Taylor Weddington admits that she always had a special connection with her grandfather, David Staebler, who passed away earlier this year but leaves behind a lasting legacy for our natural resources.
“He cared deeply about the environment, with his core rule anytime we visited a new place being to always leave it better than when you found it,” she said. “Whether that was picking up a piece of trash on the walking trail or making someone’s day a little brighter.”
An instrumental mover-and-shaker within the Buffalo Creek Watershed Alliance out of Lewisburg, Union County Staebler had become a fixture in water quality conversations and improvement projects across the watershed.
Because of his countless hours of volunteer work and dedication to inspiring others, Staebler is being posthumously honored with the 2024 Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association’s Kathleen Snavely Susquehanna River Environmental Advocate Award.
The annual award is given to an individual or group that goes above and beyond in efforts to promote and protect the health and vibrancy of the Susquehanna River, its tributaries and its watershed.
“When I first got involved in this position, Mr. Staebler was one of the first people from the community to come alongside me and offer support and mentorship. He was someone who was knowledgeable, but also down-to-earth and genuinely cared,” said Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky. “He was the perfect example that really anyone can make a difference by getting involved, putting in the time and effort and being a positive encourager to those around you.”
That encouragement started at home, according to Weddington.
“From an early age, my grandpa was extremely supportive in fostering my interest in science and nature,” she said. “Some of my earliest memories of him are when he would take me out kayaking on the Brunswick River in North Carolina and pointing out the areas where alligators had pushed through the reeds to congregate, and pointing out the weird dangly fruit of the bald cypress trees that hung over the water.”
Click Here to read the entire tribute.
For more information on Buffalo Creek and upcoming projects, visit the Buffalo Creek Watershed Alliance website
Those interested in donating to the Buffalo Creek Watershed Alliance in David's memory are encouraged to write a check to BCWA with David Staebler in the memo line and send to PO Box 501, Lewisburg, PA 17837; or use the Linn Conservancy website's donation link and include "in memory of David Staebler" in the "What motivated you to make this gift today?" box.
To find other watershed groups across our river basin that may need assistance in your community, check out our Watershed Opportunities page.
Previous winners of the Kathleen Snavely Susquehanna River Environmental Advocate Award have included the Emert family in 2023 and the award's namesake, Kathy Snavely, in 2022.
Snavely was a founding board member and long-running board president that kept the association going when it lost its original Riverkeeper and needed to find a new executive director.
Click Here to read more about Kathleen Snavely and the Award.
Visit the Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper website to learn more about initiatives, programs and upcoming events.
Resource Links:
-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper - Emily Shosh: Amidea Daniels Fish & Boat Commission Educator Strives To Connect People To Natural Resources Through Creative Efforts Like Women’s Programming, Trout In Classroom
-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper - John Zaktansky: Susquehanna County Conservation District’s Don Hibbard Urges Observation, Thinking Through Bigger Decisions At Home To Make A Difference For Nature
-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper - John Zaktansky: Ripple Effects Environmental Literacy Convening To Offer Hands-On Learning Across Williamsport June 17
-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper - John Zaktansky: Wildlife Photographer’s Viral Hellbender Photos Offer Learning Opportunity About Species Myths [No Hellbenders Don’t Eat Fish]
-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper - John Zaktansky: Registration Opens For West Branch HERYN Kayak And Fish Programs July 1-2 At Bald Eagle State Park, Centre County
-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper - John Zaktansky: New Aquatics & Acoustics Collection Of Songs Focuses On Environmental Education Opportunities
-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper - Emily Shosh: Unassessed Water Program, Public Comment Offer Key Tools For Protecting Wild Trout Populations
Related Articles This Week:
-- Foundation For Pennsylvania Watersheds Announces $650,000 In Conservation Grants; Next Grant Round Opens In August [PaEN]
-- Reforest Our Future Launches Native Tree Nursery & Education Center In Beaver County Supported By Shell Petrochemical Plant Mitigation Grant [PaEN]
-- Penn State Extension Hosts July 16 Webinar On Uses And Benefits Of Rain Barrels [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Chambersburg Public Opinion: Nature And Education Come Together At Furnace Run Park In Shippensburg Township
-- Pike County Conservation District: Down The Drain - Where Does The Water Go?
-- MCall: These Virtual Reality Games Can Teach You About The Lehigh Valley’s Watershed History
-- EPA Awards $216,000 Grant To Pennsylvania To Protect Beachgoers From Bacteria
-- Pittsburgh Water Authority Announces $75.4 Million Water Main, Lead Service Line Replacement Projects
-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Pittsburgh Water Authority Launches $75.4 Million Project To Replace 10 Miles Of Mains, 1,000 Service Lines
-- WHYY: Forecasters Predict Busy Hurricane Season For 2025
[Posted: June 3, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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