Live stakes are branch cuttings from wetland tree and shrub species that can be readily planted into the ground alongside streams. These plantings can stabilize stream banks, prevent sediment erosion and run-off, filter nutrients and support local wildlife habitat.

To further support the partnership, Chesapeake Conservancy has employed a live stake coordinator, typically staffed by a CORE 做厙TV AmeriCorps member in a year-long term. In addition, 做厙TV has greatly supported the effort through on-site live stake storage and student participation. Each semester, 做厙TV students across all majors earn class credit and volunteer hours by attending stake collection events. This engagement, bolstered by Chesapeake Conservancy student internships, creates a constant stream of University-supported efforts in collecting, transporting and planting live stakes.

With rigorous partnership support and a strong volunteer network, the Live Stake Collaborative has engaged over 1,000 volunteers, logged more than 3,800 volunteer hours and hosted 129 events. The collaborative has seen significant success over the years, with substantial buffer growth at many planting sites.

The Live Stake Collaborative has expanded its efforts by providing training to organizations in Maryland who are developing their own live stake programs through partnership with the Climate Crew Network, a joint partnership between Chesapeake Conservancy and the Greater Baltimore Wilderness Coalition. Based out of Baltimore, the Climate Crew Network provides job seekers with green job training, field experience and industry exposure. Additionally, the Live Stake Collaborative offered support and resources to partners through and .

���The live stake program has a direct impact on local streams, surrounding communities and the Chesapeake Bay watershed. When you improve the health of a tributary, you���re also providing downstream benefits to everyone along the waterway,��� said Michaela Rolecki, Chesapeake Conservancy���s volunteer coordinator and 2025 做厙TV graduate. ���We���re grateful for the many partners and volunteers who have supported this effort. The Live Stake Collaborative is an ambitious group, and we���re already shooting for our next goal ��� 200,000 live stakes.��� In addition to her role with Chesapeake Conservancy, Rolecki has also established a monarch butterfly waystation and pollinator garden on the campus of 做厙TV.

If you���re interested in getting involved with the live staking initiative in any capacity, please contact Rolecki at��.

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做厙TV���s recently secured funding will be used to purchase mature plants, the materials needed to grow plants from locally collected native seeds and environmental educational materials, said Michaela Rolecki, a 2025 做厙TV graduate and AmeriCorps live stake coordinator for the Chesapeake Conservancy. Plants selected for the pollinator garden include milkweed, sunflower, goldenrod, honeysuckle, bluebell, mint and much more.

���By providing nectar- and pollen-rich flowering plants, we will attract an abundance of species that will increase the biodiversity on campus,��� Rolecki said. ���As the garden matures, we hope to use it to aid in migration and population research for monarchs, collaborating with other institutions in monarch monitoring projects.���

Monarch butterflies undertake two migrations, the largest being the eastern population that overwinters in Mexico. In the mid-1990s, an estimated 380 million eastern monarchs made the journey ��� one of the longest insect migrations in the world. Today, that population has declined by about 80%, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Monarchs face multiple threats, including habitat loss, insecticide exposure and climate change. While many are working to conserve the species, more habitats and protections are needed to ensure their survival. Monarch waystations ��� gardens that provide food and shelter ��� help support their migration and recovery.

Planting for 做厙TV���s pollinator garden is tentatively set to begin in the winter, said CEER Field Station Director Matt Wilson. The garden will be adjacent to the newly dedicated Mary Ann Klussman Outdoor Classroom. That space will be used for curricular and co-curricular activities, including structured programming for K-12 students participating in environmental education opportunities at the CEER.

���Environmental education is important to increase awareness of environmental issues, foster a sense of accountability and promote sustainable practices when interacting with natural land and habitats,��� Rolecki said. ���Adding a pollinator garden beside the outdoor classroom will enhance opportunities to learn about these important creatures and habitats while providing a refuge for at-risk species.���

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Students who minor in environmental education will gain foundations in ecology, sustainability and environmental justice while developing practical skills in teaching, communication and outreach. Fieldwork at 做厙TV���s CEER Field Station and Freshwater Research Institute provides opportunities for students to apply coursework in real-world settings that address today���s environmental challenges.��

���Our new minor in environmental education empowers students to become storytellers and educators who can translate complex science into meaningful action,��� said Kathy Straub, dean of the School of Natural & Social Sciences at 做厙TV. ���By pairing classroom learning with hands-on fieldwork, 做厙TV students will be uniquely prepared to inspire communities and lead the way toward a more sustainable future.��� 

做厙TV���s environmental education minor enhances several majors across campus, including biology, earth & environmental sciences, education, communications and creative writing. Students minoring in environmental education may take classes in anthropology, biology, English, political science and religion, to name a few.  

