Category: Spring 2024 Project Teams

Team JFK

Griffin KayConrad Weiser Middle School

Team JFK

About Us!

Griffin Fetherolf is a 3rd Year Early Childhood Education student from Wyomissing, PA. He is looking to pursue a career in Pre-K – 4 Education after he completes his degree. His hobbies are Golf and lifting,

Griffin Kay is a 3rd Year Security and Risk Analysis student from Downingtown, PA. He is looking to pursue a career in Secondary Education/Programming. His hobbies include baseball, golf, making music, and video games.

Kofi Asiedu Junior is a 2nd Year Computer Science student from Fredrick, Maryland. He is looking to pursue a career in Front End Developing. His hobbies include coding, music, and sports.

Service Project

For our service project we worked alongside Conrad Weiser Middle School and the Robesonia Shade Tree Commision to help prepare and raise awareness for Arbor Day.

Arbor Day, celebrated on April 26th, is a day dedicated to honoring the  beauty and importance of trees. But why April 26th? It’s because this time of year is perfect for planting trees! As spring unfolds, the weather warms up and the ground thaws, creating ideal conditions for new tree growth. By celebrating Arbor Day in April, we can maximize the chances of our newly planted trees thriving and flourishing, making a positive impact on our borough for years to come!

Shade Tree Commission

The Robesonia Shade Tree Commission is a cornerstone of our community, playing a pivotal role in the preservation and enhancement   of our urban forest. With a steadfast commitment to environmental stewardship, this dedicated group of volunteers works tirelessly to plant, nurture, and maintain trees throughout Robesonia. Their efforts extend far beyond mere landscaping; they serve as custodians of our town’s ecological health and vitality. By strategically selecting and planting trees, the commission not only beautifies our streets and parks but also contributes to the mitigation of climate change, the improvement of air quality, and the creation of wildlife habitats.

EACAP Research Project

For our research we studied Climate Change and how it is affecting the world globally and locally. Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperature, precipitation patterns, and other atmospheric conditions on Earth. These changes are primarily driven by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, industrial processes, and agricultural practices These processes release greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat, leading to the warming of the planet’s surface, and disrupting ecosystems, weather patterns, and sea levels. Here is a short presentation of our presentation take a look here!

Presentation Video Link!

Research Presentation

Reflection

Participating in an Arbor Day service project was not just about planting trees; it was about fostering a deeper connection with the environment and the community. The  tree we planted represented not only a gift to nature but also a commitment to the future. Working alongside Conrad Weiser we realized the power of collective action. Planting trees is not an instant gratification endeavor; it requires foresight and dedication. Knowing that the trees we planted would take years to mature reminded me of the importance of thinking long-term and investing in sustainable solutions.

Nature’s Agents Attack Earth Day

iho5005Berks County Parks & Recreation Department

Natures Agents!🤫

 

 

Nature’s Agents Team Photo

Who are Nature’s Agents

Ife- My name is Ifeoluwa but I go by Ife for short. I am a second year at Berks majoring in Political Science.

Liz- My name is Elizabeth, I am a sophomore here at Penn State Berks and I am a Criminal Justice Major while also minoring in Psychology. 

Kelly- My name is Kelly, I am a Sophomore here at Penn State Berks currently studying Communication Arts and Sciences.

Research Issue: 

We selected Greenhouse gasses for out research issue. Greenhouse gases are gasses in the atmosphere that raise the surface temperature of the Earth. It disrupts the climate, weather patterns, oceans, and the overall environment. There are different type of gasses consisting of transportation, waste, buildings, and energy. Some of the main causes are by human hand such as the burning of fossil fuels. We hope that through eco-friendly sources and methods we can better the environment. 

Earth Day at Berks Campus

*Click the link in the image to our narrated presentation!

 

Brief Description:

As a group we applied our strengths to Berks County Earth Day 2024…whether that be creativity, leadership, or marketing skill. Over the course of a few months through multiple forms of communication and meetings we gradually pitched into Earth Day. By making posters, maps, data sheets, and helping with logistics we managed to successfully execute this project.  In the picture below we worked at the Infobooth which was like a directory. We would direct exhibitors and volunteers, answer questions, and we sold Earth Day T-shirts which we are wearing in the picture below. 

Ife, Liz, and Kelly at Earth Day at the Infobooth

*Click the link in the image to our service video!

