Category: Berks Nature

Smiling with Sustainability

tjc6357Berks Nature

Introduction

We are Team Sustainable Smiles, and our team member are Tommy, Thomas, Alessandro and Becker.

Tommy – 3-year Management Major.

Thomas – 2-year Communications Major.

Alessandro – 3-year Accounting Major.

Becker – 2-year Risk Management Major.

 

Service

On Sunday March 24, 2024 we joined Berks Nature, and Hay Creek watershed to plant 100 trees on a local farm. This farm was facing severe bank erosion from the stream. By planting 100 trees we were able to create and riparian buffer. This will allow to banks to stabilize and prevent further erosion. The buffer will also help improve water quality by not allowing sediment, and other debris into the water.

Another component of our service was water testing. We tested water from a local stream at Bobs Woods at Earl Poole Sanctuary. By testing our local water we are able to see that the water in our area is in good standing. We tested Dissolved Oxygen, PH, Temperature, Nitrates, and the amount of Phosphates. The overall quality of the water was good, and it did not fail any of the tests.

Our final part of service involved picking up trash at the Berks Nature Center. This is located at Angelica Creek Park. Thankfully there was not too much trash to pick up, but there was still some very weird finds.

Our Service Video: Service Video

Research

We decided to conduct our research on how disposable vapes effect the environment. We found that not only the vapes harm the environment, but lithium mining as a whole adds to the harm. Lithium-ion batteries contain metals such as cobalt, nickel, and manganese, which are toxic and can contaminate water supplies and ecosystems if they leach out of landfills.

Lithium is the main component of vape batteries. This must be mined from brine or hard rock, and it often done unethically. This causes soil degradation, water shortages, and overall harm to our ecosystem. The production of vapes also adds to the greenhouse gasses.

The  main issue is the disposal of these vapes. Most are disposed of improperly which leads to heavy metals and acids leaching into soil, and waterways. This is not only harmful to us, but the wildlife as well. Vapes can often cause fires when chopped up by waste management companies. Vapes are not recycled as frequently as phones, laptops, etc. This leaves a total waste of materials, and hurts our environment. The plastic material that disposable vapes are made of is also a key component. Plastics can take hundreds of years to decompose when not disposed of properly.

To properly dispose of a vape, you should take it to your local hazardous waste collection site. To see the schedule for PA, visit this link https://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Land/Waste/SolidWaste/HazardousWaste/Household/Pages/HHW-Collection-Programs.aspx. Another good avenue to recycle batteries would be Call2Recycle. To find one near you, click this link https://www.call2recycle.org/locator/.

Our Research Video: Research Video

 

Reflection

All four of us thoroughly enjoyed this project. The service component was a good way to be able to reach out and help local organizations in our community. Through our service we were able to learn how easy and crucial tree planting is. We learned how planting trees along a body of moving water can help strengthen banks, and also benefit the wildlife. Water testing also helped further our understanding of topics we learned in class. It was interesting to be able to apply things from the classroom to our real world.

 

 

GREEN BEANS TO THE RESCURE OF THE ENVIRONMENT!!!

Matias LozadaBerks Nature

The Green Beans

ABOUT US

Matias – Born in Puerto Rico, but raised in Lima, Peru, I am a sophomore at Penn State Berks majoring in Management. 

Joey – I am from Long Island, New York, and I am in my sophomore year at Penn State Berks, majoring in Supply chain management.

Tifany – Originally from Long Island, NY, but moved to PA four years ago. I am a sophomore at Penn State Berks and majoring in Business. Team Liaison.

Pedro –  Born in the Dominican Republic, but have lived in PA for 10+ years. I am a junior at Penn State Berks majoring in Criminal Justice.  

Research/Narrated Presentation

Our team has been dedicated to the research of microplastics and pollution in the water. We focused on the main causes of this issue, as well as the consequences on the environment that it had. Lastly, solutions were proposed in order to tackle this problem and hopefully build a healthier environment and water.

