3D Special Presentation Tea & Talk: Buffalo Creek Watershed – Past, Present, and Future

BILLSpecial Presentation | Available

1050 Buffalo Road Lewisburg, PA 17837 United States
Fellowship Hall
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 (one day)
3:30 PM-5:00 PM on Tue
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3D Special Presentation Tea & Talk: Buffalo Creek Watershed – Past, Present, and Future

BILLSpecial Presentation | Available

The 2025 Edward J. Cotter Memorial Lecture,

a BILL Tea & Talk with Professor Ben Hayes from Bucknell University:

BUFFALO CREEK WATERSHED -- PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

The Buffalo Creek watershed in Union County is home to over 15,000 people and representative of most areas in central Pennsylvania, with farms, small towns and industry located in broad valleys surrounded by forested mountains. This talk synthesizes landform analyses, biological and hydrological studies, computer models and historical/social analyses that are shedding light on a number of important uncertainties, including: How does the watershed’s fascinating geologic past and anthropogenic changes over the past two centuries affect its present? What do ongoing scientific studies tell us about the health of the watershed today? What stressors are most critical to address? What do the models tell us about possible outcomes for its future? What things can we do to protect this landscape for future generations?

BEN HAYES is the director of the Watershed Sciences and Engineering Program of Bucknell’s Center for Sustainability and the Environment, where he is responsible for creating new teaching, research, and outreach opportunities focusing on the hydrologic, geomorphic, ecologic, and engineering sciences. Ben’s scholarly niche and research interests include fluvial geomorphology, river metabolism and behavior, catchment hydrology, and he loves teaching classes in stream ecology and restoration. A registered geologist and professional river guide, he has worked in watersheds across the United States, Iceland, South Africa, Costa Rica and Canada. He currently serves on the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee for the Chesapeake Research Consortium and on the advisory board of the Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center. Ben has bachelor of science, master’s and doctoral degrees in the geosciences as well as a master in divinity degree in pastoral ministries.

  • BILL Special Presentations explore a range of topics with distinguished presenters. All BILL Special Presentations are free and open to the public; no membership is required. These programs can provide an introduction to BILL, so please, join us. Members are encouraged to invite their friends and neighbors.

    The Ed Cotter Memorial Lecture

    In 2023, BILL introduced the Cotter Memorial Lecture to be offered annually among our Special Presentations, in honor of Edward “Ed” Cotter. Professor emeritus of geology at Bucknell, Ed was instrumental in forming BILL in 2009 and served as BILL's director for its first six years.

    This year's Cotter Memorial Lecture comes from Ben Hayes, Director of the Watershed Sciences and Engineering Program of Bucknell’s Center for Sustainability and the Environment. Ben’s scholarship is in the geosciences and he previously worked with Professor Cotter as a colleague in the Geology department.



    Registered attendees may arrive at 3 p.m. to enjoy light refreshments and some social time before the presentation begins at 3:30 p.m. 

    BILL may take photos and video recordings at events, which may be used in promotional material following the event and/or shared with other audiences.