By Abigail Steinly Staff writer
Most students like to spend their summers lounging by the pool or relaxing on a sandy beach. However, Susquehanna sophomore Zachary Groce spent his around a different kind of water.
As an environmental science and ecology double major, Groce had the opportunity to complete an internship with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that focused on water quality testing.
“I got involved with the Freshwater Research Initiative on campus, and a little over a month before the end of the school year I was offered the internship in Harrisburg,” said Groce.
The Freshwater Research Initiative is a part of the Center for Environmental Education and Research, located next to the Susquehanna campus. It serves as a field station for ecology studies and also includes a research greenhouse, research plots and storage facilities for field equipment.
The CEER offers students real-life experience in a variety of habitats through both short-term and long-term experiments, according to the Susquehanna website.
During the volunteer program, which Groce heard about during his first-year perspectives course with Department Chair of Earth & Environmental Sciences Katherine Straub, he worked with others on macroinvertebrate studies.
“It’s basically taking a sample out of a stream and picking through debris to find water bugs,” Groce said.
The internship gave Groce an opportunity to gain even more knowledge and experience. The 9-week program consisted of many different areas of study.
“In the beginning we focused on the study of baby bass, then we moved on to learning some computer programming and database calculations, and eventually I was given my own project where I focused on E Coli. testing around the Lewisburg area,” said Groce.
The mission of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is, “to protect Pennsylvania’s air, land and water from pollution and to provide for the health and safety of its citizens through a cleaner environment,” according to the PA DEP’s website.
Although the 12-hour days were long, Groce had little to complain about. “My favorite thing was going to sites on the Susquehanna River and electroshocking, catching and identifying fish and their health. I enjoyed it because it was fun to do, and it was extremely interesting to measure, weigh, and analyze the health of the fish,” Groce said.
In addition, Groce was able to get a feel for the atmosphere that environmental scientists work in and how frantic it can get at times. The experience also gave him an idea of what his future job will be like. “This internship absolutely solidified my decision for my majors. It was very interesting, and I would love to work outdoors for the rest of my life,” he said.
Next year, while he does not plan on returning to the Department of Environmental Protection, Groce hopes to find an internship somewhere else in order to explore other areas and options in the field.