In addition, we found out that our topic and focused research involved the following Sustainable Development Goals:

  • 3 Good Health and Well-Being
  • 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
  • 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
  • 14 Life Below Water

Service

The Green Beans worked alongside Berks Nature to help the environment in every way possible. We first went and planted trees in the Cacoosing Creek. Later, we did some water quality testing in the Rock Hollow Woods, where we tested the water’s pH, nitrogen, and minerals. We found out that the water had a great quality and that was one of the main reasons why we saw marine life and organisms living around the area.

Reflection

We are grateful to work alongside Berks Nature to try and solve this problem that is affecting us in many different ways. Even though we’ve done our part for just four months, we still recognize that there is a lot to be done. We encourage everyone to try and help us to eradicate the issue of microplastics and pollution in water. It was really an eye-opening experience for the Green Beans and we’ve promised ourselves to not stop here because more work needs to be done, and we will continue to do so until we’ve made a significant change.

                         

Team Anti-Pollution Creates a Berks Nature Video!

cmf6391Berks Nature

Hello everyone, we are Team Anti-Pollution!

Left to Right: Sophia, Andrew, Jason, Cullen

Introduction

Our team members are Sophia, a senior majoring in Elementary and Childhood Education; Cullen, a sophomore majoring in Marketing; Jason, and Andrew.

We are all very passionate about conservation and wanted to take the opportunity to educate others about environmental stewardship, so we jumped at the opportunity to work with Berks Nature to produce some insightful videos and slides for their half-decade assessment of the environmental health within Berks County. 

Research Component

Deforestation applies to SDG 1, 9, 12, 13, and 15

For our research project, we chose to investigate deforestation. We explored many aspects of the issue such as where deforestation occurs, its roots that lie in increasing consumerism, its perpetration by foreign businesses, and what we can do as citizens to help reduce or eliminate the increasingly common problem.

To learn more, click the image below:

Service Component

As mentioned previously, we had the privilege of working with Berks Nature to create pieces of media to inform the citizens of Berks County about responsible personal vehicle use and provide information about public transportation options for those that felt inspired or convinced to curb their own personal vehicle use. These videos followed the findings of Berks Nature’s “State of the Environment” report that revealed Berks residents utilize public transportation resources less than other PA counties.

To view our video, click the image below!

To view our interview with a representative of Commuter PA and learn more about the services they provide, click the image below!

Reflection

Overall, our EACAP Project was a very enriching and educational experience for our team. It was such a gratifying opportunity to be able to put something out into the community that has the chance to make a material difference in Berks’ environmental health. Additionally, we learned a lot about the resources available to the public that promote green or public transportation, the dangers and consequences of excessive consumption, as well as learning how to maintain relations with entities and people outside of the school community and the positive impacts that volunteering time in a community can have. We had such a great time working with our organization and on our research this fall, but we wouldn’t want our efforts to go to waste. That’s why Team Anti-Pollution encourages you to forgo convenience for an upcoming trip and consider trying public transportation, or if you value the privacy and convenience of operating your own vehicle, try biking to cover short distances or organize carpools with others traveling to the same location!

 

Progress Pictures

 

 

Dam, Watch As The Green Beans Get Down And Dirty Planting Trees!

Keira PelkerBerks Nature

INTRODUCTION

 

Hi everyone, we are the Green Beans!  ♻️🫘🌱 The four beans Ellie, Eirinn, Keira, and Lindsay are teaming up with Berks Nature to plant trees! We are incredibly excited to help the community and give back to the environment through this cause! 

 

💐Ellie McCabe – Hey! My name is Ellie and I am a first-year student, majoring in Elementary and Early Childhood Education here at Berks. I enjoy laying in my hammock, kayaking, and shopping with friends and family.

 

🌻Eirinn Kujawski – Hello! My name is Eirinn and I am a second-year student majoring in Economics transferring to University Park in the fall. I like to hang out with my family and friends, watch shows on Netflix and spend time in nature. 

