Protecting the Tributaries of the Amazon
Río Madre de Dios, Peru. Photo by Kristen Travers
Last summer, 12 Stroud™ Water Research Center scientists and educators traveled to Peru on a grant from the Moore Foundation. The team sampled 31 stream and river sites that ranged from pristine to severely polluted.
A variety of physical, chemical and biological parameters was used to assess the health of the streams, gauge the impact of human activities on the water quality, create a baseline of conditions against which to measure future changes and establish a set of protocols that will enable people in the region to monitor stream health.
Coming on the heels of the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico City in March 2006, which “reaffirm[ed] the critical importance of water, in particular fresh water, for all aspects of … sustainable development and poverty reduction strategies,” our work in Peru is part of a global effort to protect one of the world’s most critical resources in one of the world’s most vulnerable environments.
Read “Journey to Peru” by Dr. James Blaine
Stroud Center Names New Education Director
Dr. Susan E. Gill has been named the Stroud Center’s new Director of Education. She says her mission is to expand the Stroud Center’s excellent educational programs and attract new audiences while “making science accessible in a way that maintains its integrity.” Read the press release
Mountaintop to Tap: A Three-Week Trek Across the New York City Water Supply System
Catskills waterfall. Photo by Aaron Bennett
Twelve students will spend their summer break hiking, canoeing, and boating their way from the Catskill Mountains to New York City.
Why? Because they want to tell the citizens of New York City about the incredible journey water takes before it reaches their tap.
The goal is to have the students become the agents for educating the public about the source and protection of this drinking water supply and the vital and little-recognized connections between the city and the upstate watersheds. This program evolved from the Stroud Center’s six-year study and education initiatives in the New York City drinking water watershed.
New Mayfly Club
Mayfly Club members Seth Bradford, Nick Stroud, Kelly Shea, Annie Blaine and Eve Ledyard
On Friday, April 6, the Stroud Center kicked off the Mayfly Club at the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia. Sixty “young stewards of freshwater” (ages 21-40) rallied to learn more about the Stroud Center and how they can play a part in helping to preserve the world’s streams and rivers.
The Mayfly Club is headed by Gayley Blaine and Bill Peelle, both grandchildren of the Stroud Center’s founders, Joan and Dixon Stroud. The Club plans to hold a variety of events both in the Philadelphia region and Chester County, including stream walks, canoe and kayaking trips, lectures and social gatherings.
Tree Planting
On April 26, over twenty volunteers from the Dansko Co. in West Grove, Pennsylvania, donated 5 hours each to plant 1000 trees on a headwaters stream of White Clay Creek at Applestone Farm. The trees were donated as part of Pennsylvania’s TreeVitalize program.
The volunteers also helped the Center with an experiment to compare two kinds of tree shelters. Some of the trees were protected with plastic shelters and others with wooden slatted shelters. Stroud scientists will determine which type of shelter worked best to protect the saplings from the deer population. Many thanks to Dansko for their time and tremendous effort.