Reflection:

This year, our group has had the privilege to work with the event, Berks County Earth Day 2024. This year marks the 54th anniversary of the event hosted at City Park in Reading. Not only does this event promote community growth but also shows us examples of sustainability and just how valuable our environment is. With live music, entertainment and many exhibits, we are thankful to have been able to be a part of this event in our community. 

 

FLOWER POWER VS BLUE MARSH LAKE!

khk5150Flower Power 24'

FLOWER POWER 2024 #CleanUpBlueMarsh!

Members (left to right)

Chanvir Bhandal: My name is Chanvir and I am a first-year Finance major. My hometown is in Ephrata so I commute to school. I play volleyball on the berks club team and I enjoy playing sports and hanging out with friends and family.

Karl Karanjia: I am a second-year student going to University Park, My Hobbies include Formula One & soccer I enjoy hanging out with my friends and traveling.

Vyom Pavsiya: My name is Vyon and I am a second-year Finance major. My hometown is in India so I am an international student. I play badminton on the berks club team and I enjoy playing sports and hanging out with friends and family.

Malali Desai: I am a second year finance major. My hometown is Parsippany, New Jersey. My hobbies include listening to music and spending time with my family

SERVICE

Our team collaborated with Blue Marsh Lake, located in Reading, PA, to raise awareness about the significant trash buildup in the area. The accumulation of trash at Blue Marsh poses a pressing challenge, impacting both the environment and visitor experience. We were tasked to pick up the trash near the roadways and on the bridge. We were provided with gloves, trash bags & trash pickers and were assigned an area each time we went, it required substantial time and effort to get as much trash as we possibly could from small things such as cigarette buds to heavy bolts and metal from cars passing by.  Our team’s goal was to improve the area and ensure a clean and enjoyable recreational space for all. 

SERVICE VIDEO

Service Video Presentation

RESEARCH SUMMARY

Plastic pollution is a big deal everywhere. It’s all about plastic waste messing up our environment, from our own neighborhoods to the whole planet. This happens because we use a ton of single-use plastic stuff, don’t manage our trash properly, and many folks don’t even know how bad it is.

The consequences are serious: animals get hurt or die from eating or getting stuck in plastic, and nature suffers too.

But there’s hope! We can fix this by using less single-use plastic, managing our trash better, and spreading the word about how important it is. Governments and businesses can help by finding better packaging options and making rules to cut down on plastic use.

This isn’t just about the environment; it’s also linked to big goals for making the world better, like keeping life in the oceans and on land healthy, and being smarter about what we use and throw away. So, by tackling plastic pollution, we’re making a big step towards a cleaner, greener future for everyone.

VIDEO

bisci 3 presentation

REFLECTION

Overall, we had a great time working on this project. Despite the serious nature of the issue, collaborating to tackle plastic pollution was fulfilling and rewarding. It felt good to be part of a team wanting to make a positive impact on our environment.. Working together towards a common goal was not only productive but also enjoyable, and we look forward to continuing our efforts to combat plastic pollution in the future.

 

BMAK – Final EACAP Post

ktf5124Southwest Middle School

Team Introduction:

Members (Left to Right)

Matthew D’Haiti –  2nd Year, Accounting Major

Kayla Fenwick – 2nd Year, Business Major

Aviana Armstead-Collado – 3rd year, Psychology Major

Bryan Martinez – 1st Year, Undecided Major

Service

Organization: SouthWest Middle School 

We decided to partner with SouthWest Middle school to clean up, re-beautify, and revive their outdoor garden area. During our service we helped weed their garden boxes, clean up the previous projects that have been overlooked over the seasons, and paint new storage containers to make space more lively. We also decided to add bird feeders to this space to welcome a species into this small community. 


Click the link to watch our Service video: Service Video Slides.pptx

Research 

What was our topic? 

Overgrazing, Land Degradation & Habitat Fragmentation 

Why did we choose it? 

We choose to research these topics based on how much they impacted and influenced the environmental issues it poses to our ecosystems. These three topics in particular all impact ecosystem’s ability to sustain and thrive in major ways that support the organisms living in that distinct space.

