2009

Location: Date and Time

Hollidaysburg: May 3, 8:00AM

My journey begins at Canoe Creek State Park. My name is Bob, I am a mallard duck. I woke up swimming the waters trying to avoid foxes, people, and everything that would like to eat me. When I was swiming around I stopped to say hello to fellow ducks that were swiming near by. Off in the forest I saw a white tailed deer jumping throught the weeds. I also heard a blue jay whistling a tune.I like this water. It's so clean. No muck or anything. Whoa, did you see that boat? It almost ran me over! Mmmmmmmmmm, what is that smell? Someone is having a BBQ. I wonder if they would give me just a little bit. There are some fishermen up the stream. I can see them. Let me tell you why I want to go on this journey. I decided to travel down the Susquehanna River because I wanted to see different places besides were my home is. My home is very nice but I woulld like to meet new animals and talk to them about how there home is for them. See if they like were they live and ask them if they have any different kinds of trees and flowers other than what I saw at my own home. I might have to travel up hill and I might have to travel down hill. I might even meet a lucky lady who I could take home with me. I might even swim in fast water, or slow water. The trees that are in my home are Ceder, Oak, Hickory, and Pine trees. My favorite kind of plant is White Water Buttercup. Some of the insects that are around my area are catarpillers, moths, and a weedvil. Well, I think its time to get on my way. I'm headed off to Huntington. 

Huntingdon: May 4, 5:15 PM

The sun is going down. The sunset is beautiful reflecting on the clean, clear water. It's time to find something to eat. As I look along the riverbank, I see some frogs resting on the rocks. There's a woodpecker in the pine tree making an awful noise. He stops for a minute to look up at the passing white-tailed deer.

In the river, I see another mallard duck, and boy, is she pretty. She seems to have found something to eat. I wondered if she will share with me. I swam over to her to say hello, and she stuck her tail in the air and swam away. So I continued down the river and saw two fishermen. As I watch them, the one finished his soda and threw his can in the water. Looking around, I noticed a lot of wrappers laying around their camp. Continuing on in disgust, I find a small school of minnows. Supper-time.... After dinner, I find a nice spot on the bank next to the pretty 'shooting stars' flowers. I can hear some machinery over at the farm over the hill. The quiet, distant hum lulls me to sleep.



Lewistown: May 6, 12:00PM

It is lunch time as I am floating past Lewistown. I stop to notice an old lady throwing bread to me. The water tastes a little funny. It could have been from all those farms that we passed in Huntingdon. I noticed two squirrels chasing each other up a pine tree. The lady soon leaves, so I decide to go and look for some fish to eat. After a good fish meal I decide to head on down the river to see how the other communities contribute to the river. As I continue my journey down the river, I see some wildlife. One of the animals that I saw was a black bear, and the bear was enormous. I also saw a couple of robbins in their nests with there young babies. One creature that I did not want to see followed me practicaly the whole way, a misquito. Then I saw a bird who was not nice in anyway whatsoever. It was a Blue Jay who was terrorizing some cardinals. I just ignored them and kept floating down the river. As I come to the end of Lewistown I hope that Harrisburg is just as nice. Harrisburg: May 9, 9:30 AM I am a mallard duck and my journey to the Chesapeake Bay continues to Harrisburg PA. My Journey through Harrisburg so far has been nice. The Susquehanna is huge around here, almost a mile wide with many islands through out it. Along the bank I see a lot of buildings and streets, not to much woods and forest areas around. I also have to stay clear of the many bridges that cross the huge river. I have counted at least 6 so far. I have seen many birds through my journey so far, mostly pigeons and doves. Most of the bugs around here are like I always see on my journey through the city. A lot of water striders along the bank and bee's flying around the trees. I have also seen a few amphibians and reptiles like stream side salamanders and even a turtle or two. As I start to leave Harrisburg into Highspire and M,iddletown (around york and lancaster) the water started to get a little more muddy and polluted which might be from the farms I see in the distance.  Now I am off to columbia.

