On August 11, 2017, the New York Geographic Allliance will be bringing the B-WET Upper Susquehanna Program to Elmira, NY to study the very important tributary in this system, the Chemung River. It will run from 9 AM to 3 PM. This is a partnership with the Greater Southern Tier BOCES Teacher Center and the Friends of the Chemung River. This is a FREE professional development opportunity for teachers and informal educators of the Susquehanna Valley (other teachers are welcome if room is available). 

Three views of the Chemung - Left: Its source, the Cohocton River, in Steuben County; Center: the Chemung River near Big Flats, and Right: the confluence of the Cheming (on the left) with the Susquehanna in Athens, PA. 

This workshop will consist to two parts. In the morning, we will work on mapping (geospatial technology) and modeling watersheds at the GST Teacher Center in Elmira. Light refreshments will be served. Time will be given to work on lessons that the B-WET staff has created, and they will be available to all participants in booklet and digital form. In the afternoon, we will move to West Elmira to study the river up close. We will be guided by Jim Pfiffer of the Friends of the Chemung, an organization dedicated to preserving the river's history and beauty. We will also look for macro-invertebrates and test the quality of the water with NYGA's specially designed kits. If you are a partner school with B-WET, you are eligible for your own water-testing kit (and many other resources, too)! 

The B-WET Upper Susquehanna Project is hoping to receive an extension of our grant into 2018. If you are teaching in this region, and you want your school to partner with us, come to this workshop! Partners will receive materials and logical help if you agree to hold outdoor activities, including stewardship. This includes your own water-testing kit. 

If you want to register for this workshop, you need to do so from MyLearningPlan. Contact Jenny Dean of GST BOCES for the details. If you want more information about the agenda of the day, contact Tim McDonnell of the New York Geographic Alliance. If you would like to have a flyer in PDF for this workshop, download it here.