Clean Water Academy is excited to launch our new Lunch & Learn Webinar Series! Our first session will take place on Thursday, March 27, from Noon–1:00 p.m. and will feature David Wise, Watershed Restoration Manager at Stroud Water Research Center.

David will present “The Overlooked Half of Forested Buffers: Stream Ecology and Trees,” exploring the critical connections between stream health and riparian forests. This session will provide valuable insights into how trees influence stream ecology and why they are essential for watershed restoration.

Grab your lunch and join us for this engaging and informative discussion! Click here to learn more and register. Registration is free but required.

Stay tuned for more Lunch & Learn sessions in the coming months!

As we kick off the new year, we’re looking back at 2024 to celebrate Clean Water Academy’s Top 10 Course Completion Champions across all conservation districts. These individuals completed the most courses throughout the year, demonstrating an incredible dedication to expanding their knowledge and expertise. Congratulations to our Top 10 learners!

1. Rebecca Smith, Mercer CD –145 course completions
2. Morgan Lee, Beaver CD – 87 course completions
3. Maria Rickenbaugh, Juniata CD – 75 course completions
4. Jonathan Wall, Huntingdon CD – 67 course completions
5. Christian DeSimone, Bucks CD – 65 course completions
6. Jason Branning, Susquehanna CD – 64 course completions
7. Katelynn Decker, McKean CD – 64 course completions
8. Charles Kelshaw, Monroe CD – 61 course completions
9. Robert McDonald, Mercer CD – 61 course completions
10. Carli McConnell, Clinton CD – 57 course completions

With new courses and training opportunities ahead in 2025, now is the perfect time to dive in. Click here to visit Clean Water Academy.

Please contact PACD Water Resource Trainer Kelly Davidson at kdavidson@pacd.org with any questions or to create an account.

The Pennsylvania Clean Water Academy is an online training library administered by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and supported by PACD. It provides training for DEP staff, Conservation District staff, Sewage Enforcement Officers (SEOs), and the public.

Have you visited the Pennsylvania Clean Water Academy lately? New courses are continuously added. Check out these courses today!

2024 PAG-02 General Permit 

This course provides training on the 2024 PAG-02 General Permit for Discharges of Stormwater Associated with Construction Activities, including information on changes in comparison to the 2019 PAG-02 General Permit, eligibility requirements, how to complete the PAG-02 NOI, and an explanation of new requirements. A completion certificate is available only to users with a login, so please create an account first if you desire a completion certificate.

Constructed and Restored Wetlands in the Agricultural Landscape

Participants will learn what wetlands are, why they are important, and how to leverage constructed and restored wetlands within the agricultural landscape to restore and improve water quality, reduce erosion, improve flood storage and damage, and restore natural habitats while enabling agricultural production. A completion certificate is available only to users with a login, so please create an account first if you desire a completion certificate.

PFAS and Emerging Contaminants: Surface Water Monitoring (must be logged in to view)

In this presentation, Amy Williams (Water Program Specialist, DEP) discusses emerging contaminants in PA over the last decade and explains the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on aquatic life. She provides insight into PFAS, including their environmental persistence and sediment sampling for pesticides and PAHs. Lastly, she introduces total estrogenicity measures to assess impacts on both aquatic life and human health.

Please contact PACD Water Resource Trainer Kelly Davidson at kdavidson@pacd.org with any questions or to create an account.

Have you visited the Pennsylvania Clean Water Academy lately? New courses are continuously added. Check out these courses today!

Course: Introduction to Wetland Determination – 2024

This course will teach you how to properly recognize wetlands in Pennsylvania. At the conclusion, you will be able to identify and evaluate the three components that make up a wetland: hydrology, hydrophytic vegetation, and hydric soil.

Clean Water Academy takes 7 to 8 hours to complete this entire course. A completion certificate is available only to users with a login, so please create an account first if you desire a completion certificate.

Course: Susquehanna River Story – What does the science say about water quality? 

The wide and majestic Susquehanna River is one of the oldest rivers in the world. Despite its beauty, the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay downstream have been facing the detrimental effects of excess nutrients. This new YouTube video provides a unique synthesis of the story of nutrient water quality in the Susquehanna watershed.

Course: Soils Evaluation and Wastewater Renovation (must be logged in to view)

This course will provide instruction on basic principles of soil science and evaluate and describe soil profiles in the field to determine suitability for wastewater effluent renovation. Topics covered include describing soil properties and identifying limitations to wastewater effluent renovation.

This training was initially developed for Sewage Enforcement Officers; however, the technical content can be valuable to any natural resources professional or those who wish to understand soils better.

Please contact PACD Water Resource Trainer Kelly Davidson at kdavidson@pacd.org with any questions or to create an account.

Have you visited the Pennsylvania Clean Water Academy lately? New courses are continuously added. Check out these courses today!

Training Program: Landowner Engagement – Level 1 – Training Program (must be logged in to view)

This training program provides practical strategies and techniques for promoting and selling conservation practices to landowners. Participants will explore the ecological, economic, and social benefits of conservation, focusing on effectively communicating these benefits to diverse landowners. The program emphasizes relationship-building, demographic shifts in farming, understanding landowners’ needs, and tailoring conservation solutions that align with their goals. The use of social media as a tool to promote and sell conservation is also discussed. This training program will take six to eight hours to complete.

