FREDERICK, Md.—A daylong symposium focusing on environmental issues in the Potomac watershed will be held March 7 at Hood College.
Noted biologists and environmental experts from across the region will discuss a wide range of topics, including contaminants found in fish, endocrine disrupters, important invasive species, the effects of climate change, urban forestry, low impact development, nutrient trading strategies, and how citizen scientists can help to make a difference in our local environment. The full schedule is below.
The symposium is free and open to the public. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. in Rosenstock Hall; the first session begins at 9 a.m. and the final session ends at 4:30 p.m. Lunch and other snacks are available for purchase in the Whitaker Campus Center.
For more information and to register for the symposium, contact Mayme Kugler at kugler@hood.edu.
| 8:30 a.m. |
Registration Begins; beverage service available |
| 9 a.m. |
Welcoming Remarks and Announcements |
| 9:10 a.m. |
Predicting Future Climate Change in te Potomac Watershed
Bart Merrick, education coordinator, NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office, Environmental Training Center |
| 9:35 a.m. |
Will Climate Change Create a "New" Potomac River in the Foreseeable Future?
Dr. Kevin Sellner, executive director of the ChesapeakeResearch Consortium |
| 10 a.m. |
Toxic Contaminants in Sediments and Fish
Dr. Fred Pinkney, environmental contaminants biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| 10:25 a.m. |
Break |
| 10:45 a.m. |
Endocrine Disruptors in the Potomac Watershed
Dr. Vicki Blazer, fish pathologist, USGS National Fish Health Research Laboratory |
| 11:10 a.m. |
Urban Forestry: An Increasingly Critical Component of the Landscape
Michael Galvin, director, Savatree Consulting Group |
| 11:35 a.m. |
Restoration of the American Shad in the Potomac River
James Cummins, director of living resources, Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin |
| Noon |
Lunch |
| 1:30 p.m. |
Welcome back and announcements |
| 1:35 p.m. |
Invasion of the Lower Potomac by the Northern Snakehead
Joshua Newhard, fisheries biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| 2 p.m. |
Invasive Crayfish in the Potomac Watershed
Dr. Eric Annis, assistant professor, Department of Biology, Hood College |
| 2:25 p.m. |
Rare, Threatened and Endangered Aquatic Species of the Potomac
James McCann, state zoologist, Maryland Natural Heritage Program |
| 2:50 p.m. |
Break |
| 3:15 p.m. |
Using Citizen Science to Gain Information About the Watershed
Dr. Heath Kelsey, EcoCheck program manager, University of Maryland, UMCES Integration and Application Network |
| 3:40 p.m. |
How Nutrient Trading Could Help Restore the Chesapeake Bay and Its Watershed
John Rhoderick, administrator, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Office of Resource Conservation |
| 4:05 p.m. |
Low Impact Development: The Future of Stormwater Management for the Potomac
Greg Hoffmann, professional engineer and director, Center for Watershed Protection |
| 4:30 p.m. |
Closing Remarks |