Highlighting PA conservation district employees who go above and beyond. Conservation district directors, associate directors, and staff may highlight outstanding district employees in our weekly e-newsletter by using this form. 

 

 

On February 26, PACD Executive Director Amy Brown attended Juniata County Conservation District’s Women in Ag “Looking to the Future” event in Mifflintown, PA.

Topics included manure management, native pollinators, invasive plant control, and more.

The Board Development Video Series provides information and review on governance, compliance, and programmatic topics. These short-format videos are intended for viewing and follow-up discussion at your district board meetings. In the March installment, we begin our series of training module videos, starting with the History of the Conservation Movement. These short videos will also be included on the new 2026 Director Handbook website and are being produced as modules for self-guided learning on Clean Water Academy.

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.

Highlighting PA conservation district employees who go above and beyond. Conservation district directors, associate directors, and staff may highlight outstanding district employees in our weekly e-newsletter by using this form. 

 

The Assertive Communications & Empowered Conflict Management workshop is designed to help participants navigate difficult situations–and occasionally, encounters with difficult people–with confidence, clarity, and purpose. This interactive session empowers attendees to apply assertiveness skills to real-life work and home situations.

Participants are encouraged to come prepared with a current scenario so they can develop and practice delivering an assertive message that clearly communicates their wants or needs without being passive or aggressive. Through a mix of brief lectures, individual reflection, group discussion, and hands-on practice, participants will explore their personal responses to conflict and learn how to choose the most effective approach.

By the end of the session, participants will be able to assess when and how to use assertiveness as a conflict management tool, develop effective assertive messages, and apply techniques for setting boundaries.

All workshops are scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and are open to all district personnel and partner staff. Networking with refreshments begins at 9:00 a.m. and lunch is provided.

The workshop will be facilitated by Rita Graham, who brings a wealth of experience working with conservation district staff to deliver training that applies concepts to real-world scenarios. Rita explains why this topic is important and what attendees will take away from the workshop in the short video here. 

• March 10 – French Creek State Park, Elverson, PA 
• March 17 – Fred Rogers Institute at St. Vincent College, Latrobe, PA 
• March 19 – Ramada Conference Center, State College, PA 
• March 25 – Camp Orchard Hill, Dallas, PA
• March 31 – Wanango Country Club, Reno, PA 

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.

 

Registration is open for the “Back to Basics” Director Orientation Workshop series. The presentation includes an overview of conservation district history, law, governance, and partnerships, as well as a discussion of the importance of director engagement and strategic development within districts.

This orientation training is designed for newly appointed directors and associate directors, but is also appropriate as an onboarding or review tool for all district personnel and partner staff. Workshops will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and include a working lunch. Networking with refreshments starts at 9:00 a.m. Registration is free and required.

• March 11 – Clinton County Conservation District 
• March 12 – Cumberland County Conservation District 
• March 18 – Westmoreland Conservation District 
• March 24 – Monroe County Conservation District 
• April 1 – Lawrence County Dept. of Public Safety
• April 23 – Berks County Conservation District 

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.

PACD will randomly spotlight one social media post from a conservation district each week. Don’t forget to share or tag other districts to share good news or something others could learn about.

This week’s feature item is Pike County Conservation District’s Facebook post on Watershed Wednesday. Follow the district at https://www.facebook.com/pikeconservation.

McKean County Conservation District staff Sarah Carlson and Katelynn Decker attended the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. They gave a presentation showcasing how the district hired new staff, shifted responsibilities, and balanced the workload of existing staff, allowing the district’s programs to flourish and expanding implementation and outreach to the community.

They were joined by director Cliff Lane, who also represents the northeast on the NACD Executive Board. Other PA representatives attended from the Westmoreland Conservation District, the Indiana County Conservation District, the State Conservation Commission, and the Penn State Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies.

Highlighting PA conservation district employees who go above and beyond. Conservation district directors, associate directors, and staff may highlight outstanding district employees in our weekly e-newsletter by using this form. 

On February 11, 2026, PACD Director of Communications & Education Shannon Wehinger traveled to Penn State’s main campus in University Park, PA. PACD was invited to host a conservation district booth at the Penn State Earth, Environment, and Sustainability Career Fair.

Shannon met with Penn State students interested in careers and internships related to science, the environment, agriculture, and conservation. A sign with a QR code to the PACD jobs webpage was prominently displayed.

The booth space was sponsored by the Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training (CACAT), which allowed conservation districts to have a booth at no cost to PACD.

The Earth, Environment, and Sustainability Career Fair featured employers focused on environmental science, sustainability, conservation, geosciences, geography, meteorology, and agriculture. The event is a collaboration between the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, the College of Agricultural Sciences (Institute for Sustainable Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Science), Penn State Career Services, and Penn State Sustainability.