'Watershed Day' for awareness Students share talents with peers

by Sharvon Urbannavage managing editor

Fifteen Cabrini students had the honor of presenting their research and artistic talents at the annual Southeastern Pennsylvania Consortium of Higher Education Honors Conference, held at Arcadia University on April 6.

"The purpose of the conference is to give students in the [honors] program the chance to share their ideas with their peers. It is set up like a professional conference," Dr. Joseph Romano, coordinator • of the -Honors Program, said. "There are no restrictions on th~ topics. It can be from a course or a work in progress."

Plans are in the works to restore Eastern University's upper pond. WATERSHED,from page l April 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m te educate the community about environmental issues, espe..:iallywatersheds and the upcommg Gulph Creek Watershed project

The morning began with the ,;ecretary of the DEP, David Hess presenting Eastern with the Growing Greener grant that totaled $352,201. Thomas R1dmgton, vice president for development at Eastern, accepted the grant on behalf of Eastern, which will go to restoring Eastern 's upper pond, recently renamed McGraw's lake. In attendance for the presentation was fonner Pennsylvania Senator Richard Tilghman and state representative Thomas P. Gannon.

Henning-Dudley presented the reasons that Pennsylvania worries about watersheds. Part of her job 1s to gather information about water quality. Henning-Dudley said, " The area of the Gulph Creek Watershed is not attaining the proper designated uses that it should be. The amount of fish, ~wim ability and the PH of the water all n_iake up designated uses."

She went on to explain that non-pomt source pollution was a big obstacle to overcome in clean- ing up the watershed. "Non-point source pollution is any pollution that docs not travel from pipes into the creek. For instance. road salt, pesticides and manure are all types of pollution that can be considered non-pollution,:• HenningDudley said. Concluding her speech, Henning Dudley said, "Animals, plant life and humans all depend on the water for life. and the Gulph Creek's current state is affecting the 1ife of all of them."

"The rest of Pennsylvania does not understand that there is different kinds of pollution that the area around Philadelphia suffers from," said Bill Gothier, a watershed specialist for the Delaware County Conservation.

The increases of floods and droughts are a big- problem that Gothier addressed. "Developments and buildings along watersheds have removed the natural vegetation from the land increasing the amounts of t1oodmg during a year. Bllilding biological structures around the watersheds and flood areas will reduce floods," Gothier said.

The number one pollutant into the creek is manure from geese. "They manage to directly drop their pollution into the creek, which is hard to combat.'' Gothier said.

The director of the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust. David Robertson. addressed hov. people can clean up watersheds.

"People should be responsible for the environment and what tbey put mto it. People who use excessive amounts of pesticides and change the oil from their cars and dump the oil down drains are worsening the environment," Robertson said. He then gave examples of how to clean things up. ''Boy Scouts and community efforts can do a great deal in working to clean their environment. Several vmes and plants that grow on the land because of a lack of water to the land, are growing out of control and killing trees. These plants and vines can be killed by people using the proper tools."

There are 36 seventh graders of Radnor middle school, who have their whole curriculum in school based on watersheds. When in sixth grade, the student:lentered into a lottery to be in the class. with the only restriction that there be. 18 boys and 18 girls. The clas~ studies music, history, science and English. For instance. in history, the class will study civilizations like the Lenapes, Swedes and Quakers, whose Jives revolved around water and preserving their environments. Seven of the 36 students discussed what they learned efficiency of academic programming, student access, faculty development, institutional operations and community outreach, through sharing a range of activities, services, technology and infonnation.

"I personally had a lot of enjoyment," Romano said. "'The response I've been getting from the students and faculty is wonderful." Next year's SEPCHE conference is scheduled to be held at Cabrini.

CAB~J PRESENTERS

Seniors

• Alison Colantonio

• Beth Conahan

• Greg Kulnis

• Lisa Meehan

• Melissa Shannon

Students may also share their own artistic talents including art, literature, or music. ··1t has expanded, in a good way, to the arts,'' Romano said.

Arcadia Umversny, Chestnut Hill, lmmaculata, Holy Family, Gwynedd Mercy, Neumann and Rosemont, as weJI as Cabrini, are among the schools that participate in the SEPCHE conference.

These colleges work together in order to promote quality and about watersheds through handson materials like science experiments, and also from their studies in other areas.

Vincent Cerniglia, chairperson of the Environmental Advisory Committee, said, "Water levels are down. We have been in a drought for almost two years and life in the streams are down. Cerniglia brought up another problem plaguing the Radnor area that relates to water. He referred to the extra -plants and vines that are growing and killing trees. ''The extra plants and vmes are food for deer. There is an extreme abundance of deer that is about 20 times more than nonnal in Radnor County." Cerniglia said. "If you can get rid of the extra plants and food for the deer. then there obviously won • be as many

• Heathec Woodward

Juniors

• Tara McFalls

• Linda Cylc

• Catherine Dewe)

Sophomores

• Vincent Crognale

• Dolores Tomambe

Freshmen

• Marian Gibfried

• Jodi McHenry

• Lara D' Allessandro

• Jacqueline Steinberg

Cerniglia also gave advice for getting rid of geese. He said, "Do not feed them and have big dogs around the water because geese are scared of them."

The afternoon portion of the event had a driving tour of the Gulph Creek Watershed, a walking tour of the upper pond and watershed at Eastern, environmental displays and questions and answers. There was also a fonn where people could sign to start the first-ever Gulph Creek Watershed Associauon to educate and help to change the current status of the Gulph Creek Watershed.

Cernglia concluded his presentation when he said. '"Almost 7(1 percent of the earth h, made of water. Of that 70 percent. onl) one percent 1sdrinkable."