In September, PACD published an article about Susquehanna County Conservation District’s (SCCD) eel program. Did you know that Watershed Specialist Jillian Pagnnotti is also raising worms? The worms provide an additional food source for the American eels.

According to the SCCD’s Instagram post, “live food helps train the eels to hunt and be able to provide for themselves once released, and not to mention that they love to eat worms! Here at the SCCD office, Jillian has made a vermiculture! A vermiculture is essentially a worm farm. The worms are kept in a controlled environment, fed throughout the week, and used as live food for the eels. Our vermiculture contains red wigglers. A stable, controlled environment will allow the worms to reproduce and provide an endless supply of live food for our eels. The worms eat organic waste, such as kitchen scraps and yard waste, and convert it into rich, dark, crumbly compost. The process also produces a liquid called vermitea, which is collected and can be used as a nitrogen-rich fertilizer for houseplants or gardens!”

On October 29, 2025, the Berks County Conservation District (BCCD) held a dedication for the Glenn Seidel Board and Conference Room at their office.

The BCCD Board of Directors attended the event with Glenn’s wife, daughter, grandson, brother-in-law, and sister, as well as friends and colleagues.

Glenn served as a director of the Berks County Conservation District for over 25 years. He served on the PACD Executive Board for five years. In that time, he served as 2nd Vice President, 1st Vice President, and as President from 2015 to 2017. He was also a member of the PACD Education and Outreach Committee.

 

Highlighting PA conservation district employees who go above and beyond. 

On October 28, 2025, PACD Project & Event Specialist Molly Burns participated in a restoration site tour hosted by the Lebanon County Conservation District as part of the Hammer Creek Partnership. Also in attendance were Joe Marsicano, Funding & Resource Specialist for the Pennsylvania Senate, and representatives from the offices of U.S. Senator Dave McCormick, State Senator Chris Gebhard, and State Representative Russ Diamond.

The tour showcased several sites where restoration activities are planned as part of a comprehensive restoration plan for the Hammer Creek Headwaters. This multi-site landscape-scale project aims to maximize environmental benefits by restoring multiple sites through voluntary landowner participation. The project will take years to complete. Once finished, it will reduce flooding and reap benefits for local landowners, the wild trout population, and water quality, both locally and downstream to the Chesapeake Bay.

The Hammer Creek Partnership includes the Doc Fritchey Chapter of Trout Unlimited, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the Nature Conservancy, Ecosystem Planning & Restoration (EPR), Spring Hill Partners, and the Lebanon County Conservation District. Project partners also include the Lancaster Farmland Trust, and Pheasants Forever.

Highlighting PA conservation district employees who go above and beyond. 

Space is still available for the second session in Indiana County.

PACD hosted a Level 1 Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP) training on October 30-31, 2025, in Berwick, PA. The training is two days: one day in the classroom and one day in the field.

This session will be repeated at Indiana County Conservation District on December 9-10, 2025 (snow date December 11). Usually, this training costs $475, but these sessions are free and exclusively for conservation district staff. 

Registration is a two-step process:

The first step is to fill out the online application here. 

The second step is to select your training date here. 

Staff DO NOT need to be located in the Chesapeake Bay to take the training. The training is a baseline credential in the design, installation, and maintenance of sustainable landscapes, with emphasis on properly maintaining stormwater best management practices.

Pre-class assignments and logistical details will come from Katie@cblpro.org  as we get closer to the date. Participants must pass a written exam to become certified. Continuing education credits are available from many organizations. The complete list is at cblpro.org.

Thank you to the PA Department of Environmental Protection, Indiana County Conservation District, and Native Creations for coming together to host this opportunity for district staff to become credentialed.

Questions? Contact melissa@cblpro.org.

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.

On October 28, 2025, conservation district managers from the south central region met at the Cumberland County Conservation District office in Carlisle for a breakfast meeting. The meeting also celebrated Carl Goshorn’s retirement (pictured first row, center). PACD Executive Director Amy Brown also attended the event.

The monthly 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. The November 2025 installment focuses on Executive Sessions.

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.

You are invited to the Foundations of Project Management webinar on December 18, 2025, from 9:00-10:00 a.m. District staff often find themselves serving as a default project manager. With planning and proactive management, projects can succeed even in the face of adversity. This session will discuss three project management foundations (cost, time, and quality) and review management strategies. The webinar will be presented by Sarah Xenophon, Director of the Farm Viability & Natural Resource Division at the PA State Conservation Commission, and is open to all district personnel.

Visit Building for Tomorrow to register for Fall Leadership Series webinars.

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.

Mark your calendars for the 6^th Annual Conservation District Video Awards on February 12, 2026, at noon. Over the last five years, we’ve seen almost 70 video entries and presented over a dozen awards to district staff in recognition of the hard work and creativity that go into producing content that showcases the many ways districts work to accomplish their missions and serve their communities. We can’t wait to see what you’ve produced in 2025! All districts that produced and posted video content this year are encouraged to send us their entries.