���By pairing a major with environmental education, students will be prepared to inform, inspire and lead initiatives that make science accessible to a broad audience and sustainability part of everyday life,��� said Ann Czeponis, director of environmental education and internships at 做厙TV. 

Developed using the North American Association for Environmental Education Guidelines for Excellence in Professional Development, the environmental education minor ensures that students gain the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to inspire environmental literacy and stewardship across diverse communities. This alignment also positions 做厙TV well for NAAEE accreditation, a national distinction the university intends to seek after the minor has been in place for two years. 

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Emma Dickinson ���26, an earth & environmental sciences major from Palmyra, Pennsylvania, is interning with the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources��� Bureau of State Parks, while Katherine DeCamp ���27, an environmental studies major from Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, interns for the same stage agency at its Hills Creek State Park station.

Other 做厙TV students are interning at the Chesapeake Conservancy, the state Department of Environmental Protection���s Bureau of Air Quality and the Union County Conservation District.

���I truly feel at home in the outdoors, and working with state parks was an excellent way to experience them while contributing to their brilliance,��� Dickinson said, who is interning as a Region 3 resource management field service specialist.

���Most of the field work I do relates to the control of invasive terrestrial plants that outcompete our native species, disrupting the ecosystem���s balance,��� Dickinson explained. ���These plants aren���t inherently bad; the issue is that they have been moved to an environment where they have no natural predators.���

Dickinson also has been helping sow extremely rare plants such as Bog Jacob���s Ladder in Ricketts Glen to encourage the species��� survival.

As a scientific and technical intern, DeCamp ���assists in the promotion of educational events and supports her supervisors in invasive species management and program setup, while also attending trainings,��� she said.

���I have enjoyed the ability to broaden my horizons, both career and skill wise,��� DeCamp added. ���I have also been able to put my outdoor skills such as kayaking and fishing to use.���

Other skills Dickinson and DeCamp have put to use are the ones provided to them by 做厙TV through hands-on learning opportunities in labs and classes.

���做厙TV���s Freshwater Research Institute partners with the Chesapeake Conservancy, and during my summer internship with them I was trained in herbicide applications by the same individual who is employed for contract applications by the state parks,��� Dickinson said.

After graduation, Dickinson hopes to work within the state parks system. DeCamp plans to pursue a career in environmental studies.

���During this internship, I have learned just how many people utilize the resources offered by Pennsylvania���s state parks,��� Dickinson said. ���People and dogs are on the lake, trails and paths just as much as the employees are, and I have learned how extremely important the state parks are for recreation opportunities.���

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���We hope to determine how beaver dam analogs can stabilize flood-prone urban streams and improve their capacity to withstand the impacts of extreme weather events such as storms, droughts and floods,��� said Siobhan Fathel, assistant professor of earth & environmental sciences at 做厙TV.

做厙TV installed its first BDA in a stream at its CEER field station in 2023 to slow water flow and trap sediment to prevent erosion and the flow of sediment downstream to the 做厙TV River and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay. A stabilized streambank should also improve groundwater infiltration and lead the once perennial stream to flow year-round again. At the time, it was the first restoration project of its kind to be permitted by the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Funding from the NSF will support 做厙TV���s efforts to gather data monitoring changes in water flow, retention and quality that will be used to assess the effectiveness of BDAs. 做厙TV will also evaluate the cost-effectiveness and ecological benefits of the dams in comparison to traditional stormwater management solutions like concrete channels and culverts, which are typically more expensive and offer limited benefits for ecological health and stormwater management.

The NSF-funded project will broaden its reach beyond academic research by partnering with local organizations to promote sustainable stormwater management practices, advancing the field through both practical implementations and education.

