BVA Home Page || Membership Information || 
BVA Board  ||  Education Programs ||  Upcoming Events || BVA Groundwater Model

Watershed News 
Brandywine Valley Association      Volume LIX, No.4  October, 2003

BVA Holds 58th Annual Meeting At Historical Society
Brandywine Valley Association’s Fifty-eighth Annual Meeting was held at the Chester County Historical Society Thursday, October 23. Following a trend in recent years, the Association held its meeting at a site in the valley so that members could learn more about other organizations. During the reception, members and guests were able to view the exhibits at the Historical Society, as well as visit the History Center

The Annual Meeting provided an opportunity to hear about BVA’s work over the past year and to honor environmental educators for their work.

BVA President Carl J. Meister Jr. noted that BVA had recently adopted a strategic plan after nine months of work and will use the plan to guide the Association’s programs in the next three to five years. He also noted that a master plan was adopted for the Saalbach Farm near Coatesville and will be used to guide future programming and improvements at the 225-acre farm. President Meister also acknowledged the work of board members and volunteers who are critical to the success of the BVA’s work.

BVA Education Director Ellen Lake and Watershed Learning Center (WLC) Coordinator Heidi Militana presented the evening’s environmental education awards.

The Environmental Instructor of the Year Award went to Stephanie Bassham for her work with the Watershed Learning Center programs at Brandywine Springs and Warner Elementary Schools. 

 She has been the leader of the program at these schools, which are now continuing the program with their own support.  

Linda Brook, a teacher at Downingtown Middle School, received the Environmental Teacher of the Year award. She has been actively involved in environmental programming for many years and helped to coordinate the Watershed Learning Center programs at her school.

Both award recipients were featured in a video on the Watershed Learning Center program.

Finance Committee Chair Tom Varley reported on the 2002 fiscal picture. In addition, the board re-elected the following current directors: Sally Hagele, Marjorie Hoffman, Steve Hoyt, Tom McCaffrey, Carl J. Meister Jr., Marshall Steinberg and Bruce West.

Executive Director Bob Struble completed the evening with a slide presentation highlighting events of the past year and providing a perspective on the challenges ahead.

President Meister noted at the end of the meeting that BVA will be undertaking a new program to help improve the quality of all the streams in the watershed. The program slogan will be "Help Us To Make the Red Streams Blue and the Blue Streams Bluer."

 


Pictured L to R: Education Director Ellen Lake, Environmental Instructor of the Year Stephanie Bassham, Environmental Teacher of the Year Linda Brook and WLC Coordinator Heidi Militana

September Storm Stirs Flooding
While most Brandywine Valley residents were thinking ahead to Hurricane Isabel, a short but destructive storm hit the valley September 15. The rainfall was very isolated and most of the flooding occurred in the Downingtown area. Rainfall distribution and the intensity of the rain were the primary reasons for the flooding. The saturated soils from a rain earlier in the weekend also contributed to the problems.

The storm moved up through Kennett Square in the Red Clay Valley and centered over Downingtown. Rainfall readings showed that the Downingtown vicinity received seven to eight inches of rain in a six or seven hour period. Rainfall readers to the west in Coatesville showed three to four inches and, in the northern part of the watershed, two inches or less. Readings to the east and south of Downingtown also showed much lower levels.

Because of the isolated nature of the storm, the Brandywine impoundments

 were not as effective in helping to reduce flooding in Downingtown. The most intense rains fell below the im-poundments, limiting their effectiveness. Because the rain came so quickly and was not predicted, many people were caught unprepared. Cars, as well as homes, businesses and industries, were damaged due to high water. The primary damage was limited to floodplain areas, such as Downingtown.

Some observers cited the increased development near Downingtown as a factor in the flooding. While more development does have an influence on stormwater, in this particular case the volume and intensity of rain, coupled with the saturated soils, caused most of the flooding. This type of flooding is difficult to prevent, and, in this instance, early warning would have been the best response. As stormwater measures that focus on recharge and reuse become more commonplace, flooding can be better managed but, unfortunately, will never be eliminated.

