Sweeney_OutdoorClassrooms_Sept2016EPGTS2

EXTREME P H Y S I O L O G Y NEPA Edition Terrence Sweeney, Ph.D and Tara Fay, M.S & Janet Sweeney, M.S., V.P., PEC N o r t h e a s t O f f i c e This travel course will expose the student to the stunning and diverse environments of Arizona in the course of investigating human physiological adaptation to extreme environmental and aerobic challenges NEPA Course Inspiration There are amazing things to in Northeastern PA Too few know aboutthem NEPA Course Concept • Summer General Education Natural Science Course • week, credit course – 12 student cap • Student Learning Outcomes • Physiology – Know how and why human performance improves with training • Health – Understand the benefits of a healthy lifestyle • Conservation – Know not only how organizations conserve and maintain lands, but also why they the work they • Community – Understand how they can help further land conservation and stewardship for the public & the environment • Connections – Learn about the parks, forests, preserved lands and the growing trail networks there are to explore in NEPA Achieving Course Goals through Partnerships • Physiology & Health • University of Scranton Faculty • Biology - Terry Sweeney & Tara Fay • Exercise Science - Michael Landram • Conservation, Community & Connections • Pocono Forests & Waters CL • Janet Sweeney, Internal Lead • Tim Dugan, External Lead • Activity & Site Outreach Committee • UofS - Mark Murphy, Director of Sustainability NEPA Course Elements • • • • • Human Performance Testing - VO2max, 1.5 mile run,Wingate Training via Outdoor Activities Lectures Student Reports Student Service Activities • Morning Lectures & Reports; Afternoon Activities Days & – Pre-training Human Performance Testing The VO2max test required us to run on the treadmill through minute stages, with progressively increasing speeds and inclines.Most reached exhaustion at Stage 5, at a speed of 5.0 mph up an 18% incline Day started out with the Wingate test, which measures peak anaerobic power Using a cycle ergometer,the student had to keep up as much speed as possible for 30 seconds after resistance was applied to the flywheel No one threw up After a DEXA body scan, we drove to the Dunmore High track to complete the 1.5 mile run in the blazing sun Some tried to hatch some Pokémon eggs, while others simply dreaded their yearly run.The run at the day’s peak heat proved quite difficult, especially after the rigorous tests from earlier in the day and the day before The last test of the day was to carry the lb Anatomy and Physiology book home Physiology The Wingate Anaerobic Fitness Test Physiology Today, the class took a trip south to visit and hike portions of the vast Bear Creek Preserve, just off Route 115.We were guided by Joe Vinton, the preserve manager, andhis intrepid dog Riley Bear Creek Preserve Hike The preserve is privately owned by the Natural Lands Trust This organization receives its funding from private donors and grants, and directs money toward projects centered on the restoration and preservation of forest lands.The preserve is considered a successional forest, meaning that the canopy has been removed in some segments, allowing lower vegetation to flourish and eventually supplant the taller trees The Natural Lands Trust also created vernal pools, or seasonal pools of water too shallow for fish, to help to encourage growth in the amphibian population and provide water sources for native animals Conservation Principles of Exercise Training & Biking the LHVA Scranton Trail Physiology Today, after a morning lecture by Michael Landram describing the Principles of Exercise Training, we met Owen Worozbyt, Trail and Environmental Projects Manager, at the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail office on Railroad Ave and he led us on a bike ride on the Central New Jersey Railroad portion of the trail, stopping at a few points of interest There is a multi-use athletic field, an amphitheater, and a medicinal herb garden trailside Owen also took us to the trail spur to Providence Rd near Scranton High School He highlighted recent work that widened that section, making it more inviting to pedestrians After dodging a brief storm, we continued out to Green Ridge, did a lap around the Plot, huffed and puffed up Electric Street, and cruised back to the University via the Hill Section Overall, it was an educational and exciting 12-mile