How Berks Bandits Solved Environmental Issues

Riley BerganBerks Bandits

INTRODUCTION

Matthew Grumbling- I am a first year accounting major at Penn State Berks. I enjoy playing soccer and baseball. Also I love hunting, fishing and traveling. 

Riley Bergan- I am a freshman here at Penn State Berks. I am majoring in business and plan on transferring to University Park in 2 years. I enjoy the outdoors, playing sports, and hanging out with friends. 

Bradley Harris- I’m a first year finance major at Penn State Berks. I enjoy playing soccer, pickleball, golf, surfing, and skiing. I also love being outside and I enjoy raising animals. 

Isaac Krick- I am in my freshman year here at Penn State Berks and I am majoring in business. I enjoy the outdoors, sports, and hanging out with my friends. I plan on doing all four years here at Penn State Berks. I would like to keep staying involved with activities on campus.

SERVICE

We started a stone path behind one of the dorms that we be added to each year.

We planted a variety of 25 plants that will thrive come spring, along with 6 trees that provide a habitat for wildlife.

We watered the plants every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, ensuring it had enough water for it to continue growing.

 

VIDEO

Marine Debris

RESEARCH

Marine Debris

What is it: Marine debris is anything that poses a threat to our environment and human health in waterways such as the ocean or rivers. This debris can include plastics, metals, glass, rubber, paper.

How is it Caused: There are 5 main factors that contribute to the spread of marine debris; water currents, wind, gyres, shorelines, and eddies. 

Consequences: Some consequences include; Harm to marine life, damage to ecosystems, economic impact, public health risks, and visual pollution.

Solution: Some solutions include the three R’s; Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. As well as the three R’s there are other solutions such as reject, redesign, repair, replace, and restore.

 

REFLECTION

As a group we grew to find a new liking to the environment. When first starting this “EACAP” project none of our group members knew each other. But this project not only enlightened us on how important it is to take care of the environment, but how important it is to build new friendships. We learned the responsibility of all holding ourselves accountable. We had to work together and always work around each other’s schedules. This allowed us to grow as people while all making a difference in the community. The sustainability of our environment around us proved ever important. It was a joyful ride that we all took advantage of. Our message to future students of this class is to take advantage of what you have in the moment. Instead of paying attention to the setbacks you might be dealt, continue to focus on what you can do to move forward.

Puddle Patrol: Pendora Park Makeover Mission

Karen Garcia-AguilarFall 2024 Project Teams

We are PUDDLE PATROL!

Introductions:

(Left to Right) Karen, Ruhaan, Colin

 

Karen: Hello! I’m a second-year student majoring in Accounting. I’m from Reading, PA and I commute to campus. I am a cat mom to a 1-year-old girl calico!

Ruhaan: Hi, I am a Second Year Student intending to graduate in Finance.

Colin:  Hey, I’m a second-year student and I am majoring in IST.

 

 

 

Our Research Issue:

Our research project focused on the widespread issue of microplastics, tiny plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size that result from the breakdown of larger plastics. These particles are found globally, from the deepest ocean trenches to local waterways, including all 53 sampled streams in Pennsylvania. Microplastics pose significant risks to aquatic ecosystems, where they are ingested by marine life, and to human health, as they carry harmful toxins into the food chain. Their persistence in the environment highlights the urgent need for solutions to reduce their impact on water quality, biodiversity, and public health.

 

Our Service Project:

Our service project focused on creating a Qualtrics survey for the residents who use and live near Pendora Park to gather feedback on their experiences, concerns, and ideas for improvement. Drawing on Dr. Park-Martinez’s insights and our own observations of the park, we developed two versions of the survey to better understand its usage, frequency, and gather recommendations from the area’s diverse demographics. The surveys were made available in both English and Spanish, with identical structure and content to ensure consistent data collection. This feedback will help guide future improvements and ensure the park continues to meet the needs of the community. 

