Steve Cornia, EPCAMR’s recent hire as a GIS Watershed Outreach Technician grabbing a water level sample.

He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Geology from Lock Haven University after spending two years at LCCC. While attending Lock Haven, he managed the university’s soils and water lab. It was during his time working in the lab where he was first exposed to the true effects of AMD while working on a water quality projects testing the effectiveness of a passive AMD treatment plant. Under his supervisor, Dr. Khalequzzaman, Steve also helped implement several baseline water quality monitoring projects in watersheds in the Marcellus Shale drilling regions. His hard work and dedication in the lab earned him the Lock Haven University Environmental Stewardship award. From there, he completed his geology field camp in the Black Hills through the South Dakota School of Mines, where he honed in his field techniques.

He attended graduate school at Shippensburg University for Geoenvironmental studies, working as a Graduate Assistant in the Technology Student/Faculty Helpdesk. It is at Shippensburg where Steve gained most of his formal training in GIS and where he learned how to apply the technology to suite a wide range of different projects.

In his spare time, you can find Steve outside hiking or biking the local trails, fishing, playing music with his friends, or relaxing by a campfire.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to be able to contribute my skills and knowledge of GIS, geology, and hydrology to the many exciting projects that EPCAMR is involved with. It is exciting to be part of a team of like-minded individuals with the common goal of building a cleaner and safer environment and giving back to our community through our many educational outreach programs.”

“EPCAMR is looking forward to bringing Steve on board with his background and experience in GIS and field monitoring to help us continue to provide the much needed technical assistance that we are currently giving to our coalfield community groups and State and Federal agencies that have partnered with us for over the last 20 plus years”, enthusiastically said, Robert Hughes, EPCAMR Executive Director. “From day one, we have him jumping right in once his initial orientation to the office was held and some administrative duties, to scanning mine underground mine maps and cataloging them from Western Middle Anthracite Coal fields and learning the process of inputting the data fields we need to collect to submit to the PA Historic Underground Mine Mapping System (PHUMMIS) and he’s picked it up pretty quickly. While admitting that he’s a little rusty on ArcGIS, he’s looking forward to learning how to navigate ArcGIS 10.6 and ArcGIS Pro with EPCAMR to help us create mine map mosaics, digitize, and geo-reference the thousands of maps that we are inventorying for the State’s Mine Subsidence Insurance Program.”

The post EPCAMR Welcomes Newest Staff Member, Steve Cornia as a GIS Watershed Outreach Technician appeared first on epcamr.org.

by Cliff Denholm, Stream Restoration, Inc.

Stream Restoration, Inc. is pleased to announce the availability of FREE training workshops for those interested in learning how to use the features of Datashed (www.datashed.org).

Initially designed to support and highlight the efforts of students and volunteers, Datashed has grown to become a valuable tool for watershed groups, conservation districts, researchers, non-profits, government agencies, and anyone involved / interested in treating abandoned mine drainage and restoring AMD-impacted watersheds.  In addition to storing and managing water monitoring data, the website can be used to store electronic copies of documents, such as, design drawings, reports, O&M information, photographs, etc.  The use of Datashed is free.  A free user account is needed in order to add or edit data, but not to view data.

Datashed is used to store, organize, and display:

• Project information to provide a historical record of site activities
• Water monitoring data for discharges, treatment systems and streams
• Restoration plans, reports, and other important documents
• Design Engineering Drawings, As-Built Drawings, and Schematics
• Maps
• Photos
• … and more

The workshops will cover:

• Finding, viewing, and using stored information  and water quality data
• Creating webpages for projects not on Datashed (Passive and Active Systems, Streams, etc.)
• Creating sample points in the database and uploading water monitoring data
• Uploading documents, photos, etc.
• Using the site to record site inspections, maintenance events, and field data
• Using the help section
• … and more

The following is the schedule for the training workshops:

Date            Time              Register By  Location
10/18/16      10AM-4PM      10/11/16      Westmoreland Conservation District, Greensburg, PA
11/3/16         5:30PM-?       10/27/16       Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Ashley, PA
11/4/16        10AM-4PM      10/27/16      Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Ashley, PA
11/17/16      10AM-4PM      11/10/16       Patton Township Building, State College, PA
11/19/16      10AM-4PM      11/12/16       St. Francis University, Loretto, PA

Most training sessions (except the 11/3/16 EPCAMR evening session) start at 10AM and are planned to end by 3:30PMwith about an hour break for lunch. Lunch is on your own and options will vary depending upon location.  Most locations are reserved until at least 4PM so additional time will be made available to address specific questions of participants.  Participants are encouraged to bring their own laptop, if they have one as most locations have none or a limited number of laptops or desktops for use.  When registering, please let us know if you will or won’t be able to bring a laptop.  Additional specific information will be provided to participants prior to the events.

