Centre County Pennsylvania Senior Environmental Corps

February 14, 2018 - General Meeting - at Willowbank Building, Room 317, 9:30 AM

Election of officers was held for 2018:

President: Betsie Blumberg

Vice President: Lou Mayer

Secretary: Pat DeLotto

Treasurer: Rob Fugate

An excellent presentation was given by Dr. Heather Gall, Assistant Professor of Ag Bio Engineering on a program researching emerging contaminants in the Susquehanna River Basin. She would like to work with CCPaSEC members to collect stream samples to identify the presence of pharmaceuticals, personal care products and pesticides. Interested persons should contact Dr. Heather Gall at 814-863-1817 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

National Science Foundation Proposal: Dr. John Carroll, an IT PSU professor, requested a collaboration letter from PaSEC for use in acquiring funding from the NSF. Dr. Carroll and other investigators would use the data provided by PaSEC on water quality in the Centre County area.

Clearwater has changed its Donations webpage to include a checkbox for designating CCPaSEC as the recipient of the donation. This should facilitate donations to our group. The ccpasec.org Donations page provides a link to Clearwater's page.

Dan DeLotto reported there will be a February 21, 2018 Equipment Check. Meters from all kits will be checked using standard solutions. Nature Abounds will send enough chemical reagents to last us to the middle of 2019.

Ralph would like feedback on his Training Forms and information packet and his Hot Training Tips packet to be included in each kit.

Justin Kozak, the Centre County Watershed Specialist will work with CCPaSEC to help identify new sites, grants, and meetings /conferences which would be of interest to our group.

ClearWater Clean Up Day will be April 21. A free lunch follows the morning clean-up. Genie Robine is looking for volunteers to form a clean-up team.

Leadership Centre Co. Workshop: "Tools For Effective Nonprofit Fundraising" will be held March 20. Anyone from our CCPaSEC wishing to attend will be reimbursed the registration fee.

Annual Shale Network Workshop: May 17 -18 - Penn State University (Shale Network, PSU, University of Pittsburgh, and PA Dept of Environmental Protection)

The next meeting will be on March 14, 2018,  9:30 a.m., at the Willowbank Building, Room 317.

March 14, 2018 - General Meeting - at Willowbank Building, Room 317, 9:30 AM

It is time for Macro Surveys to be done. Genie will assist any team who requests it.

WBSRC: The West Branch Susquehanna Restoration Coalition - sponsored by Trout Unlimited- (of which PaSEC is a member) is concerned with acid mine drainage (AMD) remediation. Their quarterly meeting was held March 13 in Clearfield.

Training: Ralph created a two page training document and checklist. The document is on the web site and the checklist will be added to the site. Team leaders should provide training materials to new members.

Dan DeLotto reported the February 21, 2018 Equipment Check has been completed. DO meters' probe tips have been cleaned and new membranes have been installed. Be aware that pushing an "unlikely" combination of buttons, or replacing the batteries may place flow meters in a calibration mode. The meter could then give erroneous readings. If there is a problem with a meter contact Dan, Rob, or Ken.

Membership: Three people signed up as interested in our group at the Bellefonte Volunteer fair. One of those attended the meeting and was assigned to a team. Rob Fugate has volunteered to compile a membership list of our group from several sources. Nature Abounds has requested one that contains contact information from our group. The new list will be turned over to a new Membership Chairperson when one is found.

Notices:

• The CDT will do a feature on community organizations in its in the March 19 edition. A reporter interviewed Betsie about PaSEC and sent a photographer to the Sinking Creek site.

• The Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology will hold their annual meeting Apr. 6-8, 2018 in Dubois. The theme will be "Of the Past, For the Future: Current Contributions to Pennsylvania Archaeology." Interested persons can find information at http://pennsylvaniaarchaeology.com.

• ClearWater Clean Up Day will be April 21. A free lunch follows the morning clean-up at Circleville Park. Genie Robine is looking for volunteers to form a clean-up team.

  Kiwanis Pancake Day: Apr. 24 11-1 and 4-7 will be held at Lambert Hall in Bellefonte.

