Earth Day, every day: Tweaks at home, engaging others can cause 'cascade' of improvements in our watershed

Doug Fessler, of Sunbury, shows off some tadpoles and organic debris from one of the vernal pools located outside of town.

​A few hours after posting an overview article and podcast episode featuring master naturalist Jon Beam on the importance of protecting our vernal pools, I received a Facebook message from Doug Fessler.

One of nearly 100 volunteers during a recent trash pickup event around Sunbury, Fessler was concerned about a number of vernal pools near the dike behind the city. He invited me to hike through the region, showing off a neat little outdoor oasis marred by a not-so-neat trail of what appeared to be criss-crossed bike, dirtbike and maybe even ATV tracks in and around vernal pool regions, as well as pockets of newly discarded litter.

"That wasn't here just a few days ago when we picked up the area," he said, pointing to shattered remnants of clay shooting targets, the discarded cardboard box the targets came from and a variety of other items -- including a cell phone. "The lithium battery alone could really cause some damage down the road if left here in the environment."

Scattered along the otherwise neatly-groomed trail were several shallow depressions filled with water and teeming with tadpoles and other signs of amphibian life. As shared in our vernal pool discussion with Jon Beam, these pockets provide a critical region for reproduction for a variety of amphibians -- vernal pools are relatively warm, lined with fallen leaves for cover and usually lack natural predators for the quickly developing young life.

​I could see the concern on Fessler's face. This was a special place for him and his family -- a necessary oasis away from the hustle of everyday life. He talked with pride on how bullfrogs will be lining the banks of a nearby stream come this summer, of a walleye he caught in the nearby tributary of the Susquehanna, of the great potential of this region to engage a new generation of outdoor lovers like himself.

So despite the continued abuse by a few people who lack a respect of the "Leave No Trace" principles, Fessler forges on. This past Sunday, he dedicated his time to cleaning up the small trail area during the bigger litter cleanup event across the city and Susquehanna River. He pulled more than a dozen large black garbage bags full of trash from the landscape, along with tires, a PVC pipe and a myriad of other debris.

During our short Earth Day excursion, more litter was collected, and Fessler committed to continue as an advocate for the valuable outdoor resource.

​For that, Fessler deserves praise. On a day dedicated to improving our natural resources, his example shows what it takes to truly make a difference well beyond the Earth Day proclamations and promises that always seem to fade quicker than New Years resolutions. Fessler's staying power, and his laser focus on this one specific pocket of our greater watershed, suggests a much more realistic approach to making lasting change. 

The Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association serves an 11,000-square-mile watershed across 25 counties within central, northcentral and northeast Pennsylvania. Considering the scope of the issues we face -- from acid mine runoff to a proliferation of microplastics, nutrient runoff concerns to erosion and sedimentation, picking up just one bag of trash may seem extremely small and almost pointless. 

Yet, our ecosystem is so incredibly inter-connected that even a tiny change can have a wide ripple effect. A cool example is the trophic cascade event that happened 25 years ago in Yellowstone National Park.

​A trophic cascade is an ecological event where a change made at the top of the food chain topples down the interconnected web of species and natural features to create a much larger and usually unexpected series of alterations.

In 1995, after nearly seven decades of wolf-free terrain across the 2,219,789-acre park, biologists announced they wanted to re-introduce the wolf into the habitat. The announcement caused quite a stir among people who feared this would decimate deer, elk and other prey species throughout the park. 

Despite the backlash, 14 wolves were released in 1995. Seventeen more were added a year later. The ecological ramifications exceeded everyone's expectations, changing animal behavior patterns and even the course of rivers and other natural features. 

Of course, the wolves reduced the local deer herd, but more importantly, they changed the behavior of the deer and elk populations. They began to avoid certain areas where the wolves could more easily attack them, such as valleys and other low-lying regions.

This allowed the plant life to explode, and quickly forests of Aspen and other species were sprouting. This attracted more varieties of birds and other wildlife. Beavers, for example, saw an exponential growth as more and more willow was left ungrazed by elk. In 2001, only one beaver dam was known within Yellowstone. By 2011, that number jumped to nine dams.

The carcasses left behind by wolf kills created more scavenging opportunities, and a population boom, for ravens, wolverines, bald eagles, golden eagles, grizzly bears, black bears, jays, magpies, martens and coyotes. More plant life and better habitat drew more rabbits, mice and other critters that, in turn, helped increase hawk, fox and badger numbers.

The additional plant life helped to reduce erosion and, with the beaver dams, started altering the course of rivers and other waterways. This created new pond and marsh habitats for moose, otters, mink, wading birds, waterfowl, fish, amphibians and more.

For more on this specific example of trophic cascade and how it helps illustrate how inter-connected all species are within the greater ecosystem, check out this video:

Tadpoles swim around a small vernal pool located outside of Sunbury.

Tire tracks go through and along the edge of a small pool and increased disrupted sedimentation can be seen throughout the depression.

A cell phone was found laying in the mud along a trail outside of Sunbury ... just a few feet away from some impromptu vernal pools.

Trash picked up by Doug Fessler and others near a natural area outside of Sunbury.

We asked young people to make posters for Earth Day, illustrating something they can do to help improve our river.

Trent Tanner, 8, of Bloomsburg, submitted the following poster ​showing cleaning up around the river by throwing garbage in a garbage can, and a scuba diver cleaning up the bottom of the river.

Easton Tanner, 11, of Bloomsburg, submitted the following poster with his motto for this Earth Day of 'Dive In and Clean Up' the river. 

Sophie Clark, 8, of Montoursville, submitted her poster suggesting that people should cut back on using chemicals on their lawns and in their homes.

Liam Crames, 8, of Selinsgrove, submitted the following poster, suggesting that people should kill any snakehead fish they catch -- a move recommended by the PA Fish and Boat Commission because the invasive species is negatively impacting river-based ecosystems in the state.

What is the takeaway from all this as we wrap up another Earth Day? 

First, your personal and family based efforts to make a difference in everyday life truly do matter. Humans are the ultimate apex predator, and what we do both positively or negatively can cascade down over the rest of the inter-connected ecosystem -- and greater watershed -- in which we live.

Picking up a bag of trash on a regular basis from your property or local community can go a long ways. Be a champion for the nearest natural resource you specifically enjoy the most, like Doug Fessler does on the outskirts of Sunbury. Educate young people about the importance of making smart moves in everyday living, such as conserving water while brushing your teeth or washing dishes after supper, and then show them it can be done by following through consistently. You never know who might be watching you, and who you could inspire by your actions.

Keep yourself on top of important river-based news and updates. The Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper blog has more than 130 posts with stories, videos and podcast episodes covering a wide variety of important topics involving our river-based resources.

Along those lines, if you want to help us continue the work we do, please consider donating to the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association by clicking here.

Finally, don't just wait for April 22 to pop up on your calendar to do something important for our natural resources. Earth Day should be an every day commitment -- even if only for a few minutes a day conserving water, recycling when possible and encouraging others to do the same.

We'd love to hear how you honor Earth Day every day by sending an email to Riverkeeper John Zaktansky at [email protected]