Our Mission:
To Promote the Health of the Fishing Creek Watershed
To Promote the Health of the Fishing Creek Watershed
****UPCOMING EVENTS****
I
"67 Trees on 67 Mountains in 67 Pennsylvania Counties"
Van Wagner, local musician and educator, will share songs and stories about his goal of climbing
the highest tree in every county of Pennsylvania.
Monday, May 13, 2024
6 PM (note special time for this event)
(see flyer below)
****All events will be held in the Lower Level Conference Room in the Ag Services Building
at 702 Sawmill Road, Bloomsburg PA 17815 unless noted otherwise****
Spring has arrived and so have invasive plants! Kocher Park, a favorite spot in our watershed, is already showing signs of perennial invaders, including stilt grass, poison hemlock, multiflora rose, autumn olive and mile-a-minute. We’re sure your own yards or properties are afflicted with these and other invasives. So we invite you to our April 8th meeting to learn how to correctly identify and control these weeds. Our expert is Mary Jo R. Gibson, Master Gardener and experienced opponent of invasives. She will arm us with information and the correct tools to reduce or permanently remove these yearly annoyances. Then we can concentrate on caring for and enjoying the plants we want and cherish! We can also use what we learn as we help out at a Work Day at Kocher Park. Volunteers always welcome!
Check us out on our Facebook page
for more information and follow our upcoming events!
for more information and follow our upcoming events!
2023 FCWA Letter to Members
Dear Members and Friends of the Fishing Creek Watershed Association,
We enjoyed a good year in 2023, with programming on a wide variety of topics. We benefit greatly from the experts we have in our nearby universities, agencies and organizations.
⁃In February, Dr. George Chamuris shared his research and beautiful photos of the Wetland Plants of Ricketts Glen. Their beauty and diversity are compelling reasons for us to visit the wetland areas of the park to see these plants first-hand.
⁃ Dr. Eric Miller introduced us to the En-Roads Climate Simulator in March. This computer model, created by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, allowed us to see how changes we make in our energy sources and consumption can reduce or increase global warming.
⁃ Our April program looked more closely at one of those energy sources: solar. Chris Lent, from the National Center for Appropriate Technology, presented options and requirements for Agri-Solar installations, which are particularly important to provide energy to farms and businesses.
⁃ Chuck Musitano, Secretary of the Fishing Creek Sportsmen’s Association, brought us up to date with the programs this active local group provides for people who enjoy being outdoors. We have a greater appreciation for the fish caught locally, after learning about the challenges the group faces in raising and stocking fish in our local streams.
⁃ In June we returned to the creek for a very closeup look at the macro invertebrates that comprise the food chain in Fishing Creek. Drs. Steve Rier and Steve Seiler, both from the Commonwealth University system, and their graduate students braved stormy weather to introduce us to the chain of organisms which feed the fish we enjoy catching in Fishing Creek.
⁃ In August, Geologist Aaron Bierly, from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, took us all the way back in time to the Ice Age. We learned how the course of the Susquehanna River has changed over millennia and how that has impacted other local land features and waterways.
⁃ September brought an update on the Kocher Park Meadow Project. Justin Ulanoski, president of Native Creations, led us on a walk through the beautiful meadow plantings his company designed to discourage the weeds and invasive plants formerly growing in the fields. The improvement was breath-taking!
⁃ Brittney Hartzell, from the American Forest Foundation, led us on a guided hike in early October at Jakey Hollow Natural Area, a protected Old Growth forest. We are fortunate that this 59-acre treasure has remained intact because its steep terrain made cutting the timber too difficult.
⁃ November brought another water-focussed program, this time drinking water. Leigh Ann Urban, Communications and Public Relations Director for Veolia, North America, presented an overview of our local water provider. Veolia has become a strong supporter of FCWA since we share a common goal of protecting water quality.
In other activities, FCWA presented its Fifth Container Garden Contest at Bloomsburg's ArtFest in August, raising money for Kocher Park's gardens. FCWA members participated in cleanups at Kocher Park throughout the year. FCWA continues to partner with the Columbia County Conservation District in helping to fund stream restoration projects throughout the watershed, including at Kocher Park this winter.
The Fishing Creek Watershed Association is a volunteer, non-profit association dedicated to the water, soil, plants and animals of the Fishing Creek Watershed. You can support our work by joining as a member or renewing your membership by using the form located HERE. We look forward to seeing you in this new year. Wishing you a safe and healthy 2024!
Yours sincerely,
Linda Dietrichson, Jennifer Whisner and Susan Webster
Dear Members and Friends of the Fishing Creek Watershed Association,
We enjoyed a good year in 2023, with programming on a wide variety of topics. We benefit greatly from the experts we have in our nearby universities, agencies and organizations.
⁃In February, Dr. George Chamuris shared his research and beautiful photos of the Wetland Plants of Ricketts Glen. Their beauty and diversity are compelling reasons for us to visit the wetland areas of the park to see these plants first-hand.
⁃ Dr. Eric Miller introduced us to the En-Roads Climate Simulator in March. This computer model, created by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, allowed us to see how changes we make in our energy sources and consumption can reduce or increase global warming.
⁃ Our April program looked more closely at one of those energy sources: solar. Chris Lent, from the National Center for Appropriate Technology, presented options and requirements for Agri-Solar installations, which are particularly important to provide energy to farms and businesses.
⁃ Chuck Musitano, Secretary of the Fishing Creek Sportsmen’s Association, brought us up to date with the programs this active local group provides for people who enjoy being outdoors. We have a greater appreciation for the fish caught locally, after learning about the challenges the group faces in raising and stocking fish in our local streams.
⁃ In June we returned to the creek for a very closeup look at the macro invertebrates that comprise the food chain in Fishing Creek. Drs. Steve Rier and Steve Seiler, both from the Commonwealth University system, and their graduate students braved stormy weather to introduce us to the chain of organisms which feed the fish we enjoy catching in Fishing Creek.
⁃ In August, Geologist Aaron Bierly, from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, took us all the way back in time to the Ice Age. We learned how the course of the Susquehanna River has changed over millennia and how that has impacted other local land features and waterways.
⁃ September brought an update on the Kocher Park Meadow Project. Justin Ulanoski, president of Native Creations, led us on a walk through the beautiful meadow plantings his company designed to discourage the weeds and invasive plants formerly growing in the fields. The improvement was breath-taking!
⁃ Brittney Hartzell, from the American Forest Foundation, led us on a guided hike in early October at Jakey Hollow Natural Area, a protected Old Growth forest. We are fortunate that this 59-acre treasure has remained intact because its steep terrain made cutting the timber too difficult.
⁃ November brought another water-focussed program, this time drinking water. Leigh Ann Urban, Communications and Public Relations Director for Veolia, North America, presented an overview of our local water provider. Veolia has become a strong supporter of FCWA since we share a common goal of protecting water quality.
In other activities, FCWA presented its Fifth Container Garden Contest at Bloomsburg's ArtFest in August, raising money for Kocher Park's gardens. FCWA members participated in cleanups at Kocher Park throughout the year. FCWA continues to partner with the Columbia County Conservation District in helping to fund stream restoration projects throughout the watershed, including at Kocher Park this winter.
The Fishing Creek Watershed Association is a volunteer, non-profit association dedicated to the water, soil, plants and animals of the Fishing Creek Watershed. You can support our work by joining as a member or renewing your membership by using the form located HERE. We look forward to seeing you in this new year. Wishing you a safe and healthy 2024!
Yours sincerely,
Linda Dietrichson, Jennifer Whisner and Susan Webster