Written by bruntt on June 17, 2016. Posted in Conservation District Project Spotlight, Mini-grant

Montgomery Rain Garden

The “before” photo on the left shows the issue of standing water. The “after” photo on the right shows the Perkiomen demonstration rain garden after installation. Left photo taken by Bob Kahley, Aqua PA. Right photo taken by Virginia Vassalotti, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary. Photos provided by the Montgomery County Conservation District.

Montgomery County Conservation District planted a 3,000 square foot demonstration rain garden in Perkiomen Township. The project is part of a larger effort made possible by a nonpoint source mini-grant through PACD as well as a $30,000 grant from the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund. In addition to the rain garden, the district will retrofit a stormwater basin and construct two vegetated swales leading to and from the garden to create a stormwater treatment train. In addition to installing these practices, the district held tours and will install educational signage. Click here to see photos from the project.

Financial and other support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. (PACD) 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.

Written by bruntt on June 9, 2016. Posted in Conservation District Project Spotlight, Education, Events

Montgomery County Hosts 2016 Envirothon and BioBlitz

Submitted by Krista Scheirer, Watershed Specialist, Montgomery County Conservation District

Students using a GPS camera unit to record a species during the BioBlitz. Photo Credit: Jen Isett. Photo provided by Montgomery County Conservation District.

The Montgomery County Conservation District hosted three Envirothon events this spring in an effort to provide free environmental education for local students. Approximately 300 students participated in the events, which were held for the high school, middle school, and elementary school levels. The middle school students also took part in a National Geographic BioBlitz, which is an attempt to record all the living species within a designated area. “In about an hour altogether, the students found 34 unique species. Kristin Byers, from the PA Alliance for Geographic Education, led a station at our middle school event, where students used GPS units to take photos of as many species as they could find. In total, they made 242 observations. This exploration was exciting to watch and really engaging for the students. After the event, the photos were uploaded to iNaturalist, an app that helps to identify the species,” said Krista Scheirer, Montgomery County Conservation District Watershed Specialist. Click here for the project page, which includes the results of the BioBlitz. Click here to read the full press release on the event.

Written by bruntt on June 8, 2016. Posted in Conservation District Project Spotlight, Mini-grant

Centre County Showcases Conservation Projects

In May, the Centre County Conservation District held a tour to showcase conservation projects in the county. The stops featured six conservation district projects, including one erosion and sediment control site, two stream restorations, and three farms.

Tour participants look at a conservation district project on a local farm. Photo provided by Centre County Conservation District.

Financial and other support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. (PACD) 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.

Written by bruntt on June 7, 2016. Posted in Conservation District Project Spotlight, CREP

CREP Billboards Erected in Berks County

Photo provided by Berks County Conservation District.

The Berks County Conservation District designed a billboard for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). Three billboards were displayed in the Tulpehocken watershed for 8 weeks, starting April 11, 2016. In addition to the billboard, the district is planning to hold a series of events including workshop on maintenance and invasive weeds and a field day. Financial and other support for the CREP Outreach Program Office Mini-grant Program is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a Growing Greener Watershed Protection grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and with additional support from USDA-NRCS.

Written by bruntt on May 27, 2016. Posted in Conservation District Project Spotlight, Education

Franklin County Conservation District Hosts First Grade Field Trip

First grade students look for macroinvertebrates during their field trip hosted by the Franklin County Conservation District (FCCD). Photo provided by FCCD.

For the third year in a row, the Franklin County Conservation District hosted a field trip at Caledonia State Park for all of the first graders in the Chambersburg Area School District. There were approximately 688 first graders from 31 classes at 12 different elementary schools in the district. Click here to read more.

Written by bruntt on May 26, 2016. Posted in Conservation District Project Spotlight

Snyder Holds Agricultural Best Management Practice Tour

Shane Eia, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Civil Engineering Technician, shows participants an improved concrete barnyard that was installed on a Snyder County dairy farm. This barnyard not only collects manure for periodic clean out, it also allows the farmer to feed his animals without entering the manured section of the barnyard. Photo provided by Snyder County Conservation District.

