This story originally appeared on StateCollege.com March 31, 2022 and was written by the Centre County Gazette--

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Centre County Pennsylvania Senior Environmental Corps. This group of dynamic, concerned citizens is keeping an eye on the quality of water in Centre County and on the environment surrounding the streams.

In 1991, the federal government joined with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) to create the Environmental Alliance for Senior Involvement (EASI) with the goal of enlisting senior citizens’ time and talent to help monitor the environment.

Six years later in 1997, Pennsylvania was the first state in the nation to partner with EASI, establishing the Pennsylvania Senior Environmental Corps (PaSEC).

In the early 2000s through various, serendipitous events, several casual acquaintances became aware of their common concern for water and decided to gather to discuss it.

At that time, only the major streams and rivers were being monitored by various agencies, while hundreds of small but important tributaries in central Pennsylvania were left unobserved.

While it seems to be a common thing locally to worry, complain, wring our hands and fret over an issue for years before doing anything substantial, about 16 Centre County senior citizens decided to act by taking advantage of the opportunity offered by EASI.

Click Here to read their story.

History Of PaSEC Program

The PA Senior Environment Corps was a program established during the Ridge-Schweiker Administrations that grew to involve over 2,900 seniors in water sampling, mentoring high school students for Envirothon competitions, helping to locate abandoned oil and gas wells, educating the public on how to protect local drinking water supplies and on the proper disposal of household hazardous waste, clearing invasive species from watersheds, photo-documenting the results and progress of abandoned mine reclamation projects and educating the public on West Nile Virus and homeowners on the dangers of radon in 52 counties.

The program was a model for other states and countries.

The program and local chapters won numerous awards, including being recognized by the United Nations Environment Programme which added the PaSEC to its Global 500 Honour Roll, joining the work of individuals like Jacques Cousteau and Jane Goodall.  Read more here.

In 2007, the Senate and House celebrated the 10th anniversary of the PA Senior Environment Corp.  Read more here.

In 2007, the Rendell Administration killed the program by ending its funding.  Read more here.

In spite of this setback, some local chapters have not only survived, but thrived-- a tribute to the volunteer spirit in Pennsylvania and the concerns they have for their streams and rivers.

(Photo: Pennsylvania Senior Environmental Corps volunteers Betsie Blumberg, Dave Bechdel and Gary Moorman are shown collecting macroinvertebrates for study.)

[How Clean Is Your Stream?

[Check DEP’s 2022 Water Quality Report to find out how clean streams are near you.]

Resource Links:

-- Video: 99-Year Old Homer Foster Tells Why He Volunteers

-- Video: Volunteers Share Their Experiences

-- Video: X-Team Samples The Yellow Breeches

-- Video: Counting Macroinvertebrates On The Yellow Breeches

-- Video: Touring The Lab At The New Cumberland Senior Center

-- Video: Jim Haney, Capital Area PaSEC, Presents History Of The Program

[Posted: April 1, 2022]

4/4/2022