Maria Gereda, Kingston, PA  from the Wyoming Valley, and Dennis Dukinas, Dallas, PA, from the Back Mountain, both natives of Luzerne County, will be hosted and supervised by EPCAMR until the end of December 2025 to work with us to provide volunteer services to add some capacity to the organization starting yesterday.

Bobby Hughes, EPCAMR Executive Director exclaimed, “We are thrilled to have both of these environmental and conservation professionals join us for the 20 plus weeks through the end of the year to assist us with a number of direct service projects that we currently have underway with a limited staff, who have the passion and commitment to follow through on a number of our awarded grants and professional services throughout the EPCAMR Region.”

Bobby went on to say, “I can’t say enough about Conservation Legacy, OSMRE, and especially AmeriCorps (State and National) and AmeriCorps VISTA and their support for our work. April Elkins Badtke has been a long-time friend and colleague for over 2 decades when the original Appalachian Coal Country Watershed Team was formed to provide similar support to non-profit environmental organizations that were and are still working in coal country up and down the Appalachian Mountain Range. She is a consummate professional at Conservation Legacy who never has had a problem responding to my emails or messages at all hours of the night or on weekends and listening to my concerns about AmeriCorps and the funding cuts that we had to endure several months ago. We currently have Morgan Romanowski, Scott Township, Lackawanna County working with us through the end of September 2025 to finish up her year term as an AmeriCorps (State and National) volunteer fellow GIS Watershed Outreach Specialist and Mark Jones, who initially was an Energy Community Assistance Program (ECAP) Community Development Coordinator volunteer with AmeriCorps VISTA, who had to placed into Conservation Legacy’s AmeriCorps VISTA Program. He will be volunteering with us until the end of December 2025.”

Maria will continue her work with EPCAMR as a GIS Watershed Outreach Specialist through the Stewards Individual Placement Program. In her new role, she will help promote food security by encouraging the creation of community gardens in coalfield communities and working with local organizations to plant, maintain, and harvest them as one project that EPCAMR has already started on with the distribution of biodegradable Waterboxxes from Groasis that we have been giving away for free to groups that are interested. Community gardens were very common in what were called “patches” in the coal towns around the Anthracite and Bituminous regions. She will also support affordable housing development by advocating for new housing developments to consider being built on reclaimed abandoned mine lands. She will also continue to engage and assist with  environmental education experiences for students in school districts throughout the region that are under the poverty level.

Dennis and Maria are “kicking for macroinvertebrates on Little Shickshinny Creek in Shickshinny Borough as a part of our Coldwater Heritage Conservation Plan where we are developing a watershed assessment for the Shickshinny Creek Watershed and Paddy and Rocky Run.

Bobby said, “Maria, a Luzerne County native, from Kingston, PA in the Wyoming Valley, joined EPCAMR just two months ago as a part-time Summer Watershed GIS Outreach and Education Intern. In that short time, she has gained a wide range of hands-on experience that will serve her well in her expanding role. She was a natural fit for this longer term position that could give her full-time hours under this program.” 

During her internship, Maria earned a certification in the Non-Tidal Streams Protocol through the North Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative (NAACC). She worked closely with EPCAMR Staff to scan and catalog both surface and underground mine maps for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Mine Subsidence Insurance Program. She also participated in field watershed assessments, surveying bridges and culverts across the Shickshinny Creek, Paddy Run, and Rocky Run tributaries in the southern Wyoming Valley—work that directly supports EPCAMR’s ongoing watershed assessment efforts in the Northern Anthracite Coal Fields funded by the PA American Water Charitable Foundation and the PA Council of Trout Unlimited‘s Coldwater Heritage Planning grant program. 

Maria also contributed to community outreach by assisting with water quality monitoring, stream flow measurements, and abandoned mine drainage (AMD) evaluations. She also helped engage local youth in environmental learning during educational events like tie-dye workshops. Her professional network has expanded by attending conferences, including the Abandoned Mine Pools as Beneficial Resources event at Bucknell University and the 2025 ARIPPA Annual Conference.

EPCAMR Staff conducted an AMD Tie Dye T-shirt Workshop for PA Inclusive in Pittston with our recycled iron oxide pigment. Dennis assisted Morgan Romanowski, Mark Jones, and Bobby Hughes in putting on the workshop for the youth and adults.

