CENTRE COUNTY — The Centre County Pennsylvania Senior Environmental Corps, an affiliate of ClearWater Conservancy, is a local organization made up of retired residents volunteering to support the health of the region’s waters and streams by gathering and analyzing data from the county’s watershed.
CCPaSEC has more than 60 volunteers split into 13 teams of six to eight volunteers. Each month, the team of volunteers reports to 30 streams in the county to record physical, chemical and observable parameters such as the clarity of the water, pH levels, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen and nutrient concentrations.
The groups then submit the data to a database recording stream health that is available to the public. Additionally, CCPaSEC notifies the Centre County Conservation District when there have been significant changes in stream conditions that could signal potential problems with water quality.
“The mission of CCPaSEC is to keep the public informed of the importance of clean water and how the management of our civil and natural resources affects the quality of streams in the county,” the organization said in part of its mission statement.
The statewide Senior Environmental Corps of Pennsylvania was established in 1997 to offer an organized program to senior citizens wanting to become active in environmental protection. The PA Department of Environmental Protection and the Office of Aging then partnered with the national nonprofit Environmental Alliance for Senior Involvement to administer the program — including at the county level in its PaSEC chapters.
The CCPaSEC chapter was established in 2002 when it had its first training program. Stream testing began in April of that year. The chapter received support from the Centre County Conservation District and was organized under the Retired Senior Volunteer Program of Centre County.
In 2007, EASI withdrew resources to its programs due to a lack of state funding. Around the same time, CCPaSEC petitioned to be part of ClearWater Conservancy, which took over program administration while RSVP continued to provide the group with a meeting space and accident insurance coverage.
According to CCPaSEC’s mission statement, the organization looks to “promote the health and wellbeing of its participating seniors by providing meaningful social interactions through healthy physical outdoor activity while sampling water quality.”
Often coming from all walks of life, CCPaSEC connects retirees through a love for supporting environmental efforts. The organization is supported entirely by its volunteers and donations.
To get involved, RSVP and ClearWater Conservancy members are eligible to join CCPaSEC. The organization also accepts donations to help ensure accurate and continual monitoring of Centre County’s watershed. Donations help purchase the supplies and equipment necessary, including everything from water analysis kits to test tubes.
To learn more information on how to become a member or donate, visit ccpasec.org or call 814-237-0400.