Our Reflection: 

Visiting Pendora Park, a lesser-known space in the area, was an insightful experience that showed us how the park is used and by whom, and allowed us to discover the park through this project. The EACAP for Pendora Park has been rewarding, but it’s just the beginning of what could be a transformative project for the park and the community. Our team worked hard to create a bilingual survey in English and Spanish to gather feedback from the diverse residents of Reading. Although we didn’t have the chance to complete the survey, this project has been a valuable learning experience, especially in connecting classroom knowledge with real-world community involvement.

The best part of this project was knowing that we are helping set the stage for future changes that will empower the community to take pride in their park. While we couldn’t finish the survey, designing it and learning how to frame questions to address community concerns was an important step. I hope the next team will continue this work by gathering and analyzing the survey responses. This feedback will help identify what the community values most and what improvements they want to see, such as updating the park’s amenities, beautifying the space, and creating more community events. This project is about more than just improving a physical space; it’s about creating a place that brings people together. Future teams and community members can build on this work to make Pendora Park a welcoming and vibrant place for everyone!

Green Queens help clean up Northeast MS

rxg5592Fall 2024 Project Teams

Rece Golab- Freshman, Political Science major 

Skyler Shanahan- Freshman, Early Education major

Kaitlyn Brunner- Sophomore, Human Resources major 

 Our topic for research….

Acid Rain- Acid rain is caused by a chemical reaction that begins when compounds like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the air. There are many different causes like the emission of SO2 and Nox into the air, human activities, fossil fuel burning, vehicle exhaust, and industrial processes. 

Watch our research video on acid rain here!

Our service project! Northeast Middle School 

Our project was at Northeast Middle School in Reading. We were tasked with the cleanup of their courtyard. We had to pull up all the weeds, dig up anything sticking out of the ground, and overall cleanup of the pond area. We shoveled things out of the ground and smoothed over the areas around their small pond so that it was accessible. They wanted it cleaned up so they could use that area as an outdoor learning environment for the children.

Take a look at our progress and presentation here!

Our reflection!

Our thoughts about EACAP are that we believe it was a really great experience overall. We enjoyed researching a topic we’d never explored before. We also enjoyed being able to help the school and children in the process of clearing out that area for them to use as an outdoor learning space. It was a decent about of work but in the end we had fun and we also learning a lot about not only our topic, but what we can achieve to help others in our community. We gained some valuable knowledge about acid rain as well as experience in volunteering and helping the children at a school have an exciting new area to learn in. A message we give to others is to put in the work. Do your best and collaborate with others because once you complete something like we did at the school, not only will you be proud of yourself for completing it, but you’ll be grateful that you did because you can see how much those kids will enjoy it.

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Water Scoopers Making a Difference for Water Quality

Nicholas BuchmanFall 2024 Project Teams

Nick- I am a freshman at Penn State Berks that is majoring in business and also on the baseball team. I plan on staying at Berks all four years.

Alex- I am a freshman at Penn State Berks and I am a business major, I plan to stay here all four years.

Tru- I am a freshman at Penn State Berks who is majoring in business and plays for the volleyball club. I plan to stay at Berks for all four years.

Mitch- I’m Mitch, I’m a junior at Penn State berks and I am a double major in criminal justice and psychology and plan to stay here all 4 years.

 

Research Issue 

Pollution in water is increasing and that is why the Tulpehocken Creek Watershed Association exists. They go out and test the water for different chemicals and send out that information through their umbrella organization of Berks Nature to the public with the hope that this pollution is addressed. Working with Cindy, we tested the health of the streams by looking at the chemicals present in the water and also by looking at the critters that currently live in those streams. The critters are critical to assessing how polluted the stream is since most critters cannot live in water that is too polluted. We discussed the importance of buffer zones, shade and proper protection of streams, especially those that bring drinking water to the local population.

What We Actually Did

We got in contact with Cindy Murdough, a former teacher and a current Tulpehocken Creek Watershed Association volunteer, to test water at three different locations: Plum Creek, Cocoosing Creek and Furnace Creek. Each of these locations got progressively more polluted due to the amount of chemicals going into the water and the buffer zones available for those streams. We tested the water for the different forms of life that it contained and also the amount of different chemicals. This gave us results on the water quality and helped us understand the streams way more.

