2019, in what range was your annual volunteer monitoring program income? <$10,000 (1); $10,001-$25,000 (2); $25,001 - $50,000 (3); $50,001 – $100,000 (4); $100,001 - $150,000 (5);>$150,000 (6) "

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Benefits to program due to COVID

• Description: Please list any known or anticipated benefits for your volunteer water monitoring or citizen science program as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: What state or province and country?

• Description: In what state/province (as applicable) and country is your volunteer water monitoring or citizen science program based?

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Future information needs

• Description: What information needs do you have related to COVID-19 that could be addressed in future webinars?

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Other comments

• Description: Please share any other comments you have below.

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Describe what learned

• Description: In one or two sentences, please briefly describe what information you learned from the webinar and how you plan to use or share that information within the next 6-12 months.

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Identify role in volunteer monitoring

• Description: "Please identify your role within the field of volunteer water monitoring/citizen science. Check the answer that best fits your role. Program Coordinator/Director (1) ; Program support staff (2) ; Program administrator (3) ; Volunteer monitor (4); Not associated with a specific volunteer monitor

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Identify role text

• Description: Please describe your role

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Please describe your role

• Description: What type of environments are monitored in your volunteer water monitoring or citizen science program? Check all that apply. Marine (1) ; Estuarine (2) ; Lake or pond (3) ; River or stream (4) ; Beach (5); Wetland (6) ; Groundwater (7) ; Other type of environment, phenomenon, animal, etc. (i.

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Other type of environment text response

• Description: What type of environments are monitored in your volunteer water monitoring or citizen science program? Other type of environment, phenomenon, animal, etc. (i.e., something not related to water) (please describe) - Text

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Other type of citizen science text response

• Description: What type of environments are monitored in your volunteer water monitoring or citizen science program? Other (please describe) (9)

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Likelihood to cancel field season

• Description: To assess changes volunteer water monitoring or citizen science programs have implemented or intend to implement as a result of COVID-19, for each of the following, please identify how likely your program is to do each of the following: Cancel field sampling for 2020: Have implemented (1); Likely to

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Modify how samples make their way to the lab

• Description: To assess changes volunteer water monitoring or citizen science programs have implemented or intend to implement as a result of COVID-19, for each of the following, please identify how likely your program is to do each of the following: Modify how samples make their way to the lab; Have implemented

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Modify lab setup to support physical distancing

• Description: Modify lab setup to support physical distancing

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Develop and communicate a plan

• Description: To assess changes volunteer water monitoring or citizen science programs have implemented or intend to implement as a result of COVID-19, for each of the following, please identify how likely your program is to do each of the following: Develop and communicate a plan for if a volunteer cannot monito

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Modify communications approaches with volunteers

• Description: Modify communications approaches with volunteers

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Other modification

• Description: To assess changes volunteer water monitoring or citizen science programs have implemented or intend to implement as a result of COVID-19, for each of the following, please identify how likely your program is to do each of the following: Other (please describe); Have implemented (1); Likely to implem

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Other modification text

• Description: To assess changes volunteer water monitoring or citizen science programs have implemented or intend to implement as a result of COVID-19, for each of the following, please identify how likely your program is to do each of the following: Other (please describe) text

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Postpone start of field season

• Description: To assess changes volunteer water monitoring or citizen science programs have implemented or intend to implement as a result of COVID-19, for each of the following, please identify how likely your program is to do each of the following: Postpone the start of field sampling: Have implemented (1); Lik

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Update program guidance with COVID modifications

• Description: To assess changes volunteer water monitoring or citizen science programs have implemented or intend to implement as a result of COVID-19, for each of the following, please identify how likely your program is to do each of the following: Update program guidance to include COVID-related program modifi

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Conduct training online

• Description: To assess changes volunteer water monitoring or citizen science programs have implemented or intend to implement as a result of COVID-19, for each of the following, please identify how likely your program is to do each of the following: Conduct training online ; Have implemented (1); Likely to imple

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Rely only upon seasoned volunteers

