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Photo Gallery

Earth Conservany is dedicated to mine land reclamation, conservation and economic development in the Wyoming Valley of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Check out our photo gallery below!

The Newport Township Community Organization holds illegal dumpsite and community-wide cleanups annually. Here volunteering children find a way to make the cleanup fun.
One of the greatest problems at illegal dump sites are the number of old tires, which clog the waterways and could pose a risk of West Nile Virus.
By conducting the cleanups, groups like the Newport Township organization help to improve the environment and quality of life for people living around the region.
Nanticoke Cub Scout Troup #415 helped Earth Conservancy plant 50 White Pine and Norway spruce at the Phase II Educational Wetland site to help stop erosion and water runoff.
Earth Conservancy participated in the EPA's 2011 National Brownfields Conference held in Philadelphia, PA. Participating in a panel discussion called Brown to Green: The New Industry Standard - Reuse of Mine Scarred Lands are left to right: David Kargbo, Ph.D.; Greg Firely; Jacqueline Dickman; Peter Sam, Ph.D.
The American Hiking Society sponsors National Trails Day each year to promote outdoor active lifestyles. Pictured at EC's Mocanaqua Loop Trail is: the Sorokin family (left), Michele Shasberger (right), with Live Well Luzerne County, and daughter Isabelle Polgar.
Even dogs get into the action on NTD.
Participates in the American Hiking Society's National Trails Day catch glimpses of the town across the river from overlooks along the looping path system.
Hikers participate in the annual National Trails Day event, this one held at the Mocanaqua Loop Trail System.
Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) in partnership with the PA American Water Company conducted a tree planting project along Huntsville Creek at the water company
Environmental Partners dinner are: Jacqueline Dickman, EC Dir. of Public Affairs & Development; Marleen Troy, Ph.D., P.E., Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Wilkes University and EC Board of Directors; and Mike Dziak, EC president/CEO.
Also attending the 2012 Northeast PA Environmental Partners dinner was: Cydney Faul Halsor; Sid Halsor, Wilkes University; and Mike Dziak, EC President/CEO.
Boy Scout Troop No. 379 from Wapwallopen, PA, United Church of Christ took to the trails to help Earth Conservancy mark trails at the Mocanaqua Loop Trail System.
EC President/CEO Mike Dziak (left of poster) discusses an EPA funded silt pond reclamation project for which EC partnered with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to use chicken manure-based compost as a soil additive. Attendees were professors in PSU's College of Agricultural Sciences.
Professors from PSU's School of Agricultural Sciences listen as Harry Campbell, PA Scientist Advocate with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, discusses soil amendment projects.
The Ashley Planes are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. At the height of mining in the region, the Planes once helped to bring a million ton of coal out of the valley per year.
Earth Conservancy opperates a seasonal community garden in Plymouth Township. Plots are available free of charge for any Luzerne County resident.
The community gardens give residents a chance to grow flowers and vegetables and make friends.
EC operates a community garden, which provides garden plots free of charge to area residents on a seasonal basis.
After reclaiming the area that became the recreation park, Earth Conservancy reclaimed this adjacent 50-acre area that is slated for residential use.
This site looks vastly different than prior to its reclamation. The project made way for a 65-acre youth recreation area, 50 acres for residential development, two hiking trails and 137 acres remain green space.
This is the same site prior to reclamation. The lands were left in an environmentally degraded state and supported nothing but scrub vegetation.
This aerial shot shows both the lower and upper fields of the Greater Hanover Area Recreation Park.
The Sugar Notch Trail System is wide and clearly marked.
You will find an old rail bridge along the Sugar Notch Ridgetop Trail.
The "Thinkbelt" is one option for responsible development of lands in the Lower Wyoming Valley. See the South Valley Corridor Lands Reuse Analysis and Sustainable Redevelopment Framework report on in the Land Use Plans tab of the website for more information.
Woodland Acres is a residential development created by Earth Conservancy.
Composting begins with the dropping off of yard waste material.
Materials are moved into piles to be passed through the grinder.
Christmas trees are a popular item that residents bring to the facility.
Earth Conservancy's Yard Waste Compost Facility creates compost for use by Luzerne County residents. The process begins by grinding large pieces into smaller ones.
A huge grinder is able to handle the materials brought to the site by residents, landscapers and municipalities.
Material looks like this after being put through the grinder.
Called "windrows," these long lanes of materail are slowly decomposing into compost and are periodically turned.
Steam can sometimes be seen rising from the decomposing yard waste.
After several months of decoposting, materials are passed through a filter system to remove unwanted materials.
The finished product is a rich fertile compost that can be used by Luzerne County residents and is used on many of EC's projects.
Finished compost is used in many of Earth Conservancy's projects.
The EC Silt Pond Reclamation Project remediated an area where mining refuse had been stored and a pond formed.
The project mid-construction.
Grass was planted at the site to stabilize the soil.
The reclaimed site now has a cleaned and level green area with a pond. The area will remain green space.
This borehole was drilled in the 1970s to relieve underground water pressure in the mines.
This photo shows the Espy Run highly laden with iron deposits, which turns the water orange.
Nanticoke Creek is also impacted by Acid Mine Drainage.
This Askam Borehole was drilled after the original collapsed in 2008 due to iron slowly wearing away the pipes. The new piping is stainless steel.