Course: Introductory Water Quality Standards

This is an introductory water quality standards course for new staff. After this course, learners will be able to describe the three main components of DEP’s Water Quality Standards (WQS), name some categories and examples of protected water uses, find WQS in Chapter 93, and look up protected use using several references and DEP GIS tools.

Course: Guiding Principles of Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration

This introductory training will cover several important aspects of the guiding principles important to the execution of highly successful restoration projects. The training is presented in four parts: Introduction, Basic Watershed and Ecosystem Functions, Watershed Alterations and Effects, and Project Considerations. Completing this training will provide a good foundation for future trainings that will dive deeper into these topics, research, and Division of Wetlands Encroachment and Training (DWET) program development efforts.

Please contact PACD Water Resource Trainer Kelly Davidson at kdavidson@pacd.org with any questions.

Kelly Davidson is the Water Resource Trainer at PACD, where she plays a key role in advancing water resource training efforts and expanding DEP’s comprehensive training library, Clean Water Academy. She holds a Master of Environmental Management and a Certificate in Geospatial Analysis from Duke University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in biology from North Carolina State University.

Prior to her current role, Kelly served with AmeriCorps at the Borough of State College, where she contributed to community-based environmental initiatives and gained hands-on experience with urban conservation projects. She is looking forward to continuing to support water quality improvement efforts across Pennsylvania in this role.

In her spare time, Kelly enjoys gardening, hiking, baking, and spending time with her two fur-babies, Oliver and Rusty.

Have you visited the Pennsylvania Clean Water Academy lately? New courses are continuously added. Check out these courses today!

Qualified Visual Site Inspector (QVSI) Training Program 

Summary: This training program is comprised of five courses and is for anyone responsible for conducting visual site inspections of earth disturbance activities under Chapter 102. Completing the QVSI Training Program is one of three options in the 2024 PAG-02 General Permit for demonstrating that someone is qualified to conduct inspections on construction sites with PAG-02 coverage. Once all courses are complete, a Record of Completion can be printed and used to verify program completion.

Foundational GIS Pro Training (you must be logged in to view this course)

Summary: This course aims to give you well-rounded training on ArcGIS Pro and familiarize you with many useful tools and concepts you can utilize. The course will get you started with installation and touch on basics like map design, projections, data gathering, and database creation. The further your progress, the more training you will have that will cover more in-depth processes within the ArcGIS Pro software. Topics and exercises covered are Geo-Referencing, Digitizing, Querying, Exporting, Spatial Joins, Editing, Merging, Appending, and Clipping. Once you have become more comfortable with some of these procedures, you will go through more general to advanced GIS skills exercises involving raster analysis. Afterward, you will run through an actual real-world example utilizing the skills you have learned. Lastly, some additional examples of online GIS tools were made to help you think of how you could use your data online.

Watershed Foundations Training Program 

Summary: This training program is comprised of four courses and is helpful for volunteers interested in conservation, local water quality improvement, and restoration. A Completion Certificate (5 credit hours) is available only to users with a login, so please create an account first if you desire a Completion Certificate.

Questions about Clean Water Academy? Contact PACD Water Resource Trainer Kelly Davidson at kdavidson@pacd.org.

By Chris Grimsley, PACD Instructional Designer

I am a former teacher transitioning from a career in secondary and higher education into instructional design. I have served in many roles as an educator, including working as a classroom teacher, student support specialist, course designer, and researcher. I hold a B.S. in sociology, an M.A. in teaching, and a Ph.D. in philosophy. I completed my doctoral dissertation on the history and philosophy of science, focusing primarily on the social implications of new technologies like artificial intelligence.

In my capacity as an academic, I focused on communicating issues of philosophical significance within the sciences to both technical and non-technical audiences. I want to leverage my experience in education and science communication as I pivot to instructional design with a focus on conservation at PACD. My main responsibility is the Clean Water Academy. 

I enjoy camping and hiking, photography, motorcycling, computer programming, and playing guitar in my spare time.

I can be reached at cgrimsley@pacd.org.

During the 2022 Building for Tomorrow Staff Conference, PA Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell recognized conservation district staff with exceptionally high achievement in the Clean Water Academy. 

The following individuals were recognized for the most courses completed:

1. Jake Kennedy – PACD (previously interned at Armstrong Conservation District)
2. Brianna Osborne – Warren
3. Taylor Lawrence – Berks
4. Brady Byers – Franklin
5. Adam Seitz – Lancaster
6. Steve Beach – Blair
7. Hank Bradish – Westmoreland
8. Christina Anders – Adams
9. Keith Stetsko – Allegheny
10. Dave Taylor – Wyoming

The Secretary also recognized the following districts for having the highest number of completed courses:

1. Lancaster
2. Washington
3. Wyoming
4. Allegheny
5. Berks
6. Beaver
7. Armstrong
8. Blair
9. York
10. Chester

Conservation district staff with the most courses completed will receive a signed certificate from Secretary McDonnell.

The “DCNR 2021 Riparian Forest Buffers Series” is available to the public on the Clean Water Academy website. These fifteen webinars are provided by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

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