The following is a column by Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky. You can contact him directly about this or other topics at midsusriver@gmail.com

In a climactic scene from the 2009 movie “To Save a Life,” a teenager challenges a sense of apathy within his youth group after the suicide of bullied friend by emphatically asking the group a question:

“What’s the point of all of this if you are not going to let this change you?”

The scene and specifically that question popped into my mind recently while walking into the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association office and glancing at a matted print celebrating the 2018 River of the Year recipient – the Loyalsock Creek. 

​Note: The following film review was written by Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky ahead of a Clean Water Celebration in Lewisburg, PA, on Oct. 15 in which the film will be shown. Learn more about the event here.​

Filmmaker Scott Morris wastes no time in creatively setting up the central conflict in his newest documentary, “American River.”

Within the film’s first 45 seconds, a colorful opening scene of the calm, naturally beautiful upper reaches of the Passaic River shifts to black-and-white footage shot along the industrialized banks farther downstream in the city of Newark.

​Triggering that transition, accented by a notable shift in the mood of the musical underscore, is an onscreen quote from aquatic ecologist and author Mary Bruno – whose 2012 book “An American River: From Paradise to Superfund” inspired the 86-minute documentary.

A total of 240 eighth-graders from schools such as Benton, Central Columbia, Bloomsburg and other Columbia County districts converged at Briar Creek Lake Park near Berwick for the county conservation district's annual Water Education Day on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022.

​Under the theme "Good Water = Good Life," students rotated through ​stations on groundwater, surface water, fish ecology, general water quality, and even used art, poetry, and music to convey messages about water conservation.

More than 50 people participated in the Sept. 13, 2022, Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association Floating Classroom program aboard the Hiawatha Paddleboat in Williamsport.

The theme focused on flooding, how it impacts different levels of life and a look back at the historical flooding of Hurricane Agnes 50 years prior and how that event still impacts us today.

Note: If you are interested in attending the Tuesday, Sept. 13, Floating Classroom about flooding impacts and a look back at Agnes 50 years later ... or the Sept. 27 Floating Classroom about freshwater mussels, click here to get your tickets now!

On a special Saturday edition of the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association's Floating Classroom program aboard the Hiawatha Paddleboat in Williamsport, Dr. Joseph Simons III (also known as the Wild Trout Man) and Michael Kinney shared information and tips about aquatic photography and videography.

Filmmaker Scott Morris’ new feature-length documentary “American River” chronicles both the beauty and heavy burdens carried by the Passaic River in northern New Jersey, but the film’s scope and impact is much wider.
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“A goal of this project was to portray positive aspects of the river despite the environmental hurdles it faces and show those elements in a cinematic experience,” Morris said. “You realize as you watch it that this isn’t a film about some localized river, but really a story about all rivers.”

The “American River” documentary will be the centerpiece of the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association’s Clean Water Celebration scheduled Oct. 15, 2022, at the Campus Theatre in Lewisburg as well as the adjacent Hufnagle Park. This celebration has family-friendly FREE morning activities and a modest ticket fee for the afternoon events.

Nearly 60 people participated in the August 16, 2022, Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association Floating Classroom aboard the Hiawatha Paddleboat near Williamsport. 

Megan Schall, assistant professor of biology at Penn State-Hazleton, joined masters student Sydney Stark to provide an overview of invasive species in our greater watershed. 

The Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association is offering a special Saturday Floating Classroom aboard the Hiawatha Paddleboat in Williamsport focused on aquatic photography and videography by two of the region's best behind the camera.

Dr. Joseph Simons, vice president of the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association and pioneer of the Wild Trout Man video series, will join photographer/videographer Michael Kinney in presentations about their work with tips on how to improve your own photography/videography of our outdoor resources.