ride! Connections Impressions of Week Going into this course I knew it would be a challenge I’m not in great shape and science was never my strong subject I wanted both of those aspects to change… I really appreciate seeing all of places I could go to walk, bike or hike I really didn’t know what to expect I had a basic understanding of exercise and how to stay healthy but… after finishing the first week I learned a lot of new material about what physiology really was and some things I could apply to my daily routine I enjoyed the fitness testing It was interesting to have my own capabilities quantified, instead of guessing at them subjectively The hike at the Bear Creek Preserve and the ride on the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Trail were nice, as they were both new territory for me The only minor issue I had with the activities so far was the street bike ride in Scranton I’m not quite as confident riding in traffic, and consider trails a more comfortable location I didn’t really know what to expect last week, but it turned out to be awesome The first couple days were painful, but even though I was really sore, I was sorry to miss the first bike ride.The lectures are all really interesting, and the activities are enjoyable.The professors, classmates,and guests are all really friendly Day – Blakely to Forest City Bike Ride Physiology Today was the first full-day bike ride.We met at Blakely Park and biked on the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail to Jermyn It is a nicely paved trail that is primarily wooded and shaded and it offers nice views of the calmly flowing Lackawanna River After getting off the trail in Jermyn, we used a variety of roads in Mayfield and Carbondale to get to Forest City, with the last leg of our journey taking us up the relentless incline of Route 171 and past views of the Waymart wind turbines After stopping for “second breakfast”, we retraced our t r a c k s b a c k t o B l a ke l y , completing the 33 mile ride, but not before thoroughly enjoying the Rt 171 descent into Carbondale, a lot of roadside Queen Anne’s lace and other wildflowers alongside the road Connections Rickett’s Glen State Park Hike Today we hiked at Rickett’s Glen State Park This park is known for its beautiful waterfalls and its long and difficult Falls Trail Among its many other amenities and activities, in the winter the park allows climbers to try their hand at ice climbing on the frozen waterfalls Following a 4-mile hike up the falls, we met with Park Manager Ben Stone for a lunchtime talk Ben spoke of recent prescribed burns conducted to control forest progression He also described the challenges of managing park use in ways that preserved both public access and the park’s natural ecology We then hopped back on the trail for our return trip, miles of steep declines down the other side of the falls Conservatio Delaware State Forest – Peck’s Pond The class arrived at Peck’s Pond for a lecture and kayak adventure with Tim Dugan, DCNR’s District Forester for the Delaware State Forest Don Jacobs, of WNEP’s Pennsylvania Outdoor Life, was also there to produce a segment about our course and the upcoming drawdown of the pond Dugan described the plants that were taking over the pond, such as milfoil and several species of lily pads Normally, the Forest Service would allow the pond to take its natural course of eutrophication (from pond to swamp to marsh to meadow to forest,) but local residents had pressed the Forest Service to restore the pond, a historic favorite among fishermen Ultimately, a drawdown lasting 18 months was planned to repair the aging dam and restore the aquatic nature of the pond The class then kayaked for about two hours and saw the extent of the milfoil and lily pad progression, which madethekayaking extremely difficult They also saw two beaver lodges and collected various artifacts from around the lake It was a good core workout Community Physiology Health Exercise Increases Cardiovascular Reserve Capacity A Sedentary Lifestyle Diminishes it Week was filled with two of my favorite things and one of my least favorite things I loved the hiking at Rickett’s Glen State Park and the kayaking at Peck’s Pond.That 33-mile bike ride though… that was a killer JR Levick, Introduction to Cardiovascular Physiology,2003 I learned that an answer someone might give in response to “just give me an answer” is actually something that