As Pennsylvania endures a historic heatwave, Franklin & Marshall College students are doing their part to monitor river and creek conditions for residents – and picking up valuable field research skills along the way. 

Jesse Sippl ’28 and Julia Walsh ’28 are spending the summer interning with Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association (LSRA), a watchdog nonprofit dedicated to improving the ecological health of the Susquehanna River watershed and the Chesapeake Bay.

The opportunity to do research beyond the classroom is exactly what drew Sippl to F&M. 

“I've never worked with water quality in particular before. I’m learning about the really rigorous processes we use to ensure a decent quality of the samples,” said Sippl, who is double majoring in earth and environmental science and environmental studies.

Both students are tasked with community engagement and weekly collection of water samples at Lancaster-based tributaries that feed into the Susquehanna River. 

Samples are prepared and incubated before being tested the next day under UV light. Sippl and Walsh then review entries and outcomes to determine whether the sample sites are safe for swimming, kayaking, fishing and other recreational activity. Results are posted weekly for the public.

“I’m gaining hands-on experience in the environmental field and working toward improving the ecological health of the Lower Susquehanna Watershed and the Chesapeake Bay,” said Walsh. She is majoring in environmental science (chemistry track) and minoring in mathematics and statistics.

At F&M, you don’t have to travel far for real-world learning experiences. Downtown Lancaster and the surrounding county offer an abundance of research, internship and volunteer opportunities.