On November 5 and 6, the Bucknell Center for Sustainability & the Environment (BCSE) will host the 16th annual Susquehanna River Symposium in the Elaine Langone Center (ELC).

“This year’s event will highlight and promote collaborative partnerships that focus on improving the health and resilience of streams and aquatic ecosystems,” said Program Director, Watershed Sciences & Engineering and symposium chair, Benjamin Hayes.

Mike Ferlazzo, Director of Media Relations, announced that this year’s theme will be “Restoration to Resilience: Creating Partnerships to Improve Watershed Health from the Headwaters to the Bay.”

The keynote speaker will be Joel Dunn, president and CEO of the Chesapeake Conservancy on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the ELC Forum. His presentation is titled “Restoration to Resilience: Creating Collaborative Partnerships to Improve the Health of our Watersheds from the Headwaters to the Bay.”

After Dunn’s address, over 100 faculty and students from surrounding universities and Geisinger will be presenting research in the Terrace Room.

On Saturday, Andrew Stuhl, Associate Professor and Department Chair of Environmental Studies & Sciences, is scheduled to present from 9 to 10 a.m. in the ELC Forum.

“His presentation will draw on the historical research he conducted with Presidential Fellow Bethany Fitch ’23, a theatre and environmental studies double major,” said Ferlazzo in the release. “Stuhl and Fitch created more than 20 oral histories with Pennsylvanians who lived through the flood of 1972 caused by the remnants of Hurricane Agnes and the torrential rain it brought upon the east coast.”

Saturday will also feature Dave and Wendy Bray, educators and keepers of Seneca white corn, Oneo-gen, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the ELC Forum.

In the release, Ferlazzo said that they will present on the traditional practices of the Haudenosaunee Nation, commonly known as the Iroquois.

“The history and science of corn, green corn traditional dishes and cooking methods, the Longhouse seasonal ceremonial cycle, and the gift of the Life Sustainers will all be discussed during their presentation,” said Ferlazzo.

In Walls Lounge of the ELC, Lara Fowler, assistant director of the Penn State Institute of Energy and the Environment, will give the keynote address for the luncheon from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m on Saturday.

She will present on research conducted on the flood impacts and flood risks in the Susquehanna Valley region. Information from recent FEMA data and concerns raised by community members will also be covered.

“The symposium annually draws together people who share a common interest in rivers, watersheds, communities and the connections between them,” said Mike Ferlazzo, Director of Media Relations, in a press release. “Participants will share ideas to work toward a common goal of ensuring that local watersheds remain healthy for generations to come. At the event, the public can interact with academics and professionals through presentations and breakout discussions.”

Additional presentations will be given on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. in the ELC.