To register or to seek additional info, please contact Cliff Denholm, Stream Restoration Inc. at 724-776-0161 orsri@streamrestorationinc.org.  While walk-ins will be accepted if room is available, seating may be limited and we would greatly appreciate being able to plan appropriately for the event.  Events that do not have sufficient registration will be canceled.

SRI greatly appreciate the cooperation and support from our generous hosts who are providing the use of their facilities free-of-charge!

The post Datashed Training Workshops! EPCAMR Hosting 2 in Ashley, PA appeared first on epcamr.org.

He hiked several miles of stream with us and was officially taught how to identify macro-invertebrates (aquatic bugs/insects), conduct a visual stream habitat assessment, monitor the streams for iron concentrations, pH, acidity concentrations, alkalinity concentrations, dissolved oxygen concentrations, and stream temperature.

He also became familiar with the local geology and mining history of our region through his Father’s rambling and endless conversations during the stream walks. Dawson has also assisted in a Teacher Training Workshop with local Science Teachers from the Wilkes-Barre Area in 2012, attended a QuickBooks for Non-Profits Training Seminar in Pittsburgh, PA (that was rough…but the instructor was quick to point him out and crack some jokes about “quality time” being spent with his Father, at the expense of work), storm drain stenciling several years ago throughout Plymouth Township, community gardening and historic preservation at the Avondale Hill Mine Disaster Memorial location in Plymouth Township, the painting of the Avondale Ballad Sheet Metal Art Piece in partnership with the Wilkes-Barre Area Machine Shop Class, illegal dump site cleanups throughout the Wyoming Valley, AMD Tie Dye T-shirt Programs at many of our events throughout the Anthracite Coal Region, and most recently, our stream restoration project on Nockley’s Tributary, an impaired stream reach filled with woody debris, trash, tires, and sediment.

Dawson Hughes (in orange) , EPCAMR Stream Cleanup Volunteer and oldest son of the Executive DIrector, who has been helping out since he was 8 years old and is now going on 14

As a Father, especially during those down times, during the Summer months, where I know that most of his time is going to be spent at home in his little man cave in our basement playing X-Box 360, PS3, the computer playing MINECRAFT in his virtual reality, or on some other social media site, I think it’s more important to invite him out and get some fresh air and not be so closeted about what natural beauty and environmental degradation lie just outside the house. I am encouraging him to become a part of the solution, much like I have been since I was very young, and instilling in him that even kids his age can and should want to make a difference in their communities and become well-rounded and inquisitive about our natural history and cultural history that are some our best kept secrets in our region. Truth is not enough of it is being told at the elementary level, high school level, or collegiate level for that matter. All history is local. EPCAMR’s Staff and myself believe in teaching our youth through a place-based philosophy or getting to know your surroundings and not succumb to what’s colloquially known as “nature deficit disorder”.

I appreciate the time spent together and I know that he has enjoyed all the times that we have spent working side by side with each other, whether it’s on the football field, basketball court, baseball diamond, or mine-impacted stream, I’ve never gotten a complaint out of him. He’s a hard worker, a natural team leader, and a very smart kid, who is a straight A student in school, and doesn’t have trouble interacting with adults and other youth alike. I’m very proud to call him my oldest son, and hope that he will continue to join me on our many adventures throughout the Coal Region as we work on other interesting restoration, education, and remediation projects to improve our land and water impacted by abandoned mines.

Dawson goes on to say, “My Dad is a walking encyclopedia of all things living, historical, coal-related…a real Nature Boy and Super Hero for the environment…He’s respected by so many in his field and it seems like everyone either knows him or he knows them. Wherever we go  and he is well-liked and respected for his work.  I  enjoy hanging with him, even though he usually just puts me to work, but at least I know at the end of the day it’s for a good cause, the cleanup of the local environment and community. The work he does is appreciated by those that we work with side by side, who wouldn’t have been able to complete it without my Dad’s support through EPCAMR. He teaches everyone and he teaches me, that goes without saying. He doesn’t yell as much on illegal dump site cleanups or stream surveys as he does on the football field or basketball court as a Coach, so in all actuality, he’s rather mild to work with on our Nature and Anthracite history adventures!”

Dawson Hughes (age 10) assisting EPCAMR as a Water Quality Monitoring Volunteer on Sugar Notch Run in the Solomon Creek Watershed

Dawson Hughes playing his Father as the “mini” Limestone Cowboy in 4th Grade during an Environmental Comedy Skit put on for his class at GNA

The post Father-Son Combination and Quality Time Enjoyed by EPCAMR’s Executive Director and oldest son Dawson Hughes appeared first on epcamr.org.