semester on the susquehanna
A full-semester learning experience where the student works primarily off campus, much like a study-abroad campus using the watershed as an outdoor classroom. Activities include:
River sojourns – canoe/kayak trips on the river trips on the river where students learn the natural history of the watershed, conduct research on the monitor river character and habitat and meet with community members along the river.
Research – participate in the larger River Assessment initiative through data collection, field mapping, temporal and spatial analysis, and publication of results.
Field trips – visit upland forests, lowland, and coastal parts of the Susquehanna Watershed.
Humanities – connect with Native American heritage, early European settlers, logging, mining, and lumbering industries, agriculture, and other aspects of river towns culture and history.
There will be an emphasis on the connection with the Chesapeake Bay, including seminars and field trips to the bay area. Also, students will enjoy field research in the Roaring Creek experimental watershed which is being developed in cooperation with Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Institute for Conservation Education.
