The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has awarded $1,173,789 in Environmental Education Grants to 68 environmental education projects that will promote environmental stewardship across Pennsylvania.

Twelve conservation districts received funding:

• Adams – $4,889 for “Tour of Best Management Practices at the Adams County Ag Center”
• Blair – $30,000 for “Regional Education on Healthy Soils, Riparian Buffers and Urban Green Spaces”
• Clarion – $19,009 for “Enhancing Water and Climate Education in Clarion County”
• Columbia – $5,000 to host “Composting Towards a Climate Solution”
• Dauphin – $5,000 for the “2025 Stormwater Management for Homeowners Workshop”
• Delaware – $5,000 to host the “Delaware County Annual Sustainability Conference”
• Indiana – $10,180 for “Indiana County Environmental Futures: Education for Water, Climate, and Environmental Justice”
• Lawrence – $4,905 for “Nature Camps for Lawrence County”
• Lehigh – $4,969 for the “Orefield Middle School Outdoor Experience”
• Monroe – $10,400 for the “From Current to Classroom: Educating Through Electrofishing”
• Venango – $4,457 for its “Venango County Youth Agriculture Education Initiative”
• Westmoreland – $3,037 for its “Storm Drain Marker Outreach Project”

Click here to read more. 

 

Submitted by Katie Hollen, Watershed Specialist, Lebanon County Conservation District

On March 19, 2025, sixty students attended the Lebanon County Envirothon Soils Training. Middle and high school students from Annville-Cleona, Lebanon, Northern Lebanon, and Palmyra school districts, as well as homeschool and private school institutions, participated.

The Lebanon County Conservation District hosted the hands-on training at the Lebanon Expo Center. It was led by Soil Scientist John Chibirka from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). NRCS Natural Resource Specialist Alec Smith and Lebanon County Conservation District Ag Preservation Specialist Craig Zemitis assisted.

John began the morning with a presentation on soil forming factors, soil texture, soil horizons, and more. Students learned about the different soils throughout the state and why it is important to understand soil properties when making land use decisions.

After the presentation, students used the soil textural triangle to classify different soil samples. John assisted the students as they practiced making ribbons with soil and estimating the amounts of sand, silt, and clay in each sample. He also showed them how to use Munsell Soil Color Books to determine the color of each soil sample. Alec and Craig introduced students to topographic maps and soil surveys.

Thank you to all the volunteers who made the conservation district booth at the PA Farm Show a success!

Thank you to the following conservation districts who sent volunteers:

• Berks
• Carbon
• Centre
• Chester
• Franklin
• Fulton
• Lebanon
• Mifflin
• Schuylkill
• Snyder
• Westmoreland
• And the PA Envirothon

Join PACD’s Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh for a free webinar on “Conservation Districts and Pennsylvania’s Legislative Process.” Brenda will share her more than three decades of experience building relationships with legislators during the webinar. Attendees will learn how conservation districts can engage legislators, the best time for engagement, and ideas and resources for making your efforts as effective as possible.

The event will occur via Zoom on February 5, 2025, from Noon to 1:00 p.m.

Click here to register. 

The Bradford County Conservation District and Bradford Solar recently announced their partnership with the launch of a new Renewable Energy Trailer at the Green Jobs Fair at Mount Pisgah State Park.

The Renewable Energy Trailer is an educational tool that will travel around the county to fairs, schools, and community events to teach people about renewable energy. The trailer offers a unique, hands-on experience that will appeal to people of all ages.

At the exclusive event, attendees had the chance to visit the Renewable Energy Trailer and the Bradford Solar vendor booth, where the team answered questions and shared more information about the trailer and the Bradford Solar Project.

On Wednesday, September 11, 2024, the Columbia County Conservation District held its 8th annual Water Education Day at Briar Creek Lake Park in Berwick. About 240 eighth-grade students from three different school districts in Columbia County attended the event. The students rotated through six stations, learning about various aspects of our water sources, water quality, and aquatic ecosystems.

Click here to read more about the event and to see more photos.

The Elk County Conservation District (ECCD), in collaboration with neighboring conservation districts and other industry partners, hosted “Forestry Days for Districts” from July 29 to 30 in Johnsonburg, PA. This two-day workshop was open to all conservation districts statewide, and representatives from over 20 districts were present! The objective was to provide “training by districts, for districts,” focusing on timber harvesting and effectively communicating sustainable timber practices.

Throughout PA, each district encounters varying degrees of forestry sites and timber operations. “Forestry Days for Districts” allowed district employees from all corners of the state to come together to discuss their own experiences and learn directly from those in the forestry industry.

Click here to read the entire article and see more photos. 

PACD is pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 “May the Forest Be with You Always” statewide poster contest.

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

Category: Kindergarten through First Grade

• Kaelyn Duncan, Greene County Conservation District

Category: Second through Third Grades

• Jion Kim, Delaware County Conservation District

Category: Fourth through Sixth Grades

• Alekhya Doddapaneni, Allegheny County Conservation District

Category: Seventh through Ninth Grades

• Kinley Farabaugh, Cambria County Conservation District

Category: Tenth through Twelfth Grades

• Halena Nguyen, Delaware County Conservation District

Category: Tenth through Twelfth Grades – Digital Poster

• Kira Dillon, Cambria County Conservation District

Each state-level winner will receive $50 and will be submitted for judging this winter’s upcoming national competition. The National Association of Conservation Districts sponsors the national contest. Click here for more information.

 

Submitted by: Lebanon County Conservation District Watershed Specialist Katie Hollen

On March 20, 2024, approximately eighty students attended the Lebanon County Envirothon Soils Training. Middle and high school students participated from ELCO; the Lebanon, Northern Lebanon, and Palmyra school districts; Lebanon Christian Academy; and Myerstown Enrichment Center.

The Lebanon County Conservation District hosted the hands-on training at the Lebanon Expo Center. Soil Scientist John Chibirka (Berks) and Assistant State Conservationist Charlie Hanner (Lebanon) from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) were special guest instructors.

John began the morning with a presentation on soil forming factors, soil texture, soil horizons, and more. Students viewed a soil map of Pennsylvania and learned about the importance of understanding soil properties when making land-use decisions. They also learned about our state soil, Hazleton.

After the presentation, students used the soil textural triangle to classify different soil samples. John assisted the students as they practiced making ribbons with soil and estimating the amounts of sand, silt, and clay in each sample. He also showed them how to use Munsell Soil Color Books to determine the color of each soil sample. Charlie introduced students to topographic maps and led an exercise in which students used soil surveys to determine the soil types at their schools.

During the 2024 Northampton County Envirothon, a prize was presented in honor of Chryss Buchman, the district’s former manager, who passed away in 2016. The award was given to the highest-scoring team at the Current Issue Station. The 2024 winner is the team from Moravian Academy.