This week’s focus was on the socio-economic effects on the watershed. Coal mining and logging have been the historic socio-economic boom and busts of the area, and now Marcellus Shale is looking like it will be the next commodity to take the same course. This week has been full of field trips to Centralia, Pioneer Coal Mine and the Lumber Museum in Galeton, Pa. This was my second trip to Centralia and the Pioneer Coal Mine, but it wasn’t any easier emotionally to walk through Centralia. Centralia has had a coal fire burning beneath the town since the 60s. Slowly […]

Continue reading We Didn’t Start the Fire…. »

It’s amazing what you can learn when you take a step back and look at smaller sections compared to the whole. In this case, the whole is the Susquehanna River and the smaller sections are the tributaries and streams that feed into the river. This week’s trips to Cowan and Buffalo Creek opened my eyes to the effect of storms on the habitat of the river. Monday’s trip was focused on water discharge through Buffalo Creek and the change that occurs during storm flow. Through the use of surveying tools, we measured how high the water would come up the bank […]

Continue reading Watershed management »

This past week was a fantastic way to learn about the Chesapeake Bay and how greatly the Susquehanna River affects it. Starting at 7:30 a.m. Monday morning we began a long but scenic trip through Lancaster and down the Eastern Shore through Delaware, Maryland and, finally, to Oyster, Va. Oyster is a very small relic of a fishing town. The small towns in the area contain haunting remains of what used to be a booming fishing industry. Monday night we talked with a waterman (a fancy term for fisherman) named Randy. His story was amazing and a great way to […]

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Coming to Bucknell 2 years ago, I never imagined I would immerse myself into the culture of Lewisburg and nearby towns. I thought college was about classes and getting a degree on time, but in this past week I’ve managed to attend classes and break my Bucknell bubble at the same time. Oddly enough, I found the connection between the geology of the river valley and the local land use fascinating. In my basic geology class over a year ago I learned about different rock formations, how old they are and how they formed but I never connected it to […]

Continue reading Breaking the Bubble »

In the words of Kenan and Kel, Aww Here it Goes! It’s hard to believe, but BotS has officially started, last Wednesday the 11 students and three professors embarked on our first field trip to the Roaring Creek Field Station, owned by Bucknell and DCNR (Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources). We all quickly bonded with each other and our professors over a BBQ and campfire. In the morning, we walked a beautiful three-mile path around the reservoir at the field station. Thursday afternoon we went to CLIMBucknell to bond as a group and build teamwork. There now is no […]

Continue reading Aww here it goes! »

This summer has been exciting to say the least, and I’ve earned the few short weeks of R&R I’ve had at home. This summer was spent floating down the Susquehanna River between Milton, Danville and Shamokin Dam, on what little water there was, taking water samples for chemistry analysis. My parents didn’t understand why I wanted to stay in Lewisburg and collect water samples instead of sitting on the beach all summer, but I’m glad I did. There were many adventures throughout the summer including electrofishing in West Virginia, kayaking to Northumberland, dragging Jon boats in the shallow river and […]

Continue reading The beginning »