Program Announced For 10th Annual Susquehanna River Symposium Nov. 13-14

The program has been announced for the 10th Annual Susquehanna River Symposium: “The River, Its Landscapes, and Our Lives” to be held on November 13 and 14 in the Elaine Langone Center at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Union County   

The symposium is organized and sponsored by the Watershed Sciences and Engineering Program of the Bucknell Center for Sustainability and the Environment, with additional support from the Susquehanna River Heartland Coalition for Environmental Studies and the Degenstein Foundation.

The goal of the symposium to increase the transfer of knowledge and information about the Susquehanna watershed and to bring together academics, planners, regulators, conservancies, watershed groups, and the public to discuss current and future issues related to the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay.

Students and faculty from 20 colleges and universities will present more than 80 research posters on a wide range of topics.  

Schools contributing to the symposium include: Binghamton University, Bloomsburg University, Bucknell University, Cornell University, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Juniata College, Kings College, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Lock Haven University, Lycoming College, Mansfield University, University of Maryland, Millersville University, The Pennsylvania State University, Saint Francis University, SUNY Binghamton, SUNY - Syracuse, Susquehanna University, and Syracuse University.

Scientists and leaders from 11 watershed organizations will also be contributing: American Rivers, Geisinger Center for Health Research, Department of Environmental Protection, Fish and Boat Commission, Chesapeake Bay Commission, Chesapeake Conservancy, Lancaster County Conservancy, U.S. Geological Survey, Trout Unlimited, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Exhibit booths from 12 organizations will include: the Buffalo Creek Watershed Alliance, Chesapeake Conservancy, EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., HydroSense Wireless Monitoring Instruments, Merrill Linn Land & Waterways Conservancy,  Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association, Stories of the Susquehanna, Susquehanna Greenway Partnership, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, Trout Unlimited,  North Central Stream Restoration Partnership.

Program - Nov. 13

-- 7:00 – 7:05 p.m.  Peter Wilshusen, executive director of the Bucknell Center for Sustainability and the Environment, will welcome participants.

-- 7:05 – 7:20 p.m.: John Bravman, president of Bucknell University, will give opening remarks and recognize key partners.

-- 7:20 – 7:30 p.m. H.W. “Skip” Wieder, director of the Susquehanna River Heartland Coalition for Environmental Studies, will speak on the importance of university research and collaborative partnerships in the watershed.

-- 7:30 – 8:00 p.m.  James N. Levitt, director of the Harvard Forest Program on Conservation Innovation, will deliver the keynote address.  Harvard Forest’s Program on Conservation Innovation focuses on advances in the fields of conservation science, education, advocacy and policy, resource protection, and stewardship. “Conservation Catalysts: The Academy as Nature's Agent,” a new book edited by Levitt, describes the strategic role that colleges and universities play in conserving land, water, and wildlife habitat around the world. The book was launched in November 2014 during a special session at the IUCN World Parks Congress in Sydney, Australia.

-- 8:00 – 10 p.m.   Research posters, exhibits, and evening social.

Program - Nov. 14

-- 8:00 - 8:50 a.m.  Saturday's session begin at 8 a.m., with light refreshments and a continuation of the poster session and exhibits in the ELC Terrace Room.

-- 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.  Plenary Presentations in the Forum (the large auditorium on the 2nd floor of the Langone Center).  

-- 9:00 - 9:10 a.m.  Benjamin Hayes, symposium chairman, will welcome participants and review the day’s events.

-- 9:10 - 9:30 a.m.  Plenary Presentation #1.  Andrew DeHoff, Executive Director of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission will give a presentation on the theme of "Sustainable Water Resources Management" at 9:10 a.m. in the Forum. The Susquehanna River Basin Commission is a federal-interstate compact commission created in 1971 between the federal government and Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland. The SRBC manages the water resources of the Susquehanna River.

-- 9:30 - 9:50 a.m.  Plenary Presentation #2.   Marel King, Pennsylvania Director of the Chesapeake Bay Commission present on the theme of "River Corridor and Landscape Conservation and Restoration." The Chesapeake Bay Commission is a tri-state legislative body representing Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. The commission was created in 1980 as a bi-state commission to help Maryland and Virginia collaborate and cooperate on Chesapeake Bay management. Pennsylvania became a member in 1985.

-- 9:50 - 10:10 a.m.   Plenary Presentation #3.  Heather Galbraith, Research Biologist with the US Geological Survey will give a presentation on the theme of "Stresses on Aquatic Ecosystems."  The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The bureau’s Northern Appalachian Research Branch (NARB) provides research support for management of fisheries and aquatic resources for federal lands within the Department of the Interior (National Park Service, Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management), migratory species, inter-jurisdictional species, endangered species, invasive species, and species of cultural importance to Native Americans.

-- 10:10 - 10:30 a.m.   Plenary Presentation #4.  Joel Dunn, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Conservancy will give a presentation on the theme of "Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay Connections." The Chesapeake Conservancy is a non-profit organization based in Annapolis, MD, dedicated to ensuring a healthier Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Conservancy works in close partnership with the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other federal, state and local agencies, private foundations, and corporations.

-- 10:30 - 10:45.  Break

-- 10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Breakout discussions in four separate rooms on the second floor of the Langone Center. Participants will complete a watershed survey, have a chance to network with one another, and discuss selected questions or important issues raised in the morning’s plenary presentations.  

-- 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.  Lunch (Walls Lounge)

-- 1:00 - 1:30 p.m. Keynote Address.  Laura Craig, director of science and economics for American Rivers, will deliver a talk entitled “Rivers at risk: A review of existing and emerging threats to running waters” . Craig’s areas of expertise are ecosystem ecology, nutrient dynamics, and restoration theory. Within the Restoration Program, she facilitates and manages dam removal projects in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania and works to establish collaborative partnerships to improve restoration monitoring, increase communication between researchers and practitioners, and further the science of restoration ecology.

-- 1:30 - 2:30 - Wrap-Up Discussion.  Review the results of the morning's watershed survey and breakout discussions.   We’ll close by discussing ideas and directions to pursue in the near future.

All events are free and open to the public without registration.

For more information, visit the 10th Annual Susquehanna River Symposium webpage.