Page 21 - Demo SS Fall 2016

dennis Koons featured in Chesapeake Bay Foundation Profile
The adjacent article (left, page 18) spotlights the role Dennis Koons played in stream restoration meas- ures along a portion of Antietam Creek.
board of directors, 2008–2011.
He is currently a member of the
Denny exemplifies the important role of the Bay watershed farmer right here in the Waynesboro area, using best management practices to improve stream water quality.
Denny has a strong connection with Renfrew Institute, having served as a member, vice president and president of the institute’s
institute’s Advisory Council and financial advisor to the institute’s endowment trustees.
In addition to farming, Denny is a financial consultant with Raymond James Financial Services, and is among the sponsors of Streamside.
Congratulations to Denny for this recognition from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
Italian exchange students learn about the Chesapeake Bay Watershed at renfrew Institute
Renfrew Institute isn’t just for local school kids, but for students around the world!
Ferry, W.Va. and Mercersburg, Pa. and were able to understand the connections within the watershed.
“Wading into the creek, students collected tiny critters by shuffling their feet in front of the net and reaching in with their hands to flip over rocks,” Melodie explained.
Through the World Exchange Program (WEP-USA), a group of 15 high school students from Italy visited Renfrew Institute in July to learn about the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the Antietam Creek.
The visiting students also learned about local plant and animal life. Shippensburg University geo- environmental students, Emily Heckman, Megan Leeper and Aca- cia Snedaker were summer interns with the institute, and presented their project that identifies and illustrates flora and fauna found in the Antietam Creek watershed. [See article on page 5.]
Different worms, mayfly nymphs and caddisfly larvae were found, but the crayfish were the most popular, and the students observed the cray- fish’s resemblance to lobster.
The students were in the United States for three weeks for an inten- sive study program to learn about the Washington D.C. region.
The students were accompanied by their teacher, Maria Tereasa Nicoli, who remarked, “Before, the kids were ‘water resistant’ but now, they are ‘waterproof’!”
While at Renfrew, the exchange students learned about how the Antietam Creek flows through Waynesboro and into the Potomac River, eventually spilling into the Chesapeake Bay. They had previously visited sites in Baltimore, Harpers
The Italian students got their feet wet when institute executive director, Melodie Anderson-Smith, intro- duced them to the kick net, a spe- cial net used to collect macro invertebrates.
Laura Puckett, Community Coordinator for PAX Academic Exchange, arranged the visit to Renfrew, and families in Franklin County, Pa., Maryland and West Virginia hosted the Italian students during their three-week stay.
PAX is always looking for families to host international exchange students. Interested persons should contact Laura at: lauraepuckett@gmail.com or by phone at 717-404-3698.
Emma Lewis
Led by Melodie Anderson-Smith (second from right), a group of Italian exchange students waded into Renfrew Park’s Antietam Creek to look for “creek critters,” also known as macro invertebrates. Renfrew Institute presented a special program on July 13 to teach the students about the Chesapeake Bay watershed and
Antietam Creek. Photo by Emma Lewis. 19