Earth Days 2020 Schedule

LVC’s Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day by hosting a virtual Earth Days 2020 Seminar Series throughout April. These sessions are open to the public and will occur at 1 p.m. every Wednesday from April 1 to 22. Please log on here to join us!

 

April 1—Invasive Plants of Pennsylvania, 1 p.m.
Dr. Rebecca Urban, Associate Professor of Biology, Lebanon Valley College

Learn how to identify common invasive plants found in Pennsylvania and how these plants negatively impact the environment. Species such as Japanese barberry, bush honeysuckle, and garlic mustard have fundamentally changed our Pennsylvania forests. What you choose to plant in your backyard can have consequences for our forested landscapes. Planting native species provides vital habitat for wildlife and supports pollinators. Join via WebEx here. Contact: urban@lvc.edu.

 

April 8—Talking Trash, 1 p.m.
Dr. Michael Schroeder, Associate Professor of History, Lebanon Valley College

Join Dr. Michael Schroeder, LVC professor and executive director of the award-winning Quittapahilla Creek Garbage Museum, as he discusses “Rivers of Garbage: The World’s Five Great Oceanic Garbage Patches and the Lesser Quittapahilla & Swatara Creek Garbage Streams.” Before the talk, visit the garbage museum’s Facebook page. Join via WebEx here. Contact: schroede@lvc.edu.

 

April 15—Environmental Internship, Research, and Job Talks by LVC Students and Alumni, 1 p.m.

Hear LVC students present on their immersive environmental experiences, and biology alumni Robbie Beidler ’18 and Jay River-Hamilton ’18 talk about how LVC prepared them for life after college. Join via WebEx here.

TaKisha Faubert ’20 (biology) | Taking Flight: A Day in the Life at Middle Creek

This presentation will discuss nature conservation at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Stevens, Pa., with a focus on duck banding and snow geese migration. TaKisha will discuss her internship at Middle Creek and internship opportunities with the Pennsylvania Game Commission that our students could take advantage of in the future.

Samuel Dardzinski ’22 (exercise science) and James Song ’22 (exercise science) | Microplastics are Spreading into a Macro-problem

Microplastsics are very small pieces of plastic pollution that are found throughout the world. As a research project for The Web of Life: Integration Connective Experience class, Sam and James spent this semester filtering water samples to determine what water sources had microplastics. Their results are startling!  

Kyla O’Connor ’20 (environmental science) | Out of the Classroom and Into the Streams: My Environmental Science Research and Internship Experiences

Kyla has several experiences studying stream ecology in her classes, and with internships. She will discuss her internships with the Quittapahilla Watershed Association and Susquehanna River Basin Commission, as well as independent research experience with benthic macroinvertebrates.  

Anju Ghimirey ’21 (environmental science) | Does Road Salt Facilitate the Invasion of a Carnivorous Aquatic Plant?

For the last two summers, Anju has studied how the application of road salt negatively impacts carnivorous bladderwort species. Anju will present the results she collected with Dr. Urban and Rachel Warthen ’21 (biology).

Danielle Jurina ’22 (environmental science) and Brandon Heidelbaugh ’22 (environmental science) | Unpackaging Sweet

Danielle and Brandon will present on a semester-long project for The Web of Life: Integration Connective Experience class. Hear them talk about plastic pollution in Lebanon County.

Robbie Beidler ’18 (biology) | To Consult or to School?

After graduating with a Biology Degree from Lebanon Valley College, Robbie Beidler had several jobs with different environmental consulting firms before deciding to go back to graduate school. Come with your questions about what it is like to work in environmental consulting.

Jay Rivers-Hamilton ’18 (biology) | Title: TBA

 

 

April 22 @Extraction Immorality, Renewable Absolution: Insights from the Fight for Clean Energy, 1 p.m.
Brook Lenker, Executive Director of FracTracker

For a decade, the Pennsylvania-based FracTracker Alliance has explored the landscape of extraction across the state and the nation. New methods of oil and gas drilling have expanded the footprint of this industry and led to deleterious impacts on communities, natural resources, and the climate. Increasing plastics and petrochemical development have enhanced health and environmental risks. Brook Lenker, executive director of FracTracker, will share observations and examples from their work and reflect on the implications—and opportunities—for humanity. Join via WebEx here.