On April 28, 2016, the Snyder County Conservation District held a farm conservation practice tour for farmers. The tour was held in cooperation with local Snyder County farm operations and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Middleburg Field Office staff. During the Agricultural Best Management Practice (BMP) Tour, visitors were able to see actual BMPs such as dairy liquid and bedded pack manure storages, improved barnyards, stormwater and roofwater controls, milkhouse treatment systems, streambank fencing, and pasture improvements and expansions. As part of the project, an Agricultural BMP Guide was developed. The guide features a variety of best management practices, all heavily illustrated with photos from Snyder County farms. Click here to view the guide. Click here to read more about the tour and for more photos. epa_logo (2)

Financial and other support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. (PACD) 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.

Written by bruntt on May 20, 2016. Posted in Conservation District Project Spotlight

Berks County Conservation District Holds “Paint the Rain Contest” with Local High Schools

The first place winner was Berks Catholic High School
Environmental Science & Meteorology Class.

As reported in the May 9, 2016 edition of Front Page, Berks County Conservation District (BCCD) held an Earth Day event on April 22. One of the activities was the “Paint the Rain” contest. Nine high schools with eighteen painted rain barrels participated in the BCCD Paint the Rain School Competition. The event was a rain barrel decorating contest for high schools throughout Berks County. The BCCD provided each participating class or school club with one rain barrel, a gift card for $25 (to help with the cost of painting supplies), and an in-classroom presentation/technical support visit from the BCCD. All competitors painted the rain barrel for the 2016 theme, “We all Need Trees,” and completed an associated education program in which they had to educate their school community about rain barrels and natural resource conservation. The public voted for their favorite rain barrel during the BCCD’s Annual Tree Seedling Sale and Backyard Basics event on April 22, 2016. At the same time, a silent auction was taking place where the public could bid on a barrel to take home. All proceeds from the silent auction went to the BCCD’s scholarship fund. Click here to read a news article on the contest.

Written by bruntt on May 19, 2016. Posted in Conservation District Project Spotlight, Grants

Growing Greener Funding Awarded to Forty-Two Conservation District Projects

On May 18 Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced the selection of 114 projects to receive $25,143,294 in funding from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), for the protection of Pennsylvania’s water resources. The selected projects enhance watersheds, mitigate acid mine drainage, and support water pollution cleanup programs. The grant awards are made possible by the Growing Greener Grant Program, the largest single investment of state funds to address Pennsylvania’s environmental concerns. Funding for 42 conservation district projects was awarded to 29 different conservation districts. These grants equal $7,685,690 or approximately 31% of the total grants awarded. PACD received one grant for its engineering technical assistance program. Together, 37% of the funding was awarded to conservation districts and PACD. Click here for a full list of conservation district and PACD funded projects. For more information on Growing Greener, click here.

Written by bruntt on May 18, 2016. Posted in Conservation District Project Spotlight

Chester County Conservation District Creates Signs of Good Work

Recently, the Chester County Conservation District (CCCD) began recognizing farmers, organizations, businesses, and landowners who have demonstrated their commitment to protecting or improving the watersheds in which they live or operate. The intended goal is to incentivize good stewardship or farming practices by recognizing, with signage, those who not only meet all state and federal plan requirements, but who have also followed through and implemented those plans. By identifying which of the two major estuaries the recipient’s location drains to, the signs increase awareness and help make the connection to land practices and water quality. So if you are driving through Chester County, and you see one of these signs, you will not only be aware of what watershed you are in, but also the great stewards that work to protect and restore those watersheds.

The Chester County Conservation District recognized the Kennett Square Golf and Country Club as Watershed Partners in the Delaware Bay. Pictured left to right: Pete Torras, Green Chairman Kennett Square Golf and Country Club, Christian E. Strohmaier, Managing Director, CCCD; Paul Stead, Superintendent, Kennett Square Golf and Country Club; Wayne Moore, President, Kennett Square Golf and Country Club, and Bill Fenstermacher, Kennett Square Golf and Country Club Green Committee Member. Photo provided by Chester County Conservation District.

Written by bruntt on May 12, 2016. Posted in Conservation District Project Spotlight

Berks County Conservation District Holds Earth Day Celebration

The Berks County Conservation District (BCCD) held an Earth Day Celebration on April 22, 2016 for the public. The event was held as a fundraiser for their scholarship fund. Events included the annual tree seedling sale, “Backyard Basics” workshop, and “Paint the Rain” rain barrel painting event.

Berks Nature’s Globey visits the Berks County Earth Day Celebration. Pictured with Globey are BCCD’s Treasurer and Board of Director Brian Boyer (left) and BCCD’s District Executive Dean Druckenmiller (right). Photo used with permission from BCCD.

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