The Berks County Conservation District (BCCD) was awarded a $2,500 grant through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) Outreach Program Office (administered by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts).

The grant funds were used to hold a community tree planting event on November 9, 2019. At the event, 20 volunteers helped to plant 130 trees on 0.6 acres. As part of the event, BCCD staff provided education on how to plant a forested riparian buffer, the environmental benefits, financial programs available, and required maintenance for the buffers to succeed.

Financial and other support for the CREP Outreach Program Office Mini-grant Program is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a Growing Greener Watershed Protection grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and with additional support from USDA-NRCS.

Click here to read the entire article.

Registration is open for the 2020 Building for Tomorrow Staff Conference, scheduled for February 12–13 at the Wyndham Garden State College. The conference is open to all non-management conservation district staff.

Productive Conflict & Emotional Intelligence will be the focus of the Day 1 Keynote session. Understanding what emotional intelligence is and why it’s important to develop is crucial in maintaining good relationships with your team and dealing effectively with difficult people. The presentation will introduce four attributes of emotional intelligence and a quadrant model. Participants will explore scenarios for utilizing each attribute and take a self-scored inventory to identify and better understand their individual and team behavior styles.

This session will be presented by Janet McNally, D.Ed. SPHR, of Camp Hill-based Team Development Services. Janet brings over 25 years of experience in human resources and organization development consulting and is an instructor for management and leadership courses at Penn State York.

The Day 2 Keynote session, Getting Things Done through Time Management, will provide an informative and entertaining take on navigating the productivity and time management challenges everyone faces in their daily lives. Participants will discover the secrets of effective time management and learn why it has nothing to do with cramming more into your day and to-do list. The presentation will cover powerful tools for time management that will help change your thinking about time, develop daily discipline for how you spend it, maximize your impact at work, build the foundations for professional success, and improve your peace of mind.

This session will be presented by Cindy Aronson of Cindy Aronson Workplace Training, based in Bemus Point, NY. With over 25 years of experience in the field of organizational development, Cindy has been a training partner with a variety of businesses and organizations and thousands of talented professionals in the fields of education, healthcare, human services, manufacturing, finance, entertainment, government, utilities, and not-for-profits.

Click here for more information and to register. The deadline for room block reservations is January 10, 2020.

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

In August, the Pike County Conservation District refurbished a bioswale on the district’s property as part of their Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-grant Project. The bioswale filters and slows down the movement of stormwater runoff. (What is the difference between the bioswale and a rain garden? Click here to find out.)

An educational sign was installed to teach the public how the bioswale functions and the positive effect this type of installment can have on local water resources. The district plans to use the site as a demonstration area for future educational programs.

The sign is available on the Educational Events Sample Materials page on the PACD website. Click here to view the sample materials from previously funded mini-grant projects. Districts are encouraged to use these materials for their own activities rather than starting from scratch.

Financial and other support for this project 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.

PACD will again be partnering with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to host a conservation district booth at the 2020 PA Farm Show. 

We need volunteers to staff the booth for the following days and times:

Saturday, January 4–8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 5–12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Monday, January 6–8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 7–8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 8–8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 9    ALL SLOTS FILLED
Friday, January 10–8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 11–8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.   

Please let us know as soon as possible if you would like to fill one of these shifts by contacting Jann McNamara at jmcnamara@pacd.org with your contact information and the shift you’d like to fill.

On November 20, 2019, representatives from the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. (PACD) met with the PA House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee. The majority committee chair is Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron/McKean/Potter) and the minority committee chair is Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski (D-Luzerne). The informational meeting discussed the operations and activities of the county conservation districts.

Presenters included PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh who explained why conservation districts were created. Lancaster County Conservation District Manager Christopher Thompson spoke about interaction between conservation districts and the agricultural community. Blair County Conservation District Manager Donna Fisher spoke about stormwater concerns. McKean County Conservation District Manager Sandy Thompson gave an overview of the Dirt and Gravel/Low Volume Road Program in PA.

Click here to read the press release.

Conservation district staff, board members, and partners are invited to attend the 2020 PACD/SCC Winter Meeting January 22-23 at its new location, the Wyndham Garden State College. Take in the Wyndham’s beautiful winter views and enjoy a hot beverage with your counterparts from across the state. Conference learning opportunities include educational opportunities through the Pennsylvania Game Commission and a program on effective conservation messaging. Beat cabin fever and join us in State College! Click here for details and to register.

Twenty-eight students completed the Intro to Conservation Planning Course in Grantville, PA, November 12-14, 2019. The training was targeted to entry-level conservationists and included classroom and field experience. The students were introduced to the conservation planning process in Pennsylvania.

Participants attended the three-day training free of charge thanks to the generous sponsorship of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the State Conservation Commission. PACD provided administrative support for the course.

Indiana County Conservation District (ICCD) completed its first multi-functional riparian buffer planting in the headwaters of Aultman’s Run watershed this year. ICCD staff partnered with Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and volunteers from Pennsylvania Senior Environmental Corps to plant 1.2 acres of riparian trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants.

ICCD developed a site-specific planting plan for the property that accounted for property use, hydrology, soil, and utility rights-of-way. With approval from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, ICCD was able to utilize $2,502 in PACD Multi-functional Riparian Buffer funds to make it happen.

Click here to learn more about the Multi-functional Riparian Buffer Sub-Grant Program.

Financial and other support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.

On November 6, 2019, the PACD Executive Board met at the PACD office in Harrisburg. In addition to the business meeting, the board participated in a leadership development workshop,* and a review of PACD financials.

*Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.