Northampton County Conservation District completed their “Schoolyard and Backyard Conservation” Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-grant Project. Through the project, a workshop was held for educators on how to improve water quality and reduce nonpoint source pollution in their homes and schools. The district offered 7 Act 48 continuing education hours to the teachers in attendance.

Financial and other support for the NPS Mini-grant 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.

Click here to see photos from the workshop. 

 

Montgomery County Conservation District (MCCD) recently partnered with Pottsgrove High School and the nonprofit Partnership for the Delaware Estuary to retrofit a failing rain garden on the high school’s campus. MCCD provided engineering, construction oversight and other assistance to create a successful BMP and improve the look of the garden, which is near the front entrance to the school.

Click here to read more. 

 

Recognize a fellow conservationist by nominating him or her for a PACD Award. Nominations for the following awards are due by April 30.

• Ann Rudd Saxman Conservation District Director or Associate Director Excellence Award
• Conservation District Employee Excellence Award
• Legislator Recognition Award
• Maurice K. Goddard Award for Excellence in Environmental Recreation

Click here for more information and a nomination form. Contact Sandy Austin at saustin@pacd.org with any questions.

Wayne Conservation District celebrated the opening of their new habitat room on January 13, 2017. The professionally hand-painted mural includes native plants and animals in their habitats throughout the seasons. The conservation district obtained educational grant funds in order to take on this project and purchase educational kits.

Click here to read more. 

 

• Conservation District Staff Conference – March 8-9, 2017 | Draft Agenda | Registration Form
• Leadership Development Board Training – March 3, 20, 28, & 31, 2017
• Conservation District Management Summit – June 6-7, 2017
• Conservation District Managers ‘Boot Camp’ – June 19-21, 2017

These training opportunities are coordinated by the PA Leadership Development Program. Click here to read more. Contact: Leadership Development Coordinator Mike Lovegreen.

The 2017 National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Poster Contest is now open! The theme is “Healthy Soils are Full of Life!” PACD will be accepting JPEG versions of your county’s winners until June 30, 2017. The digital versions of the posters have been a great help in cutting down on postage and handling costs, and NACD has assured us there are no discrepancies in judging JPEG’s versus hard copies. In fact, it’s their preferred medium. We can’t wait to see all of the artistic entries for this year’s theme!

Click here to read more.

The three day Introduction to Conservation Planning course will take place March 14-16, 2017 at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg (Hershey area) in Grantville, PA. Click here for information on the pre-requisite. The deadline to apply for this free training has been extended to February 17, 2017.

Mark your calendars for the 2017 PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference, which will be held July 12-13, 2017 at the Red Lion Hotel Harrisburg Hershey in Harrisburg, PA. Registration will open in May.

The PACD/SCC Winter Meeting was held in State College January 24-25. During the meeting, sessions were held on Growing Greener III, Farm Bill, Stormwater, and PACD’s On-Call Attorney program. During the Executive Council meeting, a motion was passed to strike the PACD Auxiliary from the Bylaws and a motion was passed to improve the efficiency of the PACD Policy Process. A 50/50 drawing was held with proceeds benefitting the Pennsylvania Envirothon.

PACD is awarding six scholarships for the PA Association of Environmental Educators annual two-day conference on March 13 and 14, 2017 at the McKeever Environmental Learning Center, Sandy Lake, PA.

Pennsylvania conservation district employees involved in environmental education and outreach are eligible to apply. Click here for the online application starting February 1, 2017. Contact: Terry Fisher at tfisher@pacd.org. The scholarships are made possible through an Environmental Education Grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.