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Pasto Agricultural Museum to host two novel water-quality workshops

An ichthyologist shares samples of fish and macroinvertebrates collected in the field with a group of adults and children during a recent presentation at the Pasto Museum. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Pasto Agricultural Museum, in collaboration with the Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center, is hosting two in-person workshops related to water quality.

Both the “First Investigation of Stream Health” — better known as FISH Protocol — and the “Homeowner's Guide to Stormwater” workshops will take place in the coming weeks at the museum in Pennsylvania Furnace, at 2710 W. Pine Grove Road, at the rear of the Ag Progress Days site. 

The first event, “First Investigation of Stream Health, will be offered from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday Aug. 5. A fun, family friendly, interactive workshop, this training shows participants how to evaluate and track the health of their nearby stream through a citizen science tool called FISH. 

“This event will include walking on groomed trails, and participants will have the option to wade in the shallow stream near the museum to observe aquatic habitats,” said Rita Graef, Pasto Museum curator. 

The second workshop, from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday Sept. 2, will teach homeowners how to minimize stormwater runoff through landscape improvements. This event will include a tour of the Pasto Agricultural Museum grounds to observe the potential for stormwater runoff and implementation of stormwater practices.

“We are highlighting the intersection between science and history at the museum, and these workshops fit in with that concept,” said Graef. “These enjoyable sessions will demonstrate how participants can improve both their properties and the local environment. I hope people will take advantage of these opportunities to learn.”

Register for either workshop here.

Also planned at the Pasto Agricultural Museum are “On the Go” Research Unplugged Lectures, to be offered in partnership with Schlow Regional Library on Thursdays in October, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Topics will focus on research in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

And on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings in October at the Pasto Museum, “THIS! Is What AgSci Looks Like” presentations will be offered. Perfect for young people and their grown-ups, these hands-on, family-friendly experiences will include opportunities to meet scientists in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

Last Updated July 29, 2021

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