Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association Board President Michael Kinney and his girlfriend, Missy Gray, paddled the West Branch of the Susquehanna River the first 24 days of May.
Along the way, they took a Birdnet PUC with mobile hotspot and Jackery battery with solar panels ... a unit modified by Doug Fessler of Fessler IT Consulting to help record, ID and upload bird calls across the 228-mile adventure. The unit detected more than 22,000 calls representing more than 170 different species, data that Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association board member Eric Belfanti developed into an interactive GIS storymap.
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 Riverkeeper's note: The following column was written by Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky.
As the world grew socially distant in early to mid-2020, I was just taking over the reins of the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association, wondering how to make connections and spread meaningful environmental education and education when in-person events were suddenly obsolete. Thankfully, my previous work in journalism had included hosting a popular (at the time) regional podcast called Keeping the Beat, where we interview local musicians. Seeing such a rich network of people with a passion for the Susquehanna River -- basically an untapped pool of resources and some vital research being done within the watershed that was going unnoticed publicly, it seemed like a worthwhile opportunity to start recording interviews I was already doing for stories for our growing blog feed and produce podcast episodes. So, when interviewing Dr. David Lieb, an aquatic biologist with the PA Fish and Boat Commission, about invasive crayfish in early August of 2020, I got permission to record and on Aug. 19 of that year, we released the first episode of what has become the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Podcast.  Riverkeeper note: The following was written by Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky. You can contact him directly via email by clicking here.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Fishery Biologist Vicki Blazer recently published an extensive study on PFAS in fish collected from nine sites, including five within the Susquehanna watershed, that show where these “forever chemicals” tend to congregate in a fish’s tissues and may shed more light on additional sources for PFAS contamination. “PFAS tend to be higher in a fish’s blood, plasma and liver while its muscle tends to be much lower in PFAS,” said Blazer. “This, of course, is good news for people who may want to eat a fillet from the fish they catch in these waterways, but not good for the fish themselves.” The study also looked at land use around the waterways where fish were collected as potential sources for PFAS contamination were factored into levels found in the fish. “The highest levels of PFAS were at sites that have what would be considered major potential sources for PFAS, like military bases, airports, things like that,” Blazer said. “But some of the other sites lack some of those commonly assumed sources for PFAS but do have very high agricultural inputs. So that’s something we’re following up on, looking at those sites and factoring in possibly things like pesticides that have PFAS related to them or possible biosolids applications and what PFAS impacts biosolids can create.”  A bat flies over the West Branch of the Susquehanna River in this image by Michael Kinney. Bats are drawn to waterways due to the high concentration of insects, their primary food source. Riverkeeper note: The following story was written by Middle Susquheanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky, who also did the podcast interview.
On certain summer nights, you can find Richard Fritsky slowly driving the backroads of northeast Pennsylvania with a specialized microphone attached to the roof of his car. “The microphone picks up high-frequency sounds that bats make but are above human hearing,” he said. “I’ll drive so slowly, like only 20 miles a night, and record every noise and the computer that microphone is attached to identifies the type of bat and uses GPS to show exactly where they are flying.” After 10 years of this study specifically and 17 years with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the wildlife diversity biologist knows where bats spend much of their time. “Whenever I cross a bridge or drive along a waterway, that is typically when my scanner is most likely to light up with bat activity,” he said. “I’ll find them in upland sites around unused buildings and vacant lots, near barns and old churches where they’ll find their way into attics. However, when I am riding along the Susquehanna River or one of its tributaries, I know that will likely be a hotspot for finding bats.”  The least bittern is a wetland species that is fairly rare in central Pennsylvania but can be found at Old Crow Wetland in Huntingdon County. Photo by Mark Nale. Riverkeeper note: This blog post was written by West Branch Regional Director Andrew Bechdel. You can reach him via email at [email protected]
For birder Greg Grove, the Old Crow Wetland along Huntington County’s Route 26 has been a routine birding spot for more than two decades. “I began birding at Old Crow soon after it was established, as early as 1998,” he said. “I have submitted 283 eBird checklists, but my number of visits is far higher, probably double or triple 283 because I did not begin eBird usage until about 2011.” What keeps bringing him back to the site? “Over 220 bird species have been documented at Old Crow through eBird submissions,” Grove said. “Many very common, many very rare - like Ruff, White-faced Ibis, Black-bellied Whistling Duck to name some species not found on even an annual basis anywhere in Pennsylvania.”  Shikellamy State Park Manager Andrew Leidich stands on the newly repaired pedestrian walkway finished Wednesday at the fish passageway near the Adam T Bower Memorial Dam near Sunbury. KC Construction and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, wrapped up an approximate $500,000 repair to the $3.3 million fish passageway built at the Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam a year before.