• PA Groundwater Symposium will be held May 8, 2018. $42 fee will include lunch and snacks. Google 'PA groundwater symposium' for more information and registration.

• Annual Shale Network Workshop: May 17 -18 - Penn State University (Shale Network, PSU, University of Pittsburgh, and PA Dept of Environmental Protection)

The next meeting will be on April 11, 2018,  9:30 a.m., at the Willowbank Building, Room 317.

April 11, 2018 - General Meeting - at Willowbank Building, Room 317, 9:30 AM

Hackathon - IST professor Jack Carroll and his students have submitted a grant proposal to create an "Integrated Water Quality Data Platform,” an online watershed tool. It will include information on CCPaSEC and its data and that of several other water quality groups providing an online resource for Centre County.

Training: Flowmeter tips: The impeller should not be constantly removed from and reinstalled on the rod if possible. Store the handle with the impeller attached properly. Ken is revising the flowmeter and colorimeter instructions to include this information.

Supplies: Dan requested that team leaders give a couple of days’ notice when chemicals are needed. He can bring requested items to the meeting or they can be picked up at his home. Also, he will order an additional two colorimeters and another YSI DO meter from Nature Abounds to replace a colorimeter which no longer works.

A paragraph about CCPaSEC appears in the Centre County Conservation District's Conservation Conversation's 2017 Annual Report Section on Watershed Management at: http://centrecountypa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5095 on page 4.

Membership List: A new membership list of our group is being compiled from several sources. A simple form has been created which members will all be receiving in an email soon. Members, please complete the member information form and respond by April 28 so that our current list will be up to date. Team leaders should notify their members of this form. Lisa Grove will maintain the new list as our new Membership Chairperson.

Quality Control: Duplicate sampling will probably be done in June.

Publicity: Ken needs information about team experiences for future newsletters. For example, Dave's team saw 18 elk, a gobbler and grouse on their April 10th outing.

Centre Gives: We will check with Clearwater to participate in the fundraising event. If yes, there will be a link on the home page of our website and an email will be sent to the membership concerning our participation.

Nestle Plant Info: Carolyn found out that there is a concern about the manufacturing process of plastic bottles leaving microscopic bits of plastic in the bottles. These bits eventually end up in the ocean polluting the food chain.

Notices:

• ClearWater Clean Up Day will be April 21. A free lunch at Circleville Park follows the morning clean-up. Genie Robine is looking for volunteers to form a clean-up team. Meet at the Benner Twp Building on Rt. 550 at 8 am. and bring your water bottle and an orange vest if you have one.

• Kiwanis Pancake Day: Apr. 24 11-1 and 4-7 will be held at Lambert Hall in Bellefonte.

• PA Groundwater Symposium will be held May 8, 2018. $42 fee will include lunch and snacks. Google 'PA groundwater symposium' for more information and registration.

• Annual Shale Network Workshop: May 17 -18 - Penn State University (Shale Network, PSU, University of Pittsburgh, and PA Dept of Environmental Protection)

The next meeting will be on May 9, 2018,  9:30 a.m., at the Willowbank Building, Room 317.

May 9, 2018 - General Meeting - at Willowbank Building, Room 317, 9:30 AM

ClearWater Clean Up Day was held April 21. 7 CCPaSEC members helped clean up Fillmore and Upper Gyp, plus some of Valley View Roads

Training: A new document "Possible Hot Training Tips - Stream Flow Meter" was presented which stressed the need for 2 people to do the measurements in the stream using a stabilizing rod for safety. Team leaders will be notified.

Supplies: Dan received an additional colorimeter and other supplies from Nature Abounds. If more funding becomes available or a meter from another SEC becomes available, Nature Abounds will see that we get it.

Policy statement regarding Nature Abounds equipment: "When equipment needs to be replaced due to an equipment-specific failure (like aging, etc...), as long as funds allow, Nature Abounds replaces it. When something needs to be replaced due to negligence (like someone loses a colorimeter or someone leaves the batteries in the colorimeter too long), then it's the SEC's responsibility."

Intergenerational Retreat: Facilitators are needed for a theme-oriented small group to take place sometime in October, for discussion/brainstorming about possible IG programs and possibilities on environmental preservation and education.