 

Click here on this pictutre to access our canva research presentation ^

Click here on this picture to watch our service video ^

Reflection

This class and project as a whole has been a very fun experience for us. We got exposed to a bunch of environmental concepts that we never took into consideration. These topics that we covered can be integrated into our daily lives and with this new knowledge, we can now better our environment and hopefully make a positive impact on our planet. This project was very fun because doing this water testing was something that our group has never experienced. Meeting Cindy was awesome and she was extremely helpful in teaching/showing us the proper way to run all of the tests to get an accurate measure of the water quality. Doing a project like this truly stuck with us and we love the fact that we didn’t just learn something brand new, we also did a service to our local community.

Weedwhackers Whacking Weeds

Charbel DoumitFall 2024 Project Teams

Introductions

Charbel – Third-year Business major at PSU (back left)

Sourya- Second-year Finance major at PSU (back right)

Yug- First-year Accounting major at PSU (front right)

Julius – Second-year Hospitality Management major at PSU (front left)

Research Overview

For our EACAP project, we decided to focus on invasive species as they were an earlier topic in our class discussions and we thought they were an important topic to research. We already know that invasive species grow rapidly in population whether it’s a plant or an animal. They destroy environments and use up resources at an increasing rate due to the population increase, they also don’t typically have natural predators because they are introduced to new environments and grow unchecked within ecosystems. To help control invasive species within ecosystems, people can set traps to control animal species and chemicals for plant species. It’s good to raise public awareness for invasive species so they can either help stop the growth in population of invasive species or try to control it until a better solution is found. 

Research Presentation

Our narrated presentation includes images that backup the main points we talked about with invasive species being, general information, possible causes, consequences, solutions and goals regarding our research outline.

Research Presentation

Service Overview

For our service project, we contacted Larissa Miller to help with the Peiffer Farmhouse across the road from the campus at Berks. We helped around the electric fence by picking the weeds that were overgrown and cleared up space for the fence to function properly. We also helped clean up sticks and more weeds around the greenhouse area to make the space look more neat and stop the weeds from covering the trees and plants. This also fits into our research topic because weeds are an invasive species that compete with other plants for resources like sunlight and water.

Service Video

Reflection

Overall, we enjoyed doing this project because we could all work together to finish this project, we all had fun working on the farm and picking the weeds even while getting bit by bugs the whole time. Learning more about invasive species and putting together a presentation of our information, and finally presenting our information in the community expo for people to see what we did during the semester. Our message to the people would be to keep in mind how the environment works and what you can do to help make it a better place for everyone.

The Environmental impact of Lawns

jjr6790Black Dragons

The Black Dragons!

Introduction:

JoJo Robinson, Telecommunications Media and Industries Major

MJ Kola Alabi, Nauru Psychology

Guanpu Ming, Data Science Major

JoJo, Mj, and Ming at the woods.
Jojo, Ming, and Mj at the woods!
Ming in the video of his recording
Ming in the video of recording outside.
Poster at Expo
Poster at the community expo
Us mow flag shape
Person mowing like the us flag shape
Outside
Outside while walking, photo taken by Mj

Our Research:

We found that: the biggest environmental issue with lawn maintenance is the use of harmful pesticides and fertilizers which have a lot of chemicals like ammonium migration that are toxic to the environment. excess nitrates in fertilizers run off into our water systems and are also re-emitted into the atmosphere through the nitrogen cycle. although carbon emissions are a main issue, nitrous oxide is more of an effective greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Gas-Powered Equipment: Lawnmowers emit 5% of U.S. air pollution from non-road vehicles. One hour of mowing = pollution of driving 20-30 miles. Fuel consumption: Lawn maintenance consumes ~800 million gallons of gasoline annually.