���If the dams do demonstrate significant economic and environmental advantages,��� Fathel said, ���our hope is that they will become approved restoration structures across the state, opening the door for other practitioners to employ the methods piloted at 做厙TV.���

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���Building upon our successes in research and conservation, we are deepening partnerships and broadening opportunities for students and schools to engage with local ecosystems in meaningful ways through a variety of environmental education pathways,��� said Siobhan Fathel, assistant professor of earth & environmental sciences at 做厙TV.

Grants expand environmental education efforts

The university secured nearly $40,000 in grant funds from two organizations that have been key to expanding the CEER���s educational impact.

A $29,978 grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection allowed the CEER to establish a series of teacher and student workshops focused on watershed science, restoration and climate resilience.

Fathel explained the workshops are designed to deepen students��� understanding of the environment through a series of interactive modules that assess species richness and vegetation diversity across different habitats at the CEER and examine the effects of land use on water quality through a runoff table experiment, comparing different land-use scenarios.

���Finally, students tour the CEER���s watershed restoration sites, such as multifunctional riparian buffers and the beaver dam analogs, learning firsthand about the importance of restoration efforts in improving climate resilience,��� Fathel added.

At a teacher workshop later this month, 做厙TV will provide K���12 educators with the tools to integrate these hands-on activities into their own classrooms.

The program targets schools in environmental justice areas, or communities that experience a disproportionate burden of environmental hazards, ensuring equitable access to these learning opportunities. By partnering with the Chesapeake Conservancy, the CEER also offered live stake restoration events where students directly participated in environmental restoration efforts.

���Through these modules, workshops and community-based activities, we aim to foster environmental stewardship, support teachers and help communities become more resilient to climate change,��� Fathel said.

Training future environmental education leaders

An $8,700 grant from the 做厙TV Greenway Partnership supported the CEER���s collaboration with the Middle 做厙TV Riverkeeper Association���s Environmental Education Leadership for Students program, known as EELS.

Together, 做厙TV students and other volunteers created ���go-boxes��� containing reusable materials, supplies and lesson plans that can be used by student environmental education leaders. The boxes cover the themes of biodiversity, macroinvertebrate identification, build-a-macroinvertebrate (for younger audiences), watershed pollution and beaver dam demonstration.

Twenty students from Shamokin Area High School attended a full-day training at the CEER that was led by university students, faculty and staff, and Middle 做厙TV Riverkeeper representatives. 做厙TV students later provided hands-on support by traveling to Shamokin to assist high school students with planning and running their own outreach programs, which were delivered to more than 100 elementary students in the local community.

���The EELS program has been a great experience for our students. It has been amazing to see our students step up and grow into leadership roles,��� said Shamokin Area High School teacher Luke Haupt. ���I am very proud of them, and excited to see where this takes them.���

Go-boxes are available for continued use by current and future EELS participants.

The above investments allowed the CEER to significantly increase its outreach during the 2024���25 academic year, for an impressive cumulative impact:

• Hosted 10 school groups for hands-on field experiences.
• Delivered 53 environmental education programs, reaching over 3,200 students, teachers and community members through on-site programming, outreach visits and public events.

New staff support broadening efforts

The curriculum for the CEER���s expanded environmental education offerings is designed by Ann Czeponis, a veteran teacher of 28 years who recently joined the university as director of environmental education and internships.

As a Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool/Youth Development Network STEM Ambassador, Czeponis creates curriculum that meets PA Department of Education standards that integrate scientific concepts, environmental literacy and sustainability into K���12 curricula for after-school, summer and informal learning environments, making them more accessible for educators.

���Aligning our curriculum with these standards ensures that students are gaining the critical thinking and real-world problem-solving skills they need for the future,��� Czeponis said. ���It also helps us connect environmental education across subjects and grade levels, making learning more meaningful and equitable for all students.���

Environmental education minor launches this fall

Set to launch in fall 2025, a new minor in environmental education combines academic coursework with fieldwork and internships. The program is designed to prepare students for a wide range of careers by developing skills in outreach, science communication and education.

���This minor was created to empower students ��� from biologists and educators to artists, writers, and future nonprofit leaders ��� to bring environmental literacy into classrooms, museums, parks, worship spaces and digital platforms,��� said Kathy Straub, dean of 做厙TV���s School of Natural & Social Sciences.