Membership List: Over 40 members replied to the form to update our membership list. Those members who haven't responded, please complete the member information form so that our current list will be up to date. Team leaders were asked to confirm active and non-active members on their teams. Lisa Grove will maintain the new list as our new Membership Chairperson.

Centre Gives: CCPaSEC members are participating, through ClearWater Conservancy, in Centre Gives which ends this evening. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to ask that your donation be channeled to CCPaSEC.

The next meeting will be on May 9, 2018,  9:30 a.m., at the Willowbank Building, Room 317.

June 13, 2018 - General Meeting - at Willowbank Building, Room 317, 9:30 AM

Hot Training Tips: A revised document "Possible Hot Training Tips - Safe Stream Flow Measurement" was presented. Team members should use a pole while in the water for personal safety, accuracy of measurement and instrument preservation. The group added that a meter mounting clamp could be attached to the pole or measuring stick. This could be as simple as a radiator hose clamp. This would make it possible for an individual to hold the meter, the meter wand, and still steady himself with the pole. The pole could be a hiking stick, broom stick or fiberglass pole. Ralph will wait for one week for suggestions before submitting the document.

Supplies: Dan has not received the two Oakton meter probes from Nature Abounds yet.

Nature Abounds has 19 SECs in PA alone. The website for those sites is http://secofusa.org.

Quality Control: Duplicate sampling will start in July.

Shale Network Workshop: One member attended the workshop "Integrating Data about Shale Gas development: Toward a More Collaborative Future." Several points were pertinent to our SEC: data precision is very important; don't take the water sample too close to the shore line; rinse the sample jar three times before taking a sample in the field.

August Picnic, hosted by the Clearfield County SEC, will be held Wednesday August 8. More details will follow.

Centre Gives: CCPaSEC participated, through ClearWater Conservancy (CWC), in Centre Gives in May. We have not received the funds yet.

Oakton Meters: More than one team has been having issues with the pH measurements using our Oakton meters. Several ideas were suggested 1) avoid storing probe end in distilled water, 2) use pH paper or 3) use the Hach 135 pH meter for measurements. This meter must be kept out of bright light for accuracy.

New Testing Sites possible: Justin Kozak, CC Conservation Specialist asked for help to monitor sites along Spring Creek where new habitat and riparian buffers will be enhanced. Before we agree to help, he will contact CWC to avoid any duplication of testing sites.

A PhD student from Penn State's IST department sat in on the meeting and met with some of our members. She is working on a project on understanding people's health and wellbeing through the lens of social interaction, specifically within PaSEC.

For follow-up:

• Decision on Oakton meters
• Monitor new sites on Spring Creek?
• Location and details of August picnic
• Stabilizing poles for all teams
• Are clearances needed for members when kids are involved in the Intergenerational Program?

The next meeting will be on July 11, 2018,  9:30 a.m., at the Willowbank Building, Room 317.

July 11, 2018 - General Meeting - at Willowbank Building, Room 317, 9:30 AM

August Picnic, hosted by the Clearfield County SEC, will be held Wednesday August 8, 11 AM at Irvin Park, Curwensville. Car pools will form at the new Bellefonte Weis (Buckaroo Lane) at 9:30 am. Spouses and friends are welcome! More details will follow.

Membership - 3 new members were introduced to the group.

Supplies: Dan has not received the two YSI meter probes from Nature Abounds yet. We need many Oakton meter probes. Also, some recent phosphate reagent packets contained clumped reagent. If this happens to others, Please do not use them and discard the affected packets.

Quality Control: Duplicate sampling has been arranged through October. Teams should enter the duplicate results in the database along with the team data in the appropriate columns.

Hot Training Tips: A revised document "Hot Training Tip - Safe Stream Flow Measurement" was presented. It will be added to the website.

Sayers Dam: The Army Corp of Engineers terminated their project involving changing the lake's water level on a different schedule. They will continue with their present schedule of lowering lake level in the fall and raising it in the spring.

Publicity: Ken requested articles for the August newsletter. There will be an article provided by the PSU research group (senior citizens’ use of technology). Ken is working on revisions of the flow measurement procedure and new procedures for the Feb. equipment check.