In addition, Maria will contribute to the development of “land that channels rainfall” resource maps, combining data on demographics, economic indicators, and workforce development with information on local trade schools and community colleges. She will conduct short community surveys and polls via EPCAMR’s social media platforms, update and expand the EPCAMR Partnership Database across 16 counties within our region alone, with our Community Development Coordinator Mark Jones, and will assist in identifying grant opportunities and other organizations and foundations that might be suitable for preparing future grant applications. Her work as well and Dennis’s work will be closely aligned with the goals and objectives laid out by EPCAMR’s Strategic Planning and Education/Science Committees.

Currently enrolled in an online GIS course through Austin Community College, Maria is eager to apply what she’s learning to the real-world challenges facing Pennsylvania’s coalfield communities. Her passion, commitment, and growing expertise make her a valuable asset to EPCAMR’s mission of revitalizing the region through education, outreach, sustainable redevelopment of our abandoned mine lands, and restoration of our watersheds impacted by abandoned mine drainage (AMD).

Maria participated in an AMD Tour in Schuylkill County with EPCAMR where she was able to visit the infamous “Ashland Fountain”, which is a constantly overflowing AMD discharge from the Bast and Continental Collieries that drains to the Mahanoy Creek watershed as explained by Bobby Hughes, EPCAMR Executive Director.

Dennis Dukinas, Dallas, PA, in the Back Mountain of Luzerne County is currently completing my final course at Bloomsburg University, where he is finishing his degree in Environmental, Geological, and Geographic Sciences with a Minor in Hydrology.

Bobby shared that “Throughout his academic career, he has gained valuable hands-on experience both outdoors as an Eagle Scout and indoors, working with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) desktop environments. He has already used mapping technologies such as ArcGIS Pro and ERDAS Imagine remote sensing imagery and software to create various hypothetical scenarios in college and now gets to take those lessons learned from the hypothetical to the real world watersheds that EPCAMR works in throughout the coalfields. His experience already includes georeferencing, story mapping, census data analysis, and using tools like ArcGIS Pro Online’s ModelBuilder. He already has earned certifications through ArcGIS Online and holds a Watershed Management Training Certification. He’s also already received a free Aquatic Organism Protocol Training from EPCAMR while a volunteering two weeks before his official internship from NAACC. Maria already has this Certificate as well, however, both of them have to assess 20 culverts and or bridges before they can become a field Lead Observer.”

In his role as a GIS Watershed Outreach Specialist, prior to his start today, he’s already gained valuable experience assessing water quality, conducting visual habitat assessments, identifying, counting, and classifying macroinvertebrates as a part of the biological assessment monitoring EPCAMR conducts for our watersheds assessments, and he’s learned how to use our field photometer and YSI Multi-parameter probe already to perform chemistry tests in-stream. He will be involved in a number of projects that were highlighted by Bobby Hughes on their first day of orientation, along with some training provided to them in EarthVision, where they will be helping to digitize mine maps for another project of ours in the Bear Creek Watershed, Dauphin County and creating 3D surface and underground mine pool models to help us calculate volumetrics of water and coal remaining a region of the Southern Anthracite Coalfields. 

Bobby joked with Dennis before this week to get as much sleep in over the Holiday Weekend because he will be shifting from volunteering a few days a week to a full 40 hours a week through the end of the year. “He was in this morning ready to go and get some administrative paperwork out of the way, hear about the myriad of projects that we are going to be working on, work on his background article notes for this release, and to begin his initial training on EarthVision with Mike. I’m really looking forward to the energy, enthusiasm, willingness to jump in and learn from the Staff about all of important work in the region and the value that their efforts are going to have in the communities that we are working in that we have maintained positive, trusting relationships with, for nearly 3 decades.”

Michael Hewitt, EPCAMR Program Manager and Frank Sindaco, GIS Watershed Outreach Specialist is teaching Maria and Dennis how to use our field monitoring equipment at the Askam AMD Maelstrom Oxidizer Treatment System on Earth Conservancy’s property along Dundee Road in the Nanticoke Creek watershed.

The post EPCAMR Hosts 2 Stewards Individual Placement Program (SIPP) GIS Watershed Outreach Specialist AmeriCorps (State and National) Interns Administered by Conservation Legacy through the end of December 2025 appeared first on epcamr.org.

