A new monthly science café brings devotees of water science together for conversations with top experts in the field. Tapping Our Watershed, hosted by the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, will meet next on November 17, to raise glasses with Carol Collier, the Academy’s senior advisor for watershed management and policy.

Tapping Our Watershed will be held the third Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at National Mechanics in Philadelphia’s Old City. The happy-hour-style lectures aim to engage students, scientists and interested citizens in discussions about issues pertaining to the Delaware River watershed and other aquatic ecology topics.

Attendees must be 21 years and older, though adults under 21 may attend with a chaperone who is at least 25.

Collier kicks off the series with a presentation and discussion about “The Future of the Delaware River Basin—Why We Need to Think Holistically.” She will discuss the multiple stressors and potential changes to the region’s water resources and the need to work together to find solutions to reduce harmful impacts.

A pioneer in watershed management, Collier served for more than 15 years as executive director of the Delaware River Basin Commission before joining the Academy in April.

She serves as the liaison to government agencies and officials about the value of the Academy’s watershed management projects, including the Delaware River Watershed Initiative, and how it ties into their own programs. She also is director of Drexel University’s Environmental Studies and Sustainability program.

Earlier this year Collier received the Bronze Order of the DeFleury Medal from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and in October she was honored for lifetime achievement by the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary.

Tapping Our Watershed, formerly known as the Delaware River Watershed Initiative Seminar Series, is sponsored by the William Penn Foundation. The format is similar to Science on Tap, another science café held the second Monday of each month an organized by the Academy and other institutions.

For more information about the Delaware River Watershed Initiative and upcoming science cafés, visit the Academy’s website and follow on Twitter @ANSStreamTeam.

11/3/2014