 Click the link to watch our Narrated Presentation: Research Presenation.pptx

Reflection 

This project has given us the opportunity to learn more about the issues that are harming our environment, how we ourselves play a role as society in contributing to it, and what we can do moving forward to stop, prevent & help flourish our environment. With being able to give back to surrounding communities like SouthWest Middle School it has opened our eyes to how important it is to create spaces for younger people to learn how to nurture their environment. With this webpage post we hope to send a message that’s informative and motivating to not only youth but to all individuals to get involved with protecting our environment.   

Enjoy These Pictures from Earth Day!

Seed for Change: Planting the Seed for World Change

Cassandra KrummBlue Marsh

Team Members

Cassandra Krumm is a third-year psychology major and Business minor at Penn State Berks. Her hobbies include singing, painting, and reading.

Kandis Michael is a first-year student at Penn State Berks. Her hobbies include listening to music and playing with her dogs.

Gabriella Suarez Fernandez is a second-year Finance student at Penn State Berks. Her hobbies include listening to music, eating, and traveling.

Mary Elizondo is a second-year Psychology student at Penn State Berks. Her hobbies include taking nature walks, photography, and baking.

Our Service

We worked with Blue Marsh Lake to remove invasive species from the Squirrel Run nature trail. We removed Japanese barberry and multiflora rose from the trail. Both of these species are invasive in Pennsylvania and have put a strain on our natural ecology. Native plants are being killed and outcompeted by these invasive species.  There are many invasive species that can be found at Blue Marsh Lake, but Japanese barberry and multiflora rose are two of the most aggressive and plentiful species. We worked a total of 32 hours cumulatively and removed about 100 pounds of invasive plant material from the nature trail. We are happy to be able to present the service that we did and despite the difficulties of this project, we are proud of the work we accomplished.

 

Serice overview video

Link: Service Presentation EACAP Narrated.pptx – Google Slides

Our research

Our group decided to research invasive species to further expand our knowledge on this problem. We were already getting a glimpse into the destructive nature of invasive species at Blue Marsh Lake but we were interested to know more. We looked at many aspects of invasive species from how they are implemented into an environment to what can be done to decrease their impacts. Doing research on invasive species as a whole brought more understanding to the service we were doing at Blue Marsh Lake and why it was so important. We looked into many invasive species and how invasive species in general impact the ecosystem. Each invasive species that is present in an ecosystem can cause severe damage so when many invasive species are in one area the damage is substantial. Invasive species interact with the native species in an area often causing the downfall or threatening of native species. Our research allowed us to understand just how widespread an issue invasive species are. We are glad that we are able to present some of our research in order to bring awareness to other people about what they can do to minimize the effects of invasive species and hopefully encourage other people to take action.

Research Overview Video

Link: Invasive Species Presentation Narrated.pptx – Google Slides

Reflection

Throughout this experience we learned a lot about invasive species and the damage that they can cause in our ecosystem. Both Japanese Barberry and Multiflora Rose are aggressive and detrimental to local flora. They grow rapidly and can be extremely difficult to remove due to their complex root systems, thorns, and spikes. Working with the park rangers at Blue Marsh Lake was an informational and positive experience for us all. We all appreciated being able to make a difference in the local wilderness and protect the native species that reside at Blue Marsh Lake. Having a tangible way of measuring our accomplishments was extremely satisfying and helped us to recognize the work that we have accomplished. Although the work was not easy, we are very glad that we completed this project. We have a greater appreciation if volunteers in our community and we are more interested in other volunteer opportunities in the community.

Education Majors

Maggie SheetsEducation Majors

TEAM: Education Majors 

Team Members

Lina Salman- 2nd year- Early Child Education

Hometown – Easton, PA

Future Job – k-4 teacher 

Hobbies – Reading, cooking, volleyball  

Jaredis Flores– 1st year- Early Child education

Hometown – Exeter, PA

Future Job – k-4 teacher

Hobbies – softball, listening to music, and shopping 

Maggie Sheets– 1st year- Early Child Education

Hometown – Turbotville, PA

Future Job – k-4 teacher 

Hobbies – Playing soccer, going to the gym, and getting coffee with friends 

Ashley Barreto– 1st year- Early Child Education

Hometown – Vineland New Jersey

Future Job – K-4 Special Education Teacher 

Hobbies – Working , Shopping , Studying 

We all attend Penn State Berks! 

