Howdy River Folks!
Hope you are having a great Spring, and getting out on your waterways! I’m almost back on my feet. I was so happy to get out on the river this past weekend (and out of my apartment where I’ve been laid up with a broken leg for 2 months). We did some biological sampling at Blue Rock Mill in Lancaster at an event set up by one of our great supporters, the Chestnut Grove Foundation. We discovered thousands of scuds (look like mini shrimp) and many young sunfish and catfish. This sampling shows that though the critters are not diverse, this is a pretty healthy stream. We did find many dead fish (cause unknown) and this was reported to the PA Fish and Boat Commission for further study. Biological sampling gives us a long-term understanding of the health of our waterways. This type of sampling is easy and we have equipment available for anyone interested in testing their waterway.
WE NEED YOUR HELP! We have an amazing event coming up on May 7th, but due to injuries and computer malfunctions we are behind on getting the word out. On the evening of May 7th we are having an incredible piano concert, with much of the music inspired by nature, and the proceeds going to Stewards of the Lower Susquehanna! This event features pianists: Greg Maroney, Louis Landon, David Nevue, and Emmy Award winner Jace Vek. Greg Maroney, who lives on the Conewago Creek in York, has been a big supporter of our work, and he and his wife, Linda, helped out on a dam removal and restoration near their home. You can hear clips of Greg’s music at
www.gregmaroney.com/music.htm. Louis Landon can be heard at
www.louislandon.com; David Nevue at
www.davidnevue.com/freedownloads.htm; and Jace Vek at
www.jacevek.com.
The concert will be held at Penn State York’s Pullo Family Performing Arts Center, 1031 Edgecomb Avenue, York, PA 17403. (For directions see
http://www.pullocenter.yk.psu.edu//directions.php. Tickets are $20 or $10 for students or folks over 55. This will be a great show, and we REALLY need your support. For tickets go to
sabo.seatadvisor.com or contact us.
On a different topic, we are scheduling our “Get the Dirt Out” training for July in Harrisburg. We will be working with Widener Law Clinic and others to empower citizens to protect their waterways from storm water runoff. This training offers the tools that citizens need to help reduce polluted runoff from construction sites. You will learn how to document sites, share this info with the proper authorities, and even determine if legal action should be taken by SOLS and the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper®. What we need today, is to find out if folks would like the training on a Friday or Saturday. If this workshop interests you, please contact us ASAP.
A quick thanks and reminder… SOLS members donated nearly $4000 last month, and as stated in earlier emails, every dollar is being matched by the Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment. So your donations of $4000 really mean $8000 for our organization!!! Please give when you can, and thanks to all that have already renewed or joined us. We can’t continue our work without the energy that comes from our members.
Thanks again for your patience while I’m healing.
From the Mighty Susquehanna, Michael R Helfrich
Lower Susquehanna RIVERKEEPER®
