WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST

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Partnering for Cleaner Waters

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A partnership between CRC Watersheds, Willistown Conservation Trust & Stroud Water Research Center and CRC’s Sandra Thompson

The Chester Ridley Crum Watershed Association (CRC), Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT), and Stroud Water Research Center partnered to study road salt contamination in Chester, Ridley, and Crum Creeks during the 25th annual stream clean up. The concept for this idea came in 2023 while I was the acting Director of Development, Education & Outreach for CRC. I met with Lauren McGrath,WCT’s Director of Watershed Protection, to see how CRC and WCT could work together to understand conditions in the Chester, Ridley, and Crum Creek watersheds. 

It was during this discussion that I learned about The Darby Creek Community Science Monitoring Program – a partnered project between WCT and Darby Creek Valley Association, which trains volunteers to collect water samples in Darby Creek and test for chloride and conductivity levels. Chloride is introduced in a watershed most often through the application of road salts and can build up in the soils, causing high levels throughout the year. 

Conductivity is a measurement of water’s ability to conduct an electric current, and is often used to measure the impact of human actions on the landscape. Conductivity is often elevated in areas where there are higher levels of impervious surfaces, which are any surface that water cannot pass through – like pavement, rooftops, and sidewalks. There is a close relationship between these two measurements. In the winter, the application of road salt on driveways, roads, and sidewalks drives higher levels of conductivity in waterways – while salt is not the only driver of higher conductivity levels, it is the major contributor in the region. By looking at these two measurements together, we can learn alot about what is impacting the health of these streams very quickly!

As our discussion went on, I suggested that CRC could help to grow the understanding of water quality in the Cheser, Ridley and Crum Creek watersheds as CRC is already so well established in the region with a strong base of driven volunteers and WCT is dedicated to understanding water chemistry in local streams. This connection generated excitement about the possibilities that this might offer and I was encouraged to connect with another partner, David Bressler, Stroud Water Research Center’s Community Science Facilitator, to see how we might have all three organizations work together. Together, we worked with Carly Lare, CRC’s Executive Director, to create a plan to add water chemistry sampling to the 25th Annual CRC Streams Cleanup Day. Because we would be collecting many samples at one time, we called the sample day a Snapshot! With Stroud Water Research Center supplying the chloride strips, WCT providing the technical guidance, sample bottles and analysis space, and CRC bringing volunteers and sample sites together, the Streams Cleanup Snapshot was ready to go! 

CRC’s Annual Streams Cleanup Day occurred this year on March 16th. Each cleanup location was sent instructions and a labeled bottle to collect a stream sample. 30 water samples were returned for testing and on Monday, March 18th, staff from WCT were joined by Susan Day, a dedicated volunteer and Master Watershed Steward, and I to perform chloride and conductivity testing. Over the course of 3 hours, we saw that chloride and conductivity levels were elevated at every site across all three watersheds but there were some locations that were higher than expected (Map 1). 

In Chester Creek, the highest chloride and conductivity levels were recorded in 3 sites in West Chester Borough near the headwaters of Chester Creek, In Ridley Creek, the highest levels were recorded at Houtman Park, and in Crum Creek, the highest levels were recorded at Drexel Lodge Park and just downstream of the Springfield Mall. All of the locations where there were higher than expected levels of chloride and conductivity had two things in common: they were small streams within a highly paved landscape that is salted heavily before and during winter storm events. The size of the stream is very important for understanding how intense the salt readings are – as a stream gets bigger, there is more water, which can dilute the chloride and conductivity readings, making it more challenging to see where problems areas are on the landscape.  Through this sample snapshot, we were able to learn very quickly where some of the problem areas in the Chester, Ridley and Crum Creek watersheds exist.