 

🌷Keira Pelker – Hello! My name is Keira and I am a first-year student here at Berks majoring in psychology. A few of my favorite hobbies include art/photography, lifting at the gym, and watching Netflix. 

 

🌹Lindsay Kean – Hi! My name is Lindsay and I’m a first-year student here at Berks and I’m majoring in Criminal Justice. Some of my hobbies consist of karate, playing guitar, and musical theater.

 

RESEARCH/NARRATED PRESENTATION

Relating our research to our service, our team is decided to dig into the topic of soil contamination. Healthy soil is the connector of all life on earth, therefore it is essential that we maintain its health. After conducting extensive research, we have created a presentation to inform and provide awareness toward the topic of soil pollution.

*Click the link below to learn more about this issue! Presented by yours truly 🙂

 

SERVICE

For our service portion of this project, our team has worked with Berks Nature to plant trees in different areas around Berks County! We first planted at Cacoosing Creek’s dam site located just behind Body Zone Sports and Wellness Complex. Here, we planted Sycamore and Redbud tree saplings across the bank in order to help minimize flooding and stabilize the area around the river. In addition, we also planted trees at Reading High School. Here, we planted Japanese Lilacs and Birch Dogwoods in front of the building to provide pleasing scenery.

 

 

 

REFLECTION

Our team has been honored to be given the opportunity from Dr. K to work alongside Berks Nature! Not only have we gained additional knowledge through our research conducted on soil contamination, but we were also able to contribute positively to our environment through our service work at Cacoosing Creek and the Castle On The Hill. We got our hands dirty during this excursion, but it was an enjoyable experience to learn the fundamentals of tree planting. In 20-30 years, we can even return to these sites to visit the grown trees that we planted and commemorate our hard work!

 

 

POSTER SESSION

Summary Post

Xianglu LiBerks Nature

As the end of the semester approaches, here we have our summary post for the project. The main topic of our ECAP project was about water pollution, basically, it results when contaminants are introduced into the natural environment. it’s currently one of the most serious environmental issues in the world. However, many people have not realized its raising seriousness, even though it will have huge negative impacts on people’s daily life. Also, plant and animal life are often threatened by the decreasing quality of groundwater, and it will eventually break the ecosystem of the environment. Love-Life-Style members worked with Berks Nature as our service, which is known as a non-profit conservation organization that has been serving the Berks country community since 1974. Basically, our job was choosing locations to test the water quality, and it reflects the water pollution level. For our service, all  Love-Life-Styles members went to three different testing locations at Moselem creek, which are near Berkleigh Golf club and Moselem Springs Golf club. Basically the water tests included Nitrate testing, PH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity and collecting temperatures. The only test that we could not compete with was the phosphorus test because of the lack of kits materials. We enjoyed the whole process of water testing, as it was a new experience for us to actually go outside of class and learn from the environment.

The Grand Finale: The Green Goblins Research and Service Presentation

Daniel GombarBerks Nature

The Green Goblins had lots of fun presenting our findings to our fellow students, the faculty, and one or two curious observers! Many people asked very in-depth and prevalent questions that made us think about our work. We learned a lot about the various issues that inflict our environment around us by learning from the many presentations of our fellow peers. Lots of great research and displays that showed us that these issues are much larger than what the media portrays them to be. Overall the day was a very informative and rewarding, congrats to all! 

Giving Thanks for Clean Water

Michele CalderonBerks Nature

The Green Goblins may be on Fall Break, but we never take a break from testing water quality. We met at Oysterville Creek in Oley on 11/23/19 to continue our service hours.  We have definitely gotten into a good groove of getting the tests done (check out Danielle testing for dissolved oxygen below), however we need to head back to our “not so secret lair” at Berks Nature for more testing supplies.

Oysterville Creek
The gang is all here
Danielle in action