                                                                                               

A Season of Firsts

The year 2003 proved a season of firsts from start to finish at the Myrick Center’s Agriculture Development Area. The installation of a new greenhouse enabled BVA to greatly expand the agriculture education programs. The greenhouse provides a frost-free area to grow plants for weeks both before the last spring frost and after the last fall frost, extending the growing season and availability of these programs for local schools. The extra space in the greenhouse enables BVA to start a larger number and wider variety of seedlings, improving diversity in the garden. The space also makes it possible for students participating in a double visit garden program to plant a seed during their first visit and let it grow for six weeks until the students return for a second program and take their plant home.

Piping connected the well that was drilled last fall to a series of hydrants installed in the garden and greenhouse. This access to water saved an enormous amount of time and energy involved in watering the garden. Mother Nature also made a marked contribution in rainfall. The well currently runs on electric power, solar panels will be installed next year.

For the first time the number of high school Earth Club students participating in after school volunteer work in the garden exceeded the number of middle school students. Many of the high school students volunteered over the past two growing seasons and are developing into very knowledgeable young gardeners, capable of troubleshooting and working independently in the garden while mentoring the younger students.

 In June BVA welcomed the public to the dedication of the new greenhouse. And for the first time the total amount of produce donated to the Kennett Food Cupboard exceeded one ton. Thanks in large part to abundant rainfall and the increasing skills of adult and student volunteers, 2003 donations are approaching 3200 pounds.

BVA’s fair entries earned many first placeawards at local fairs, including ten first place awards and 21 overall at the Goshen Country Fair. BVA’s best showing ever at the Unionville Community Fair yielded 25 first place awards and 36 ribbons overall. The prize money will be put toward next year’s seed order. Compost bins, constructed by a local Eagle Scout, will provide new learning opportunities and enable BVA to make compost more effectively, helping to maintain proper soil nutrition in the garden for years to come.

Most importantly, the 2003 garden area improvements enabled BVA to offer agriculture education programs to more school students and summer campers than ever before, with approximately 700 school students and summer campers participating in agriculture and integrated pest management programs.

Many thanks to all who have donated time, energy and materials to help keep our garden growing!

Garden Volunteers Needed!

Help us to keep our organic vegetable garden growing!

Call 610-793-1090 and ask for Ellen!

Earth Club students are pictured with Ellen (far right) at the June Dedication of the new greenhouse.

 

Water Conditions Now Within Normal Range

 With the abundant rains in September, all of the water condition indicators are now in normal or above normal ranges. For this year, rainfall is more than 10 inches ahead of normal and, for the last 12 months, more than 18 inches ahead. For the past 24 months, the total rainfall is now more than two inches above normal.

The rainfall has translated into higher than normal groundwater levels and streamflows. Groundwater levels are at springtime peaks when fall lows are normally registered. Ordinarily, ground

water levels are bottoming out this time of year and head back up to a peak in the spring. Currently groundwater levels are at the high end of the spring normal range.

As a result of rain and groundwater levels, streamflows have stayed above normal throughout summer and fall. Like groundwater, streamflows are bottoming out and beginning to head up. Because of the strong streamflows, Marsh Creek has not released at all this year, which is an unusual occurrence.

As the watershed heads into winter, all water conditions are in very good shape. From last year’s nearly twelve- month drought emergency, the valley has recovered completely and is now in one of the strongest conditions in many years. The current situation bodes well for next spring and a return to normal rainfall should keep groundwater and streamflow levels in the normal range as well.
 

 

Environmental Education Notes

Weather Provides Learning Opportunities

Local students have returned to the classroom after missing school courtesy of Hurricane Isabel and fall floods. This provides an opportunity to discuss some of the typical and atypical environmental events that have taken place leading into this fall.

First, the planet Mars graced us a with a close fly by, relatively speaking, passing a mere 56 million kilometers or so from Earth and offering amateur star gazers the opportunity to take a closer look. According to NASA, Neanderthals were the last people to get this close to the red planet.

The fall is hurricane season in this region as a variety of favorable conditions for hurricane formation prevail in the tropics of the Atlantic Ocean. Warm water at the ocean surface, light winds and high humidity combine to form tropical disturbances. These disturbances have the potential to grow into tropical storms and eventually hurricanes. Sometimes, as was the case with Hurricane Isabel, the jet stream will pull the hurricane toward the East Coast.