Columbia: May 10, 3:45 PM

Havre De Grace: May 12, 7:45 PM

[|Turn ads off - 5/month] I am a duck and as I enter the town of Havre De Grace I see small mouth bass, large mouth bass, birds, and ducks as well as other animals in the area. But I also see lots of buildings and garbage in the river. The water is polluted a little bit from everyone that goes by the river. Also the river is mucky from sediment from farms. After passing through Havre de Grace I enter the Chesapeake bay where I see a lot of different animals than I saw coming down the Susquehanna. I see salt water fish that traveled up the bay. I see white tail deer, crabs, shellfish ,Canadian geese, and Gulls. The Chesapeake Bay is slightly polluted but the water is clean enough and it’s a pretty place to be.

Baltimore: May 16, 7:25 AM My name is Bob and I am a mallard duck. As I enter the town of Baltimore I see squirrels, pigeons, chipmunks, rats, geese, striped bass and other ducks too. I eat the school of minnows that I see for breakfast. Next on my journey down the Susquehanna, I stop to watch the Orioles baseball game at Camden Yards. Yesterday I swam into some garbage and muck runoff from the streets. Baltimore is a huge city so many people just throw their garbage and what not into the streets. Then whenever it rains, the rain just carries it into the waterways of the city. They really need to start throwing their garbage in a waste basket. I see so many little dead animals that couldn't escape the muck. A healthy watershed is important not only for me and my fellow duck friends but it's also important for you humans too! It provides healthy drinking water and a suitable enviroment for all of my animal friends to live. The Susquehanna Water Basin is a great place to live because of the variety of activities and different places for me to go and see new things. It's also the BIGGEST water basin so I can set up camp whenever I'm tired and ready for bed. Well I think I'll stop here. Goodnight and Sweetdreams (:



Tangier Island: May 21, 1:35 PM

Virginia Beach: May 23, 11:30 AM

Hello I'm Bob the mallard duck and this is my informational story.

How water moves through the watershed The susquehanna flows from Otesgo Lake, Cooperstown,New York, to Havre de Grace, and the Atlantic Ocean

Sources of Pollution -Excess nutrients (nitrogens and Phosphorus) from over or improperly fertilized cropland,lawns,2 gold courses. -sewage from treatment plants or omproperly functioning septic systems find their way into the streams -seliment from various sources of erosion. -toxxis heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium cooper,nickle and zinc enter the river systems from sewage treatments plants, urban stormwater runose from city streets and pesticides.

Solutions to Pollution -eliminating point sources of pollution like sewage and industrial discharge im prove municipal sewage and industrial waste treatment. Importance -clean water so you don't DIE!!! great place to live. -economic Importance sustain the ferms and industry for over half of pa and beyond

Industrial sources of eletricity -used in the manufacturing of products such as steel and paper -millions of gallons of water one used daily by food processing facilities located throughout south central pa

Consumptive Use- the susquehanna is a source of drinking water for millions Agricultural uses-darry cattle, chicken eggs, hogs, fruit ,feed and vegetable crop production can all be found within the basin historical uses- Transportation of people, products, and coal by means of on extensive canal systems. Recreation uses- bird watching, boating, canueing, fishing, hunting, and swimming. This place is a great place to live in because of the animals and plants that are there clean water good for farming, recreational camping fishing

Human activity- small town no industry .hunting and swimming, beach

This was my story of my migration to the south and north. It was a fun journey indeed but the end is here at the Virginia Beach the Susquehanna basin ends. This is Bob the duck. I'm outy :). Appalachian blue violet (common)

Queen of the praire is a wetland plant.

White trout-lily is a flower throughout most of the eastern eastern United States, but most commonly west of the Appalachian Mountains. Red Mulberry tree **Virginia Beach** The **Bog Turtle** is a turtle native to the Eastern United States.It is one of the smallest species of turtle and is considered threatened at the federal level and endangered in some states. Bald Eagle prefers habitats near seacoasts, rivers, large lakes, oceans, and other large bodies of open water with an abundance of fish.

The Rainbow mussel is commonly found within or directly below riffles in small streams with moderate to strong currents. Topography of Virginia Beach all sand and buildings and alot... of water