Let the Filming Begin!

QV Creekers are now working on a short documentary about the Jefferson Salamander Habitat Restoration Project in Bell Acres Borough!  They hope to have it ready for the Spring Creek Connections Conference at Camp Kon-O-kwee.

QV Creekers Visit Sewickley Academy!

Kudos to Logan, Laura and Stephen who visited Sewickley Academy's Creek Club group on December 5th 2012 to talk about some of the past projects that the QV Creekers have been working on! QV Creekers will be working with SA's new Creek Club on various projects throughout the year.

QV Creekers are Back for 2012-2013!

The QV Creekers have been a busy group since our training in October 2012!  We have 6 new members this year!  Here are some things we have been up to since the start of the school year!

·        Training Day - On October 2^nd 2012, all QV Creekers spent 9am-2pm at Walker Park/SHBP for training.  We conducted some team building activities which helped the new students to get to know one another better.  Experienced creekers presented our poster displays from the past 3 years to the new creekers and updated them on what we have been doing in terms of past projects.  We discussed the QVRA situation and we also discussed Ed Schroth’s efforts to upgrade LSC to an exceptional value stream.  We also set up our 2 herpetological cover board surveys, these will serve as our research project for the creek connections conference in Spring 2013.

·        ALLARM Testing – The QV Creekers will continue to help with collection of monthly ALLARM testing data.  This will provide accurate baseline data in terms of TDS, conductivity and water level before any Marcellus Shale Gas Extraction activity enters the LSC watershed.  LSCWA Volunteers and the QV Creekers (including alumni) have been collecting data twice a month since Jan 2012.

·        Fish Shocking - On October 10th 2012, the creekers went fish shocking with Western Pa Conservancy Biologist, Eric Chapman.  Fish shocking volunteers and QV Creekers examined 3 sites on the LS Creek watershed (one on each branch and one below the dam at Woodland Road).  This is the 4^th consecutive year that we have witnessed high fish diversity below dam (about 22 species) and low diversity (4-5 species) above the dam on both branches.

·        Jefferson Salamander Project - This year the QV Creekers will continue the Jefferson salamander project with Dr. Catie Hanna of Robert Morris University’s Biology Dept.  Creekers will work with Dr. Hanna and her students to mark and recapture Jefferson salamanders this spring for a population study.  They will also take a greater role in checking the traps at the study site.  Last year, we caught and marked 149 Jefferson salamanders and approx 6 Spotted salamanders.  We had a work day at the site on November 5th 2012 to prepare for the 2013 spring migration.

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·        Herpetological Cover Board Study- Cover boards are 2’X 2’ pieces of metal or untreated plywood that herpetologists use to survey for salamander and snake species by lifting and counting.  During training in October, QV Creekers assembled 15 cover boards for herpetological surveys in the watershed.  Creekers labeled and camouflaged (with spray paint) each of the boards.    This will serve as our research project for the creek connections conference in spring 2013.  These boards will also be incorporated into some FHNC elementary school programs as well as amphibian programs which are offered to the public through FHNC in the spring.

Fish Stocking on Little Sewickley Creek

Fish Stocking on Little Sewickley Creek

On April 9th 2012, the QV Creekers helped to stock over 400 trout (Rainbow and Brown) into Little Sewickley Creek.  Stocking was done at several locations throughout the watershed.  Brown trout have been known to spawn in this creek.

Amphibian Restoration Site Work!

QV Creekers continue their work to improve the breeding site of a number of amphibians at the Bell Acres Sewage Plant. 

Salamanders caught during spring migration 2012 were given a small colored elastomer injection just under the skin (near underarms) to give each salamander a distinguishing mark that will allow us to identify each salamander individually. This procedure was done by Dr. Hanna from Robert Morris University.  These elastomer markings are only visible using a black light, so they will not cause increased predation on the salamanders when they are in the wild.

This process will allow us to keep track of the individual salamanders that continue to migrate to our ponds each year. We also weigh and measure the snout vent length & total of all the salamanders caught.  This will also show us how the salamanders are doing health-wise.

This experiment will shed light on the behaviors and natural history of these animals in the wild.

Amphibian Restoration Project

The QV Creekers continue their work to restore the amphibian breeding site in Bell Acres, PA.  On March 13th 2012, the Qv Creekers met with Dr Catie Hanna of Robert Morris Univesity to help mark salamanders caught during migration 2012.  Dr Hanna gave  each salamander  a small colored elastomer injection just under the skin (near underarms) to give each salamander a distinguishing mark that will allow us to identify each salamander individually.  These elastomer markings are only visible using a black light, so they will not cause increased predation on the salamanders when they are in the wild.

This process will allow us to keep track of the individual salamanders that continue to migrate to our ponds each year. We also weigh and measure the snout vent length & total of all the salamanders caught.  This will also show us how the salamanders are doing health-wise.  This experiment will shed light on the behaviors and natural history of these animals in the wild.

"Once a Creeker, Always a Creeker"

Big Thank you to former QV Creeker Nick Popovich!  He has been volunteering his time to help collect creek measurements and water samples for QV Creekers, even though he is taking a load of college courses!  

AQUAPONICS!

Eric with his aquaponics system

Eric gave the group a tour of how the aquaponics system works. Students were able to eat some of the plants growing in the system which included wheatgrass and lettuce.

Sophmore QV Creeker (Eric B) gives an overview of the aquaponics system he built in his basement for his sophmore project. Eric learned about aquaponics while at Allegheny College's Creek Camp (Creek Connections Program) last summer.   The system is basically a 3 tier set-up.  On the lower deck below the level in the picture above, you will find fish living in a tank. Their wastewater is pumped up through the system allowing the plants to take advantage of their waste for growth.  These systems are now being used in 3rd world countries to generate food production.  Eric keeps close watch over the system and tests the water periodically for nitrates, pH level etc...

ALLARM Testing



Abbey examines 2 samples collected from Little Sewickley Creek in Jan 2012



QV Creeker (Eva) tests water at Barberry Road site on Little Sewickley Creek

On Jan 18 2012, the QV Creekers were visited by Veronica Coptis of the Mountain Watershed Association.  Veronica spoke to the creekers about the new testing they will be doing on Little Sewickley Creek for the next year.  Students will collect monthly water samples from 5 locations in the watershed and test for TDS and conductivity.  They will also record surrogate stream flow  The purpose of this testing is to start gathering baseline water quality data before any type of drilling takes place for natural gas extraction in the Marcellus shale formation within the watershed.  There are currently no drill sites within the LSC watershed, however the data collected by the creekers will serve as a baseline record before any drilling activities begin.  The first round of water samples were sent to Dickison College for Quality Control through the ALLARM program.