Education partnership, county tax readjustment will allow MARC to keep managing Montour Preserve10/24/2023 In conjunction with numerous local and statewide partners committed to assisting with environmental education, the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association (MSRKA) has formed an Environmental Education Partnership it is calling a “Vernal School” as a way to support the Montour Area Recreation Commission’s (MARC) work at the Montour Preserve.
The Partnership, backed by a $300,000 grant by the 1994 Charles B. Degenstein Foundation, will offer enhanced nature and STEM programming year-round to all ages and skill levels and is one of two new lifelines for MARC, which earlier this summer announced it may need to file a one-year notice at the preserve due to lack of financial resources.
12 Comments
More than 500 combined people attended nine Floating Classrooms aboard the Hiawatha Paddleboat in Williamsport on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River with the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association in 2023.
The programs began with a cruise on June 13 focused on the rocks and geology of the river basin. It included a presentation by Central PA Rocks and Mineral Club President Andrew “Rockhound” Eppig on various types of rocks you can find in the watershed and another by Brittany Martin on the history of the river’s geology and how it has impacted the Susquehanna’s flow. “I had the best classroom to teach geology to on this beautiful day,” said Martin afterward on her Facebook page. “Andrew Rockhound and I taught geology of the Susquehanna River to an amazing group of people of all ages on the Hiawatha Paddlewheel Riverboat in Williamsport, PA!! So much fun!!!!!” Sixty people joined the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association on Oct. 3, 2023, for its final Floating Classroom program of the season for an overview of Raptors of the River.
The lower level presentation was led by regional Department of Environmental Protection's Megan Lehman as she discussed the Peregrine Falcon and its nest at the agency's Harrisburg headquarters and how the species as a whole has bounced back from near extinction due to DDT poisoning. State's DEP hosting Environmental Justice meetings this week to seek public feedback on new policy10/9/2023 The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is kicking off a series of meetings beginning this week to gather input from the public on the interim environmental justice policy adopted by the agency on Sept. 16.
The series of meetings are set to begin on Wednesday evening with the first one being a virtual-only event. The 27-page policy outlines DEP’s approach to connecting with Pennsylvanians living in environmental justice communities — those disproportionately affected by factors such as poor air quality, old housing and infrastructure, and limited transportation — and explains how the agency will handle environmental compliance and enforcement efforts in these areas. Ticks have a tiny yet tenacious hook on the end of each leg, especially their forelegs, with which they are extremely good at latching onto things and not letting go, according to Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) tick specialist Christian Boyer.
“Questing is the action where they come to the edge of vegetation and when a host comes by, they’ll put their arms in the air and grab hold,” he said. “If there is a change in temperature – a shadow casts over them – they will stretch out their arms when they sense a host and grab a hold and find a place to attach.” The process, therefore, is very similar to writing a compelling story. The first paragraph, the very tip of the material that will come in contact with a reader – the potential host – is called a lede and within that you want a good hook. Programs geared toward inspiring next generation of stewards: EELS workshop seeks student applicants9/26/2023 While other kids raced to claim their favorite kayaks, paddles and life jackets before the others, Ramona Kroll walked slowly and deliberately along the edge of the lake at the Central PA Wesleyan Campground near New Columbia during the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association’s HERYN (Helping Engage our River’s Youth with Nature) kayak and fishing day programs.
Then, quickly, she darted down and scooped up a small frog before it could jump into the water. Through three summers, we have served hundreds of kids at our HERYN program, and each one brings different interests, skills, personality, and, for some, even emotional baggage. But, for Ramona, the unique perspective she added to this year’s program was her keen fascination for everything reptile and amphibian. From the snakes on the T-shirt she wore to early morning registration to her specialized radar for finding these species at the campground that day, it was a cool experience. More than 70 people participated in the Sept. 19 Floating Classroom aboard the Hiawatha Paddleboat in Williamsport where the Susquehanna University Freshwater Research Institute (FRI) presented on trout.
Downstairs, FRI Director Matt Wilson discussed ideal trout habitat, how drought impacts that habitat and how trout respond to those changes. He included stream study images and passed around sample trout from the FRI lab. Floating Classroom participants learn about eels, hellbenders on Sept. 12 program aboard Hiawatha9/14/2023 Fifty-five people attended the Sept. 12 Floating Classroom aboard the Hiawatha Paddleboat featuring the Susquehanna River Basin Commission biologist Johanna Hripto and some live elvers -- young eels -- that were caught near the Conowingo Dam.
Hripto presented an overview of eels on the river, their history and significance in the Susquehanna and what is being done to reverse some reductions to their numbers. Ann and Warren Fisher earn first Presidents Award from Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Assoc.9/13/2023 During the Sept. 12, 2023, Floating Classroom aboard the Hiawatha Paddleboat in Williamsport, former board treasurer and secretary Ann Fisher and her husband, Warren, received the inaugural 2022 Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association President's Award from former president Kathy Snavely.
"Despite Ann’s protests, it is my deep privilege - with 500 percent board approval - to award the first President’s Award to Ann and Warren Fisher, for their tireless commitment and dedication to the MSRKA," said Snavely during the presentation. "When our first Riverkeeper gave us her one-month notice (in late 2019), Ann Fisher and I weren’t remotely prepared. We were, at the time, President and Secretary/Treasurer of a very small board of directors. Ann and I worked through every issue together, and there were some pretty monumental issues," said Snavely. "She was instrumental in the hiring process for John Zaktansky back in 2020, helped shape and mentor a new team of leaders for the association and she and Warren have been invaluable assets in fundraising for the association's work, as well." Riverkeeper note: The following is a column by Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky in response to the recent federal court ruling overturning the 2019 US Fish and Wildlife Service decision to deny the eastern hellbender protection under the Endangered Species Act. You can read the general press release here. You can read a local reaction story to the ruling here. Follow all our hellbender coverage and other elements here.
Sometimes, revisiting a little bit of history can provide quite a bit of context. For example, in 2018, our corner of the state was busy celebrating the Loyalsock Creek as Pennsylvania River of the Year, which included promoting the mysterious, awkward and widely misunderstood eastern hellbender, still a resident in certain deep pools of the Loyalsock at that time. In 2019, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) determined the eastern hellbender, nationwide, was not in need of any protections under the Endangered Species Act despite feedback to the contrary by hellbender experts the FWS brought in for advice on the matter. Among them was Dr. Peter Petokas, of Williamsport, who studied hellbenders throughout the Susquehanna River basin, including Loyalsock Creek. |
AuthorsRiverkeeper John Zaktansky is an award-winning journalist and avid promoter of the outdoors who loves camping, kayaking, fishing and hunting with the family. Archives
April 2024
Topics |