Saturday, January 30th

Wednesday, February 3rd

Saturday, February 6th

REGISTER

This year’s conference will be held virtually. In support of this exciting offering, there is a suggested registration fee of $25 if you plan to tune into the live stream. The hyperlink to the live stream will be shared the week of the conference. Contact Bridget Wright, Development Director, at (315) 686-2010 or bridget@savetheriver.org with any questions

SCHEDULE

Saturday, January 30, 2021

• 10:00 – 10:15am Conference Opening
• 10:15 – 10:45am  Eric Murdock’s Presentation:  Innovative Approaches to Installing Septic Systems at Challenging Sites
• 10:45 – 11:00am Friend of the River Award Announcement
• 11:00 – 11:45am Jessica Jock’s Presentation:  Investigations of the Relationship Between Native Mussels and Dreissenids in St. Lawrence River Tributaries

Wednesday, February 3, 2021 

• 6:00 – 6:10pm Daily Opening
• 6:10 – 6:40pm How Save The River Has Reimagined Our Education Programs

Saturday, February 6, 2021

• 10:00 – 10:05am Daily Opening
• 10:05 – 10:35am Lawrence Gunther’s Presentation: Health and Current Status of the St. Lawrence River Fishery
• 10:35 – 10:45am Dan Tack Award Announcement
• 10:45 – 11:15am Professor Rachel Schultz’s Presentation: Dynamics of Lake Ontario Coastal Wetlands

2021 SPEAKERS

• Eric Murdock– is an Environmental Engineer, and owner of Onsite Engineering, PLLC. His presentation will focus on innovative approaches to installing septic systems at challenging sites that do not have the correct space and soil type/depth traditionally needed to place a septic system. The approaches discussed are becoming more common throughout the 1,000 Island Region and New York State.

• Jessica Jock – is an Environmental Scientist for the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Environment Division in Akwesasne and will present on the NYSDEC grant awarded to Save The River, in partnership with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Environmental Division and the New York State Museum that is to investigating how river-bottom sediments influence invasive dreissenid mussel (zebra and quagga mussels) colonization on freshwater mussels in the Lower Grasse River.

• Lauren Eggleston & Heather White – Save The River’s Program Coordinator, Lauren, and Education Committee member, Heather, will be presenting about our recently updated educational programs and how Save The River has reimagined North Country outdoor education during COVID-19.

• Lawrence Gunther– is North America’s only blind conservationist, outdoor writer, podcaster, blogger, filmmaker and TV personality. A life-long outdoor enthusiast, Lawrence has competed in over 150 fishing tournaments with the sponsorship support of many of North America’s top fishing and marine companies. His presentation will focus on the health and concerns related to St. Lawrence Fishery given the threats new “forever” chemicals and microplastics represent.

• Rachel Schultz, Ph.D. – an Associate Professor of Wetland Science in the Environmental Science and Ecology Department at SUNY Brockport. During her Ph.D. at The Ohio State University, she studied the effects of plant community composition and diversity on wetland carbon and nitrogen cycling. Her presentation will discuss dynamics of Lake Ontario coastal wetlands and how cattail removal affects carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions.