Over 50 Years of Environmental Discovery: Tracking a Stream’s Evolution
TK
Dickinson students map environmental change with ground-penetrating radar
video by Joe O'Neill
For more than five decades, Dickinson has turned a local creek into a living laboratory. What began as a simple project by Professor Emeritus Noel Potter—who initiated annual surveys to track the movement of the stream's meanders—has evolved into a profound longitudinal study of environmental change.
Today, geosciences students build upon this massive dataset by utilizing professional-grade field equipment. Rather than relying on a "canned lab" with predetermined outcomes, students are tasked with designing their own experiments and interpreting real-world data.
The work now incorporates ground-penetrating radar, allowing students to look beneath the earth to identify paleo stream channels. By mapping the subsurface, students gain a clearer understanding of why the stream meanders in specific areas, bridging the gap between historical landscape shifts and current ecological patterns. This immersive approach ensures that students gain practical, career-ready skills in data processing and field surveying while contributing to a long-term scientific legacy.
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Published July 21, 2026