The Environmental Science program at Lycoming College is an interdisciplinary minor with required courses in Economics, Geology and Biology, and housed within the Biology Department. Field trips or courses are offered at the Chincoteague Bay Field Station at Wallops Island and the Roatan Institute of Marine Science (RIMS) lab in the Bay Islands of Honduras (see 2012 Blog and 2014 Blog; access Shark Dive videos here). The capstone of the program is the required Environmental Practica class. In this course, students work in research projects or internships on a variety of environmental issues or problems.

Current long-term projects include the monitoring of riparian buffers and best management practices on stream water quality in the White Deer Hole Creek watershed. Students are also involved in deer population studies at Rider Park, and the 11,000 acre Williamsport Water Authority Watershed. Other projects have involved banding saw-whet owls during fall and spring migration for ProjectOwlNet, Monarch Butterfly Watch, Goldenrod gall fly ecology, small mammal population studies and numerous aquatic projects under Lycoming College's Clean Water Institute. Professional affiliations include the Keystone Stream Team, Pennsylvania Association for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR), North Central PA Conservancy, and, of course, our own Clean Water Institute.

Waterdale Environmental Education Center

Located in the pristine and beautiful mountain valley of the Mosquito Creek Watershed near the Williamsport Municipal Water Authority Filtration Plant, the historic Waterdale Lodge is the center for a cooperative collaboration of public water supply utilities, academic resources, and local and state conservation agencies and organizations. This partnership provides opportunities for community education and outreach programs which emphasize the science and importance of good stewardship and protection of our natural resources and public water supply sources. This project is a joint venture between the Williamsport Municipal Water Authority, Lycoming College Education Department, Lycoming College Clean Water Institute, and the Lycoming County Conservation District. Click here for more info.

Sustainability at Lycoming