Now, more than ever before, thanks to many user-friendly, cost effective methods available, volunteers who get involved in ‘Community Science’ can make a huge impact. One of CRC’s greatest strengths is its robust volunteer program which makes an incredible impact every year thanks to an extremely well organized group of about 1,000 volunteers. On this single day, each year, those volunteers spread out among 35+ sites along the three creeks that CRC oversees – Chester, Ridley and Crum – and clean out over 40,000 lbs of trash. This event was a success because CRC’s passionate volunteers came together to improve the health of their watersheds by cleaning up the visible pollution and helped to show where the less visible pollution – salt – is causing problems. Together, we can continue to work to both beautify and  improve the health of Chester, Ridley and Crum Creeks!

Map 1. Stream Cleanup Snapshot Sample Sites. Each point is a cleanup location that collected a stream sample. The size of the point shows the impact of conductivity, with larger points having higher results. The color of the point shows the concentration of chloride at the location, with low levels in yellow, medium levels in orange and high levels in red.

Water You Waiting For? Dive into Macroinvertebrates and Stream Health

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By Sally Ehlers, 2023 Watershed Protection Program Co-op

For over a century, macroinvertebrates have been our partners in understanding the intricacies of stream health, providing us with valuable insights that shape the conservation efforts of our aquatic ecosystems.

Macroinvertebrates are small organisms lacking a backbone that are visible to the naked eye, which inhabit aquatic environments. They form a diverse and abundant group, but their significance extends beyond mere existence – they are crucial to ecosystem function. By converting organic plant matter into animal biomass, these tiny marvels create a foundation that supports the intricate web of life in our streams and lakes. The diet of larval amphibians, fish, other aquatic insects, and birds are all supported by macroinvertebrates.

Macroinvertebrates are also reliable indicators of environmental health in our streams and lakes. Their presence – or absence – illustrates the overall well-being of these water bodies, making them an asset in bioassessments. Their widespread distribution, sensitivity to changes in water quality, and diverse abilities to tolerate environmental stress make them indispensable tools for monitoring and maintaining the health of aquatic ecosystems. These remarkable organisms help us learn about what is happening in our waterways.

Certain taxa (insect groups) are known to be sensitive to environmental changes and are considered pollution-intolerant. Mayflies are known for their short adult lifespan and are highly sensitive to pollution, making their presence a highly valuable indicator of pristine or recovering water systems. Stoneflies are also sensitive to water quality, especially oxygen levels. Therefore, they are typically found in clear, well-oxygenated streams. Caddisflies are known for their case-making larvae and can tolerate a range of water quality conditions, but some species within this group are also sensitive to pollution.

In addition to these sensitive insects, there exists a cast of pollution-tolerant taxa in these freshwater environments. Some examples that are found in local waterways are midges, worms, and black flies. While not standalone indicators of water quality, their presence and abundance, paired with pollution-sensitive taxa, contribute to a more comprehensive picture of the ecological health of aquatic systems.

Each spring, the Watershed Team heads out to ten sites in Ridley, Crum, and Darby Creeks to collect macroinvertebrate samples using a Surber sampler (a modified net for collecting insects), a scrub brush, and lots of hard work (Map 1). Since these critters hang out at the stream’s bottom, we scrub rocks, letting the stream flow guide the macroinvertebrates into the net. As a Watershed Protection Program Co-op, I had an amazing time assisting with the 2023 sample collection.

Now, my capstone project involves analyzing the data from past years to turn raw survey data into meaningful results. Macroinvertebrate Aggregated Index for Streams (MAIS) scores were calculated which combine several types of data into a single score that is used to classify stream health as “Good,” “Fair,” or “Poor.” Results suggest that on average, most sites are moderately impacted, with “Fair” health (Figure 1). However, DCWM1 (Darby Creek) and WBRC1 (West Branch Ridley Creek) had low MAIS scores, suggesting that these sites are in “Poor” health.

Development on the landscape helps explain why DCWM1 and WBRC1 rank lower in MAIS scores as these sites have 20% impervious surface coverage, the most out of all sample sites. Impervious surface cover refers to structures that are water-resistant such as paved roads, parking lots, and buildings’ roofs. Water cannot penetrate these surfaces and flows directly into waterways, picking up contaminants as it travels. In contrast, forested land allows water to seep into the ground and trees can help reduce the amount of runoff into the stream.