• Description: To assess changes volunteer water monitoring or citizen science programs have implemented or intend to implement as a result of COVID-19, for each of the following, please identify how likely your program is to do each of the following: Rely only upon seasoned volunteers (i.e., no new volunteers thi

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Change field team or timing logistics

• Description: To assess changes volunteer water monitoring or citizen science programs have implemented or intend to implement as a result of COVID-19, for each of the following, please identify how likely your program is to do each of the following: Change field team or timing logistics (e.g., solo or household

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Provide PPE or cleaning/disinfecting supplies to volunteers

• Description: To assess changes volunteer water monitoring or citizen science programs have implemented or intend to implement as a result of COVID-19, for each of the following, please identify how likely your program is to do each of the following: Provide PPE or cleaning/disinfecting supplies to volunteers ; H

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Modify data entry procedures

• Description: To assess changes volunteer water monitoring or citizen science programs have implemented or intend to implement as a result of COVID-19, for each of the following, please identify how likely your program is to do each of the following: Modify data entry procedures; Have implemented (1); Likely to

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: Modify field sampling methods

• Description: To assess changes volunteer water monitoring or citizen science programs have implemented or intend to implement as a result of COVID-19, for each of the following, please identify how likely your program is to do each of the following: Modify field sampling methods (e.g., add or remove certain type

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Label: RecordedDate

• Storage Type: datetime

• Measurment Type: datetime
• String Format: M/D/YY hh:mm

• Label: StartDate

• Storage Type: datetime

• Measurment Type: datetime
• String Format: M/D/YY hh:mm

• Label: UserLanguage

• Storage Type: text

• Measurment Type: nominal

• Survey
  • Started: 2020-05-26
    Ended: 2020-07-30
    
  • Method Description: A survey (approved via low-risk exemption as STUDY00000950 by the University of Vermont, USA, Institutional Review Board, with anonymous analysis of data) to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on volunteer monitoring programs was conducted over an 8-week period from late May to late July 2020 (see Supporting Information for complete survey and access to full results). Responses to the survey were sought from two groups: (1) individuals who participated in the April webinar who selfidentified as volunteer monitoring program coordinators/ directors, staff, administrators, or volunteers; and (2) directors/coordinators of volunteer water monitoring programs included in a national directory available at http://volunteermonitoring.org whose programs were not represented in the April webinar. In total, 517 people were invited to participate in the survey, 286 who registered for the April webinar and 231 from the online program directory. To respect the stress of the pandemic on everyone and expectation that capacity would be limited to respond to a survey, JAWRA 2 JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION STEPENUCK AND CARR 17521688, 0, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1752-1688.13043, Wiley Online Library on [01/11/2022]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License each group received only an initial request and one reminder to complete the survey. The survey assessed the impacts to volunteer monitoring programs broadly and identified the extent to which specific practices had been implemented. Broad level questions focused on understanding if there were expected negative impacts on the number of data observations, program funding, number of volunteers, or staff time in 2020. The survey also asked respondents to identify any possible benefits from the COVID-19 pandemic on their volunteer monitoring programs. More specific questions focused on understanding if programs had implemented particular changes to protect volunteers and staff during the pandemic. In the development of the survey, 14 specific program changes were derived from the recommended best practices generated through the April webinar. Survey respondents were asked to identify if their volunteer monitoring programs had implemented any of the changes, and if they had not, to report the likelihood of implementing them in the near future. Accordingly, response options included “have implemented,” “likely to implement,” “unlikely to implement,” “definitely will not implement,” and “does not apply.” The types of program changes about which the survey inquired ranged from canceling monitoring in 2020 to more moderate program changes such as conducting training online, relying upon seasoned volunteers rather than recruiting new ones, and modifying sampling teams or methods. Follow-up questions were posed to further explore potential programmatic impacts if a respondent indicated they had or intended to offer online training, or if they had or anticipated experiencing economic loss to their volunteer monitoring program.
  • Quality Control Measures: To respect the stress of the pandemic on everyone and expectation that capacity would be limited to respond to a survey, each group received only an initial request and one reminder to complete the survey.