Watershed Conservation Research Center
Located on the campus of Allegheny College, the Watershed Conservation Research Center engages in strategic conservation activities and trains future watershed stewards to protect, restore, and enhance our land and water resources for future generations in the upper Allegheny River basin, focusing on the French Creek Watershed.
Student-Faculty Projects and Initiatives
We support student-faculty projects and initiatives that:
- Advance knowledge to aid in the protection of aquatic and terrestrial wildlife species and/or habitats with the French Creek Watershed
- Educate or create awareness of the ecological, economic, or intrinsic importance of the French Creek Watershed
- Aim to better understand the cultural, political, economic, and/or ecological value of the French Creek Watershed for regional communities/economies
Summer Intern Projects
Co-Directors
- Dr. Casey Bradshaw-Wilson — Dr. Casey Bradshaw-Wilson’s focus is on freshwater ecology, with research areas in fisheries, aquatic macroinvertebrates, and herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians). Many recent projects have concentrated on the impact of Round Gobies (an invasive fish) on native species. She strives to include community partners and students in her research, which leads to more comprehensive projects with results better communicated to both scientists and those living within the watershed.
- Dr. Kelly Pearce — With a focus on wildlife conservation, Dr. Kelly Pearce has experience working with a variety of species, including river otters, spotted skunks, and bats. Her research focuses on how environmental, social, and policy factors influence wildlife populations and species distributions. She also strives to better understand approaches that mitigate conflict and encourage coexistence between people and wildlife.
Staff
- Dr. Mark Kirk, Research Scientist — Dr. Mark Kirk has broad interests in freshwater ecology, with a particular focus on the impacts of global change. He studies how climate change, invasive species, land use alteration, and flow regime changes interact to influence the structure and function of freshwater ecosystems. His research strives to help inform management, conservation, policy, and decision-making on aquatic natural resources.
- Meredith Barney, M.S., Assistant Research Scientist – Meredith loves to take students out and perform meaningful research that works to protect the French Creek Watershed. She has a specific interest in monitoring invasive and endangered species. Her goal is to continue with higher education and pursue a master’s degree in fisheries biology.
- Chris Shaffer, GIS Coordinator — Chris Shaffer is the GIS Manager and Instructor for the Environmental Science and Sustainability (ESS) department at Allegheny College. He specializes in the use of geographic information systems (GIS), global positioning systems (GPS), remote sensing and image processing, and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to help solve problems and support decisions that impact the French Creek Watershed and beyond.
Student Involvement
There are multiple ways for Allegheny students to become involved in the work of the WCRC. The WCRC supports students from across disciplines through its mini-grant program, which funds faculty-student projects in the French Creek Watershed.
Work Study
Work-study during the fall and spring semesters. Students engage in both field and lab work related to our projects.
Summer Research
Students can apply to conduct summer research with the WCRC. The majority of this work is completed out in the field, with a mixture of camera trapping, electrofishing, and sampling for macroinvertebrates.
Independent Studies
Independent studies are offered during the fall and spring semesters. Students can earn 2 or 4 credits by developing and initiating an independent research project within the French Creek Watershed.
Eden Brody ’23 testing a French Creek water sample for pH
Summer research students presenting their research at ACRoSS, a program sponsored by Allegheny’s Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities (URSCA) program
Students pose with caught fish after a day of aquatic sampling
Partners
The WCRC electrofishing with students from the Field Ichthyology Course at Penn State University to teach them about restoration efforts in the French Creek Watershed
The WCRC partners with multiple regional organizations to increase the impact of our work while providing students with the opportunity to work with local community organizations. Please use the links provided to learn more about these important organizations.
- Regional Science Consortium
- French Creek Valley Conservancy
- Creek Connections – Allegheny College
- Crawford County Conservation District
- Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
- Pennsylvania SeaGrant – Master Watershed Stewards
- Erie Bird Observatory
- Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
- Penn State University – Dr. Jay Stauffer’s Lab
- Foundation for Sustainable Forests
