Reprinted with permission from the Berks County Conservation District News, Events and Updates on July 13, 2023.

In October of 2022, the Berks County Conservation District, in partnership with the Salvation Army of Reading, began transforming the Tyson Schoener Elementary School courtyard into a garden space where children would learn to grow food.

This project is part of a larger Urban Agriculture Initiative growing within the City of Reading, connecting residents with locally grown food by teaching them how to grow fresh produce and spreading their knowledge within their communities.

Click here to read the entire article. 

 

Bradford County Conservation District was featured in two of WNEP’s PA Outdoor Life show segments. The first segment features an eel release, and the second a drone submarine demonstration. 

• Northeast Bradford School District American Eel Release
• Drone Submarine Demonstration

 

In April, Cumberland County Conservation District held a rain barrel workshop during the Gardener’s Gathering at Lower Allen Community Park in Lower Allen Township. Twenty-two people attended the workshop. Discussion during the presentation revolved around non-point source pollution and how actions in Pennsylvania affect the Chesapeake Bay downstream.

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.

Berks County Conservation District sponsors Owatin Creek Elementary School’s Trout in The Classroom program. The district hosted a trout release on Antietam Creek earlier this month.

 

Berks County Conservation District completed streambank restoration projects in Pine Creek and Blue Marsh Lake.

Click here to see before and after photos of the Pine Creek streambank rehabilitation project. 

Click here to see before and after photos of the Blue Marsh Lake Shoreline Rehabilitation project. 

 

The Clarion Conservation District and other partners provided three educational tours of the newly overhauled acid mine drainage (AMD) passive treatment system at the Clarion County Park in Shippenville, PA.

The tours educated agency employees, local educators/teachers, and community members of all ages about acid mine drainage and the work being done in Clarion County to improve water quality and treat this form of nonpoint source pollution.

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 McKean County Conservation District partnered with the Bradford Sanitary Authority and Penn State Extension’s Master Watershed Stewards to host a rain barrel workshop on April 15, 2023.

The Rain Barrel Workshop reached 29 participants. Topics included learning about rain barrels and rain gardens, watershed basics, stormwater impacts, and steps to take to reduce nonpoint source pollution. Participants of the workshop constructed a rain barrel to take home with them.

The workshop was part of the district’s “Promoting Healthy Watersheds” project, which also included a Winter Farmer’s Meeting and a No-Till Demo Day.

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.

Elk and Potter County Conservation Districts held workshops geared toward local realtors in January and February.

Project leader Victoria Challingsworth said, “Our goal was to reach new entities that play a role in some of the environmental impacts we see commonly and hoped to prevent issues before they arise. Real Estate Agents play a unique role and have the potential to provide a great deal of information about a property to interested buyers. We hope that educating realtors about environmental regulations will help them convey correct information to new owners about allowable activities near streams or wetlands.”

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.

Juniata County Conservation District joined the Chesapeake Conservancy, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Milford Township Supervisors, and community volunteers to install 680 live stakes on East Licking Creek. The field day provided instruction in identifying, cutting, storing, and installing live stakes on streambanks for water quality protection. 

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.

On March 21, 2023, Fulton County Conservation District held an Ag Winter Meeting in Big Cove Tannery, PA. This was an educational event for local farmers to discuss how to properly use pesticides, manure nutrients, and apply nitrogen fertilizer to reduce the chance of field run-off during a high rainfall event. A presentation was also included on using cover crops to deter pests as an alternative to pesticide applications.

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.