happens in our bodies We actually grow more capillaries as a response to a demand in the muscles I think that is really cool.Throughout the week I began focusing more on what my body was doing during all of our exercise L.Sherwood,Human Physiology,2007 Physiology Day - Clarks Summit – Nicholson Bike Ride Today the group went on a 27 mile bike ride in the morning, from Clarks Summit to Nicholson and back again in a loop Although the ride was shorter than last week’s, the hills we had to climb certainly made it more challenging The ride covered over 2,400 feet of ascent, and gave us a spectacular view of the NicholsonViaduct Connections Commute to Work? Focusing on developing trails along commuting corridors could greatly facilitate commuting by bicycle Rail-with-Trail expands those possibilities Connections Physiology Conservation This week was very exciting Everything we did was not only physically exhausting but also breathtakingly beautiful Each day keeps getting more eventful I am constantly amazed at how much there is to around our area Lackawanna River – Tackling Knotweed at Sweeney Beach Delaware Water Gap Mt Minsi Climb Sustainability Projects at Scranton Eales Preserve at Moosic Mtn – Prescribed Burns Week 3! I got to re-experience one of my greatest outdoor achievements AND learn something new about the city I’ve lived in all my life.The cool thing about this course is that you never know what to expect All of the different people we meet each tell us a piece of the puzzle Bernie McGurl helped me realize that when he made it all come together.You never really think about what’s involved to conserve and protect nature A lot is taken for granted and it’s really cool to see the process and meet the people that fought for it! Community Connections Extreme Physiology, NEPA Edition In the end… So, I’m assuming if you’ve read all of our blogs and have gotten this far, you’re either our parents or you’re really interested in this course My advice: take it, but let me tell you what you’re in for You will be pushed and challenged to strenuous activities over the course of four weeks Yet you will also be able to understand everything your body is going through Such as: did you know you will grow more capillaries? You will bike 30 plus miles and somehow not die and still be able to walk afterwards.You will be given machetes and still return with all of your limbs.You will hike for miles and miles but the view at the top will always be worth it.You will learn the rules of biking with traffic and just when you thought your seat was high enough it’s probably not You may or may not get second breakfast You will learn that kayaking is actually all in your core You will end up actually enjoying getting lost because trust me, you will get lost So, take the plunge and don’t worry… it’s all in the waiver Partners to Thank & Acknowledge Activity Site and Outreach Steering Committee Course Faculty Tara Fay and TerrenceSweeney Janet Sweeney - Pennsylvania Environmental Council Christine Dettore,Tim Dugan, David Madl and Rob Neitz - DCNR Joe Vinton - Bear Creek Preserve Owen Worozbyt - Lackawanna HeritageValley Mark Murphy, Univ of Scranton Sustainability Initiative Partners to Thank & Acknowledge From The University of Scranton Tara Fay - Biology Michael Landram - Exercise Science Dani Arigo - Psychology Vince Marshall - Biology Mark Murphy - Director of Sustainability Partners to Thank & Acknowledge From the Pocono Forests and Waters Conservation Landscape Janet Sweeney - Pennsylvania Environmental Council Tim Dugan - Delaware State Forest Christine Dettore - DCNR Joe Vinton - Bear Creek Preserve Owen Worozbyt - LHV Angela Lambert - Lackawanna State Park Ben Stone - Rickett’s Glen State Park Lorne Possinger - DCNR Jennifer Case - The Nature Conservancy Michelle Stevens - Delaware Water Gap Bernie McGurl - Lackawanna Dave Madl - Hickory Run State Park Complex Partners to Thank & Acknowledge Students Outfitters Ryan Clarkson LHV Bicycle Loan Program Virginia Farrell Endless Mountain Outfitters Eva Rine Pocono Whitewater Ltd Gared Zaboski “Extra”Students Doug Brown Hanna Conahan Alec Cottone - PEC Intern Marissa D’Avignon Maria Gentile Courtney Joe James Gabby Prezkop Chloe Sweeney Media Don Jacobs & Brian Hollingshead WNEP Pennsylvania Outdoor Life Kathleen Bolus & Michael Mullen Scranton Times-Tribune Visit our Website https://sites.scranton.edu/extremephysiology And Don’t Forget