Talk of the Sourlands: Forest Restoration and Water Quality

Forest Restoration and Water Quality in the Sourland Region: Managing the Impacts of Deer and Agricultural Land Use History: The Sourland region contains a patchwork of forested areas with different land use histories, including areas that have been forested for 100 years or longer as well as areas that have reforested after agricultural activities ceased in the early to mid 1900s. Each forest type is experiencing major regeneration deficits due to overabundant deer, with post-agricultural forests having much higher abundance of invasive plants and highly altered soil conditions. These issues present major challenges for forest protection and restoration and also have implications for modern day patterns in water quality and stream health across the region. This talk will explore preliminary research conducted by the RVCC Center for Environmental Studies, in partnership with the Sourland Conservancy, to investigate the effects of tree plantings and different methods of deer protection, and impacts of land use history on water quality and stream health in the Sourlands. Presented by Dr. Jay Kelly and Dr. Emilie Stander,  Co-directors of the Raritan Valley Community College Center for Environmental Studies

About Dr. Emilie Stander

Dr. Emilie Stander is a professor of Environmental Science at Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) in Branchburg, NJ, where she teaches courses such as Ecology, Environmental Science and Sustainability, Ecology Experience Abroad, General Biology, and Environmental Capstone. Emilie is the director of RVCC’s Water Quality Laboratory and co-director of RVCC’s Center for Environmental Studies, both of which provide platforms for student and community engagement in environmental monitoring and research. Emilie is an ecosystem ecologist who specializes in urban and wetland ecology, water quality, stormwater management, and sustainability. Before coming to RVCC, Emilie spent six years in federal government, first researching green infrastructure as a postdoctoral fellow at the US Environmental Protection Agency and then serving as a AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in Washington, DC and Amman, Jordan, where she designed and implemented water resources and environmental protection programs and provided technical assistance to USAID offices around the world. Emilie received her Bachelors of Science in Environmental Science from Brown University and her PhD in Ecology and Evolution from Rutgers University.

About Dr. Jay Kelly

Dr. Jay Kelly is an Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Science at Raritan Valley Community College, where he teaches a wide variety of classes including Ecology, Botany, Zoology, Plants Humans and the Environment, and Ecology Experience Abroad in Bahia, Brazil. His research interests are the biology and conservation of rare plant and animal species, coastal and forest ecology, and the design and implementation of ecological land management practices that balance the needs of humans with other species in the landscape. At RVCC Jay involves his students in authentic, hands-on experiences with field trips and research projects. He also serves as a mentor for a variety of internship opportunities including coastal conservation, forest ecology, rare plant, and wildlife research which allow students and alumni to further develop their skills as scientists and as conservationists.

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