There is a significant negative correlation between percent impervious surface cover and intolerant taxa richness (Figure 2). This means that as impervious surface cover increases with more development, the number of pollution-sensitive macroinvertebrates decreases. Increased impervious surface cover leads to more runoff and contaminants, such as road salts, entering our waterways, and only macroinvertebrates that can withstand these changes can survive. This preliminary data highlights the importance of WCT’s land conservation efforts. Protected open space is critical to keep local streams healthy and macroinvertebrates thriving.

While it will take more sampling years to spot clear trends over time in local streams, the current data from 2018 to 2022 begin to shed a light on the state of these streams from the viewpoint of our macroinvertebrate community, and so far, aligns with existing water chemistry data. Follow along on WCT’s blog to take a deep dive into the data set and learn more about the results of the ongoing macroinvertebrate research effort!

Sally Ehlers | Sally is a senior at Drexel University where she is majoring in Environmental Science with minors in Biology and Writing. Before joining the Watershed Protection Program, she spent six months working at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Lab in Highlands, NJ. There, she assisted with two ecotoxicology projects, focusing on the early life stages of local riverine and estuarine fishes. As a Watershed Protection Program Co-op over this past spring & summer, she helped collect water samples, run water quality analyses in the lab, maintain equipment, and practice science communication through WCT’s blog and Instagram stories.

Watershed Co-ops Independent Projects

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As we look back on the summer, we are so proud of the independent projects that Sarah and Sally have completed. They support the ongoing work of the Watershed Program while also creating an independent project that is tailored to their interests. This year’s co-ops, Sally Ehlers and Sarah Barker, have done an incredible job designing, implementing, and summarizing their independent projects!

Sally Ehlers’ Independent Project Summary:

WCT’s Watershed Team has been sampling benthic macroinvertebrates (bottom-dwelling visible animals with no backbone) at ten sites annually since 2018, except for 2020. These critters are informative indicators of stream health because of their varying abilities to tolerate environmental changes and stress. With Stroud Water Research Center’s help, we calculated the Macroinvertebrate Aggregated Index for Streams (MAIS) for each sample site. This index combines several types of data into a single score that classifies stream health as “Good,” “Fair,” or “Poor.” On average, most sample sites are moderately impacted, with “Fair” health. However, there are changes in MAIS scores over time that may be linked to intense rainfall patterns, as recorded by USGS gauges and our EnviroDIY sensors. Heavy rain abruptly increases streamflow which changes the stream habitats where benthic macroinvertebrates live. For a more detailed look into this project, check out our upcoming blog.

Photo: Snail case making caddisfly, Helicopsyche, found by Sally in Ridley Creek State Park.

Sarah Barker’s Independent Project Summary:

Diatoms are microscopic algae that photosynthesize. Globally, they produce 20 – 40% of Earth’s available oxygen and form the foundation of the food chain in most freshwater ecosystems, especially streams. 

The purpose of my project was to survey the diatom communities living on rocks and aquatic plants from five different sites along Ridley Creek and create a “baseline” to track changes to the aquatic diatom communities. In addition to collecting and analyzing samples, I analyzed historic Ridley Creek samples from the Academy of Natural Sciences. Comparing current and historic samples provides insight into the influence of human activity on these communities and how changes in land use can influence the health of diatoms and our waterways as a whole.

I found current samples were significantly more diverse than historic samples. In addition, the species present in the current samples were almost completely different from the historic samples. These findings indicate a dramatic change in water quality, most likely for the better! Restoration and conservation efforts in the Ridley Creek watershed have resulted in healthier and more robust diatom communities ready to power local aquatic ecosystems.

Photo: Single celled diatom, Navicula argutiola, a commonly found diatom in Sarah’s samples.

