Inspiring the Next Generation of Conservationists
In the fall of 2017, Jill Barskey was a first-year Environmental Resource Management (ERM) student at Penn State who saw the opportunity to volunteer with ClearWater for an afternoon of streamside buffer stewardship. Eager to get hands-on experience in the field, she joined her classmates at the Musser Gap Greenways buffer along Slab Cabin Run.
Earlier in the semester she had heard ClearWater Conservancy’s former Executive Director, Deb Nardone, speak about the Slab Cabin Run Initiative and the importance of protecting water in the source water protection zone. Her familiarity with ClearWater’s work in Slab Cabin Run made her feel like she was contributing to a meaningful project that would have a lasting impact on the community.
ClearWater's former Habitat Biologist, Colleen Delong, demonstrated to the students how to properly check tree tubes, plant a conservation grade tree seedling, and install a shelter on the newly planted trees. Barskey recalls the smell of the crisp fall air and the sound of the stream trickling while the tall grasses and leaves crunched beneath her hiking boot. The group continued to plant a few more trees and went on to check the trees that were already planted at the site. There was something exciting about being off a maintained trail and seeing the young trees growing among the golden rod and grasses. Once the group was finished, they returned to the bus where they took a photo of the group to capture the group outing.
Fast forward to the fall of 2023, where Barskey is now the Streamside Projects Coordinator for ClearWater Conservancy and is leading her first group of volunteers, who are also ERM students. Reflecting on her time as a Penn State student, she hoped that one day she would be working with an organization that allowed her to positively impact the environment and those around her. She is grateful for the opportunity to work alongside a passionate and dedicated group of staff at ClearWater and to engage, educate, and inspire the next generation of conservationists.
The photo on the left shows Colleen Delong and Jill Barskey with the ERM program in 2017. The photo on the right shows Jill with her very first volunteer group of ERM students in 2023.
Trees, Streams, and YOU!
There are many ways to support ClearWater’s conservation efforts, and one way is volunteering! Make a difference in your community by volunteering at a streamside buffer workday, tree planting, or by becoming a year-round Streamside Steward volunteer. By volunteering you are helping future generations to enjoy clean drinking water, outdoor recreation, and native forests.
Stay up to date on volunteer opportunities by signing up for ClearWater’s volunteer newsletter or reach out to Jill at jill@clearwaterconservancy.org, if interested in becoming a Streamside Steward!
Riparian & Water Resources Conservation
Have you noticed that the weather has changed over the last fifteen years? We have too. The intensity of weather events is increasing, leading to more flooding, droughts, and wildfires. The riparian zone is critical in managing and mitigating the impacts of flooding.
A forested floodplain absorbs water, reduces sedimentation, nitrogen, and phosphorus that flows downstream, slows the velocity of flood waters reducing damage, and recharges aquifers. Some streams have been disconnected from their floodplains by roads, walls, high streambanks, or levees. This increases the speed of water flowing, which increases flood damage for everyone downstream, and we all live downstream.
A common reaction to flooding is to attempt to get water into streams and rivers faster, but that can cause more problems. When ClearWater restores streamside buffers, we reconnect streams to their floodplains, if at all possible.
Even if your property does not have a waterway on it, you can still help with the reduce the impact of these intense storms and drought by replacing lawn with low or no-mow options, constructing a rain garden to catch stormwater, and planting trees to absorb and slow water before it reaches a stream.
To learn more about these topics, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (DCNR) website at https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/Conservation/Water/Pages/default.aspx.
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