The Blue Marsh Boys
Members (left to right):
Peter Myers (Sophomore, IST Major)
Jayden Meincke-Stoltzfus (Sophomore, CAS Major)
Jase Graybill (Senior, Criminal Justice Major)
Omar Youssef (Senior, Cyber Security Major)
Service:
Our team worked with Blue Marsh Lake, northwest of Reading PA to spread awareness on the invasive species that inhabit and are damaging the area. The several invasive species found at Blue Marsh create a complex problem, not only for the ecosystem and its native species, but also for the team there that expends copious time and resources into their removal. This negates the park’s ability to put their energy towards improving the park and recreation there as well as fostering healthy habitats for Pennsylvania’s natural species.
The four species we decided to focus on were the Multiflora Rose, the Amur Honeysuckle, the Eurasian Watermilfoil and the Rusty Crayfish.
Research:
For the research portion of our EACAP project, our team decided to veer away and choose a completely different topic then we had for our service. We took an immediate interest in the nuclear weapons topic and therefore, decided to research that. In our research we learned about the various ways that nuclear weapons can cause environmental degradation, even if they are not detonated. Things like nuclear weapon production as well as dissolution and dismantling of nuclear facilities all contribute to released radioactivity. In this video we summarize the problem of nuclear weapons, describe their effects on the environment, and finally pose some solutions for dealing with their usage.
Watch our narrated research presentation by clicking on the image below!
Poster Session:
On November 29th, 2023 our team presented our research and service alongside our classmates in the MPR2 in the Perkins building. We had a great time presenting our info, urging other to take preventative action against invasive species, and looking at our classmates’ projects as well!
Reflection:
We were happy to work with Blue Marsh to spread awareness about some of the local invasive species that are wreaking havoc on native ecosystems. Our team had a great time touring the park and researching both the invasive species and our research topic of nuclear weapons. We hope our work will inspire other to take preventative action against dangerous invasive species!