This photo shows the second settling pond shortly after grasses were planted. The root systems of grasses and other plants hold the iron like sponges as the cleaned water flows back into the stream.
The plants will multiply and fill the pond with a sponge-like root system that captures the iron in the water, thus cleaning it of the iron contaminant.
The Dundee Road Educational Wetlands are shown here shortly after completion. This pond allows the iron to settle to the bottom while cleaner water flows to the second pond.
This photo shows the Dundee first cell filled with iron-laden water. The iron will slowly drop to the bottem as the water passes through pond.
This photo shows the second pond at the Dundee Road Educational Wetland site after years of plant growth with a strong well-established root system.
After the stream water passes through the wetlands it is returned to the steam virtually free of iron deposits
The stone culvert channels cleaned water from the settling ponds of the passive wetland treatment system and directs it into Espy Run creek.
The blue pipe allows water diverted from the Espy Run Discharge to spill into the two settling ponds, where iron is removed from the water.
Settling ponds in passive Acid Mine Drainage treatment systems allow heavy iron particles to precipitate out of the water when it passes through the ponds.
Once the water passes through the two holding cell, it is diverted into the polishing cell and then into Espy Run.
Follow the numbers to read how Acid Mine Drainage is removed from Espy Run.
The Espy Run Enhancements Project has improved capacity and efficiency in the removal of iron from the Espy Run Discharge. Seen here are two settling ponds that hold the iron laden water and allow the iron to settle to the bottom.
Each year, high school and college classes visit both EC wetland sites to test the iron levels of the water before entering and after exiting the wetland cells.
Outdoor excurtions allow students to experience what they learn in the classroom.
This photo shows Franklin Bank prior to reclamation.
Franklin Bank early in the project.
Franklin Bank mid-project.
Franklin Bank near completion.
The Franklin Bank project took a mine waste holding area and reclaimed it for use as a residential area. The 13-acre property was sold and will become a site with single family homes.
This is a sample of how the Hanover 9 site looked prior to reclamation.
Work begins on Hanover 9A.
The site was covered by small pits like this and uneven topography.
Work begins on a culvert on Hanover 9A.
A finished Hanover 9A.
This photo shows an aerial view of Huber III and Huber IV parcels. A large standing pool of water and piles of culm can be seen around the site. Both sites are now reclaimed.
While Huber III had a large pit to be filled, Huber IV was covered by large culm piles and pits like this.
Mid-construction on Huber IV.
A new road was made into the Huber IV site.
The finished Huber III and Huber IV sites have vastly improved the environment and the view.
The Earth Conservancy hunting map can be downloaded and printed.
Much of EC's lands are in the PA Game Commission's Cooperative Forest-Game Program.
Areas included in the cooperative program are available to the public for the same recreational uses as Game Commission-owned land.
In the pre-regulatory days of mining, little thought was given to the negative impacts mining could have on both people and lands, but it provided employment for people throughout the region.
With so much open space in Northeast Pennsylvania, illegal dumping has become one of the greatest problems with which property owners must contend, including EC.
Mocanaqua Loop Trail Map
Hikers on the Mocanqua Loop Trail System can see Shickshinny from one of the lookout points.
The Penobscot Ridge Biking Trail has picnic tables and grills.
Sugar Notch Run passes through the recreation area.
The Sugar Notch Trail System has a welcom sign and large scale trail map.
Hikers on the Ridgetop Trail will see Sugar Notch Run.
Wild turkeys are a common sight along the trail.
Large piles of culm, called culm banks, can be found on many parts of EC's lands. The culm contributes AMD to the watersheds.
Highwalls were created when mining stripped mountainsides to access anthracite coal. They can be found on some of EC's lands and pose a dangerous risk.
2012 Northeast PA Environmental Award winners.
EC President & CEO Mike Dziak (left) is presented the Northeast PA Environmental Partners 2012 Award by PA DEP Secretary Michael Krancer.
Earth Conservancy is awarded the 2009 EPA Mid-Atlantic Environmental Achievement Award. Pictured left to right: EPA Reg. III Administrator William Early, EC Dir. of Public Affairs & Development Jacqueline Dickman, EC President/CEO Mike Dziak, EC Executive Administrator John Renfer, WNBC Anchor Terry Ruggles.
Earth Conservancy was awarded the 2012 Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania (PROP) Waste Watchers award in recognition of its efforts. PROP President of the Board of Directors Robert Watts (left) presents EC Executive Administrator John Renfer with the award.
At left, Colleen Stutzman, Asst. Regional Dir., PA DEP presents Mike Dziak, President/CEO, Earth Conservancy the Environmental Partnership Award 2012 with Diane Madl, Environmental Education Specialist, DCNR.
Mike Dziak, President/CEO Earth Conservancy, with Harry Forbes, Northeast Regional Director for Governor Corbett at the 2012 dinner for the Governor's Awards for Environmental Excellence.
EC's Richard Ruggiero Sr., Property Documentation Specialist & Survey Coordinator, and John Renfer, Sr., Executive Administrator, attend the 2012 Northeast PA Environmental Partners Dinner.
PA Environmental Council's reforestation program helped EC to plant 15 trees of varying species at EC's Espy Run Wetland area. Pictures left to right: Angela Vitkoski, PEC Office & Project Manager, Jacqueline Dickman, EC Dir. of Public Affairs & Development, and Janet Sweeney, Director, PEC Northeast Regional Office.
The Avondale Mine was at one time an active strip mine until the 1960s. Once dormant, it became a popular site for illegally dumping garbage.
The PA Dept. of Environmental Protection Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation began the $3.47 million reclamation of the 90-acre site, which was approximately 300 feet deep.
Avondale pit midway through reclamation.
Another view of the pit reclamation at mid point.
A panoramic photo shows a nearly completed Avondale Pit project.

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