Volunteer With Us!

Home Monitoring Partnerships Volunteer With Us!

Volunteer With Us!

At Community Science Institute, there are many ways that you can volunteer your time to make a difference in our watershed. We understand that everyone has different interests, availabilities, and rhythms in their lives. That shouldn’t stop you from participating in community science! Whether you are itching to wade into a stream to collect a water sample or prefer to help from the comfort of your own home, we have options for you to support our work.

If you’re interested in volunteering, please send us an email at info@communityscience.org!

Water Quality Monitoring:

Community Science Institute leads three different Water Quality Monitoring Partnerships. You can read about the purpose of each one in more depth on our Monitoring Partnerships page.

The Synoptic Stream and Lake Sampling Partnership is CSI’s longest-running volunteer water monitoring program, beginning in 2002 in the Fall and Virgil Creek watersheds. The program has a twofold goal: to generate ongoing, high-quality data that informs local water resource management decisions while educating and empowering community members to become stewards of their local environment. Our Synoptic Stream and Lake volunteers collect water samples three times per year at fixed locations along streams and Cayuga Lake. Samples are analyzed at CSI’s state-certified laboratory, producing a robust dataset of regulatory-quality water quality data. CSI aims to coordinate two baseflow sampling events and one stormwater event annually in each watershed. Volunteers attend annual refresher training as part of CSI’s Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP). Training includes equipment calibration, sampling protocol and location reviews, discussion of local water quality trends, and coordination of the year’s sampling events. It’s also a great opportunity to connect with fellow volunteers and strengthen your local monitoring community!

Since 2018, the Community Science Institute (CSI) has coordinated the volunteer-driven Cayuga Lake Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Monitoring Program, combining rigorous science, publicly accessible data, and strong local partnerships to support timely, accurate HAB reporting. Through consistent shoreline monitoring and certified laboratory analysis, the program has built a long-term dataset that supports public health decision-making and informs lake management strategies. Visit CSI’s Cayuga Lake HABs Tracker for more information. The program brings together trained volunteer community scientists, county health departments, local nonprofit partners, and state agencies to generate reliable data, address critical information gaps, and guide evidence-based action. In 2025, CSI partnered with the Seneca and Cayuga County Health Departments and Tompkins County Whole Health to implement a strategic, risk-based sampling framework focused on 14–15 high-use and high-exposure priority sites around the lake. Volunteers conduct weekly shoreline surveys to identify and report suspected HABs. Additionally, select volunteers collect samples at the priority sites, while other volunteers help transport samples to CSI’s state-certified laboratory for analysis. This collaborative approach strengthens local monitoring capacity and helps ensure that timely, science-based information is available to protect public health.

Biological monitoring (or biomonitoring) is an affordable, and effective way to assess stream health. It involves studying benthic macroinvertebrates (BMIs)—small, bottom-dwelling animals such as aquatic insects that are visible to the naked eye. Because these organisms vary in their sensitivity to pollution and environmental stress, their presence and abundance provide insight into water quality over time. CSI staff train volunteers to collect and analyze BMI samples using modified protocols developed in collaboration with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). Volunteers typically sample streams from July through September to assess long-term stream health, while other sites may be monitored less frequently. Want to gain hands-on science experience and learn more about these fascinating organisms? CSI hosts weekly Open Lab Nights during the winter, when volunteers help sort samples collected during the summer. You don’t need to be a regular biomonitoring volunteer to participate!

If you are interested in this work but are not sure you can commit to the regularity of water sampling, we are always looking for volunteers to help us transport samples to Community Science Institute’s laboratory located in Ithaca. Many of our water quality tests must be performed shortly after sample collection, so this is a hugely important piece of the water sampling process. Our laboratory is located in Ithaca, so if you regularly commute to Ithaca from anywhere in the Finger Lakes Region anyway (or perhaps you just enjoy driving), this may be a good way for you to join our team!

CSI's Committees

Another way we invite community participation is through membership on our committees. Each of these committees meets once monthly via Zoom, making this a great volunteer opportunity if you want to help out from the comfort of your own home!

Our Fundraising Committee works to strengthen existing fundraising efforts and explore creative new ways to support CSI’s mission. We welcome volunteers who enjoy brainstorming fundraising ideas, building meaningful community relationships, and helping expand our fundraising efforts!

Through our annual membership drive and Business Membership program, we engage individuals and local businesses who care about water quality, conservation, and CSI’s work to protect our water resources. Membership contributions help sustain and grow our environmental monitoring, science education, and community engagement programs, empowering communities to safeguard water resources through science and collaboration.

We also aim to host an annual community event that also serves as a fundraising event. The committee meets virtually once a month.

Our Outreach Committee works to expand the reach and impact of CSI’s mission through public education, communications, and community engagement. Led by Alyssa Johnson, CSI’s Outreach and Programs Coordinator, the committee meets virtually once a month. While CSI offers a variety of outreach and educational programs, staff capacity limits how widely we can engage with our communities. With the help of committee volunteers, we aim to:

Expand the accessibility and reach of our outreach and educational programs.
Develop a media strategy to strengthen CSI’s connection with the community.
Share outreach responsibilities among committee members to increase CSI’s presence at local events and in our communities.

We welcome volunteers and community members who are passionate about building scientific literacy, fostering trust in science, and sharing CSI’s mission through education, media, and community events.

If you are interested in volunteering please send us an email at info@communityscience.org! We are always open to creative ways you can contribute, too. If you have a skill you would like to offer us that does not show up on this list, don’t be shy- we would love to talk about additional options. We hope to see you soon!

Volunteer With Us!