The Potomac Valley Audubon Society welcomes Jenna Dodson, WV Rivers Coalition Staff Scientist and Maria Russo, WV Rivers Coalition Clean Water Campaign Coordinator!
SCHEDULE
- 6:30 PM: Social time with light refreshments. In order to reduce waste, we are asking that people bring their own mugs.
- 7:00 PM: Presentation begins!
- 8:00 PM: Approximate end of the program – though it may last longer depending on questions and discussion!
PVMN Continuing Education Eligible
This in-person program is free and open to the public. All ages are welcome to attend.
We will also be offering this program virtually! Here is the Zoom link so you can join in from home. If you are not able to attend live, in-person or virtually, you can view a recording of the Monthly Program presentation later! We typically post the recording within several days.
Presentation Description – In recent years, sampling efforts have shown that West Virginia waters are contaminated with varying levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” do not break down in natural conditions and are toxic at very low levels, posing a serious risk to public and ecological health. Join Jenna Dodson and Maria Russo from West Virginia Rivers Coalition to hear about levels of PFAS contamination around the state, legislative solutions, and how you can get involved to protect the health of your community.
About the Presenters:
Photography by Chad Foreman
About Jenna: Jenna Dodson (she/her) is the staff scientist at West Virginia Rivers Coalition. She coordinates a variety of source water protection and policy programs, including the WV-VA Water Quality Monitoring Program. She is passionate about community engagement and science communication. After graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University with a B.S. and M.S. in Environmental Studies, she served as an agroforestry extension agent in Peace Corps Senegal. She has worked as a research assistant at Gothenburg University and West Virginia University, and previously coordinated the Georgia Adopt-A-Stream water quality monitoring program. Outside of work, she can usually be found by a river trail running, birding, biking, rock climbing or doing acroyoga.
About Maria: Maria was raised on a small farm in Jefferson County, West Virginia, where she developed her passion for protecting the natural environment. After earning her degrees from Brown University in Public Policy and Latin American Studies, Maria worked on a variety of policy campaigns, ranging from criminal justice to environmental protection. Maria is committed to responsible policymaking and centering directly impacted people in decision-making processes, to ensure effective participation in building the future we want to see. In her downtime, you can find Maria walking barefoot, listening to live music, or floating down the river with friends.
