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Van Zandt celebrates Earth Day

Gary Noble (left), 72, a Meyersdale native who is a patient at the Van Zandt VA Medical Center, takes in some of the VA’s Earth Day activities on Sunday. Pictured with Noble is Bill Turner, Division Commander with the United States Coast guard Auxiliary; Sigrid Andrew, Director of the Van Zandt VA Medical Center; and Stephen Shaffer, a medical center volunteer. Mirror photo by Greg Bock

It was Earth Day 2018 on Sunday and at the Van Zandt VA Medical Center, a variety of area groups came out to share with veterans and the public some knowledge about nature and what is being done to promote a cleaner, healthier environment.

“Water is never created or destroyed,” said Amy Sipes, microbiologist with the Altoona Area Water Authority. “It’s always been here so we want to take care of our water.”

Sipes and the AAWA were at the VA’s Earth Day event to help educate people about what goes in to making sure the authority’s water is clean to drink and to demonstrate how the environment plays a big role in the process. Using a 1,000 ml graduated cylinder representing all the water in the world, Sipes said only 6 ml of that is drinkable.

In a beaker of what looked like clear water, Sipes was able to show that appearance is sometimes deceiving when it comes to resources like water. By raising the pH, the water changed to green and then a yellow-orange, called “Yellow boy” — the effect of iron sulfide that is a familiar site around abandoned mines. The authority has installed eight pond systems to filter water from these seeps. These systems remove hundreds of pounds of minerals out of the water before it reaches the treatment plants, Sipes said. And that saves a lot of money.

Sigrid Andrew, Director of the James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center, said hosting Earth Day Activities, which included demonstrations and activities, is just one more way the medical center is hoping to connect with the community. Andrew noted Boy Scouts were at the facility, planting and landscaping at the Veteran’s Garden on Sunday.

“They were having a blast and the patients were loving it,” she said. “It benefits everyone and it’s great.”

Over at the John Kennedy Chapter of Trout Unlimited’s booth near The Wall That Heals, members Jerry Green, George Baker and Eric Rubine were teaching folks a bit about fishing, macroinvertebrates, fly tying and streams.

“Public outreach is the key — and education,” said Baker, who pointed out the group is gearing up to launch a veteran’s program to bring the joys of fishing to veterans and their families as part of a larger state and national initiative. A lot of the group’s members already work through Project Healing Waters, which works with disabled veterans, and TU is hoping to start a program to get all veterans and their families involved in coldwater fishing and stream conservation.

Andrew said the VA hopes to continue to do more Earth Day events in the coming years as well as expand its activities for the public.

“We want to be relevant to the community and to the military veterans,” she said.

Mirror Staff Writer Greg Bock is at 946-7458.

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