The volunteers assisted in documenting biological life and exploring the biodiversity of the Conewago Creek wetland restoration site.
“This event gives faculty, alumni, and current students the chance to work together with members of organizations involved in environmental conservation work,” Elizabethtown College Professor of Biology Diane Bridge said. “It helps us develop and maintain relationships with organizations that may provide internships and jobs for Etown graduates in the future.”
Along with Bridge, the Etown volunteer team included fellow faculty members Professor of Biology Dave Bowne and Assistant Professor of Biology and Environmental Science Rob Northington, as well as recent alumnae Jessica Gutekunst ’23 and Ireland Keeney, and Environmental Studies major Zach Randolph ’26, who is completing a summer internship with local ecological restoration firm LandStudies.
The restoration project supports local ecosystems by reducing flooding, filtering pollution before it enters the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay, and creating habitat for native wildlife.
The volunteers helped track how these improvements are affecting species diversity.
During the event, Bridge and Northington assisted with tree identification, while Bowne led the volunteer team in identifying amphibians and reptiles.
Gutekunst and Keeney, who led plant identification during the Bioblitz and both currently work at LandStudies, gained valuable experience in the field during their time at Etown through their Summer Creative Arts and Research Program (SCARP) project in 2022.
The duo worked with Bowne by conducting a biological survey of amphibian and plant species present at several wetland sites in Lancaster County.
Gutekunst and Keeney will be returning to campus on Sept. 22 to give a presentation on their work restoring wetlands with LandStudies as part of the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences seminar series.
The presentation will provide an opportunity for students to learn more about this exciting career path.
Click Here for the Elizabethtown announcement.
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NewsClips:
-- PennLive Letter: Central PA Must Prepare For Potentially Catastrophic Flooding - By Julia Krall, Chesapeake Bay Foundation PA Executive Director
-- WNEP: Severe Rainstorm Leaves Several Communities In Scranton, Wilkes-Barre Area Damaged
-- Observer-Reporter: North Franklin Supervisors Considering Solutions To Flooding Issues In Washington County
-- Altoona Mirror Letter: DEP To Blame For Degradation Of Old Crow Wetlands By Issuing Deficient Permit For Rutter’s Market Near Huntingdon
[Posted: August 14, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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