Both students are from opposite mountains surrounding the Wyoming Valley. Levi Sunday-Lefkowitz is from the Back Mountain and Kyle Argenziano, is from Mountain Top and will be working together with our EPCAMR team. Levi is a rising Junior at the University of Rochester, NY, studying Chemical Engineering with a minor in Environmental Engineering and was a former Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School graduate that had worked with EPCAMR while he was at Seminary and a part of Dr. Andrea Nerozzi’s Advanced Placement Environmental Science Class, who is now an active EPCAMR Board Member at Large. He came highly recommended by Dr. Nerozzi and had completed a humorous educational demonstration video using a layered cake his team made on understanding coal mining beneath the Wyoming Valley and Wyoming Seminary that can be found on YouTube. Levi, for the longest time, said, “I’ve had a passion for the outdoors and improving the stunning environment in Northeastern PA. In my spare time, you’ll find me hiking, fishing, and generally spending time in the beautiful Back Mountain, I call home.”

He went on to say passionately, “The desire to better our natural ecosystems and improve sustainability in commercial and industrial sectors is what lead me to my current career path. Although the unforeseen complications of this Spring have made this past semester more difficult, I’ve been able to rise to the occasion and close out the season with confidence. In the past two years, I’ve worked on several research projects investigating topics such as methane emissions due to hydraulic fracturing and constructing a functioning solar-powered water heater. Back on the University campus, aside from my academic coursework, I’m an active member of several organizations to explore my passions.” Levi participates in the University’s branch of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and intends on running for a position on the Leadership Board this coming semester. He is also a member of many performance groups, including the University of Rochester Chamber Singers, as well as multiple musical theatre troupes. He went on to say, with regards to juggling his priorities and responsibilities, “I do my best to keep a well-balanced lifestyle at home and on campus, balancing my academics and social work with care.”

Levi Sunday-Lefkowicz taking a break along a stream while enjoying nature.

Levi recalled his enthusiasm and first introduction to EPCAMR while in High School by saying, “I was first introduced to EPCAMR during my Senior year at Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School. It was through my AP Environmental Science course that I was able to get an up-close look at the work being done by EPCAMR to reclaim abandoned mine lands, provide educational programming to area students from schools all across the region, and restore waterways polluted by abandoned mine drainage, and I was very intrigued. To see an organization so dedicated to improving the natural resources of Pennsylvania and educating others on the importance of environmental awareness, I soon started doing my research. Later that year, a few classmates and I presented our research on former coal mining practices and the cleanup efforts being made by EPCAMR, during our Founders Day celebration. Recently, I reached out to Bobby Hughes, the Executive Director to request an interview to be considered for a Summer internship and become involved with the amazing work he and his staff have completed over the last 25 years. He was gracious enough to meet with me and we discussed the potential for working with them this Summer. I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to join the EPCAMR team. I believe I can offer a unique, analytical, yet grounded perspective, from my chemical engineering background. The work being done on the reclamation of abandoned mine drainage (AMD) is of particular interest to me and I hope to be able to aid EPCAMR on field sample collections, chemical and biological monitoring of area streams, culvert assessments, cleanups, tree plantings, and stream recovery project designs. The opportunity to get my hands dirty and contribute something meaningful to the area is a valuable experience for both professional and personal growth. I hope to be able to help EPCAMR in making our beautiful area, even more inviting once restored and reclaimed.” Levi is currently a seasonal Lab Technician for Harrold’s Pharmacy in South Wilkes-Barre, PA, and will be working part-time over the next 8 weeks with EPCAMR with a flexible schedule.

EPCAMR Executive Director Bobby Hughes stated, “While the EPCAMR Staff are not able to get any fieldwork completed at the moment, there is plenty of work and research to be completed online that both Levi and Kyle will be doing until we can get outdoors again. They both have already completed their North American Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative (NAACC) Stream Continuity Aquatic Organism Protocol Training where EPCAMR has taken a leadership role to assess culverts for aquatic passage of fish and animals throughout Northeastern PA. They will become certified Lead Observers with EPCAMR once they get 20 culverts assessed and shadowed by the EPCAMR Executive Director later this Summer. They will also get started on doing some background research work on historic places, landmarks, institutions, and areas like the Huntsville Reservoir in the Huntsville Creek subwatershed of the larger Toby Creek in the Back Mountain to assist with our development of the Huntsville Creek Coldwater Conservation Plan. They will then focus their attention on the Mill/Gardner Creek watershed across the Wyoming Valley and begin doing the same to assist the staff with the compilation of historic reports, data, water quality, relevant studies, historical land uses and impacts within the watershed, and fishery information on the coldwater resources. They will have plenty of work ahead of them.”

Huntsville Creek Watershed Map.

Kyle Argenziano taking a break in the Grand Tetons National Park, Wyoming.

