EASTON, Pa.(www.lafayette.edu), December 8, 2008 — An Urban Ecology Education Center, a multi-functional trail system, vineyards, and a hydroelectric turbine are some of the numerous potential projects students in this year’s Technology Clinic are recommending to improve the urban ecology of Easton’s West Ward.
Tech Clinic is a hands-on course founded in 1986 that brings together students from different majors to help solve real-world problems of a business, non-profit organization, or government body. Another Tech Clinic class has been working on exhibits and marketing for a proposed flood museum.
According to Tech Clinic adviser Dan Bauer, professor of anthropology and sociology, urban ecology deals with the interactions of plants, animals, and humans with each other and with their environment within urban settings. The team has been working with the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership, which is funded by a $730,000 grant from the Wachovia Regional Foundation. The project focuses on the West Ward from 15th Street to Sixth Street and Butler Street south to the Lehigh River.
Electrical and computer engineering major Mike Cuomo ’09 (Wyckoff, N.J.) says the project’s primary goal is to address both the physical aspects of ecology in an urban setting as well as people’s perception of their relationship to urban ecology.
Among the group’s proposals is the establishment of an Urban Ecology Education Center. The center would not only offer environmental education programs, but its design and construction would reflect sustainable building techniques. The open air building would have solar power panels on the roof and would pull other energy from a hydroelectric turbine, which would generate power from water runoff from a 200 foot drop between Washington and Butler streets.
Being the only engineer on the team, Cuomo says he brought an analytical and technical background to the project. He especially excelled in the area of hydrology, which he was learning about in another class.
“Tech clinic is a team-based project where each member is able to focus on their area and act as a manager at different times,” says Cuomo. “One thing I have learned is to trust my teammates and their expertise.”
The group also recommends the possible establishment of a vineyard, which would be attractive and the grapes could also be sold to local wineries; a network of multi-functional trails for nature exploration, biking, and exercise with stations and outdoor equipment; a skate park; and a recreation park. The revitalization of existing pocket parks and community gardens, the planting of street trees, and the use of public art are also recommendations.
English and geology double major Alysia LeComte ’10 (Greenwich, Conn.) says she was able to focus on the environmental and natural history of the area. Her geology background directly affected the project and many of the recommendations that were made.
“It’s a tremendously well-rounded experience,” says LeComte. “I had no idea what I was getting into at first. I didn’t really know what tech clinic was about, but after getting together with the others, I found out how many different ways there are to look at a problem. This project allows you to get a good idea of your strengths and weaknesses.”
Other students working on the project were: English major Sean Gerrity ’09(Cranford, N.J.), international affairs major Stefanie Wnuck ’10 (South Windsor, Conn.), art major James Castelluccio ’09 (Stamford, Conn.), and economics and business major Angela Pflug ’10 (Berkeley Heights, N.J.). In addition to Bauer, William Dohe, head of R+D Architecture in Easton, advised the team.
Additional support for the project was provided by the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley (CACLV) from a grant of $15,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development with the assistance of Pennsylvania Representative Robert L. Freeman. Thomas E. Jones, the West Ward’s Urban Conservation Planner, also participated in the project and was instrumental in proposing the topic of urban ecology.