EACAP Video:

Presentation video:

Reflection:

My thoughts about my EACAP Project were pretty solid and interesting at the same time. I have learned what to do with lawns in the future when the time comes, and the same goes for my teammates. People I. In the future, composting, mulching and natural pest control should be used. My advice to everyone is to mow regularly at the correct height, water wisely, aerate periodically, fertilize according to soil needs, remove weeds, edge around the border, mulch clippings, and sharpen your mower blades; consider your local climate and grass type when making maintenance decisions.

Getting Your Hands Dirty with The Air Breathers

MadisonFall 2024 Project Teams

Hello, We Are The Air Breathers!
Our names are Chris, Madi, and Aaron and we are The Air Breathers. We’re here to talk about our project surrounding the Sustainability Council and Peiffer Greenhouse.

Introductions

My name is Madi, and I am a first year Biology major. I enjoy drawing and writing.

My name is Chris and I’m a first year IST major. I like reading manga, basketball, playing piano, and videogames.

My name is Aaron, and I am a first year accounting major.  I enjoy hiking, fishing, and camping.

Chris and Madi together at the sustainability expo
Chris and Madi at the Sustainability Expo!

Research
Our research project focused on Nutrient Pollution, a topic we covered in class. We thought that this topic was great because it really related to our service project, seeing as it was agricultural. Nutrient Pollution is when excess nutrients (i.e. Nitrogen and Phosphorus) enter waterways and air. It’s caused by agricultural runoff and stormwater runoff most commonly and tends to have adverse effects on the cost of water, people’s general health, and the water supply. Some solutions we found were better sewer infrastructure, better monitoring of pollution from farms, and personal contributions like picking up your pet’s waste and not overwatering your garden.

SDG
For our Sustainable Development Goal, we chose Goal 6: “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”. We chose this goal because we thought it went really well with our research topic seeing as Nutrient Pollution primarily affects water. To reach this goal by 2030 progress will have to increase 6x for drinking water, 5x for sanitation, and 3x for hygiene, which could be totally possible if people and companies are willing to make the changes.

Service
For our Service Project, we worked with Larissa at the Peiffer Greenhouse in collaboration with the Sustainability Council. There was plenty of work to be done at the greenhouse. Me (Madi) & Chris mostly spent time clearing soil beds of weeds and planting new strawberries. We also drove the tractor around, dumped branches, and repotted plants. Aaron spent most of the time there building a new sign for the pollinator habitat and clearing weeds.

 

Reflection
In conclusion, our team spent a collective total of 24 hours helping out at the greenhouse. It was honestly pretty fun! It was a great experience to just get in the dirty and be in the warm sun, experiencing nature and farm life. Larissa was super kind and helpful, and we’re grateful that she let us help out. We encourage people to start a small garden of their own at their homes if they can and see what they can grow. Growing at home is sustainable and will cut down household food costs. If you can’t grow at home, we also encourage you to buy from local farmers.

More Photos

Chris in front of the greenhouseMadi in front of the greenhouse

Madi in front of a dirtbedA dirtbedMadi in the tractor

Chris helping to transport soil

Berks Best Takeover Pendora Park

Djer PetersenBerks Best

We Are Berks Best!!

Left to Right: Djer, Raja, Liz, Lindsay

Introductions:

Djer Petersen, Freshman Psychology Major

Raja Kamar, Freshman Criminal Justice Major

Liz Rosario, Freshman Business Administration & Accounting

Lindsay Kachel, Sophomore Business Major

Our Service:

We selected to to tackle the problem of soil pollution at the location of Pendora Park. We used a survey we created using Qualtrics to gauge an understanding of how people feel about the park and what they feel should be added to it or taken away to make it better and easier to enjoy.

Video:

Our Research:

We chose to research the topic of soil pollution. Soil pollution is the contamination of soil by toxic chemicals, which can be caused by human activities or natural processes. Here is a short presentation going into further detail and shedding some more light on the issue.