Mill/Gardner Creek Watershed Map.

Kyle Argenziano is currently a graduating senior from the Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania pursuing a B.S. in Environmental, Geographical, and Geological Sciences (E.G.G.S.). His tract was Geography and Planning with a minor in GIS and Spatial Analysis. Kyle said “I went into environmental science because I have always had a love of the outdoors. I have been running through, wading in, and fishing in creeks ever since I was a child. My current hobbies still lie heavily in the outdoors. I love backpacking, rock climbing, trail running, hiking, and I even sometimes fly fish. However, I also enjoy music and playing video games which I can do from the comfort of my home.”

Kyle also mentioned why he applied for a competitive internship with EPCAMR. “I applied for EPCAMR’s internship because I wanted to be involved in something and an organization that is directly making a positive impact on the environment. I feel that “grassroots” organizations are the most effective at making a direct impact because the people who start them are committed and funds aren’t channeled in too many directions other than to support Staff, Programs, and Projects. Another major reason I applied for this internship is that it’s very close to home. EPCAMR’s office is located adjacent to where the historic Huber Coal Breaker Colliery was located in Ashley, Pennsylvania until April of 2014 and EPCAMR was one of the organizations along with the Huber Breaker Preservation Society to try and save it for historic preservation and to educate area youth on the importance the coal industry played, both positively and negatively in the Anthracite Coal Region. My grandparents live less than a mile from that breaker and I would see it every weekend as a child. I respect that EPCAMR located their office directly adjacent to a source of environmental contamination, the Huber Breaker, and have tried for decades with its partners to salvage the last remaining breaker in the Wyoming Valley.”

A recent short documentary entitled, Beyond the Breaker, is currently on a film festival circuit that discusses the importance of the breaker locally as the community struggled to preserver its identity in the face of apathy and loss, by two EPCAMR Board Members, John Welsh, and Alana Mauger, and also features the work of EPCAMR, the Huber Breaker Preservation Society, Mr. Ray Clarke, and a host of other local community leaders and artists, including Sue Hand from the Back Mountain.

Kyle also reassured EPCAMR of his commitment to the region, when he passionately stated, “I was raised in Northeastern Pennsylvania and want to help clean up the Valley scarred by the past coal mining industry. I know how much coal has damaged the area because I’ve seen it first-hand hiking the mountains, fishing the streams, and driving past the large culm banks that line our roadways and there no other economy at the time of the boom.  I am hoping that this internship will provide me with valuable field experience in environmental conservation that I need to better understand how I can make a difference in the local communities that EPCAMR serves throughout the Coal Region. I also am looking forward to learning how EPCAMR, one of the most reputable and respected regional non-profit organizations, operates and builds capacity within Pennsylvania.” Kyle has some experience with controlling invasive species and that is something that will be experienced during our watershed assessment work in the watersheds we will be working in. He has also been an Assistant and Instructor with Bloomsburg University’s Q.U.E.S.T. and has interacted with youth and created a positive growth environment for them through various life skills, leadership development, and outdoor learning experiences.

EPCAMR Executive Director Bobby Hughes mentioned, “Kyle came recommended to me by one of the most respected Environmental Education Specialists for the PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (PA DCNR), Diane Madl, from Nescopeck State Park. She and I have been colleagues and educators for 25 years together and if she tells me that someone is a great fit for EPCAMR, there are usually no questions asked. Kyle and I were able to have a video call interview, the first I’ve had to do for an internship due to the pandemic and it went very well. As soon as I saw that we had the same Patagonia hat bearing a familiar logo, I knew he already had a jump start on the internship. I wasn’t looking for a suit and tie interview given the circumstances that we are all under at this time and he presented himself very well. With his background in ArcGIS Pro and 3D Visualizations, I’ll be putting him on the hunt for some data acquisition of publicly available information on the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture that will build on our understanding of the patches and connections that we can make in both the Hunstville and Mill/Gardner Creek watersheds in the Wyoming Valley and Back Mountain. He’s up for the challenge. EPCAMR has had a long, positive relationship with Bloomsburg University and has seen many interns and volunteers come through EPCAMR’s doors over the years. Kyle will be starting officially on the 18th of May.”

The post Amidst a Pandemic EPCAMR Still able to bring 2 Summer Watershed Interns on to Work Remotely Thanks to Funding from EDSI Solutions and the Luzerne/Schuylkill County Workforce Development Board, Inc. appeared first on epcamr.org.