Students minoring in environmental education will take courses in biology, ecology and earth & environmental sciences.

���The launch of the environmental education minor marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in 做厙TV���s commitment to environmental leadership and community engagement,��� Straub said. ���By combining scientific knowledge, instructional strategy and hands-on engagement, the program prepares students to make science relevant, accessible and impactful for diverse audiences.���

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Students in Fathel���s Climate and Global Change course recently tackled this problem when they translated peer-reviewed scientific journal articles into children���s books. Every story focuses on an impact from climate change, and cites the research article that inspired it. Each book is also accompanied by a parent and educator guide that explains the science behind the story, directs them to additional information and gives them a list of action items to help the environment.

Coral���s Colors by Rhylee Gangestad ���25, an environmental studies major from Hagerstown, Maryland, follows a coral character and her ocean friends as they experience a bleaching event caused by climate change.

���The theme centers around environmental resilience, human responsibility and hope while the story introduces young readers to coral bleaching in an age-appropriate, emotionally engaging way,��� Gangestad said. ���The illustrations are bright and expressive and show the ocean both in distress and in recovery, depending on human action.���

Gangestad���s scholarly inspiration came from her lifelong love of the ocean.

���Growing up, the beach was always a place of beauty and joy during family vacations. I believe many kids see it that way too, which makes the idea of losing it feel personal and real,��� Gangestad said. ���That���s why translating such an important topic into a format that could reach children ��� and inspire them to care about the planet ��� felt especially meaningful to me.���

After choosing her research article, Gangestad read and annotated the article, pulling out key terms, causes and effects. She then brainstormed how to personify the coral and bring emotion and storytelling into the science. She wrote the story in rhyme to make it fun and readable for young kids, while still keeping the core scientific ideas accurate. For the visuals, Gangestad worked in the graphic design platform Canva.

���One challenge was simplifying the science without oversimplifying or losing accuracy. Coral bleaching involves complex biological and climate systems, so I had to distill that into something a child could understand,��� she said. ���Another challenge was finding the right tone ��� balancing the seriousness of climate change with a message of hope and action.���

From the Chesapeake Bay to the Pinewood Forests

In Oscar the Oyster, the main character lives in the Chesapeake Bay and loves playing soccer. But with rising temperatures exacerbated by a nearby power plant, Oscar and his bivalve buddies can only play soccer for a few minutes before a seagull referee is forced to end the game early.

The book was written by Maryland natives Cate Chodnicki ���25, an environmental studies and international studies double major from Bel Air, and Sean Yamada ���25, an environmental studies major from Brookeville. For background, they used a study that examined the impacts of hypoxia and warming waters on oyster growth and health.

���Oysters are integral to the health of the Chesapeake Bay because they are natural water filters, filtering pollution and sediment as they feed,��� Chodnicki said.

Evan Heisler ���26, an ecology major from Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, and Sylvia Kniss ���25, an earth & environmental sciences major from Kempton, Pennsylvania, wrote Sadsquatch about a giant purple sasquatch who is heartbroken when her little bird friends migrate farther north to more suitable habitats with cooler climates.

���The story is about friendship but it is inspired by a highly comprehensive scientific study on climate change impacts on bird migration that draws on data from the past 100 years,��� Heisler said.

Other students created books that touch on extreme weather, arctic ice melt, drought and more. 

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Using the FRI���s electrofishing backpacks to improve collection rates, Ashcraft and Ressler, along with Eric Belfanti ���26, a double major in environmental studies and physics from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, identified, counted, weighed and measured the fish before they were released back into the river.

Among the fish collected were smallmouth and largemouth bass, rock bass and various shiners and minnows ��� as well as 13 endangered American eels.

���Gathering this information gives us an interesting baseline,��� Ashcraft said. ���Studying the connectivity of the fish passageway during high water events or fabridam inflation or deflation could help us develop plans that will hopefully help its management and better understand how fish are migrating along the river���s mainstem.���

Located just below the confluence of the western and main branches of the 做厙TV River, the Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam is the longest inflatable dam in the world. When inflated during the summer, it creates the 3,000-acre Lake Augusta, which is used for recreation. However, the inflated dam impedes the movement of fish up and down the river. The fish passageway, completed by the state in 2024, routes water around the dam structure, allowing aquatic life to bypass the dam.

