ASHLEY, PENNSYLVANIA (March 28, 2025) – Laurel Run resident and Wilkes University freshman Ian Padden recently began a long-term community service engagement with the nonprofit Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (EPCAMR).
Padden, 19, will support EPCAMR by contributing about six hours of service each week during the academic year.
An environmental engineering major, Padden is a participant in the university’s Bonner Leader Program, a unique work-study experience. The program compensates students for devoting their time and skills to nonprofit groups such as EPCAMR throughout the duration of their four-year, undergraduate studies.
“I chose to serve at EPCAMR because it’s my first opportunity to gain meaningful experience in the field of environmental work,” said Padden, a 2024 graduate of the Wilkes-Barre Area School District STEM Academy. “It allows me to make a significant positive impact for EPCAMR, as well as in the community.
The national Bonner Leader Program was created in 1990. Wilkes University launched its program four years ago, becoming part of a network that extends to about 70 colleges and universities
Wilkes University, in Wilkes-Barre, is the only school in Northeast Pennsylvania to provide this opportunity. Each year, the university selects eight to 10 first-year students from a pool of candidates who vie to participate in the civic engagement and leadership program.
Padden is the first Bonner Leader Program participant at Wilkes University to serve with an environmental-focused nonprofit. Padden participated in Scouting for 13 years and, nearly two years ago, earned the rank of Eagle Scout. He serves during summers as a nature director at the Goose Pond Scout Reservation in Wayne County.
“EPCAMR has a long history with both Wilkes-Barre Area STEM and Wilkes University, which is where our first office was located – in Sturdevant Hall – and our first statewide Conference on Abandoned Mine Reclamation was held in 1996,” said EPCAMR Executive Director Bobby Hughes. “Having Ian with us as our first Bonner Leader will assist us greatly in our work and mission. He’s going to bring a lot of enthusiasm and get plenty of hands-on applied science opportunities while serving with us.”
EPCAMR, which was founded almost 30 years ago, works with its many partners to encourage the reclamation and redevelopment of land affected by past mining practices in Pennsylvania’s Northeastern Anthracite and Northern Bituminous Coal Regions.
The nonprofit group – now based in the Earth Conservancy building on South Main Street, Ashley – employs a small but impactful team of professionals who provide technical assistance such as water quality testing and monitoring, stream restoration, dam removal, GIS mapping, and drone services. The organization routinely collaborates with federal and state government agencies, watershed groups, mine industry representatives, nonprofit groups, and other stakeholders on remediation projects throughout its 16-county territory.
The EPCAMR team has a long and successful track record. It has assisted in the removal of unsightly and unsafe culm banks, such as the one along Main Street in Swoyersville, and the cleanup of polluted waterways.
Its projects help to reduce hazards to people’s health and safety. Its actions also improve water quality, eliminate soil erosion, and return land affected by past mining practices to productive use, thereby improving the economy of the region.
During Padden’s stint with EPCAMR, he will aid the group by doing a range of tasks that collectively enhance his leadership and professional skills. Those tasks will include office activities, such as assisting with volunteer recruitment and fundraising, as well as field activities, including stream continuity assessments that aim to identify and remove impediments that prevent fish and other aquatic life from navigating a waterway.
EPCAMR supports area students’ career development and education by frequently offering learning opportunities such as internship, work study, and volunteer roles.
For additional information, including how you can get involved, visit epcamr.org. Or send an email to rhughes@epcamr.org.
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