New secretary voted in, board member added ahead of two Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Assoc. board members' impending graduation

​Ever since splitting the summer of 2021 as interns from Susquehanna University's Freshwater Research Institute, Morgan Thomas and Danielle Tryon have been intricately connected to the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association. 

"The experience of being an intern with the association the summer after my freshman year (at Susquehanna University) solidified my passion for my majors (Ecology and Earth and Environmental Sciences) and educating other people about clean water resources within our watershed. During my time as an intern, I helped with various community outreach initiatives such as the HERYN (Helping Engage our River's Youth with Nature) program, floating classrooms, and so much more," said Thomas. "The following semester, Danielle and I were nominated as board members. We were so excited to be able to continue to provide student voices to the association, and to be involved in all the incredible work they do."

"When their internships concluded, their interest and passion for our work did not - so we invited them to join our first strategic planning retreat. They were both fully engaged in our process," said Kathy Snavely, former board president of the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association during that time. "A few days later, the board amended our by-laws to include student members, welcoming Danielle and Morgan into the fold.  They have both been serving with dedication and distinction ever since - and we can't wait to see where they go from here!"

After obtaining student board member status, Thomas and Tryon developed a brook trout education program for the association's Clean Water Day Celebration in October 2022.

"I also helped at the first EELS (Environmental Education Leadership for Students) program in ​​2023 and even got to see one of the participants give her first lesson on hellbenders to 80 first-grade students," said Thomas. Shortly after, Thomas and Tryon were voted in as co-secretaries of the association's board of directors.

"I was so honored to be considered for an executive position with an association that has given me so many opportunities. During this time, I got to see the association grow and succeed in so many ways. One of the most moving to me has been the development of the Vernal School," said Thomas. "Environmental education is one of my passions, and witnessing the association grow into such an important force for clean water education in our area has been incredible. I'll never forget helping at the Environmental Education Expo earlier this year and being struck by just how many families came out to learn about what we and our partners do. Reflecting on my experiences, I definitely feel that I have grown along with the association these past few years."

Tryon and Thomas will be graduating from Susquehanna University in May of 2024 and leaving the area.

"The riverkeeper association has given us so much and helped to build a strong foundation for Morgan and I. We are so thankful for all the opportunities to educate and communicate with folks in the watershed as we have developed into scientists," said Tryon. "Scientific communication is so important and Morgan and I are excited for what lies ahead in our futures and the opportunity to spread the association's message beyond the watershed."

In preparation for their transition out of current responsibilities, current board member Katie Caputo was nominated by both of them to take over as new association secretary and voted in by the rest of the board.

"Katie began as a valuable outgoing volunteer for the association and has been a huge asset ever since," said Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association President Michael Kinney. "It’s important that people are willing to help our mission, especially when they have proven their own success. It is great to have a sharp mind that connects well with the public as a new secretary."

It is a move that Caputo doesn't take lightly.

"My transition from admirer to Sentinel to Board Member and now Secretary of the Board has been an honor. I am proud to serve in a larger capacity to support the work of the MSRKA," said Caputo. "While I am sad to see Morgan and Danielle transition away from their roles with the MSRKA following graduation, I am also extremely excited to watch them leap into this wild world, full of endless possibilities."

Thomas and Tryon also nominated of one their peers, Eric Belfanti, an intern with the association during the summer of 2023, to continue being a student voice on the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association board of directors.

"Young people are so vital to the work we do and offer a leading voice from a demographic which is often under-represented," said Caputo. 

"I am absolutely thrilled and honored to have been given the opportunity to serve as a board member for the MSRKA," said Belfanti. "After interning over the summer, I was amazed at how much the association does for environmental conservation and education. I am excited to expand on this work and inspire others to do the same."

Association president Michael Kinney was impressed with Belfanti's quick adjustment to his internship last summer and his ability to engage with the community.

"During his internship, he was very focused on engaging the public with information about our association and I was surprised at how much he knew in such little time in the first few weeks as an intern," he said. "His passion for clean water is obvious, especially when interviewing him at the HERYN event last year."

While the transition is necessary, it is still bittersweet for the association, admitted executive director John Zaktansky.

"Both Danielle and Morgan have come such a long way from their first days as interns until now, and while that growth is incredible to see and has been special to be a part of as an association, their enthusiasm for our work and creativity will be missed," he said. "However, there is also the excitement of seeing them now take what they've learned not only from our association and from the local university, but also from our greater watershed and see how they'll use that to be agents of change in the world.

​"They definitely have big things in store for each of them, and they are leaving our association much better than they found it. We are thankful for that and for all of the great potential we have in each area we continue to grow."