Screenshot from the WPXI video.
Allegheny County Conservation District Executive Director Heather Manzo sat down recently with WPXI for their Our Region’s Business feature. To tie into Farm Show Week, Heather spoke about farming in Allegheny County and the conservation district’s role in the community.
Click here to view the 6-minute video.
DCCD Watershed Specialist, Chris Cook (in safety vest on left), stands between watershed protection group leaders Kyle Gaumann of Darby Creek Valley Association, Danni Scott of CRC Watersheds Association, and Zach Nemec of PA Sea Grant. Also included is Borough Highways Department, DCCD staff members Stuart O’Riordan and Michelle Wheeler, and county resident volunteers. Photo provided to PACD by DCCD.
Submitted by Chris Cook, Watershed Specialist, Delaware County Conservation District
Fifty volunteers joined Delaware County Conservation District (DCCD) for a tree planting session at Frederick L. Mann Memorial Park in Ridley Township on October 18, 2025. The concerted effort by resident volunteers, municipal officials, county staff, and many other local environmental groups resulted in 530 trees and shrubs planted along Stoney Creek!
In addition to the clear shade benefits these trees will provide in years to come, these trees will help mitigate flood damage to downstream properties, enhance wildlife habitat, and improve stream water quality.
Also, over 20 volunteers gathered at Morton Homestead (State Historic Property) in Prospect Park on Saturday, November 8, 2025, to plant 180 shrubs and trees as part of a restoration effort to enhance the degraded tidal sections of the Darby Creek riparian zones.
Through a partnership with the Keystone10 Million Program, backed by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, DCCD provided municipalities with technical assistance to obtain free trees and shrub saplings, each with a plant protection tube, for environmental enhancement projects.
Click here to read the press release and view photos from these efforts.
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.
Beaver County Conservation District’s Facebook post. Follow at https://www.facebook.com/BeaverCountyConservationDistrict/.
The 2026 Staff Training Initiative focuses on building communication skills for all district staff with webinar and workshop programs in February and March.
Our webinar series starts on February 12 with the 6th Annual Conservation District Video Awards. We’ll screen clips from eleven district videos and hear from the producers before awarding the coveted CONDIVA trophy for 2025.
The February 18 webinar, From Message to Media: Amplifying Impact Through Local Outreach, will demystify local media relations, examine how to integrate media engagement into your broader district outreach strategy, and share examples and case studies of successful initiatives.
On February 25, we follow up with Smarter Social Media: Campaigns, Curation, and Content, which will offer a concise, practical overview of effective social media campaign strategies, the role of content curation in strengthening credibility, and the responsible use of AI tools to enhance content development. Participants will gain clear guidance on improving the consistency, quality, and impact of their social media presence.
The March 4 QuickBooks User Forum will include a breakout by QB version, with prompted discussion on tips and training resources, followed by a panel discussion.
In March, the focus shifts to practicing skills for dealing with communication challenges. The Assertive Communications and Empowered Conflict Management Workshop will empower attendees to apply assertiveness skills to improve their encounters with difficult people, increase their confidence in difficult situations, and get their wants or needs met. The session includes a presentation, as well as individual, full-group, and team exercises to help attendees compare and analyze their conflict-response choices and assess when and how to apply assertiveness tools in conflict management. Workshops are scheduled for 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (networking with refreshments begins at 9 a.m.). All are open to all district personnel and partner staff, and lunch will be provided.
Workshop Schedule:
Tuesday, March 10: French Creek State Park, Elverson
Tuesday, March 17: St. Vincent College, Latrobe
Thursday, March 19: Ramada Conference Center, State College
Wednesday, March 25: Camp Orchard Hill, Dallas
Tuesday, March 31: Wanango Country Club, Reno
Staff Training programs are open to all district personnel and partner staff. Visit Building for Tomorrow to register.
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 is now accepting nominations for the PACD Conservation Awards. The award nominations have been simplified and streamlined with an online nomination form. Nominations must be received by April 30, 2026.
The awards are:
Contact Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org with any questions.
The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) poster contest, open to students in grades K-12, offers young people an opportunity to express their views on natural resource issues through the medium of art. The NACD theme for 2026 is “Soil: Where it All Begins.” This theme celebrates the incredible power of soil to support life in all its forms. Soil is not just the ground we walk on. It is the starting point for healthy food, clean water, thriving habitats, and resilient communities. From backyard gardens to forests and city parks, everything begins with what is beneath our feet.
The deadline to submit posters to PACD for the 2026 NACD Poster Contest state-level judging is June 30, 2026.
New for this year, no photos of posters will be accepted, only scanned, clear PDF files. Districts should provide the files correctly scanned and named to PACD. If you don’t have a large scanner, a cell phone works too. If you aren’t sure how to do this, search online for instructions for scanning to PDF using a cell phone without an app.
Click here for the contest flyer and here for more information. Questions may be directed to Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org
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.
Bucks County Conservation District’s Facebook post. Follow at https://www.facebook.com/bucksccd.
The Leadership Development program’s 2026 Board Development Initiative will include a regional “Back to Basics” Orientation Workshop designed for newly appointed Directors and Associate Directors. The program will include a condensed overview highlighting crucial information on district form and function, Director roles and responsibilities, legal requirements, partner relationships, and board development.
Regional Orientation Training Sessions are scheduled for March 11 at the Clinton County Conservation District, March 12 at the Cumberland County Conservation District, March 18 at the Westmoreland Conservation District, March 24 at the Monroe County Conservation District, April 1 at the Lawrence County Department of Public Safety, and April 23 at the Berks County Conservation District. Networking starts at 9 a.m., the training will run 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and includes lunch. All Directors and Associate Directors, as well as district and partner staff, are welcome to attend.
Visit Building for Tomorrow for more information and to register.
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.
Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS.
The application period for Agricultural Conservation Technical Training (“Boot Camp” Basic Level and Level II) is now open. Conservation district staff are encouraged to apply. Do not apply for both Basic and Level II. Click the links below for more details on the training and the application.
Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Basic Level
March 19, March 26, April 20 (virtual)
April 13-16, 2026 (in-person)
Both in-person and all virtual training sessions are required to complete the course.
Union County Government Center, Lewisburg, PA
Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Level II
April 17 and April 24 (virtual)
April 27-May 1, 2026 (in-person)
Both in-person and all virtual training sessions are required to complete the course.
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA, and the USDA NRCS State Office, Harrisburg, PA
The deadline to apply is January 30, 2026. Email Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org with questions.
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the State Conservation Commission sponsor the training, Penn State Extension provides instruction support for the Basic level, and PACD coordinates the training with these partners.
Screenshot of the January Board Development Video.
The Board Development video series begins its second year with a January installment that includes a welcome and thank you to all new Directors & Associate Directors, a reminder on the importance of Director engagement, and a preview of upcoming board development programming.
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.