Nominations are now being accepted for the PACD Conservation Awards. New for 2024, the award nominations have been simplified and streamlined with an online nomination form. Nominations must be received by April 30, 2024.

The awards are:

• Ann Rudd Saxman Conservation District Director or Associate Director Excellence Award
• Conservation District Employee Excellence Award
• Legislator Recognition Award
• Maurice K. Goddard Award for Excellence in Environmental Recreation

Contact Roxanne Dohner at rdohner@pacd.org or 717-794-6108 with any questions.

 

The submission deadline for the 2024 National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Poster Contest is June 30, 2024. The theme is “May the Forest Be with You Always.” Click here for the poster contest flyer. More information will be shared as NACD makes it available.

The Westmoreland Conservation District received the 2023 Non-profit of the Year award from the Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce at their annual business meeting and award celebration. The award recognizes the programs and partnerships the district has made in its nearly 75-year history.

Watch this video spotlight to learn more about the district and how it helps communities. 

 

The conservation district watershed specialists hold a photo contest during their annual meeting. The contest has four categories and an overall top winner.

Here are the 2023 results:

• Miscellaneous Water – A Seldom Seen Passage, Cori Trice, Chester County Conservation District
• Water at Work – Elk Creek – Steelhead Run, Scott Alexander, Fulton County Conservation District
• People and Water – Meadow Grounds Lake – Autumn Morning, Scott Alexander, Fulton County Conservation District
• Water as Art – Reflecting on New Hope, Vy Trinh, Adams County Conservation District
• Best in Show – Soon to Be Shaded, Tyler Keefer, Lancaster County Conservation District

Congratulations to all the winners! Thank you to all those who participated in the contest. It’s great to see photos from across the state! Click here to view the full versions of the winning photos. 

Piper Sherburne, PACD South East Region Director and Chair of the Berks County Conservation District, was nominated and selected to receive the North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA) Advocacy Award!

“It is NAISMA’s honor to recognize Piper for her demonstrated local, regional, and national influence and leadership in natural resource protection and invasive species management. Piper is known to work closely with partners at all levels to advance policy, funding, and efforts to create a regional Pennsylvania Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) to better address invasive species threats and impacts, which, if successful, will benefit the entire state of Pennsylvania,” said Kate Wilson, NAISMA President.

About the award: “This award recognizes outstanding leadership and advocacy in the policy/program realm at state, tribal, and/or federal levels. Special attention is given to advocacy for congressional bills, support, outreach, and/or policies that directly advance invasive species prevention and management.”

The award will be presented at the NAISMA conference in Lincoln, Nebraska, on October 18, 2023.

Pennsylvania Outdoor Life recently featured John Levitsky, Watershed Specialist with the Luzerne Conservation District. John is the 2023 Thomas P. Shelburne Award winner. 

According to www.pecpa.org, “John has led numerous efforts that have had direct results in conserving natural resources in Northeastern PA. He has helped foster a conservation ethic for countless people and cultivated lasting partnerships with many organizations throughout the area by making environmental stewardship understandable through his sincere and accessible way of working with people, all qualities that align well with the ideals embodied by the Thomas P. Shelburne Environmental Leadership Award.”

Click here to view the 8 1/2 minute video. 

The Northeast Association of Conservation District Employees (NACDE) recently announced their 2023 award recipients.

Cliff Lane Receives NACDE District Leader Award

The Northeast Association of Conservation District Employees (NACDE) District Leader Award is presented to a director or other individual who is doing an outstanding job working with district professionals on a regional basis, helps obtain the goals of NACDE and the regional partnership, and assists in expanding employee professional development.

This year’s winner of the District Leader Award is Cliff Lane. Cliff currently serves as PACD North West Region Director, NACD North East Region Representative, and Commissioner Secretary/Treasurer at McKean County Conservation District.

This award was presented during the 2023 Northeast Region Meeting in Portland, Maine. Congratulations Cliff!

Sandy Thompson Receives NACDE President’s Award

Sandy Thompson, Manager of McKean County Conservation District and former Vice President of the Northeast Association of Conservation District Employees (NACDE), received the 2023 NACDE President’s Award. President Jeff Parker, from Steubin County, New York, selected Sandy for the award.

The NACDE President’s Award is given in recognition of outstanding service to NACDE and the Conservation Partnership in the Northeast Region.

Sandy is a long-time member of NACDE, serving as Secretary from 2011 to 2016 and as Vice-President from 2017 to 2023. In her role as Vice-President, Sandy did an outstanding job filling for the NACDE President when he was not available for various meetings and other responsibilities.

The recipient has served both their District and NACDE with professionalism, dedication, and service to the cause of conservation and of District employees in the northeast.

The award was presented to Sandy Thompson at the PACD North West Region Meeting on September 27, 2023.

On July 31, 2023, Berks County Conservation District held its Annual Scholarship and Awards Dinner. The event was held at the Oley Fairgrounds in Oley, PA. During the celebration, the district awarded $24,000 in scholarships and recognized several businesses and individuals.

Award Winners:

• Chair’s Award – John Ravert
• Contractor of the Year – H&K Group
• Plan Preparer of the Year – LTL Consultants
• Conservation Organization of the Year – Blue Marsh, US Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia Division
• Conservation Individuals of the Year – Tami Hildebrand and Joseph Boyle, Mt. Penn Water Authority
• Farm of the Year – Vista Grande Farms, LLC, the Bitler Family

 

 

Conservation district staff and partners attended the PACD/SCC Award Luncheon on July 19, 2023.

The following honorees were recognized: 

Legislator Leadership Award

• Senator Scott Martin (Senate District 13 – Berks and Lancaster Counties)

President’s Award

• Tamara Peffer (PA Department of Education)
• Piper Sherburne (Berks County)

Ann Rudd Saxman Conservation District Director Excellence Award

• Thomas Boldin (Centre County)

Conservation District Employee Excellence Award

• Michele Long (Pike County)

Conservation District Trash Champion

• Washington County Conservation District

Conservation District Employee Service Recognition Awards

30 Years of Service

• Russell Ryan, Resource Conservation Supervisor, Adams
• Bill Zavislak, Chesapeake Bay Engineering Assistant, Lackawanna

35 Years of Service

• Tim Matechak, Erosion and Sedimentation Technician (Retired), Lackawanna
• James Pillsbury, Hydraulic Engineer, Westmoreland

45 Years of Service

• Barry Travelpiece, Engineer (Retired), Columbia

Click here to read the entire press release. 

PACD announced the winners of the 2023 “One Water” statewide poster contest.

The winners and the county conservation district that submitted the posters are:

Category: Kindergarten through First Grade

• Aiden German, Columbia County Conservation District

Category: Second through Third Grades

• Cora Petrunak, Lehigh County Conservation District

Category: Fourth through Sixth Grades

• Alekhya Doddapaneni, Allegheny County Conservation District

Category: Seventh through Ninth Grades

• Olivia Greene, Columbia County Conservation District

Category: Tenth through Twelfth Grades

• Evelyn Warner, Cambria County Conservation District

In the digital poster contest, Quinn Brown, Delaware County Conservation District, won in the Seventh through Ninth Grade category.

Each state-level winner will receive $50 and will be submitted for judging in the upcoming national competition this winter. The National Association of Conservation Districts sponsors the national contest. Visit https://www.nacdnet.org/general-resources/stewardship-and-education-materials/contests for more information.