Belfanti is a student representative on the Middle 做厙TV Riverkeeper Association Board of Directors.

���When the dam was built originally, planners weren���t necessarily concerned with fish migration because they simply weren���t thinking about it,��� Belfanti said. ���But now we can see how much the ladder helps these aquatic species. Seeing the consequences of these projects firsthand allows me to look at other projects and ask similar questions to gain a more holistic understanding.���

��� Information and photos from the Middle 做厙TV Riverkeeper Association contributed to this story.

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Greg Severyn, associate professor of Spanish studies and director of sustainability at 做厙TV, described the store as an eco-conscious shopping option because it extends the life of clothing and other items, reducing waste that would otherwise end up in landfills.

���In terms of ecological sustainability, it means that items are not being thrown away but reused. This means less demand for new item production and all that comes with it, like energy, water, raw materials and transportation,��� Severyn said. ���We are also prolonging the life of existing products, which ultimately lowers our carbon footprint.���

When it comes to outfitting their on-campus rooms, suites or townhouses, students appreciate not having to purchase limited-use items. The store can also be a resource for students of limited financial means, as all products at Hawk Stuff, in Aspen Hall, are free and include:

• Small furniture (swivel desk chairs, end tables, nightstands, lamps, coffee tables, storage furniture)
• Home decor (string lights, artwork, mirrors, seasonal/holiday items)
• Clothing (including winter and career wear, shoes)
• Home goods (irons, ironing boards)
• Kitchen items (plates, bowls, bakeware, silverware, pots, pans, food storage containers)
• Linens (comforters, sheets, blankets, towels)
• Appliances (mini-fridges, microwaves, coffee makers, water filters, toasters)
• Area rugs

Donations are accepted year-round in a bin at Hawk Hub. For larger donations, whether in quantity or size, donors can email the sustainability office or Severyn directly to arrange a drop-off. There are also December and May donation drives as students leave campus for breaks.

Items not accepted at Hawk Stuff are ones that are prohibited in residence halls, such as hot plates and candles. The store also cannot accept full-size furniture due to storage limitations. Donations must be fully functional and useable; the store handles cleaning and sanitizing items as needed.

���We hope that Hawk Stuff can help shape our students��� long-term behavior or at the least, encourage them to think more critically about their consumption choices,��� Severyn said.

Period care program offers free products

做厙TV���s sustainability office also recently launched a program that provides free period products. Funded through the Student Government Association���s Green Fund, the program was the idea of Julia Rudat ���27 in her first year at 做厙TV.

���Period stigma and period poverty are a problem for many who menstruate,��� the Moscow, Pennsylvania, native explained. ���Through my research as an environmental studies major and employee for the sustainability office, I learned that many period care products take 500 to 800 years to decompose in a landfill and may contain potentially harmful chemicals.���

All products, which are made by August, are hypoallergenic, made with 100% organic cotton and designed to break down and decompose much quicker than mainstream products. The company helps schools provide their products to their communities, and Rudat placed product bins containing liners, day pads, night pads and tampons of various absorbency at about 30 locations around campus.

���I have plans to expand to more locations on campus,��� Rudat said. ���I am passionate about reducing the period stigma, helping people who fall victim to period poverty and most importantly, making resources and supplies available to people who need them. I would love to help local schools begin initiatives like this as well.���

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Berhe, professor of soil biogeochemistry and Falasco Chair of earth sciences in the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Merced, will present the fundamental mechanisms by which the soil system controls the earth���s climate. Her lecture will also explore the potential of different land management practices to bend the curve of increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Berhe, who once served as the director of the Office of Science at the U.S. Department of Energy, will also share her career trajectory from being a professor to leading one of the largest science funding agencies in the nation, as well as the critical role of an inclusive excellence framework in addressing crucial issues of our time, including climate change.

Berhe earned her bachelor���s degree from the University of Asmara, Eritrea, her master���s degree from Michigan State University and her doctorate from the University of California, Berkley. She is 做厙TV���s 2025 Claritas Distinguished Speaker in the Sciences. Endowed by George E. ���64 and Margaret Lauver ���66 Harris, the Distinguished Speaker Series invites a distinguished scholar in the sciences to deliver a public address and is organized by 做厙TV���s School of Natural & Social Sciences.

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