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Spotlight- Penn State Students Explore Streams, Water Quality In Upper Susquehanna Basin
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Penn State University's Chesapeake Literature class led by Professor Burkholder, Ph.D., explores much of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed from the Susquehanna to the Chesapeake Bay. Throughout the course students explore environmental, historical, and cultural aspects of the Chesapeake through hands-on investigation and readings of Chesapeake-related literature.
Each year the course joins the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Susquehanna Watershed Education Program on a paddle down the Susquehanna River near Harrisburg. They also take part in a tree planting with SWEP.
On November 13, 2010, the class arrived in Lancaster County from Happy Valley at a farm outside of Quarryville, Pennsylvania, where they helped plant several acres of native trees. The forested buffers will provide several benefits. They will filter excess nutrients from the water, stabilize shore banks to prevent sediment erosion, and provide a habitat for wildlife.
And the students get to be a part of the change—to learn about the issues facing the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the programs that are available to restore streams. Wild Resources Inc. Buffer Specialist Mark Metzler of and CBF's own Buffer Specialist Ashley Spotts were excellent teachers on how to create a successful restoration project.
After the planting, the day continued back on the Susquehanna River below the Safe Harbor Dam where the students learned about the American Indians that once inhabited the Susquehanna River Valley.
Paul Nevin, a local expert, educated the class about the ancient petroglyphs found along the shore. Nevin compared petroglyph-covered boulders to ancient iPhones and said each image had significant meaning.
Students were able to see snake images that pointed to calendar events, like the coming of a new season. Other images on the rocks illustrated the connection that the Indians had with the Earth. Nevin said, "To the American Indians ‘Mother Earth' was more than a bumper sticker—everything was related and connected."
The day's theme, which so many of CBF's Education Programs emphasize, was we are all a part of the environment and we must take care of it!
Visit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation website for more information.
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12/27/2010 |
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