BCCD District Educator J.T. Bandzuh reads The Leaf Thief during an Animals of Halloween workshop at Williamsburg Elementary School. Photo taken by Jayme Elvey (Williamsburg Elementary School).
Blair County Conservation District Educator J.T. Bandzuh visited Williamsburg Elementary School on October 25, 2021, to host an “Animals of Halloween” show-and-tell presentation. Pre-K and Kindergarten classes combined to listen to J.T. read The Leaf Thief and to discuss fall and the changes brought about during the season.
After story time, J.T. introduced students to bats, owls, and spiders – explaining to students their contributions to their local environments. The lessons were taught through hand puppets, skeletons and mounts of bats and owls, and the inspection of owl pellets.
Carbon County Educator Franklin Klock examines “poop” to the delight of second graders. Photo provided by Carbon County Conservation District.
Carbon County Environmental Education Center has developed a fun demonstration for elementary students on the relationships between plants, animals, and soil. The “Poop Plop” is played by mixing brightly colored beads into a plastic bag full of chocolate pudding. The pudding is then piped across a gameboard as “poop” from a bear or fox, depositing the beads as “seeds” onto places where they might–or might not–germinate, such as in good soil, near a rotting log, or along a road.
Educators then examine the poop by hand to dig out the seeds. Seed colors correspond to student teams, with teams earning points depending on where the seeds have landed. The activity aligns with academic standards for ecology and the environment.
The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts partnered with SEK CPAs & Advisors to offer a QuickBooks training program to conservation districts. Basic, advanced, and payroll sessions were included in the training. The webinars were held on August 12, September 9, and September 23, 2021.
Support Accountant Supervisor Bonnie Aleshire, and Senior Associate Mandy Walls with SEK CPAs & Advisors taught all three workshops.
Any conservation district staff who work with QuickBooks are encouraged to view the trainings. For more information, please contact Holly Miller at hmiller@pacd.org.
Rich Shearman of SiteOne Landscape Supply demonstrates correct calibration of spray equipment. Photo provided by Lehigh County Conservation District.
Lehigh County Conservation District and Lower Macungie Township partnered to host a daylong training for certified pesticide applicators on September 14, 2021, at the Township’s Community Center.
Forty-two municipal representatives attended, including several townships, boroughs, and county parks. Instruction was provided on the proper choice, mixing, application, and disposal of herbicides and pesticides. Identification and control of common invasive weeds tied into the hands-on demo for correct mixing of herbicides and equipment calibration.
The training also included the latest recommendations for spotted lanternfly remediation, the biology and elimination of mosquitoes, and information on the Department of Environmental Protection’s black fly program. In addition, an update was provided on a long-term research project to determine the prevalence of various tick species and the pathogens they carry in the Greater Lehigh Valley Area.
Municipalities that attended received credit toward their Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) training requirements. In addition to the MS4 credits, licensed attendees received PA pesticide applicator credits.
(Top left) PACD’s Shannon Wehinger; (top right) Penn State Extension’s Jennifer Fetter welcomes attendees; and (bottom) Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center’s Kristen Koch demonstrates a buffer model at the Dive Deeper 2021 conference.
Formal and non-formal educators convened in Harrisburg on September 23, 2021, for The Dive Deeper Summit. The summit gathers youth water educators in the Mid-Atlantic Region that pairs knowledge and resource sharing with networking opportunities. Attendees could participate in person or virtually this year.
Shannon Wehinger, PACD Director of Communications and Education, and conservation district staff attended the summit. The summit provided ample opportunities to experience hands-on activities to enhance water education.
Westmoreland Conservation District has created “The Homeowner’s Guide to Stormwater Video Series.” The series is available on YouTube and through the district’s website here. This series of videos will help homeowners learn how they can control stormwater around their homes and property.
The Allegheny County Conservation District and partners have released a Flood Education Workshop series for home and business owners.
This educational series includes instruction from experts about why it floods, ways to prepare before and after, and how to recover from a flood event.
Photo provided by Snyder County Conservation District.
During the evenings of August 9 -13, 2021, Snyder County Conservation District had the privilege of co-hosting the first kids’ Enviro Camp at Basom Memorial Park with Juniata County Conservation District. Fifty-four children attended the camp. Each night, children learned about topics focused on aquatics, wildlife, soils, and forestry. The final night of Enviro Camp was family night, which included conservation jeopardy, a streamside tree planting, and a bluebird box installation at the park.
The Enviro Camp was funded through a DEP Educational Grant.
Click here to view the webpage of materials. Please share the PSA scripts with your local radio stations. Conservation districts and partners are encouraged to share the video on their social media channels.
Thank you to McKean County Conservation District’s Jody Groshek for helping to develop the messages.
Mark your calendars for August 12, September 9, and September 23, 2021, from 10:00 a.m.-Noon for the QuickBooks Training Webinar Series! PACD has partnered with SEK CPAs and Advisors to offer free QuickBooks training statewide to conservation districts. August 12 will feature basic training, September 9 will be an advanced training, and September 23 will focus on payroll.
More information to come! Registration will open this summer. Please contact Holly Miller at hmiller@pacd.org with questions.