New business: There is a need to distribute a list of people who are available to fill in for other teams.

Centre Gives: CCPaSEC participated, through ClearWater Conservancy (CWC), in Centre Gives in May. We have not received the funds yet.

For follow-up:

• Are clearances needed for inviting groups of children to the IG programs?
• Purchase of probes and flow-meter
• Team data entry includes duplicate test results
• Need articles for August newsletter

The next meeting will be on Aug 8, 2018,  11 a.m., at Irvin Park, Curwensville. Bring your spouse or friend and a dish to pass!

August 8, 2018 - Picnic with Clearfield County SEC Irvin Park in Curwensville, 11 AM

Ten members and spouses of CCPaSEC attended. The day began with a social hour when members of the two groups had a chance to chat. Several of the Clearfield people were interested in coming to see how we do our monitoring. We shared a pot luck lunch.

After lunch Clearfield Water Specialist Kelly Williams gave an interesting power point presentation titled "Restoration of the Deer Creek Watershed: The Ongoing Journey." Ms. Williams’ presentation summarized the process of restoring the stream damaged by AMD (acid mine drainage). AMD is a major stream pollution problem in Clearfield County. Everyone enjoyed a pleasant day of good conversation, information and good food in a pleasant setting.

The next meeting will be on Sept. 12, 2018,  9:30 AM, Room 317 , Willowbank Building, Bellefonte.

September 12, 2018 - General Meeting - at Willowbank Building, Room 317, 9:30 AM

Dennis Hameister, Chairman of the Spring Creek Watershed Commission, gave a presentation about the organization.

Membership: - 2 new members were introduced to the group.

Outdoor and Conservation Expo: CCPaSEC was invited to have a display table at the event, hosted by Kerry Benninghoff, at CPI in Pleasant Gap on Oct. 3 from 6-8 pm. Various state and local organizations have been invited to attend. Ken Johnson will be asked to represent our group.

Supplies: Dan has not received the two YSI meter probes from Nature Abounds yet. We need many Oakton meter probes. They are on hold until more funding for Nature Abounds becomes available. Chemical packets are still available. The group will purchase some pH papers to use for back-up pH testing.

One member met with a PSU professor, Jennifer Williams, about doing a macro-invertebrate study with some State High students during the coming year at Wallace Run.

One member planted plants for ClearWater Conservancy in their nursery. The plants will, ultimately, be stream buffer plants.

Two members met with PSU IST graduate students for a "Hack-a-thon" for an online Water Quality platform for Spring Creek Watershed.

Hot Training Tips: Ralph Locklin will work with Dan DeLotto to reinforce the flow meters' tips with Gorilla tape.

For follow-up:

• Are clearances needed for inviting groups of children to the IG programs?
• Purchase of probes and flow-meter
• Team data entry includes duplicate test results
• Outdoor and Conservation Expo table
• List of people who are available to fill in for other teams

The next meeting will be on October 10, 2018,  9:30 AM, Willowbank Building, Room 317, Bellefonte.

October 10, 2018 - General Meeting - at Willowbank Building, Room 317, 9:30 AM

Dennis Hameister, Chairman of the Spring Creek Watershed Commission, gave a presentation about the organization.

Membership: - One new members was introduced to the group.

Funding Discussion: Gary Moorman researched future funding for our group. It was decided to do a budget to project what our monetary needs would be for a typical year as well as equipment and chemicals needs. 2 members will arrange a meeting with ClearWater Conservancy to discuss our funding needs also.

Outdoor and Conservation Expo: Ken Johnson attended the event and displayed our brochures and poster. The meeting went well and was hosted by Kerry Benninghoff, at CPI in Pleasant Gap on Oct. 3 from 6-8 pm.

Duplicate Testing: Dave Truesdale reported that many teams have had their duplicate testing done with a few more teams to go before the end of the year.

One member assisted a PSU professor, Jennifer Williams, doing a macro-invertebrate study with some State High students at Wallace Run.

One member suggested we contact the Sierra Club next time they have the Banff film festival at the State Theater because environmental organizations have had tables set up in order to distribute information to the public.

