Submitted by J.T. Bandzuh, Blair County Conservation District

Blair County Conservation District Educator, J.T. Bandzuh, has been visiting several county schools and public libraries, hosting a “Creepy Critters” show and tell presentation. The program has welcomed children of all ages to join Bandzuh to listen to The Leaf Thief story about the changing seasons.

After storytime, Bandzuh introduced students to bats, owls, and several nocturnal mammals, explaining their roles in their local environments. The lessons were taught through pelts, skeletons, mounts, and the inspection of owl pellets.

 

The 2022 Fall Leadership series starts November 2 with a Tech Roundtable on DIY video production for conservation districts. A CliftonStrengths for Managers Debrief meeting will be held on November 9, followed by a presentation on November 16 from River Network’s April Ingle on the Building Block of Trust. For more information and to register for these sessions, please visit Building for Tomorrow.

The 2022-23 Strategic Planning Grants program is accepting Letters of Intent through December 23. Visit Building for Tomorrow for program requirements and contact Matt Miller, Leadership Development Coordinator mmiller@pacd.org  to discuss your district planning needs.

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.

Submitted by Jolie Coates, Berks County Conservation District

On Friday, October 14, 2022, the Berks County Conservation District (BCCD) held its 4th annual Envirothon Sporting Clay Fundraiser at M&E Sporting Clays in Hamburg, PA. BCCD partnered with the Berks County Water and Sewer Association and the Center for Excellence in Local Government at Albright College. Approximately 70 participants walked through a 14-station course to shoot the most clays out of the 50 provided clays; prizes were awarded to the best marksmen, best markswomen, and overall top team. Proceeds from the event benefit the Berks County Envirothon and Source Water Protection. 

Submitted by J.T. Bandzuh, Blair County Conservation District

Blair County Conservation District staff hosted their second annual “Fall Fest” at NatureWorksPark (NWP) in Hollidaysburg on September 16, 2022. The event featured local vendors selling products such as honey, wool, dried flower artwork, and more. Over two hundred people visited NWP for the afternoon, which also welcomed a food truck and live music. Park visitors and District staff were also joined by partnering organizations for education and outreach, such as DCNR Forestry, Penn State Extension, and PSU Master Gardeners of Blair County.

Westmoreland Conservation District Assistant Manager and Forester Tony Quadro led a Forest Best Management Practices Workshop on September 24, 2022. During the event, participants learned the importance of healthy forests and forest management and how they relate to clean water. Twenty-one people attended the workshop, which included classroom-style presentations, an informal question and answer session, and a tour of a forest restoration project.

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.

Two additional weeks have been added to the Agricultural Conservation Technical Training (Boot Camp Basic Level and Level II). Additional training is being held to accommodate more students. Conservation district staff are encouraged to take advantage of these free, week-long training opportunities, including classroom learning and experience in the field.

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Basic Level
March 27-31, 2023 (Tentative)
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Level II
April 17-21, 2023 (Tentative)
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County) and the USDA NRCS State Office, Harrisburg, PA

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Basic Level
May 1-5, 2023 (Tentative)
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)

Agricultural Conservation Technical Training – Level II
May 15-19, 2023 (Tentative)
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County) and the USDA NRCS State Office, Harrisburg, PA

Please note these dates are tentative pending funding.

The application period will open in early January 2023. Email Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org to receive a notification when the application period opens.

The following sponsors make these training opportunities possible: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission, and the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc.

 

Ninety-four conservation district watershed specialists, DEP staff, and partners participated in the 22^nd Conservation District Watershed Specialist Meeting, which took place as a webinar series October 5-7, 2022. Participants learned about aquatic resource restoration with an emphasis on impairments and comprehensive aquatic resource restoration approaches; Legacy Sediment 2.0, an enhanced mapping and decision support tool; freshwater mussels and the work of the White Sulfur Springs National Fish Hatchery; how to use digital tools to model outcomes for best management practices (BMPs); legacy sediment as a wetland stream restoration BMP; how to empower landowners to implement BMPs; how to get started with PracticeKeeper; and more. Many thanks to our presenters for sharing their time and expertise.

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.

Mark your calendars for the 2023 PACD Winter Meeting! The event will take place as a series of videoconferences throughout January, beginning with the PACD Conservation Committee on January 6 and ending with PACD Executive Council on January 26. Registration will open in November. Questions? Contact Molly Burns with PACD at mburns@pacd.org.

PACD Conservation Committee Video Conference
January 6, 2023 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD District Employees Committee Video Conference
January 11, 2023 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Education and Outreach Committee Video Conference
January 12, 2023 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Legislative Committee Video Conference
January 17, 2023 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Operations Committee Video Conference
January 20, 2023 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Ways and Means Committee Video Conference
January 19, 2023 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Executive Council Video Conference
January 26, 2023, 10:00 a.m.–Noon

Mark your calendars for 102/105 Basic Technical Training May 23-26, 2023, at the Red Lion Hotel Harrisburg-Hershey in Harrisburg, PA. This training is open to conservation district and PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) staff who work with the relevant programs. The curriculum is designed for new or newer conservation district technicians and incorporates classroom learning and a field component. Registration will open in March. Questions? Contact Molly Burns with PACD at mburns@pacd.org.

This training was funded through a grant from the PA Department of Environmental Protection and made possible through the cooperation of the PA Association of Conservation Districts and Pennsylvania’s conservation districts.

The 20th Annual Cumberland County Conservation District golf event was held September 23, 2022, at Rich Valley Golf Couse. There were 106 golf participants on 27 teams, in addition to very generous hole and prize sponsors! This year’s event was hit with lots of wind on the course, but the golfers took that challenge on with gust-o.

Each year the conservation district organizes a golf tournament to raise money for environmental education activities in the county. The money is used for scholarships, the county Envirothon, and other educational efforts. The district’s goal is to raise enough money each year to provide three $500 college scholarships for Cumberland County students. The district has raised over $57,000 since they began the tournament in 2003.