The Franklin County Conservation District (FCCD) held a Summer Conservation Farm Tour and Luncheon on August 8, 2020, with approximately 40 people in attendance. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, FCCD had to cancel the original farm tour as there was no way to maintain social distancing on busses to transport attendees from the lunch venue (an outdoor pavilion this year) to the farm. Instead, the district hired a professional photographer to take pictures of the best management practices (BMPs) so attendees could still “see” them up close and personal. The Conservation Farmer of the Year spoke about his experiences with BMPs, as shown in the photos, and how they improved his farm.

Kudos to FCCD for adapting and finding a creative solution to hold their event and educate local farmers about BMPs.

Financial and other support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

In March 2020, the Berks County Conservation District (BCCD) was awarded a PACD/PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Multi-Functional Riparian Buffer Sub-grant to complete a 1.5-acre riparian forest buffer along Tulpehocken Creek. Two hundred sixty-five native trees and shrubs were planted to create a riparian buffer 35 to 50 feet wide. The native riparian plantings included edible species, like elderberry and highbush blueberry, and seasonal decorates, like winterberry and red osier dogwood.

A video of the project can be viewed on the BCCD Website at https://youtu.be/jys71IcoyNU. Click here to read the press release. 

Click here to read more about PACD’s Buffer Sub-grant program or contact Amy Brown at abrown@pacd.org.

Financial and other support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.

Perry County Conservation District Manager Sally Tengeres recently presented Representative Mark Keller (PA 86^th District) with the PACD Legislator Leadership Award in person. The award was announced at the PACD Executive Council Meeting in July.

Click here to read the press release.

 

On August 7, 2020, forty attendees from the Perry County No-till Group and members of the local agricultural community gathered for coffee and doughnuts at the farm of Dennis Weller, an Elliottsburg dairyman. The Perry County Conservation District hosted the event to discuss and evaluate how different types of no-till and vertical-till equipment interact with the soil.

Click here to read the entire article. 

Financial and other support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The Cambria County Library Children’s Department created a video featuring staff member Jackie Ritko talking about the various animals at the district’s education center.

Click here to view the video and here to read more about the Disaster’s Edge Environmental Education Center. 

The Spotted Lanternfly is an invasive species that is spreading across Pennsylvania. One control method a homeowner can easily implement is the installation of sticky traps. Karen Wilwol, Watershed Specialist for the Delaware County Conservation District, is putting these traps on several trees in county-owned parks for demonstration purposes. This video shows how one of these traps was installed at Rose Tree Park.

Click here to watch the video. 

Wetlands can have major impacts on our lives, but what in the world is a wetland anyway?

In this video, the Crawford County Conservation District discusses specific wetland qualities and why they’re important to us and our ecosystems.

Click here to view the video. 

Lancaster County Conservation District’s Spotted Lanternfly Technician Amanda Goldsmith has created a how-to video. In the video Amanda shares instructions on how to set up sticky tape tree bands to control and monitor spotted lanternfly. She uses two bycatch prevention best management practices including 2-3-inch-wide strips and chicken wire around the tape. These combine to reduce wildlife, such as endangered bats and birds, getting stuck on the tape while catching just as many spotted lanternflies.

Click here to view the tree banding video. 

Columbia County Conservation District is launching a brand-new program to promote sustainable backyard practices. The “Better Backyards” Certificate program is open to all Columbia County residential, business, school, and municipal lands.

This program aims to provide habitat for the county’s native flora and fauna, improve water quality and soil health, manage stormwater and erosion, reduce pollutants, and mitigate the effects of climate change.

The district is holding a webinar to launch the program on Friday, July 17, 2020, from Noon-1:00 p.m. Please register in advance for this webinar at: https://columbiaccd.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=20fd2bb3ba37aee106cc475c2&id=a51ea7ec8f&e=12ce2eb304

For more info about the “Better Backyards” Certificate Program go to www.columbiaccd.org/betterbackyards.

The Lebanon County Conservation District (LCCD) scheduled a rain barrel workshop that was postponed due to the coronavirus and finally had to be held virtually. LCCD Watershed Specialist Stephanie Harmon educated participants on non-point source pollution via a PowerPoint presentation. They were introduced to the concepts of water quality, quantity, and how homeowners can help minimize non-point source (NPS) pollution in and around their own homes. Specifically, they were introduced to local sources of NPS pollution and how a rain barrel can be used as one measure to minimize NPS pollution and conserve water.

Through this grant, twenty-four rain barrels were purchased and distributed to workshop participants. Those receiving rain barrels scheduled time on June 4 or 5, 2020, to pick up their rain barrel at the Lebanon Valley Agricultural Center. Pick-ups were scheduled at 15-minute intervals to implement social distancing.

Financial and other support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.