Winter Environmental Conference - Save The River! Thousand Islands

Save The River’s 32nd Annual Winter Environmental Conference

Videos Now Available!

Innovative Approaches to Installing Septic Systems at Challenging Sites – By Eric Murdock

Investigations of the Relationship Between Native Mussels and Dreissenids in St. Lawrence River Tributaries – By Jessica Jock

How Save The River Has Reimagined Our Education Programs – By Heather White & Lauren Eggleston

Health and Current Status of the St. Lawrence River Fishery – By Lawrence Gunther

Dynamics of Lake Ontario Coastal Wetlands – By Professor Rachel Schultz

2021 SPEAKERS

Eric Murdock – an Environmental Engineer, and currently owner of Onsite Engineering, PLLC., whose practice focuses on design, installation, and maintenance of decentralized wastewater treatment systems for residential, commercial, and municipal clients. His presentation will focus on innovative approaches to installing septic systems at challenging sites that do not have the space and soil type/depth traditionally needed to place a septic system. The approaches discussed are becoming more common throughout the 1,000 Island Region and New York State

Rachel Schultz, Ph.D. – an Associate Professor of Wetland Science in the Environmental Science and Ecology Department at SUNY Brockport. She has also held faculty appointments at SUNY Plattsburgh and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. During her Ph.D. at The Ohio State University, she studied the effects of plant community composition and diversity on wetland carbon and nitrogen cycling. Her presentation will discuss dynamics of Lake Ontario coastal wetlands and how cattail removal affects carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions.

Lawrence Gunther – Lawrence is North America’s only blind conservationist, outdoor writer, podcaster, blogger, filmmaker and TV personality. A life-long outdoor enthusiast, Lawrence has competed in over 150 fishing tournaments with the sponsorship support of many of North America’s top fishing and marine companies. His presentation will focus on the health and concerns related to St. Lawrence Fishery given the threats new “forever” chemicals and microplastics represent.

Jessica Jock – As an Environmental Scientist for the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Environment Division in Akwesasne, she has worked 13 years on various River projects related to Superfund cleanup, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission licensing, and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Professionally she has presented at local, state, and national conferences on River health; served on committees; and collaborated with many resource agencies and nonprofit organizations.

Lauren Eggleston & Heather White – Save The River’s Program Coordinator, Lauren, and Education Committee member, Heather, will be presenting about our recently updated educational programs.