PolyGone Systems | Eliminating Plastic from our Waterways at Ashbridge Preserve

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By Daelin Brown, PolyGone Systems

There are somewhere between 83 and 358 trillion plastic particles floating around the world in our bodies of water, according to an international team of researchers. With this being equivalent to anywhere between 2.4 and 10.8 billion pounds of plastic, the plastic pollution problem should be one of our most urgent environmental concerns, but these microplastic particles cannot always be seen by the naked eye, which helps this problem go ignored.

The problem continues to go unnoticed because there are currently no regulations for the active systematic recording of microplastic particles. However, PolyGone Systems, a clean tech startup company spun out from Princeton University, saw the problem and decided to do something about it with the help of the Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT).

PolyGone Systems is innovating ways to remove microplastics from waterways by developing the world’s first affordable and portable microplastic capture device, the Plastic Hunter. The Plastic Hunter was designed to work in a wide array of water bodies and utilizes our original ‘artificial root’ filter to entrap microplastic debris. When the device is deployed into contaminated water, the microplastics in the water stick to the root filter, which makes removing these small particles possible.

With our great partnership with the WCT, we were able to collaborate and complete our first field test deployment at the Ashbridge Preserve. The WCT manages the land and natural resources of the Willistown area. Working together, we were able to deploy the prototype in a small tributary to Ridley Creek located within the Ashbridge Preserve.

Ridley Creek was found by WCT researchers to be contaminated with microplastics, which made this an ideal testing site. The prototype was tied to stakes located on either side of the stream, covering the majority of the stream’s width and was left to capture microplastic particles for one month.

Before and after the deployment of our Plastic Hunter device, WCT was able to monitor the water quality of Ridley Creek. They collected and filtered stream samples to count the microplastic concentrated in the waterway. By partnering with WCT, we are able to measure how well the Plastic Hunter captures microplastics!

After completing one month of operation, the coconut fiber brushes were removed, collected, and analyzed in the lab for their microplastic count. Looking through a microscope, a tough, and rigid plastic fiber can be seen in the coconut fiber sample, which means that the brush successfully captured microplastics from the stream.

However, after reviewing the success of the prototype, there were major improvements that needed to be made. Organic materials, including plants, algae, and insects, seemed to accumulate substantially on the prototype’s fiber brushes over time, which weighed down the prototype. To improve the device’s floating ability, we decided to use organic silicone fiber brushes. Since the change of brushes, we have seen 75% removal success within the first 24 hours of lab tank tests.

As we continue to update our projects and work alongside WCT, we completed two new field tests with a wood-textured platform on the device and a set of our new silicone-based artificial root filters back in November of 2022. These new prototypes have achieved a 25% removal success rate in the first 24 hours of field deployment.

PolyGone has received several grant awards for innovation, including a $1.9 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in partnership with the New York Sea Grant. This grant will allow us to continue to work with WCT by funding more field tests for our new filters and by supporting more talented employees to conduct the research and studies on microplastic’s impact on the environment.

How to Make Your Own Native Terrarium

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By Sarah Barker

Terrariums are a fun and easy way to engage with the environment. It only takes one afternoon to gather your materials and scavenge for tiny creatures to include in your mini ecosystem! Terrariums are small indoor gardens that can be made from any kind of clear glass container with or without a lid. Most people use mason jars or bell jars for their terrariums, and if you would like to add some small bugs, we recommend choosing a jar with a lid so your little friends don’t run away! However, you can make one with just plants if you are a beginner or only have an open glass container handy.

Terrariums can be put together with only a few materials, most of which can be sourced from your backyard! Besides your glass jar, you’ll need some rocks to anchor the plant roots and provide a system to retain water, moss and/or other small plants, locally sourced soil, and plastic wrap. First, you will need to grab some stones ranging in size from small pebbles and gravel to larger rocks, depending on the size of your chosen container. Rocks from streams or on the banks of a pond are preferred because they come pre-loaded with nutrients from microalgae and fungi that can help your ecosystem to thrive. However, any rocks you can find around outside will work.

