Watershed Webinars

Introduction to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed - March 10, 2021
Presenter: Mr. Alan Hammond, retired AP Environmental Science teacher

The formation, early history, economic importance, aesthetic and recreational values of the Chesapeake Bay will be addressed in the PowerPoint, along with how human activity in the watershed is negatively affecting the Bay and what is being done to improve water quality in our local streams and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay. 

Stormwater Pollution, Our Streams and What We Can Do - March 24, 2021
Presenter: Mr. Jim Eckenrode, Engineering Lab Manager/Instructor at Saint Francis University

Please join us to learn how the impacts from nonpoint sources of pollution, such as stormwater, can be abated through the implementation of simple best management practices such as rain barrels, rain gardens and riparian buffers.

Kayaking the Storm Surge: Lessons learned about the environment from 30 years of whitewater boating - April 7, 2021
Presenter: Dr. Joel Bandstra, Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering at Saint Francis University 

Joel Bandstra is a professor of environmental engineering at SFU and he loves his profession. But more than that, he loves whitewater kayaking and that passion has given him a front row seat for observing our region's water quality challenges and triumphs over the past three decades. In this talk Dr. Bandstra will share some of the lessons he has learned about stormwater hydrology and environmental hydraulics from the seat of his boat.

Assessing Impacts to Local Streams - April 21, 2021
Presenter: Mr. Jim Eckenrode, Engineering Lab Manager/Instructor at Saint Francis University

Please join us as we discuss impacts to our local streams and identify assessment tools that can be used by school groups and volunteers to determine the health of a stream. 

Immersive Technology: Digitally Exploring Nature - May 5, 2021
Presenter: Mr. Michael Sell, NOAA B-WET at SFU Project Coordinator

Learn how technology can be used as a tool to enrich and complement (*but not replace*) outdoor environmental education. Discover how the Saint Francis University Science Outreach Center developed a virtual tour of the university's Lake Saint Francis Watershed Trail using 360-degree cameras and other tools (YouTube, Google Earth, ArcGIS StoryMaps and more).

Blair County Conservation District: Riparian Buffers & NatureWorks Park - May 12, 2021
Presenters: Ms. Suzanne M. Black, Conservation Education Specialist, Beth Futrick, Agricultural Public Liaison/Ombudsman, and Chelsey Ergler, Stormwater Coordinator, Blair County Conservation District 

Join conservation district staff for a walking tour of their NatureWorks Park in Hollidaysburg, PA, for a discussion of sources of water pollution and what we can do in our own backyards to prevent it while looking at real-life examples in the park.

Acid Mine Drainage - March 1, 2022
Presenters: Dr. Travis Tasker, Assistant Professor of Environmental Engineering at Saint Francis University

Learn how AMD forms, where it is, and how it could influence phosphorus transport to the Chesapeake Bay. 

Healthy Watershed, Healthy Community: Weed Warriors attacking an invasive species (2 Part) - March 23 and 30, 2022
Presenters: Ms. Helen Jean Sinal and Ms. Jody Wallace, retired environmental educators

Learn about the Weed Warriors project at Fort Roberdeau National Historic Site in Blair County that provides a creative and innovative student-driven approach to remove invasive plants and restore them with native plants.

Growing demands and declining yields: A look at agriculture and how we must adapt into the future - April 28, 2022
Presenter: Dr. Benjamin Roman, Post Doctoral Fellow, Engineering at Saint Francis University

Dr. Roman will provide a look at the impacts of agriculture and how we must adapt into the future.

Dragons and Damsels of Pennsylvania - May 3, 2022
Presenter: Dr. Lane Loya, Professor of Biology at Saint Francis University

In this presentation, Dr. Loya will discuss the remarkable behavior, ecological importance, and surprising diversity of dragonflies and damselflies. Participants will learn more about the connection these fascinating and beautiful insects have to water quality and aquatic habitats. Resources on dragonfly biology and ideas for projects involving dragonflies will be discussed.  

Pennsylvania Freshwater Fish Species: what you're catching probably isn't native - March 1, 2023
Presenter: Mr. Jacob Maddigan, 2022 Saint Francis University Biology Graduate

This presentation will describe the natural history of fish species in PA, endemic and introduced, emphasizing sport varieties.  It will include an explanation of the current threats to their survival (invasives, pollution, etc.) and end with some easy ways to get involved and help save our subaquatic friends.

Wastewater treatment and its impact on the Chesapeake Bay - March 9, 2023
Presenter: Dr. Benjamin Roman, Post Doctoral Fellow, Engineering at Saint Francis University

This presentation will provide a brief look at how wastewater (sewage) is treated and how this process protects waterways from environmental degradation.

Managing Nutrient Pollution in the Chesapeake Watershed - March 14, 2023
Presenter: Mr. Andrew Scanlan, Instructor of Biology at Saint Francis University

Nutrients especially phosphorus and nitrogen can lead to algae blooms and impaired water quality, especially within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.  Pennsylvania as well as other surrounding states have enacted programs to address this nutrient pollution.  This webinar will go over some of these nutrient reduction programs with a focus on indicator species that can indicate the decline or rebound of impaired water ecosystems. 

Energy and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed: A Changing Landscape - March 28, 2023
Presenter: Mr. Michael Sell, Director of the Institute for Energy at Saint Francis University

This presentation will explore how energy development has affected the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. in the past and how energy sources like solar and wind are being adopted to transition society to a more sustainable future. 

Agricultural best management used in PA to reduce soil and nutrient in waterways - May 16, 2023
Presenter: Beth Futrick, Agricultural Public Liaison / Ombudsman, Blair County Conservation District

We will discuss typical farm practices in PA that help reduce water pollution in our streams and waterways.