So how does this impact fall programs? Big events get people’s attention, remind us that we are all part of something bigger that we cannot control, and prompt children and adults alike to ask questions. Many people hunkered down around camp lanterns to watch and listen to the storm, but how did the animals cope? Why did so many trees fall down? Why was there so much flooding?

During BVA’s fall programs, students will explore the land to look for signs of erosion and to find spots where water collects. They will participate in activities to learn about how and where water is absorbed, how runoff occurs when soil becomes saturated and construct models of watersheds.

Younger students will learn how animals prepare for the winter by playing games to learn about migration and hibernation. Older students will take a look at the last flowers of the season to learn about plant parts and the important role of pollinators. They will review the life cycles of plants and take a walk in search of seeds and sort those seeds by the ways they disperse. Students also will take a closer look at the changing colors of leaves.

Shorter days and colder temperatures trigger trees to stop photosynthesizing, and the green chlorophyll found in the plant cells’ chloroplasts responsible for this process starts to break down. As the chlorophyll breaks down, the green color fades away, revealing the oranges, and yellows of fall, which have been there all along but hidden by the green chlorophyll. Other chemical changes in the leaf lead to the formation of red and purple pigments. At the same time the leaves are changing colors, a special layer of cells forms between the leaf and the twig. This layer seals the leaf off from the rest of the tree and creates a scar that is visible when wind or the weight of the leaf pulls the leaf from the tree.


BVA instructors training for fall programs

 

Meet Our New Members
Mr. & Mrs. David Baxter

Ms. Jill Bremer

Mr. John Coane

Mr. & Mrs. Dimitri Contostavlos

Ms. Barbara Daland

Mr. & Mrs. Michael Diggin

East Bradford Township

Mr. & Mrs. Philip Edwards

Mr. Leighton Everhart, Jr.

Mr. & Mrs. Furman Gyger, Jr.

 Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Heist, Jr.

Kenneth Leonard & Elizabeth Keck

Mr. Donald Loverin

Mr. & Mrs. Randall Mims

Ms. Carol Revak

Dr. Peter Schindler

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Scott

Mr. & Mrs. James Serum

Mr. & Mrs. Pat Stokely

Mr. William Tsai

Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Weaver

Don't Overlook Our Outlook 2003 Request

Calendar of Events

December 12 -- Holiday Open House

Nov. 21 & Dec. 19 -- Chester County Astronomical Society meets

December 2 -- Winter Pre-School Series begins

Need Holiday Gift Ideas?

• Give the gift of a BVA Membership

to the naturalists on your list

• Visit the BVA Store for gifts for all ages, such as books and educational toys

Store Hours:

9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Monday - Friday

 

BVA WISH LIST

Film Canisters • Garden Tools Pruners/Loppers • Old Towels

Raincoats/Ponchos

Old Climbing Ropes

Used Tennis Balls

Five-gal. Buckets (pref.w/lids) Sponges (clean,all sizes)

Floor to Ceiling

Wooden Shelving Unit

4-Wheel Drive Pickup Truck

Utility Vehicle (John Deere, Gator, Kawasaki Mule)

Farm Tractor (50-75 hp,4-wheel dr.w/ 3-pt.hitch & front-end loader)

 

Water Shed - Brandywine Valley

BRANDYWINE VALLEY
ASSOCIATION
1760 Unionville-Wawaset Road
West Chester, PA 19382-6751
(610) 793-1090 [email protected]
www.brandywinewatershed.org


OFFICERS
President - Carl J. Meister, Jr.
President Elect - David Dorsett
Vice President - James Fava
Treasurer - Stephen P. Hoyt

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Robert G. Struble, Jr.

STAFF
James E. Jordan, Jr., Managing Director
Ellen Lake, Education Director
Diane W. Smith, Bookkeeper
Betsy Stefferud, Secretary
Robyn Wood, School Programs Director

Calendar of Events

August -- Free Summer Music Series (until August 21 ) 7:30 p.m. Thursdays Myrick Center Stage

August 22 -- CCAS (Cloud date: 8-23)

September 12 -- "Music & Fine Food" Event: An Evening With Folksinger Vic Sadot                       7:00 p.m Browning Barn

October 22 -- BVA Annual Meeting

 

BVA Home Page || Membership Information || The Watershed News || 
 BVA Board  ||  Education Programs ||  Upcoming Events || BVA Groundwater Model