Click the image below:

Reflection:

Engaging in the EACAP project was a transformative journey that deepened our understanding of the pressing issue of soil pollution. Through this initiative, our group developed a keen awareness of the significance of maintaining healthy soil systems. We discovered how polluted soil can disrupt ecosystems, hinder plant growth, and harm organisms that depend on the land for survival. For instance, contamination from pesticides and industrial waste creates an unstable environment for essential microorganisms that enrich the soil and support life. Sustainability entails actions like reducing the use of harmful chemicals, managing waste responsibly, and promoting composting to nourish rather than degrade the earth. This understanding has motivated us to think of new ways to implement environmentally friendly habits, such as proper waste segregation and advocating for reduced chemical use in agriculture. Our message to the global community, particularly young individuals, is to treat the soil as the foundation of life itself. Show it the respect it deserves by minimizing pollution and practicing stewardship. Small, thoughtful actions-like choosing organic products or composing kitchen waste-can collectively lead to healthier soil and a more sustainable planet for generations to come.

The E-Teams Mission on Climate Change

Caleb BaxterProjects

Who Is The E-Team?

Parker- “My name is Parker and I am a freshman here at Penn State Berks. I am doing the 2+2 program and plan on going to UP for my junior year. I am currently undecided but will most likely go into studying marketing.”

Andrew- “My name is Andrew and I am a sophomore this year and plan on going to UP next year.”

Danny- ” My name is Danny and I am a writing and digital media major. I plan on staying here all four years as my major can only be completed here.

Caleb-” My name is Caleb and I am a freshman here at Penn State Berks and am currently majoring in business administration.

Research Issue:

We selected climate change for our research topic. Climate change is alterations in temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, and other aspects of Earth’s climate system. It is primarily affected by the increase of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, in the atmosphere due to human activities. These can include but are not limited to burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes. These changes result in global warming, extreme weather events, and disruptions to ecosystems and biodiversity.

E-Team

 

Brief description:

Our team tackled this huge problem by volunteering at our campuses greenhouse with the Sustainability Council. With this over the course of a couple months we went to the green house and did various activities such as weeding strawberry beds, clearing land to expand the green houses area, took weeds out of potted plants, planted strawberries, and even dried out colorful leaves to make into biodegradable confetti. Not only did we do things at the green house but also we created posters and videos that highlighted our tasks and research at a community expo.

EXPO

Reflection:

This semester has been a very interesting one. All the different things we did in class or at the greenhouse was very enjoyable. The days at the greenhouse helped us have a very useful change of pace. As a whole this project has helped us realize the effect we have on our planet both negatively and positively. Doing what you can to help the environment around you is very important even though what you’re doing may not feel like a lot it affects every single one of us. At the end this project was a lot of fun and we encourage others to do similar things that we did even if it’s just a little.

Teens for Change

lgd5170Projects

We are Teens for Change, Shandyle Ofori, Ava Rosenberg and Lillian DaSilva. Shandyle is majoring in Finance, she did FBLA and track in highschool. Ava Rosenberg is majoring in business and worked at a preschool in highschool. Lillian DaSilva is majoring in Psychology and ran cross country in highschool.

Our research issue was Habitat destruction. We focused on the impact of deforestation, pollution, urbanization and agriculture. We wanted to learn more about the impact of humans and wanted to teach others. We talked about the consequences, solutions and goals of stopping and preventing more habitat destruction.

Teens for Change worked with Northeast middle school. We worked in their courtyard cleaning up the plant beds and putting down painted rocks. We did two murals showing the water cycle and some vines to liven up the area.

https://go.screenpal.com/watch/cZlQfhnnZ2I

As a whole we all learned that there are huge impacts from such little things. As we did research with Habitat destruction we saw how big of an issue it was and how much is happening today. For our service project we learned about helping others and making little changes makes a huge impact. Everyone saw us working and teachers, staff and the Principle were all grateful for the work we put in and said we livened up the space. We all put in a lot of work and seeing it pay off made us feel like little things can make big changes. Our message to others is even if you think you can’t make changes, just the smallest change can make a huge impact.