Riverkeeper Reflections
AREA MIDDLE SCHOOLERS EXPLORE MONTOUR PRESERVE, CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING THROUGH STEM CAMP PROGRAM DAY
CREEK IS AN EXAMPLE OF COLLABORATION, PERSISTENCE IN TACKLING ABANDONED MINE DRAINAGE ISSUES
by John Zaktansky, Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association
Sixteen middle school girls from across the Susquehanna Valley visited the Montour Preserve on Thursday, June 27, 2024, for a special CSIU STEM Camp program.
their STEM skills while showcasing all the preserve has to offer.
The day began in the fossil pit with a presentation from Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper board member Doug Fessler and Vernal School Program Supervisor Marissa Crames. The students then spent about a half-hour searching for fossils and taking some home with them afterward. They were then split into groups for a rotation through three stations. One was a scavenger hunt throughout the Nature Center for interesting facts that were hidden in various signage and other locations in the center, including the new Eels in the Classroom display. This station was led by Crames. Another rotation included a stream study with Riverkeeper John Zaktansky with help from Fessler, starting with an observational look at how to tell if a stream is healthy or not, a look for macroinvertebrates and other aquatic creatures and chemical testing of a waterway. Students tested the Chillisquaque Creek’s pH and turbidity and discussed how water sampling can lead to data that can identify sources for possible pollution.
They got to visit various popular areas of the preserve, getting a wide variety of experiences designed to expand
Doug Fessler educates the STEM crew about types of fossils at the Preserve’s fossil pit.
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