During this week’s nature photography project, one thing stuck with me: “Slow down.” Cub Khan, a nature photographer, came to Lewisburg this week to instruct us how to use our cameras to photograph nature. While instructing us on the use of tripods, Cub mentioned that they unintentionally force you to slow down and examine what you do. Below is a photo tour of where we went this past week: Bucknell, Bucknell Natural Area, Tall Timbers Old Growth Forest, Northumberland and Montandon Marsh.

The Susquehanna River Symposium also taught me to slow down and examine the river’s watershed with smaller ideas in mind, like the health of hellbenders, crayfish and other benthic organisms. With so many issues affecting the river, like AMD (abandoned mine drainage from coal mines) and effects of Marcellus Shale drilling, I think it’s important to hold symposiums like the one held this weekend. Symposiums open the public up to what the scientific world is doing to help improve communities’ livelihoods through the improvement of a dominant water body. As President Bravman said in his opening statement, we each have our own use for a special body of water, be it a different lake or river you grew up on. For Bucknell, the Susquehanna River is that special river and I think we need to slow down to look at what we as Bucknell students and faculty do to the river and how we can help with the clean up and health of the Susquehanna.