Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) students, faculty, and community volunteers recently participated in the first Gwinnett River Rendezvous, an event focused on environmental science and local water quality. Volunteers collected water samples from rivers and streams throughout Gwinnett County, which were then analyzed for bacterial levels, conductivity, turbidity, and optical brighteners. Additional testing took place on GGC’s campus.
Aubrey Dyer, director of GGC’s Institute for Environmental Science and Sustainability, explained the importance of the data: “The data can tell us a lot of important things about the health of our watersheds. The information we collect will go directly to Gwinnett Water Resources so that they can investigate potential contamination in those streams.”
The event was organized through collaboration between Gwinnett Water Resources, GGC, and several organizations including Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful, Georgia Adopt-A-Stream, the Yellow River Water Trail, Chattahoochee Riverkeepers, and The Water Tower. This partnership aimed to provide opportunities for service learning, civic engagement, and leadership development among volunteers.
GGC sophomore Andreas Forbes shared his experience: “I’m an , and I haven’t had any internship opportunities yet. This was my first chance to really step into the environmental science world and do something hands-on.”
The college plans to continue hosting the Gwinnett River Rendezvous annually as part of its commitment to environmental stewardship and community involvement.
