Recently, Lancaster Clean Water Partners and Lancaster County Community Foundation announced the awarding of more than $100,000 in grants to support the quality of water in Lancaster County, PA. RiverStewards Collaborative was one of the fortunate organizations to receive funds from this grant program. We will work with an Amish liaison, Lancaster Farmland Trust, and […]
This article is part 4 of a 4-part series on the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s current and most recently retired Executive Directors: Tim Schaeffer and John Arway, respectively. RiverStewards is a proud supporter and partner of the Commission and all the great work that it does to protect and enhance Pennsylvania’s waterways, aquatic habitat, […]
This article is part 3 of a 4-part series on the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s current and most recently retired Executive Directors: Tim Schaeffer and John Arway, respectively. RiverStewards is a proud supporter and partner of the Commission and all the great work that it does to protect and enhance Pennsylvania’s waterways, aquatic habitat, […]
Photo Above: The Zimmerman Center is one of two locations Susquehanna Heritage operates along the river as centers for education and outreach. It also acts as headquarters for Susquehanna Heritage. The Susquehanna River is part of a complex ecosystem, and, much like the river, the individuals, groups, and organizations who work to promote and protect the […]
Photo above: John Quigley, Director of Harrisburg University’s Center for Environment, Energy and Economy discusses what a shared database might look like. Government agencies, nonprofits, academics and others use data in their day-to-day work. Whether analyzing the levels of nitrate and phosphorus in a water sample, tracking sediment loads over time, or gauging the economic […]
“The Treasure of the Susquehanna” was developed by Millersville University student Gabrielle Redcay, with guidance from her professor Justin Mando, as part of the RiverStewards initiatives, Susquehanna Stories. The film discusses the importance of the river and what actions citizens can take to help protect it. Featured in the film are Josh Hill of Shenk’s […]
If someone were to ask you, “What is Environmental Advocacy?” would you be able to provide an answer for them? The students of Millersville University’s first environmental advocacy class, led by Dr. Justin Mando, spent a semester trying to pick apart the meaning of that question together. Their investigation began with a trip down the […]
In a recent study that compiled all available data to characterize Basin-wide water use and availability, the Commission estimated that there are possibly more than 700 older, unpermitted facilities with an estimated water use of nearly one billion gallons per day. If accurate, this volume of water use is roughly equal to the total amount […]
It’s been about 85 years since a ferry shuttled people across the Susquehanna River at Wrightsville. But local residents and tourists might be able to cross the river by boat again with a proposed water shuttle service. The idea has been floated by the nonprofit Susquehanna Heritage as a way to transport local residents and […]
Millersville University’s Environmental Advocacy Writing course has taken to the Susquehanna River as a source of inspiration. The students have been tasked with telling stories of the river, focusing on the people, plants, animals, and places that make the Susquehanna a valuable connector for our area. What better way to start that process than by […]
In extreme northwestern Lancaster County, when the Susquehanna River recedes, as it has now, careful exploring on foot reveals an otherworldly canvas where geology meets art. Here, at the Conewago Falls near Falmouth, Conoy Township, just below Three Mile Island, molten rock, ruptured glacial lakes and thousands of years of erosion have left behind a […]
Congressman Lloyd Smucker (R-Lancaster), along with Congressmen Scott Perry (R-Cumberland) and Pat Meehan (R-Lancaster/ Philadelphia), and U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced legislation in Congress in June to create the Susquehanna River National Heritage Area. The bills would include Lancaster and York Counties as a National Heritage Area– a Congressional designation where “natural, cultural, historic, […]
There’s something about water that draws people to it. Whether the benefits are emotional or economical, there’s no denying the appeal of rivers, lakes and streams — three features that make Central Pennsylvania an attractive place to live, work or visit. The Susquehanna River is the most prominent water feature in the region. At 444 […]
I am given the opportunity to deliver an Executive Director’s report at every quarterly business meeting of the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission’s (PFBC’s) Board of Commissioners. I typically use the time to update the Board, staff and visitors on my past, present and future activities. However, there are times when I change the pace […]
At Millersville University’s new faculty orientation, I mentioned to an older gentleman who served as our tour guide that I had been fishing the Susquehanna almost daily since moving to Lancaster County from Pittsburgh. The man assumed I meant from a boat, but when I told him I’d been wading the river he replied with […]
I have spent three decades contemplating place and how people and communities fit into the larger landscape. For a decade I worked on the Susquehanna Greenway, helping to craft the vision and organizational framework to encourage local communities to reconnect with the river while empowering them to plan and build their part of the evolving greenway […]