3 members attended a Spring Creek Watershed Commission meeting on September 19. Betsie Blumberg gave a presentation of PASEC activities.

Publicity: RSVP has posted the PASEC newsletter on its Facebook page. Town & Gown magazine mentioned PASEC in the Senior Living 2018, Joy of Volunteering article.

Holiday Luncheon: Laurie Jeffreys will contact the Garden Room at the Penn Stater for our luncheon tentatively scheduled for Dec. 12.

On October 17, journalists will speak to scientists about ‘Communicating Science in a Post-Truth World’ at the Compass Science Communications Plenary.

The next meeting will be on November 14, 2018,  9:30 AM, Willowbank Building, Room 317, Bellefonte.

November 14, 2018 - General Meeting - at Willowbank Building, Room 317, 9:30 AM

Membership: New members in the future must attend one meeting prior to being assigned to a team.

Funding Discussion: Several members met with ClearWater Conservancy to discuss our funding needs. It was suggested that a single-page description of CCPaSEC be written to use when approaching companies or organizations about funding. It was written. Goals for funding are having a new monitoring kit for a new team and long-term one kit per team.

Supplies: Dan met with Dr. K from LHU about using pH test strips to replace pH meter measurements. Dr. K approved their use. The strips must be kept dry and out of the sun. The pH strips will be ordered for each team.

Duplicate Testing: Dave Truesdale reported that all but 2 teams have had their duplicate testing done.

One member reported on the Susquehanna River Symposium where Dr. K. presented a poster about CCPaSEC.

Training: When climbing up a high, steep bank, the flow meter should be collapsed to avoid breakage.

Publicity: Ken submitted an article to the Centre County Gazette which was published.

Holiday Luncheon: Scheduled for Dec. 12, 11:30 at the Penn Stater, Orchid Room. All members are invited to the luncheon and encouraged to bring a guest. Individuals will pay for their selection from the buffet or menu.

Tiffany Knearem assisted by Andrea Wan led a session on the benefits of senior citizen volunteering.

The next meeting will be on December 12, 2018,  9:30 AM, Willowbank Building, Room 317, Bellefonte.

An executive meeting will be held in January 2019. Nominations will be accepted for officers. The election of officers will take place in February 2019.

December 12, 2018 - General Meeting - at Willowbank Building, Room 317, 9:30 AM

Membership: There are 14 active new members who have been recruited in 2018. Any future new member must attend one meeting prior to being assigned to a team.

Officer Election: New officers will be nominated at the January executive committee meeting with voting taking place at the February meeting. There is no set term limit. Anyone who wishes to nominate a member for office should get that individual's approval prior to nomination.

Funding: Gary Moorman is working on an application for "Dominion Energy Watershed Mini Grant" which offers a maximum of $3000 to be used for new meters. Goals for funding are having a new monitoring kit for a new team and long-term one kit per team. A letter requesting funding from local businesses is being composed.

Supplies: Dr. K from LHU has provided several probes for our Oakton meters.

Duplicate Testing: Dave Truesdale reported that all but 2 teams have had their duplicate testing done. A discussion of staffing a team to do duplicate testing will be held at the January 2019 Board meeting.

Training: New directions for in-the-field training are on our website. Team leaders are requested to make the training forms available to team members. Any suggestions for revisions should be sent to Ralph Locklin.

Publicity: Ken Johnson submitted an article to the Centre County Gazette which was published (Nov. 1-7, 2018). CCPaSEC was mentioned in a CDT article by Dr. John Carroll, Penn State IST Department.

CCPaSEC will try to determine if any group is monitoring in the Penns Valley area, especially Penns Creek.

PSU's future plans for preservation of Musser Gap were announced recently. The goal is for a community destination, protecting the water and involving the community.

Holiday Luncheon: Members and their guests met following the meeting at 11:30 at the Penn Stater, Orchid Room.

The next general meeting will be on February 13, 2018,  9:30 AM, Willowbank Building, Room 317, Bellefonte.

An executive meeting will be held January 9, 2019,  9:30 AM, Willowbank Building, Room 317, Bellefonte. Officers and Committee Chairpersons are to attend. Nominations will be accepted for officers for 2019. The election of officers will take place in February 2019.