Our team is researching water pollution, it is when bad things like chemicals, trash, or waste get into the water and make it dirty and unsafe. It’s not good for the fish, plants, or even us humans who use the water. We all need to keep our water clean and healthy for everyone to be safe. It  is the water bodies, usually affect us that have a negative impact on their uses. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and groundwater. The results when it mix with these water bodies.

For our service project, we are helping a local middle school – The Northeast Middle School in Reading, PA. We were able to participate in different activities with the students. We also got to enjoy getting to interact with all the students during snack time for 10-15 minutes every week. We also had the opportunity to present google slides about invasive species. The invasive species we chose to focus on was the spotted lantern fly because it is very wellknown in this area. After we talked about the invasive species, they had to go in small groups and research an invasive species of their choice and make posters with their friends.

Invasive Species Presentation 

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10pz2kjKukY3qkx5n-zuBuOZf-UUNXvETInblz6sfqJA/edit#slide=id.p

Service Video

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1atLRvhR05wEraWh5GBrvl7jt3xmkSV8O5aXYOKu0lQ4/edit#slide=id.p

Pictures

 

Reflection – Overall, It was an amazing experience. We have a much better understanding about water pollution and how it affects our lives. We learned about how harmful the water gets if there is chemicals or garbage. It’s not good for the plants and animals that live in the water, it can make the water unsafe for us too. We have to keep the water safe and everyone around us as well. We also loved going to the northeast Middle school to teach the students about invasive species. It was a great experience having them do different activities and work on small groups and helping them know better about species. 

Marsh Madness 2024 | Water Testing

Evan KimMarsh Madness 24'

Marsh Madness

Hello everyone, our team’s name is Marsh Madness, and our EACAP project was about water testing at various creeks near our campus. Our research mainly focused on the effect of pollutants and runoff from agriculture and waste on water quality.

(From left to right) Our team consisted of:

Will Cressman: 2nd Year Cybersecurity Major

Blake Smith: 2nd Year Secondary Education Major

Evan Kim: 2nd Year Accounting Major

Spencer Vartabedian: 2nd Year Finance Major

Research

Our research mainly consisted of conducting water tests on-site at three different creeks near the Reading, PA, area. Northkill, Plum and Tulpehocken Creek. Through our research, we were able to identify pollutants in the water from various sources, as well as the effect they had on water quality as well as macroinvertebrates.

Different creeks yielded different results, as follows:

Northkill Creek:
Air Temp: 3.1C
Water Temp: 4.3C
Conductivity: 0 (Low contaminants)
pH: 6.8
Phosphate: 0.00ppm
Chloride: 18 mg/L
Nitrates: 0.25mg/L
Dissolved Oxygen: 10.4 mg/L

Plum Creek (Upstream, near a wastewater treatment facility):
Air Temp: 13.8C
Water Temp: N/A
Conductivity: 170 µs/cm
pH: 9.4
Phosphate: 0.00 mg/L
Chloride: 40 mg/L
Nitrate: 0.5 mg/L
Dissolved Oxygen: 10.5 mg/L

Plum Creek (Downstream @ intersection with Tulpehocken Creek):
Air Temp: 13.8C
Water Temp: 11.2C
Conductivity: 280 µs/cm
pH: 8.7
Phosphate: 0.28 mg/L
Chloride: 48 mg/L
Nitrate: 1.5 mg/L
Dissolved Oxygen: 10.4 mg/L

Near the waste treatment facility, there was a significantly lower amount of most tested contaminants/pollutants, and as it went downstream, it collected more.

Research Presentation:

Service

We conducted all the water testing ourselves with the guidance of Steve Tricarico and other volunteers from the TCWA (Tulpehocken Creek Watershed Association). A few of us also went into the water to collect samples, like in the above picture where Will went into the water to collect various macroinvertebrates, which are affected by the substances we tested for in the water.

Service Video:

Symposium Session:

Reflection

Through our participation in on-site water testing with the Tulpehocken Creek Watershed Association, we learned about the various effects of pollutants and runoff on water quality. Working in collaboration with volunteers, most notably Mr. Steve Tricarico, we discovered the different water testing methods and what certain readings and outcomes meant for that creek, such as nitrate levels the pH of the water, and more. During our short experience, it was a great experience to learn about the processes that impact the quality of water, which is a vital part of life on Earth.

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.