Beneath the Surface: How Streams Work and Why It Matters with Erin Snook
Every stream tells a story — in its current, its chemistry, its shape, and the life it supports. This one-hour talk offers a broad, accessible introduction to how streams work as ecosystems, from the physical forces that shape them to the organisms that call them home.
Join field ecologist and educator Erin Snook for a tour through the fundamentals of stream ecology: how channels form and water moves through them, what discharge tells us about a stream’s behavior over time, the basics of stream water chemistry, and how a stream’s physical shape and structure influence the plants and animals living in it. Drawing on field experience Erin will connect these physical and chemical building blocks to the aquatic insects and other organisms that depend on them, showing how a stream’s health can be read like a set of clues.
No science background required — just curiosity about the water running through our region.
Erin Snook is a field ecologist and science educator with 15 years of experience studying freshwater ecosystems. She previously worked as a federal contractor for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Eastern Ecological Center and taught Stream Ecology and Aquatic Entomology at Shepherd University. She holds a Master’s degree in Marine Sciences and Technology from the University of Massachusetts and a Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies from the University of Pittsburgh. Today, she runs her own ecological consulting firm, helping agencies, communities, and landowners understand and protect local ecosystems and waterways.
Wednesday, September 30, 6:30 – 7:30 Shepherdstown Public Library 145 Higbee Ln. Shepherdstown