Watershed Conservation Research Center

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Watershed Conservation Research Center We aim to protect French Creek Watershed & work with students to preserve FCW for future generations.

Yesterday, the WCRC joined Dr. Matt Kaunert from the Clean Water Institute at Lycoming College to perform Eastern Hellbe...
09/30/2026

Yesterday, the WCRC joined Dr. Matt Kaunert from the Clean Water Institute at Lycoming College to perform Eastern Hellbender nest box surveys. During these surveys, the nest boxes are inspected using an underwater camera to determine occupancy and look for the presence of eggs. If a Hellbender is present and the box contains eggs, the adult and eggs are temporarily removed in order to count the number of eggs present and to measure and weigh the male Hellbender. The Hellbender is also swabbed to look for the presence of chytrid fungus and ranavirus. The Hellbender and egg mass are then carefully returned to the nest.

These surveys are critical in assessing Eastern Hellbender reproductive ability and in monitoring the success rate of nests in Northwest Pennsylvania. The WCRC plans to continue this work in the French Creek watershed.

Come one, come all! Visit our table at the annual French Creek Cleanup today from 11-3. Reminder the Cleanup has moved t...
09/12/2026

Come one, come all! Visit our table at the annual French Creek Cleanup today from 11-3. Reminder the Cleanup has moved to the Crawford County Fairgrounds this year, enter through gate 1. Come see us!

Yesterday, the WCRC teamed up with Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) tag 350...
08/28/2026

Yesterday, the WCRC teamed up with Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) tag 350 Channel Catfish at the Linesville Fish Hatchery. PIT tags are a type of microchip that contain a unique number for each tag. They function without batteries and must be scanned at short range by either a handheld scanner or an antenna array.

These fish will be stocked in Lake LeBeouf in Waterford, PA. In combination with transponder arrays, we will be able to track the movement of these fish into and out of the lake.

Last week, the WCRC partnered with the Crawford County Conservation District and Penn State Extension NWPA Master Waters...
08/24/2026

Last week, the WCRC partnered with the Crawford County Conservation District and Penn State Extension NWPA Master Watershed Stewards to perform a pre restoration survey on Little Sugar Creek.

The summer research season has flown by and our summer research technicians presented on their summer research for URSCA...
07/21/2026

The summer research season has flown by and our summer research technicians presented on their summer research for URSCA. Jacob Hochstetler ‘28, Emma Stephens ‘29, and Gage Johnson ‘29 investigated darter abundance in response to stream water hydrology in the Upper Allegheny Watershed. They found that Rainbow and Fantail darter populations have a positive relationship with stream width while Johnny darter populations have a positive relationship with stream temperature. Thank you to Jacob, Emma, and Gage for their hard work this summer!

Congratulations to Allegheny College and WCRC students Ryan Cox '26, Lorenzo Tovanche '26, Abi Riedel '27, and Mitchell ...
04/30/2026

Congratulations to Allegheny College and WCRC students Ryan Cox '26, Lorenzo Tovanche '26, Abi Riedel '27, and Mitchell Curtis '26 for presenting their research at the Penn State Behrend-Sigma Xi Undergraduate Research and Creative Accomplishment Conference this past weekend. Ryan won 1st place for Oral Presentation in the Biology Session! We are so proud of the amazing research our students produce and wish our seniors the best of luck with their graduation and careers!

04/30/2026

We are pleased to announce the release of our April 2026 Newsletter. This issue focuses on recently completed and upcoming long term WCRC projects. We also bid farewell to outgoing students and welcome our new summer research team. Finally we check in with WCRC alumni that are doing some amazing research in Texas!

The time is now! Today is the 12th annual Gator Give Day! Are you ready to Jump in for Allegheny?? You can donate at htt...
04/16/2026

The time is now! Today is the 12th annual Gator Give Day! Are you ready to Jump in for Allegheny?? You can donate at https://www.givecampus.com/schools/AlleghenyCollege/gator-give-day-2026/?a=12319894

Remember you can designate your donation for the WCRC and that if we surpass last year's donation totals, our research scientists, Mark and Bryan, will be Jumping In.. to French Creek which is still very chilly!

We are only one week away from the big day, the 12th annual Gator Give Day! Are you going to help us Jump in for the WCR...
04/09/2026

We are only one week away from the big day, the 12th annual Gator Give Day! Are you going to help us Jump in for the WCRC?? You can begin donating now and don’t forget to designate the WCRC as one of your recipients. Remember if we surpass last year’s donors and money raised, Mark and Bryan will be Jumping In… to a frigid French Creek!

Valentine’s Day may be over, but love is in the air at the vernal pools in Northwest Pennsylvania. Wood frogs are typica...
03/11/2026

Valentine’s Day may be over, but love is in the air at the vernal pools in Northwest Pennsylvania. Wood frogs are typically the first arrivals to the vernal pools sometimes arriving before the ice has fully melted. Males will embrace females in a process known as amplexus. It is not uncommon to see multiple males trying to grab onto a single female.

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Allegheny College
Meadville, PA
16335

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