“Back in October of 2023, the pedestrian path around the fish passageway consisted of a synthetic geogrid covered by a large layer of gravel,” said Shikellamy State Park Manager Andrew Leidich. “Our first flood event after that had water a few feet over the walkway. It picked up the geocell fabric and carried it off.” The new fix, completed as the Fabridam bags were deflated after the boating season, includes entombing that grid under a pathway of “articulate concrete blocks sealed with a cured grout material,” Leidich said. “This isn’t going anywhere.” Fifty people learn about butterflies and seed bombs during Oct. 8 Floating Classroom aboard Hiawatha10/9/2024  Fifty people joined the final public Floating Classroom of the 2024 season on Oct. 8 aboard the Hiawatha Paddleboat in Williamsport to learn about butterflies and seed bombs.
On the lower level, Northern Tier Regional Director Emily Shosh discussed Monarch butterflies, their role in conservation and how people can be involved in community-sourced science surrounding the species. This included tagging and releasing a live tagging and releasing demonstration. On the upper level, Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky reviewed the history of and important uses for seed bombs in repopulating native plants, helping pollinator species and addressing certain streambank erosion issues. Participants then got their hands dirty in making seed bombs they could take home with them.  A few hours after videographer Michael Kinney's film debut of "Old River: A 228-Mile Journey Down One of the Oldest Rivers" at the Campus Theatre in Lewisburg, PA, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, Calli Roan, of Williamsport posted photos on social media from both the film and a stop along the banks of the Susquehanna River afterwards.
"Picking up trash around the river and going fishing," she shared. "Thanks for the inspiration and congrats on your movie premiere guys." The response was exactly what Kinney hoped the 70-minute adventure film chronicling he and his girlfriend, Missy Gray's 24-day paddle along the West Branch, would do -- inspire people to engage with the Susquehanna River in new ways.  Riverkeeper note: The following overview blogpost and podcast interview with Cat Pugh was conducted by West Branch Regional Director Andrew Bechdel. You can contact him directly at [email protected]
As a Pennsylvania native who was born and raised in rural Bradford County, Cat Pugh has been surrounded by forests her entire life. But it wasn’t until she was an undergrad at Kutztown University when she took a botany course and learned about the field of ethnobotany, or “the study of the relationship between people and plants,” as she describes it. Pugh subsequently filled her class schedule with plant classes, spent more time exploring plant communities outside, and cemented her love for the forests of the Appalachian Mountains by hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2017. After a couple years off, Pugh came back to school in 2019 to work in Dr. Eric Burkhart’s ethnobotany lab at Penn State University and obtained her master’s degree in forest resources studying ramps. It was here that Pugh began dedicating her life to connecting people with the plant communities she loves so much.  Nearly 60 people learned about various turtle species and specifically about issues related to the wood turtle during the Sept. 24, 2024, Floating Classroom aboard the Hiawatha Paddleboat in Williamsport.
The cruise, hosted by the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association, featured PA Fish and Boat Commission herpetologist Kathy Gipe, who has done numerous studies on the plight of the wood turtle and its connection to water quality. She presented on the lower level about how the species is impacted by water pollution, what habitats it needs for survival and how people can help monitor and report sightings of the species while helping improve habitat along riparian buffers. On the upper level, PA Fish and Boat Commission's Jarren Uplinger brought numerous live species of turtles to share with people, giving facts and information on how to properly identify them, important features and habits and other details. |
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
May 2025
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