WorldWide Drilling Resource

Environmental Monitoring by Thomas Kwader, Ph.D., P.G. Giving Back to our Profession I hope to retire from my “day job” later this year; however, I plan to stay involved with my groundwater profession. As I look back over my 40 plus years, I remember the many times people included me in their busy schedules to teach and share their experiences with me, which taught me so much I could not have learned from a book, class, or online. One of my first experiences was at our annual groundwater show in Sarasota, Florida, where “Rod” brought his crew and drilling rig to demonstrate how to grout a domestic well from top to bottom. Grouting of wells from the top of the producing zone to land surface in the coastal area was a new requirement, and it was a “hot” topic at the time (1975). The demonstration lasted all day and was observed by hundreds of drill crews, groundwater professionals, and interested folks. I urge you to become involved in our profession by attending and participating in your area’s groundwater shows and the local, state, national, and, if ever possi- ble, international levels. I assure you, you wi l l learn much more from the human interaction gained from attend- ing a groundwater or drilling meeting, trade show, or convention than you can from reading or sitting in front of a com- puter. Learning is a lifelong adventure, so take advantage of learning outside your daily routine. Over the last four decades, there have been many folks in our profession who have freely given of their time and experience (often educating even their competitors) without receiving compen- sation for freely sharing what they have learned in their years of working to improve what we do and presenting better ways to protect our groundwater and environment. Where would we be without these volunteers who share their experiences and time with so many people? These volunteers of all types help keep down costs, promote goodwill, and help build competency, trust, and a sense of pride in our pro- fession which cannot be bought. Tom Tom Kwader may be contacted via e-mail to michele@ worldwidedrillingresource.com 47 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® SEPTEMBER 2018 ENV Have an article idea? Submit it to us today. Call Bonnie at 850-547-0102 or e-mail bonnie@ worldwidedrillingresource.com