Hartwick’s Pine Lake Nets $201,000 Watershed Education Grant

Oneonta, NY, August 03, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Hartwick College's Pine Lake Institute for Environmental and Sustainability Studies has received a three-year, $201,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for an initiative entitled: "Think, Act, Protect the Upper Susquehanna River Watershed" (TAP-US).

The goal of the project is to increase knowledge, understanding and action in order to protect and maintain the Upper Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. TAP-US is a collaborative partnership between the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training Program, Hartwick's Pine Lake Institute, Hartwick students and faculty, K-12 teachers in regional school districts and Project Watershed - an initiative of the Izaak Walton League of America and Cornell Cooperative Extension Service-Onondaga County.

One of the many goals of the TAP-US initiative is to engage Hartwick faculty and students, regional watershed experts and local teachers in an effort to develop and implement lesson plans that provide students with hands-on, outdoor learning opportunities.

According to Dr. Brian Hagenbuch, PLI director and principal investigator of the grant, "TAP-US will enhance awareness of the local outdoors and will involve students in long-term studies to protect and maintain the ecology of rivers, streams and wetlands in the Upper Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds."

"TAP-US will prepare teachers and students to study the local effects of events like hurricanes and droughts in real time, monitor their impact all the way to the Chesapeake Bay and engage in efforts to reduce threats in their local environment," continued Hagenbuch. "It's a great way to make learning fun and contribute towards understanding and protecting the entire watershed."

The TAP-US grant supports an annual week-long summer professional development workshop for regional teachers at Hartwick's Pine Lake Environmental Campus, as well as site visits to Pine Lake and other aquatic environments for school children, a website for communication among partners and an annual symposium showcasing successful efforts. Participating teachers may qualify for a stipend and schools can receive watershed equipment and supplies for their classrooms. Teachers interested in participating in the TAP-US collaborative should email pinelake@hartwick.edu or go to www.hartwick.edu/pinelake for more information.

For more information, contact Dan Morse, Coordinator of Sustainability Programs for Hartwick College's Pine Lake Institute for Environmental and Sustainability Studies at 607-431-4666 or morsed@hartwick.edu.

About Hartwick
Hartwick College is a private liberal arts and sciences college of 1,500 students, located in Oneonta, NY, in the northern foothills of the Catskill Mountains. Hartwick's expansive curriculum emphasizes a uniquely experiential approach to the liberal arts. Through personalized teaching, collaborative research, a unique January Term, a wide range of internships, and vast study-abroad opportunities, Hartwick ensures that students are prepared for the world ahead. A Three Year Bachelor’s Degree Program and strong financial aid and scholarship offerings keep a Hartwick education affordable.