We are excited to announce that Pennsylvania Envirothon is seeking individuals to volunteer at this year’s PA Envirothon events. Please join us for the Oral Component and State Envirothon Station Testing Day.

Event Details:

• Oral Component: May 14-16
• May 14–Indiana County; May 15–Snyder County; May 16–Monroe County
• State Envirothon Station Testing Day*: May 21 at Windber Park
• Deadline for Volunteers to Register: March 21

*Please note that all volunteers for the Station Testing Day must submit clearances.

Ready to sign up? Click here to register! 

We appreciate your consideration and hope to see you there!

For any questions or additional information, please feel free to contact Courtney Raker at (570) 837-3000 or via email at execdirector@envirothonpa.org.

April 20-26, 2025, will be “Conservation District Week” in Pennsylvania. During this week, district offices will hold conference calls and meetings with legislators. Resources such as letters, a press release, and social media images will be available from PACD to promote Conservation District Week. Stay tuned for more information.

Thank you to all the volunteers who made the conservation district booth at the PA Farm Show a success!

Thank you to the following conservation districts who sent volunteers:

• Berks
• Carbon
• Centre
• Chester
• Franklin
• Fulton
• Lebanon
• Mifflin
• Schuylkill
• Snyder
• Westmoreland
• And the PA Envirothon

Join PACD’s Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh for a free webinar on “Conservation Districts and Pennsylvania’s Legislative Process.” Brenda will share her more than three decades of experience building relationships with legislators during the webinar. Attendees will learn how conservation districts can engage legislators, the best time for engagement, and ideas and resources for making your efforts as effective as possible.

The event will occur via Zoom on February 5, 2025, from Noon to 1:00 p.m.

Click here to register. 

PACD and the Westmoreland Conservation District invite you to mark your calendars and plan to attend the 2025 PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference, themed Conservation Led Locally. The event will take place at the Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Champion, PA. Sessions and conservation tours will take place July 16-17, but the conference workgroup is planning fun tours and activities the day before, so pencil in July 15 and plan to arrive a day early. To top things off, you may want to stay after the conference or come in even earlier to enjoy all that Seven Springs has to offer. There are plenty of family activities, too, so plan to bring the whole gang!

In addition to time for fun and fellowship, district directors and staff won’t want to miss our informational sessions and conservation tours beginning on July 16. Westmoreland is partnering with the Somerset Conservation District to host a tour of district projects, and Penn State Extension Educator Daniel Brockett will continue our series on large-scale solar farms with a session focusing on farmers, landowners, and considerations for land-use.

Registration will open in April. Stay tuned for more details, including much more on our planned sessions and conservation tours!

Please mark your calendar and plan to attend your spring PACD region meeting! All meetings will be held in person with a virtual option.

PACD South Central Region Meeting
March 19, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.
Cumberland County Conservation District, Carlisle, PA

PACD North Central Region Meeting
March 25, 2024 | 10:00 a.m. (NEW DATE)
Clinton County Conservation District, Mill Hall, PA

PACD South East Region Meeting
March 27, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.
Henning’s Market, Harleysville, PA

PACD South West Region Meeting
April 10, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.
Westmoreland Conservation District, Greensburg, PA

PACD North West Region Meeting
April 17, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.
Lawrence County Conservation District, New Castle, PA

PACD North East Region Meeting
April 25, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.
Schuylkill Conservation District, Pottsville, PA

The Pennsylvania Farm Show runs from January 4-11, 2025, in Harrisburg, PA. The conservation districts will again share booth space with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service this year.

Two volunteers are needed for the following shifts:

Saturday, 1/4: 8 a.m.–Noon & 12:00–4 p.m.

Sunday, 1/5: 8 a.m.–Noon & Noon–4 p.m.

Monday, 1/6: Noon–4 p.m.

Tuesday, 1/7: Noon–4 p.m.

Wednesday, 1/8: Noon–4 p.m.

Thursday, 1/9: 8 a.m.–Noon & Noon–4 p.m.

Friday, 1/10: Noon–4 p.m.

Saturday, 1/11: 8 a.m.–Noon & Noon–4 p.m.

Volunteers receive a free parking pass for the event. Please email PACD Director of Communications & Education Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org to sign up or for more information.

Twenty-six students attended the Intro to Conservation Planning training in Lebanon, PA, from November 19-21, 2024. The three-day training provided a mix of classroom learning and field experience.

The training was made possible by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the State Conservation Commission. PACD provided administrative support.

The Virtual 2025 PACD Winter Meeting will take place as a series of videoconferences. All six committee meetings and PACD Executive Council will take place via Zoom, with the option to participate online or by phone.

Registration is free and required. To register, please click on the meeting you would like to attend. You will need to register for each activity separately.

Registration for PACD Executive Council

PACD Executive Council Videoconference
January 30, 2025 | 10 AM-Noon
Contact mburns@pacd.org for a registration link

Registration for PACD Committees

PACD Conservation Committee Videoconference
January 8, 2025 | 10-11 AM
Contact mburns@pacd.org for a registration link

PACD District Employees Committee Videoconference
January 10, 2025 | 10-11 AM
Contact hmiller@pacd.org for a registration link

PACD Education and Outreach Committee Videoconference
January 14, 2025 | 10-11 AM
Contact swehinger@pacd.org for a registration link

PACD Legislative Committee Videoconference
January 16, 2025 | 10-11 AM
Contact mburns@pacd.org for a registration link

PACD Ways and Means Committee Videoconference
January 22, 2025 | 10-11 AM
Contact rdohner@pacd.org for a registration link

PACD Operations Committee Videoconference
January 23, 2025 | 10-11 AM
Contact mburns@pacd.org for a registration link

Registrants will receive a confirmation email with information to participate via Zoom or phone. Meeting materials will be distributed prior to the meeting.

Ninety-three conservation district watershed specialists, DEP staff, and partners participated in the 24th Conservation District Watershed Specialist Meeting, which took place virtually October 1-3, 2024. Watershed specialists learned about PFAS and emerging contaminants from the perspectives of surface water monitoring and safe drinking water, explored the project bidding process, learned about climate change data and initiatives in Pennsylvania, discovered what the science says about water quality in the Susquehanna, and shared project successes and lessons learned. Many thanks to our presenters for sharing their time and expertise.

The conservation district watershed specialists also hold a photo contest during their annual meeting. Here are the 2024 results:

• First Place: Logging in Some River Time by John Levitsky with Luzerne Conservation District
• Second Place: Morning Survey by Bernie Scalzo with Wyoming County Conservation District
• Third Place: Fall in Beech Creek by Ivie Foster with Centre County Conservation District
• People’s Choice: Green Frog in the Water by Ivie Foster, Centre County Conservation District
• Honorable Mention: Dutchman Run Under the Railbed by Cori Trice with Chester County Conservation District

Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to all those who participated in the contest. It’s great to see photos from across the state! Click here to view the full versions of the winning photos.