Who We Are
RiverStewards is a consortium of educational institutions, private sector companies, non-profit organizations, communities, government agencies and individuals working to conserve one of our most significant ecological, economic and recreational resources in central Pennsylvania, the Susquehanna River.
While our primary focus is on the Susquehanna River Basin, our geographic range is not limited to that watershed.
What We Do
RiverStewards achieves its conservation goals by convening the institutional, scientific and economic resources necessary to solve specific problems that affect the health of the Susquehanna River. Our operating process is to identify a problem then bring together those who can be a part of the solution.
At the core of the RiverStewards concept is that no one sector can, on its own, solve the myriad challenges facing the River. It will take concerted, coordinated efforts by all that have a stake in the River to assure its future health.
To help educate individuals and organizations on the River and its contributions to ecological services, the economy, and recreational opportunities, RiverStewards has numerous initiatives, which can be found here.
We recommend a great work by Susan Q. Stranahan, “Susquehanna, River of Dreams.” This book was a catalyst for the founding of RiverStewards.
In doing our work, RiverStewards will follow the following principles:
- Gain an understanding of functional natural systems through professional observations.
- Apply science through empirical data collection and processing.
- Draw conclusions based upon objective, verifiable data.
RiverStewards will use the social change model as an essential component of our business model, linking to our mission and vision. The social change model differentiates us as a social enterprise rather than a commercial business.
Founder and President – Mark Gutshall
Mark Gutshall is the Founder and President of RiverStewards Collaborative. He is a professional wetland scientist (PWS), a licensed Pennsylvania charter boat/fishing guide (permit #767) and founder of LandStudies, Inc. a recognized leader in the field of environmental restoration and land planning. He has more than 35 years’ professional experience in designing, permitting, and constructing ecological restoration projects in the mid‐Atlantic region. During that time, he also founded Octoraro Native Plant Nursery, a wholesale source of native woody plants (1990).
His diverse professional background emphasizes land stewardship and community‐based planning, which he has applied to numerous projects in watershed planning, open space planning, stream corridor restoration, flood reduction and stormwater management, habitat improvement, and wetland creation.
Mark researches and advocates pioneering land management techniques that are functional, cost effective, and environmentally beneficial. He has been a leading voice in the acceptance of “legacy sediments” along stream corridors as a major contributor of sediment and nutrient pollution in waterways throughout Pennsylvania.
He also has been a groundbreaker in adopting regional or watershed‐wide natural resource management as an effective way to create partnerships among private, public, regulatory, non‐profit, and educational interests. Both he and LandStudies have earned accolades for his innovative approaches to natural resource management and land planning.
Executive Director – Laurel Etter Longenecker
Laurel Etter Longenecker is the Executive Director of RiverStewards Collaborative, the nonprofit arm of the RiverStewards initiative. Laurel has over 10 years of experience working in the environmental field and is committed to making the world a better place for future generations to thrive. Laurel has a B.A. in Anthropology from Marshall University and a M.S. in Resilient and Sustainable Communities from Green Mountain College.