At the Side of Spring Creek: An Introduction

On a cold, rainy Earth Day (2021) we laid out flags to mark the site of each tree that would be planted in our new streamside research and Extension conservation area. For many years to come, we will be collecting lots of valuable information at this site along Spring Creek in Dauphin County, PA. Some of that information will be turned into research projects and journal publications for the scientific community. But more importantly, much of that information will be shared with you!

This article marks the first in our new series, At the Side of Spring Creek, which will share anecdotes, observations, lessons learned, and other tales of our adventures working in this conservation planting area. Many people have streams on their property. They can be a wonderful feature providing a beautiful view, interesting wildlife visitors, a place for kids to play, and more. They can also present a lifetime of challenges including flooding, bank collapse, out-of-control weeds, property loss, and safety hazards. Our upstream neighbors might not be the best stewards, and perhaps we are sending problems downstream ourselves.

At the Side of Spring Creek is meant to get you thinking about how streams work, what it is like to manage streamside property, and how wonderful or miserable it can be caring for a stream day-to-day. We hope to make you laugh, sigh, commiserate with us as we do the same with you, and learn a little something that might help you out.

If you want to learn more about the scientific research taking place at this site, you can read our earlier article about that. In the meantime, stay-tuned for our next installment - At the Side of Spring Creek: Pitfalls.