Tag results for: environment

A History of the Susquehanna and Delaware River Basin Through the Perspective of the American Shad

Category: Season 4

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Dr. Charles Hardy

West Chester University

Dr. Hardy is Professor of History at West Chester University and is the producer of award-winning public radio, video, and web-based documentaries and historical websites.

This is a comprehensive historical overview of the ups and downs of the American Shad population in the Delaware River watershed from precolonial times to the present day. It’s the story of how the Shad helped Pennsylvania’s leaders to understand the interrelationships over time of economic development, law, public health, resource management, the environment, and our culture.

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Weather Wise: Prepare and Be Safe

Category: Season 6

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Jeff Jumper

State Meteorologist, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency

Jeff Jumper is the state meteorologist for the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. Since 2015, Jeff has worked to better prepare the agency and its stakeholders for weather hazards through forecasts, outreach, partnerships, and training. Previously, Jeff spent nearly a decade as a broadcast meteorologist in Pennsylvania, Alabama, and Louisiana.

Winter weather provides challenges for all Pennsylvanians, but as we age it can get tougher to deal with what Mother Nature has to offer during the cold season. This MindMatters will cover some of Pennsylvania’s winter weather hazards and provide some preparedness and safety tips to help you through the winter.

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Pennsylvania State Parks and Forests Getting Involved!

Category: Season 7

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Marci Mowery, President

Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation

A native of Lancaster County, Marci Mowery spent her youth exploring the natural areas of the county and the mountains near the family camp, which shaped her future as a professional conservation leader. Her 27-year career spans various positions with the National Audubon Society and as President of the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation. When not ‘speaking for the trees’, Marci enjoys exploring new places, trying new foods, and reading.

Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests provide a myriad of opportunities for engaging in the outdoors. Learn about the many values and benefits of spending time in the outdoors and explore easy ways to get involved in your local state parks and forests.

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Protecting Yourself from Tick Bites

Category: Season 8

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Dr. Erika Machtinger, Assistant Professor of Entomology Pennsylvania State University

Dr. Erika Machtinger holds a B.S. from the University of Delaware in Wildlife Conservation and Ecology, and a M.S. and PhD in Entomology from the University of Florida. Her research on ticks and tick-borne diseases started at the USDA in Maryland developing area-wide tools to control ticks. Currently, Dr. Machtinger is focused on improving tick control tools that homeowners can use and understanding more about the behavior of ticks to develop new control tools. Dr. Machtinger is also the team leader for the vector-borne disease team at Penn State Extension. The focus of the team is reducing the risk of tick and tick-borne disease exposure to people and animals throughout the Commonwealth.

The best offense is a good defense! In this presentation, participants will learn about avoidance, prevention, and reduction–and how each of these steps can help reduce the risk of tick bites and tick-borne disease. We can’t always be in control of our environment, but there are many things that we can do to help prevent tick bites!

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Pennsylvania’s Flooding Hazards & How to Prepare for Them

Category: Season 9

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Jeff Jumper, PEMA

Jeff Jumper is the Resiliency Program Manager within the Bureau of Recovery at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA). Prior to moving to this resiliency role, Jeff was the PEMA State Meteorologist from 2015 until 2022. During his PEMA tenure, Jeff has helped to better prepare the agency and its stakeholders for weather hazards through forecasts, outreach, partnerships, and training.

Tom Hughes, PEMA

Tom Hughes is the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s State Hazard Mitigation Officer (SHMO) with the PA Emergency Management Agency. As the SHMO, he is responsible for the revision of all 67 FEMA required county Hazard Mitigation Plans and 14 State System of Higher Education (state colleges) Disaster Resistant University Plans.

“I don’t live in a flood zone. Am I at risk?” The short answer is, yes. Anywhere it can rain, it can also flood. Did you know that 90% of the flooding that was reported to the National Weather Service was outside of the 100-year flood zone? Using an innovative flooding demonstration tool, representatives from the PA Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) will show you why it now floods in areas that might not have flooded before and what you can do to protect yourself and your belongings.

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The Invasive Spotted Lanternfly

Category: Season 9

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Emelie Swackhamer, Extension Educator

Emelie Swackhamer has served as a horticulture educator with Penn State Extension for 27 years. Penn State Extension provides research-based information to help people solve real world problems. Emelie mostly works with landscapers and ornamental plant growers but tries to help anyone with a question about growing plants. She has been on the educational front line of the local spotted lanternfly invasion since its discovery in 2014. This talk will describe the life cycle of the insect, the impact it is having on trees, crops and landscapes, and a variety of management options.

