Over 150 students, teachers, environmental professionals, and community members attended the 10th Annual Monastery Run Project Symposium on November 12, 2002 at Saint Vincent College, Science Center Amphitheatre. This year's symposium marked a Decade of Success in treating mine water discharges at Saint Vincent College. Dr. Caryl Fish described how far the watershed restoration project has come in passive wetland treatment technology, environmental education, and partnership since 1993. A walk through the last ten years gave valuable information to the many watershed organizations that attended in hopes of building similar projects in their watersheds. 

Dr. Cynthia Walter, and her students Jamie Heinzman, Krissey Eutsey, and Ellen Bursch discussed the Biological Assessment of Fourmile and Monastery Run, and the Loyalhanna Creek before and after treatment. New technologies in passive treatment were discussed by Terry Schmidt of Skelly and Loy, in addition to an overview of L. Robert Kimball and Associates, Inc. "Bubbler" relocation project completed at the Monastery Run Improvement Project site. The success and problems of AMD treatment systems were highlighted by PJ Shah of the PA DEP. The morning sessions ended with the Loyalhanna Watershed Association and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy introducing the preliminary plans for the Loyalhanna Creek Watershed Assessment which will evaluate the frequency of water quality impacts within the watershed in an effort for all organizations to work together to remediate the many environmental problems. 

Through the assistance of Dr. Caryl Fish's AMD Honors Class, the attendees could "try-out" the Environmental Education Center's new AMD Modules developed for secondary students. The interactive poster session included student research, water quality analysis, mine water treatment technologies, the new "Good Bye Orange Water" AMD Activity Booklet developed by the Environmental Education Center staff, and various Watershed Organizations displays. 

The afternoon allowed some brave souls to take a hike in the rain to tour the 20 acres of passive wetlands at the Monastery Run Improvement Project site and the Environmental Education Center classroom as well as tie dye a t-shirt with iron oxide from the wetlands.