​On Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association hosted its first of three free winter webinars.

The first ‘Riverkeeper Roundtable’ webinar featured Jennifer Farabaugh, Chesapeake Bay Watershed Manager of Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC), who spoke about Juniata Forward: Building on 25 Years of Conservation. This document is a comprehensive plan to continue conservation efforts within the Juniata watershed. 

The plan is a collaborative effort between WPC, a robust 28-member steering committee, and stakeholders within the watershed. Three public meetings for feedback were held in 2024, and comments were collected through Oct. 31, 2024.

In preparation for the 2025 Songs of the Susquehanna submission deadline of Jan. 31, the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association is hosting an online Songs of the Susquehanna Webinar on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, starting at 7 p.m.

The program will include Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky giving an overview of the project, how it began and what sort of response it has received over the past four years. It will also include potential ideas for new songs and an overview of the special Vol. 5 Greatest Hits album planned for this year.

Musicians Don Shappelle and Jack Servello along with lyricist Bill Dann will be involved in the webinar, each offering insight in how they develop songs and answering questions on how turn ideas into potential submissions. There will also be discussion about a recording studio option in Milton for those that may need that resource.

Riverkeeper note: The following column was written by Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky. You can contact him via email at [email protected]

When I started my role as Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper back in early 2020, one of the first people from the community to reach out and offer support and help me learn the ropes was David Staebler, who I quickly associated (to me, at least) as the face of the Buffalo Creek Watershed Alliance. 

Obviously, there are many important people behind that vital association, but David just had a special place in my heart. He would always make it a point to walk up to me at shows and events with a smile and genuinely ask how it was going. For most people, that question is a formality -- for him, it was obvious he actually wanted to know how things were and chat some about various waterway topics and issues. 

So, earlier today when I saw the email that David had passed away on New Years Day, it hit a little harder than most news I receive in my inbox.

​Riverkeeper note: The following story was compiled by and written by Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky. He can be contacted via email at [email protected]

When the US Fish and Wildlife Service announced on Dec. 12, 2024, that it formally would propose an endangered status for the Eastern Hellbender, the news caught many off-guard, including Lycoming College Clean Water Institute Director and hellbender researcher Matthew Kaunert.

“I was just talking to my PhD advisor, asking him if he felt this was really going to ever happen, and he said it wasn’t likely, especially with the new administration coming in,” Kaunert said. “But then, the news broke, and I was amazed.”

Peter Petokas, who has studied hellbenders in the Susquehanna River watershed for more than a decade, agreed that the heightened status was beyond his expectations, and an indicator of just how bad the species’ situation has become.