The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is a pest of grapes, walnuts and other trees and is a nuisance in
residential landscapes. This talk focuses on the biology, behavior, and management of this insect. You will
hear about regulations in place to slow the spread, and some of the research that is taking place.

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Protecting Yourself from Mosquito Bites

Category: Season 9

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Emily Struckhoff, Vector-Borne Disease Program Specialist

Emily is an Education Program Specialist on Penn State Extension’s Vector-Borne Disease Team. She received her B.S. in Biology from Saint Louis University and M.S. in Entomology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. At Penn State Extension, Emily develops and delivers programming about vectors, such as ticks and mosquitoes, throughout the state, and she is passionate about helping the people of Pennsylvania protect themselves from vector-borne diseases.

Mosquitoes are a common pest throughout Pennsylvania in the spring and summer months, but how can we protect ourselves from these insects? In this presentation, attendees will learn about mosquito biology, the diseases they can cause, and strategies you can use to protect yourself from mosquito bites.

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Preparing Together – Are you Ready PA?

Category: Season 10

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Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA)

Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA). PEMA helps people prepare for all kinds of emergencies. Representatives hosting the workshop are trained in preparedness and have helped others make easy to follow materials to help you Be Ready.

The Preparing Together – Are you Ready PA? workshop is a unique opportunity for older adults to start (or continue) to plan for what to do during different types of emergencies. The best time to prepare is before something happens. From knowing what to do if you lose electricity in your home to who will take care of your pet if you have to leave your home unexpectedly, this workshop will guide you through how to Be Ready and be safe.

This workshop walks participants through completing the Preparing Together workbook. There are opportunities to pause the presentation to allow a bit more time for participants to complete the pages or discuss their experiences. Participants will leave with a workbook that has a magnet on the back so they can keep it on a refrigerator or somewhere that is easy to get to.

Hosting the program is simple. PEMA will:

  • Ship the free workbooks and a flashlight for each participant directly to your Senior Center, free of charge.
  • Invite an emergency management representative to be with you during a workshop held at your Senior Center (in person or virtually).
  • Provide a flyer to help you promote the program that you can customize for your Senior Center if you choose.

 

To offer this program, complete the materials request form: www.surveymonkey.com/r/Prepare2gether

Depending on availability of an emergency management representative, this program could be provided within two weeks from when you complete the form.

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Ticks of Pennsylvania

Category: Season 10

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Emily Struckhoff, Vector-Borne Disease Program Specialist

Emily is an Education Program Specialist on Penn State Extension’s Vector-Borne Disease Team. She received her B.S. in Biology from Saint Louis University and M.S. in Entomology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. At Penn State Extension, Emily develops and delivers programming about vectors, such as ticks and mosquitoes, throughout the state, and she is passionate about helping the people of Pennsylvania protect themselves from vector-borne diseases.

If you have spent time outdoors in Pennsylvania, you have probably encountered ticks. However, did you know that there are many species of ticks found within the state, and that different ticks can cause different diseases? In this presentation, attendees will learn about the most common ticks in Pennsylvania and how to prevent tick bites.

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The Sun!

Category: Season 10

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Lou Thieblemont, Viking Resident Astronomer

Lou Thieblemont pursued his interest in astronomy throughout his 30-plus-year airline piloting career and into his retirement, serving as the Astronomical Society of Long Island’s program director, the Astronomical Society of Harrisburg’s vice president, and the Museum of Scientific Discovery’s board member. He now produces astronomy-related educational talks for various organizations.

This is a light-hearted presentation on how the Sun works. Using everyday terminology, Lou explains how our Sun converts the simplest atom, Hydrogen, into Helium. He also shares how the Sun’s power gives us what we need to sustain life here on earth.

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A Honey Bee’s Life

Category: Season 11

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Denny Gorman, Certified Master Beekeeper & Vice President of the Lancaster County Beekeepers Society

Denny Gorman works to introduce novices to beekeeping and offers opportunities for learning for anyone who has an interest in honey bees and beekeeping. He has retired from a career in sales, marketing, and advertising where he spent many years on the national circuit as a professional speaker, trainer, and presenter. He and his wife Beth are the owners of Indian Marker Hives in Conestoga, Pennsylvania.

This entertaining and educational presentation explores the daily life of a honey bee, Apis mellifera. Follow her as she grows from egg to honey-producing forager. See the world through all 5 of her eyes. Understand her role in the pollination of more than 1/3 of all we eat. Learn why bees are important to humans, and some amazing facts about the intelligence and capability of these vital little insects and the golden liquid they produce.

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