Next, you will want to look for clumps of moss from which to take a few pieces. When harvesting moss, it is best to pick from the middle of the colony as opposed to the edges so that the moss can grow back more quickly. To gather your moss, you can use a small spatula to slide underneath the rhizomes of the moss — their equivalent of roots — to keep the clumps from falling apart and to allow them to establish faster once placed in your terrarium. Only take a few pieces from any one colony and harvest sparingly, as moss is slow to grow!

If you want to include other small plants, choose little ferns, groundcover like clover or ground ivy, or even little wildflowers. During July, many wildflowers are in full bloom, making it the ideal time to find some lovely plants for your terrarium. However, moss should be the main member of your indoor plant community and you should try to pick plants that are found growing in the shade or partial sun, as these plants are more likely to do well in your terrarium. This is where an enclosed container can be especially helpful; the lid helps to keep moisture trapped in the system, and as sunlight heats up the inside of the jar, water condenses at the top of the jar.  Once it cools, the water drips back down into the rocks and soil, keeping the moss and plants hydrated without any additional input.

If you want to include a couple of bugs, look for small crawling critters found around moss patches or under rocks like roly-polys (aka pill bugs) or arthropods like springtails. If you are a more advanced terrarium keeper, millipedes are also a great option, though they are much larger and require a bit more care than their smaller counterparts. The reason for choosing these kinds of bugs is that they are all wonderful housekeepers! They are decomposers that are great at preventing algae and mold from building up inside your ecosystem by eating it all up. If you have a smaller terrarium, you may only want to grab a couple of roly-polys to make sure there is enough food for everyone.

To transport any chosen creatures, place them in a small, clean plastic container. Poke some holes in the lid to allow some air for your bugs to breathe and place a bit of dirt inside with a couple of pebbles and sticks for them to hang out on.

Once you’ve collected all of your materials, the first thing you should do when you get home is rinse off all of your moss and other plants, taking time to make sure any other insects you haven’t chosen to include are removed and placed back outside. You should also inspect the pebbles, gravel, and larger rocks you’ve collected and rinse away any clumps of dirt. At this point, you should also clean your glass container and remove any stickers or adhesive on the glass so that sunlight can reach the plants.

After cleaning your inclusions, the first step of assembly is to place your wet stones into the bottom of your jar; this layer will provide drainage for the soil and retain water to be cycled back into the ecosystem when heated up under sunlight. Next, cut out a piece of plastic wrap roughly the size and shape of your glass jar with some small holes poked in it. This layer prevents the soil from falling in between your pebbles, which can cause mold growth and prevent proper drainage. You could also add in activated charcoal or sphagnum moss in between the rock and soil layers to prevent mold buildup, keep your terrarium clean, and help it to last longer, but this is completely optional! These materials can be purchased online, at a pet shop, or in a garden store.

After positioning the plastic wrap, place the soil on top, though not too densely packed. Next, you can put in the moss and plants, and taking care to gently press them into the soil, you can create small depressions with your fingers for any plants with roots that need to be covered. You can also place a couple larger rocks in this layer and add moss to the top of them. At this point, you could add in any decorative elements you may have around the house like seashells, pieces of wood, figurines, etc. Get creative! 

Journalist Brandi D. Addison shares how to build a spooky terrarium.

A small open terrarium (Credit: Brandi D. Addison, source here)

After adding in any decorative items, you can put in any bugs that you may have collected while you were outside. Make sure the rocks and soil are moist, and screw on your lid if you have one, and then, voila! Your terrarium is ready to go. Pop the jar on a partially shady table or desk that gets some natural light, but not direct sunlight, as moss tends to do better in shadier spots. 

Now sit back to watch your terrarium grow and change, modeling a miniature temperate ecosystem right in your own home. These ecosystems require only a little occasional upkeep. If you put a lid on your terrarium, you will not need to water it because the water will naturally cycle through the system. However, if your terrarium is open, you should make sure the soil is moist with occasional watering. You should also be sure the clean the inside and outside of the glass whenever it gets cloudy to allow sunlight to reach the plants. Every once and a while, smell the air in your terrarium. If it smells earthy that means it is healthy; however, if it smells bad that means that the soil is probably harboring some mold and should be replaced.