Why is the Pennsylvania Envirothon so successful? It’s because of our commitment to conserve and sustain our natural resources for future generations. To keep the program thriving, we need dedicated individuals with fresh ideas, a commitment to conservation, and a willingness to collaborate with like-minded individuals to help us.

The Pennsylvania Envirothon Board of Directors currently has openings for director and associate memberships. With that in mind, we invite district directors and staff members to serve as Directors on the Envirothon Board.

Click here to read the entire letter. 

First Lady Frances Wolf and Pennsylvania agencies held the annual Governor’s Residence Earth Day celebration virtually again this year.

Conservation District Video Award finalists were featured in the Virtual Exhibit Hall! 

For more information, click here.

Secretary Russell Redding held a press conference at the Indiana Conservation District office on April 7, 2022, to discuss spotted lanternfly prevention in the southwestern part of Pennsylvania. Emil Bove (Westmoreland), PACD Second Vice President, represented PACD at the event.

Secretary Redding recognized the work conservation districts are contributing to the control efforts.

Click here to read the press release and here to watch the video. 

 

PACD created a public service announcement (PSA) to encourage citizens to maintain their car to prevent pollution. Please share!

Materials include:

• 80-second Video 
• 60-second Script 
• 30-second Script 
• 15-second Script 

Click here to view the webpage of materials. Please share the PSA scripts with your local radio stations. Conservation districts and partners are encouraged to share the video on their social media channels.

 

On August 25, 2021, two Fayette County Conservation District representatives spoke to the local radio station WMBS. Dave Lohr, Commissioner Director, and Pierce Willson, Agricultural Coordinator, participated in a 45-minute segment called “What’s Working in Fayette County.”

Dave and Pierce spoke about the history of conservation districts, soil conservation, and how the district helps farmers in the county.

Click here to watch the video. 

 

At the annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) in July the Association elected a new slate of officers. Among them was Pike County Conservation District Director Kelly Stagen who was elected as President.

Previously, Stagen served as the First Vice President and Secretary of the Association. In addition to being President, she remains the alternate representative to the National Association of Conservation Districts.

“I am thankful for Pennsylvania’s conservation districts for electing me to represent their interests as their President,” said Kelly Stagen. “I look forward to moving the association forward and to supporting the important work of environmental education that districts provide across the state.”

The 2021 PACD officers are as follows: 

1^st Vice President: Dennis Beck, Cambria County Conservation District
2^nd Vice President: Emil Bove, Westmoreland Conservation District
Secretary: Charles Duritsa, Westmoreland Conservation District
Treasurer: Sonia Wasco, Lancaster County Conservation District

 

PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh traveled to Franklin County Conservation District on June 14, 2021, to celebrate Associate Director Sam Worley’s 100th birthday!

First Lady Frances Wolf and Pennsylvania agencies held the annual Governor’s Residence Earth Day celebration virtually last week! This was a first-of-its-kind virtual celebration of Earth Day on April 22, 2021. The event included learning activities and information geared toward middle and high-school students. The event also featured a virtual exhibit hall. PACD participated in the virtual exhibit hall to educate students about conservation districts. 

PACD created a public service announcement (PSA) to encourage citizens to use fertilizers responsibly. Please share!

Materials include:

• 120-second video 
• 60-second Script 
• 30-second Script 
• 15-second Script

Click here to view the webpage of materials. Please share the PSA scripts with your local radio stations. Conservation districts and partners are encouraged to share the video on their social media channels.

Thank you to McKean County Conservation District’s Jody Groshek for helping to develop the messages.

Congratulations to Amy Miller, Watershed Specialist with the Allegheny County Conservation District, for winning the Government Partner Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators (PAEE)! 

The Government Partner Award recognizes a government official who serves on a local, state, or national level and has demonstrated significant support for environmental education within the Commonwealth of PA.

​Amy Miller has worked at the Allegheny County Conservation District as the Watershed Specialist for over ten years. Community engagement is a big part of her job as a watershed specialist at the district, where she conducts public outreach on various topics related to streams and watershed ecology. Also, she helps with student programming at both the Fern Hollow Nature Center and Creek Connections. These opportunities allow her to show students of all ages the awesomeness of the outside world. They have also taught her a lot about teaching by working with some wonderful educators. She hopes to continue learning and sharing her outdoor experiences with others.

Click here to read more about Amy and the other award recipients.