Penn-Trafford graduate heads up sustainability programs in Turtle Creek Watershed
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Shaina Nicassio grew up in Penn Township’s Harrison City neighborhood, and after a stint with the National Park Service has returned to the area to work as the sustainability program specialist for the ReImagine Turtle Creek Watershed and Airshed Communities initiative.
By organizing community events, local outreach and managing volunteers, Nicassio, 25, helps maintain sustainability projects for underserved communities in the 32 towns that make up the Turtle Creek Watershed.
Nicassio, a 2015 Penn-Trafford graduate, spoke with the Trib about her new position and what homeowners should know about sustainability.
Q: How did your time with the National Park Service help prepare you for this new role?
A: I was a botany and wildlife biological science technician for the National Park Service.
I participated in resource management and restoration projects by preserving habitat and collecting data on plants and wildlife in some of the most extreme, diverse environments in the country.
I experienced firsthand the effects that climate change, extreme weather events such as wildfires and restricted access to clean air and clean water has on the health and success of an ecosystem.
I also saw models of success for when an ecosystem is restored and the economic and health benefit it has on a community. It compelled me to act to prevent the accelerating effects of climate change. I felt the greatest need was in sustainable development at the local level.
Q: What will be the biggest challenge in your new role?
A: Pooling enough resources, funding and volunteers, to bring about further change in impacted communities.
Q: What are some of best practices when it comes to maintaining sustainability throughout the Turtle Creek Watershed?
A: Increasing access to local food systems, such as regenerative backyard gardens, land management through hands-on land stewardship, shifting the focus to renewable energy and green infrastructure and single-use plastics diversion.
Q: What is the most important thing to know about the watershed for the 32 communities it touches?
A: It is imperative to protect and take care of our watershed and airshed because we have a right to clean water and clean air.
(That) means better overall health and wellness for those in the watershed as well as increased economic benefits and outdoor recreation opportunities, especially for hunters and anglers.
A healthy watershed will increase resilience to extreme weather events like flooding, which reduces flood mitigation costs for people in our area.
The biggest threat to the Turtle Creek Watershed is abandoned mine drainage, non-point source pollution, stormwater runoff, erosion, stream-bank stabilization needs, sedimentation, and invasive species.