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Lehigh Gap Nature
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Student Ecologists Honored at Wildlife Information Center
13 March 2005
Six Lehigh Valley area high school students were honored today (Sunday, March 13) at the Wildlife Information Center’s Osprey House at Lehigh Gap for their outstanding work on behalf of wildlife and the environment. The awards are given annually to high school students in public and private schools in Carbon, Lehigh, and Northampton Counties, and were sponsored this year by Harleysville National Bank.
The Student Ecologists, were nominated by teachers and naturalists in recognition of their work such as volunteering at local parks and conservation education programs, researching water quality of local waterways, assisting in habitat restoration projects, or demonstrating leadership in school or community environmental activities. Every high school in the three-county region received information about the awards and an opportunity to nominate students.
The 2005 Student Ecologists are:
Doug Beam, a senior at Allentown Central Catholic High School. Doug was nominated for the award by his scoutmaster, Charles Kopcho of Boy Scout Troop 57 in Neffs. Doug’s nomination resulted from the extensive Eagle Service Project carried out at Lehigh Gap Wildlife Refuge. His project involved three phases: removing years’ worth of trash that had accumulated along the Lehigh River near the Refuge’s headquarters; habitat restoration work through invasive species removal in the habitats around the headquarters areas of the refuge; and designing and constructing a new nature trail at the refuge headquarters. Doug researched and organized the effort, recruited other scouts to volunteer with the manual labor, secured the service of township officials in trash removal, and obtained the materials and funding for the project. Over 180 hours of work resulted from Doug’s leadership in the project. He is an academic athlete at his school and is very active in scouting. George and Elaine Beam of Slatington are Doug’s parents.
Brett Diehl, a Palmerton High School senior. Brett has been a leader in his school’s environmental club for the past three years and plans to pursue a career in an environment-related field. His major accomplishment that won him the nomination for this award was designing, planning, and building a boardwalk through a marshy habitat at Beltzville State Park that required more than 100 hours of work by Brett and others whom he recruited. The 32-foot boardwalk allows visitors to access the area without degrading the habitat. He has participated in clean-ups and enhancements at Weissport Park, Palmerton Hospital, Mauch Chunk Environmental Center, Lehigh Canal, and at his school through scouts and Palmerton High’s environmental club. Palmerton High School teacher and environmental club advisor, David Kellerman, nominated Brett for the award. His parents are Gerald and Cynthia Diehl.
Erica Meyers, a senior at Lehighton High School. Erica is an avid naturalist and bird watcher. Her achievements at school include her leadership of the school’s Envirothon team. Her interest in natural history led her to enroll in a college Field Biology course last summer in which she conducted field research projects and wrote a major paper on biodiversity. Along with her academic interest in nature, Erica also expresses her appreciation of nature’s beauty through her paintings. Ann Wilhelm and Michael Meyers are Erica’s parents.
Joelle Nash, a Liberty High School senior. Joelle is a key member of the Illick Mills Partnership for Environmental Education, a project that is renovating an old building along the Monocacy Creek in Bethlehem to serve as an environmental education center. At the partnership, Joelle serves as Director of Environmental Action and has accomplished the following there in the past year: twice weekly monitoring of water quality in Monocacy Creek; designed and planted a native plant garden at Burnside Plantation along the Monocacy Creek; written successful grant proposal for water quality testing equipment; created and wrote a column on the environment in her school newspaper; and led a school-wide effort to bring Liberty High School into compliance with state recycling laws. Karen Dolan, Executive Director of the Illick Mills Partnership, nominated this outstanding young environmentalist for the Student Ecologist Award. Leslie and Diane Nash of Bethlehem are Joelle’s parents.
David J. Scott, an Allentown Central Catholic High School senior. D.J. has been a leader in Central Catholic’s Ecology Club and their Jordan Meadows stream bank restoration project. Over the past two years, he wrote three successful grant proposals, raising $2,500 for Jordan Meadows. In addition to writing the grant proposals, D.J. also oversaw implementation of the grants, including purchasing the materials, keeping records, and documenting outcomes. He is also an Envirothon team members and co-presenter at the 5th annual Watershed Conference at Pool Wildlife Sanctuary. Thomas Shive, Ecology club advisor and science teacher, nominated D.J. and credits his leadership with the growth in interest in the club over the past few years. D.J.’s parents are David and Mary Scott of Schnecksville.
Emily Talago, a senior at Allentown Central Catholic. Environmental Science teacher and Ecology Club advisor Thomas Shive nominated Emily. She has been a member of Central Catholic’s Ecology Club for four years and for the past three years, is vice-president this year, and led the club’s ink-jet cartridge recycling program. The funds raised by Emily, over $1,500 in the past two years, have helped finance projects at the club’s Jordan Meadows Project in Allentown, an ongoing design and restoration effort on the banks of Jordan Creek. She has also handled the club’s correspondence both within the school and in the community, including soliciting donations for Jordan Meadows. Emily’s creativity has come in handy in helping to design the club’s letterhead, flag, and t-shirts, and she is a 4-year participant in Envirothon. She and fellow Student Ecologist, D.J. Scott, presented the Jordan Meadow stream bank restoration project to the Fifth annual Watershed Conference held at Pool Wildlife Sanctuary last fall. Michael and Leslie Talago of Allentown are Emily’s parents.
In the awards ceremony, Wildlife Center president Dan Kunkle praised the students for their interest and activism on behalf of wildlife and the environment. Each student received a certificate of merit, a wildlife book of their choosing, and a one-year membership in the Wildlife Center. Kunkle also praised the parents and teachers of these fine young people, for their roles in the lives of these outstanding young people. The students were invited to participate in the Center’s restoration activities at its new Lehigh Gap Wildlife Refuge, including a clean-up day next Saturday, Earth Day workshops, and an invasive plant removal day on April 30.
Kunkle also thanked Harleysville National Bank for sponsoring the awards.
For More Information Contact:
Lehigh Gap Nature Center
PO Box 198, Slatington, PA 18080
Tel: 610-760-8889
FAX: 610-760-8889
Internet:
wiclgap@ptd.net
