The application period is open for the Agricultural Conservation Technical Training “Boot Camp”- Basic Level.

The training will be held April 4-8, 2022, at the Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County).

Click here to apply. The deadline to apply is January 28, 2022.

Questions? Contact Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org.

These training opportunities are made possible by the following sponsors: Natural Resources Conservation Service, State Conservation Commission, and the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc.

PACD scheduled three free communication webinar series for conservation districts. Presented by Water Words That Work, LLC, these environmental communication trainings will begin in January and end in March 2022. Each topic has three parts, so plan to attend all three dates for your chosen topics.

How do we get more participation in our programs? How can we effectively reach our target audiences and the general public? What are the most cost-effective means to get the word out about our programs? Find out answers to these questions and more during these webinars.

Each webinar series consists of three sessions. Please mark your calendar for all three dates, so you don’t miss part 1, part 2, or part 3. Each session builds on the previous one, so don’t miss out!

Water Words That Work

January 18, 20, 25, 2022

1-3 pm

Register here for the Water Words That Work Series. 

More Than a Message

February 8, 10, 15, 2022

1-3 pm

Register here to register for the More Than a Message Series. 

Perfect Outreach Projects

February 22, 24, and March 1, 2022

1-3 pm

Register here to register for the Perfect Outreach Projects Series. 

Click here for the event flyer, which includes course descriptions. 

The webinars are free, but registration is required. Click on the links above to register. Space is limited to 100 participants for each topic. Please plan to attend all three parts of the topic you choose. Please register each person participating from your office separately.

Financial and other support for this program 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 order to help with logistics and because a large number of applications are expected, applications are now being accepted for the Agricultural Conservation Technical Training Level II only. The application period for Basic will open in January.

Conservation district agricultural staff are encouraged to take advantage of these free training opportunities, including classroom learning and experience in the field.

Please note that there are two sessions of the Level II training for 2022. The first week is for those taking Level II for the first time. The second, 3-day session is for those who took Level II previously and are returning to take the alternative track.

The dates are:

April 25-29, 2022
Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Level II (for those taking Level II the first time)
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County) and the USDA NRCS State Office, Harrisburg, PA (Tentative)
Note: There is an online pre-requisite for this course. Information will be sent to those that are accepted into the course.

May 2-4, 2022
Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Level II (for those who are returning to Level II for a second year to take the alternative track only)
Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce, Lebanon, PA (Tentative)

The deadline to apply is December 17, 2021. If you do not receive confirmation from PACD, you will not be admitted. No walk-ins will be accepted. Questions? Contact Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org.

These training opportunities are made possible by the following sponsors: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, State Conservation Commission, and the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc.

Seventeen students (including eight conservation district staff) completed the Intro to Conservation Planning Course in Grantville, PA, from October 19-21, 2021. The training is an introductory course for employees interested in writing conservation plans and becoming a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Certified Conservation Planner. The event included classroom and field experience.

Participants attended the three-day training free of charge thanks to the generous sponsorship of NRCS and the State Conservation Commission. In addition, PACD provided administrative support for the course.

Over 100 conservation district watershed specialists, DEP staff, and partners attended the 21^st Conservation District Watershed Specialist Meeting, which took place as a webinar series October 5-7, 2021. Over the three half-days of programming, watershed specialists learned about building and managing a water quality monitoring station using Stroud Water Research Center’s EnviroDIY program, shared successful projects, learned about partnership opportunities and resources from partner agencies, and much more. Many thanks to this year’s presenters for sharing their time and expertise!

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.

Recordings of the webinars can be found on the Pennsylvania Clean Water Academy. (You must be logged in to access.)

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.

Twenty-five individuals attended Agricultural Conservation Technical Boot Camp Training – Level II, August 23-27, 2021, at Fort Indiantown Gap in Lebanon County. Attendees included staff from conservation districts, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and affiliates.

The Level II annual training consists of two learning tracks: agronomy and engineering. The two tracks allow participants to focus more deeply on their area of study. The event features a balance of classroom work and field work to give participants hands-on experience.

The Basic level course was held earlier this month.

The training is sponsored by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the State Conservation Commission. PACD works with these partners to coordinate the training.

The 2021 Conservation District Watershed Specialist Webinar Series will take place October 5-7, 2021. Watershed specialists will learn how to use Stroud Water Research Center’s EnviroDIY program and Monitor My Watershed to build, program, install, and manage a standard Enviro DIY monitoring station; learn how a seasoned watershed specialist approaches project management; learn about prevailing wage; get tips on putting together a project bid package from a conservation district perspective, and much more. Registration is open to conservation district watershed specialists and invited guests only. For a registration link, contact Molly Burns with PACD at mburns@pacd.org.

Register today 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. All webinars will be held 10:00 a.m.-Noon.

Click here for descriptions of each training and the registration links. Please get in touch with Holly Miller at hmiller@pacd.org with questions.

PACD is partnering with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the State Conservation Commission (SCC) to deliver a three-day Introduction to Conservation Planning course. This free training is scheduled to take place October 19-21, 2021, at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg (Hershey area) in Grantville, PA.

If you are interested in taking this training, please begin the process to get an AgLearn account NOW!  There is a prerequisite, and it can take months to get an account.

The event is for entry-level employees of all organizations in Pennsylvania delivering conservation planning technical assistance including, but not limited to, NRCS, conservation districts, SCC, farmland preservation entities, and non-profits. The training is free, and lunch will be provided.

To receive information on this training as it becomes available, including the online prerequisite, email Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org.