The popular ‘My Growing Tree’ program, traditionally delivered to all McKean County elementary school first graders in April for Arbor Day, took a hiatus during the pandemic. This fall, the McKean County Conservation District, with the Potter County Conservation District and PA DCNR Bureau of Forestry, re-worked the program into a remote kit that could be delivered to schools without visiting classes.

The remote kits loaned to teachers include a lesson plan, videos, activities, and additional resources.

Click here to read the entire article. 

This program was made possible by a DEP Environmental Education Grant.

When Columbia County Conservation District had to cancel their Nature Mini Camp this summer due to COVID-19, Watershed Specialist Brittney Hartzell created a virtual alternative. The district made activity bags for the kids to pick-up then posted videos to go with the activities. Videos include animal tracking, macroinvertebrates, leaf rubbings, and dissecting owl pellets. Click here to view the videos.

The PACD Administrative and Program Assistant is responsible for bookkeeping and clerical duties and provides general program support for the office. This is a part-time position reporting to the Executive Director.

Applicants should send a cover letter and resume by 4:30 p.m. on November 4, 2020 to jobs@pacd.org.

Click here for the announcement. 

September 12, 2020, dawned crisp and sunny, the perfect day for golf, as the Elk County Conservation District (ECCD) hosted their first-ever Conservation Cup golf tournament at the Bavarian Hills Golf Course. The tournament was designed with conservation in mind. All the proceeds from the event will be put toward environmental education and the Elk County Conservation District Scholarship.

“In my opinion the Conservation Cup was a success, even with having to adjust the date multiple times due to COVID-19 concerns. While starting up this new event during a pandemic was challenging, we were still able to raise enough money for an environmental scholarship, as well as funding for our environmental education program. We do plan on hosting the event again next year. With one tournament under our belt we hope next year will be even bigger and better,” said Ryan Grimm, ECCD’s Resource Conservation Technician.

Eight teams participated in the first-ever Conservation Cup.

More photos are available on the ECCD Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ElkCountyConservationDistrict/.

In September 2020, Montgomery County Conservation District (MCCD), Penn State Extension (Master Watershed Steward and Master Gardener programs), and Ambler Borough Environmental Advisory Council partnered to offer a free, online “Conservation and Water Pollution Prevention Workshop for Homeowners.”

The first session had 121 participants, and the second had 106 participants! Designed for a “novice” audience, the workshop covered topics including stormwater management, using rain gardens and rain barrels, stream corridor management practices, erosion and sediment control, bio-retention, lawn-to-meadow, native landscaping, proper tree planting techniques, and water conservation.

Click here to read the entire article. 

Financial and other support for the workshop was provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s 2020 Environmental Education Grants Program. 

The first session in a three-part workshop series on Adaptive Strategies & Contingency Planning is scheduled this week for district managers. However, there’s still time for board members to register for Session 2: Adaptive Strategies & Contingency Planning for Directors, scheduled for Tuesday, October 27 from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. This workshop series is designed for both managers and boards to work separately on identifying issues and concerns and then to come together to determine priorities and strategies for implementing them. At least one board member from every district should plan on participating in the October 27 directors-only session, as well as a combined follow-up session on Tuesday, November 17, that will integrate information and insights from the previous two sessions. This series is facilitated by Deb Thompson of Strategy Solutions, who also presented a section of our New Director Orientation regional training workshops earlier this year.

Click here to register directly for the 10/27 Directors workshop.

Click here for more information on the Fall Leadership webinar series.

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.

Congratulations to Cambria, Cumberland, Lancaster, and Pike County Conservation Districts on the completion and approval of their new strategic plans in 2020. Strategic Planning Grants totaling over $4800 were awarded to reimburse 2019-2020 planning costs for these districts. For 2020-2021, the State Conservation Commission has allocated funding for grants to reimburse up to a maximum of $1,500 in expenses (per district) related to developing a strategic plan. In order to be eligible for these funds, conservation districts must meet program requirements, and priority will be given to conservation districts that did not receive a strategic planning grant in the past five years.

The deadline to submit a Letter of Intent for this year’s program is Friday, November 20. For information and resources, please visit the Strategic Planning Grants page at the Building for Tomorrow website or contact Matt Miller, Leadership Development Coordinator.

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 Building for Tomorrow’s first Virtual Conservation District Staff Conference, scheduled for February 8–12, 2021. The week-long program will include interactive webinar workshops and round-table forum discussions on a variety of topics and tools relevant to current challenges faced by conservation district staff. Stay tuned for more information and a draft agenda coming soon.

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.

The winter 2021 PACD Executive Council Meeting will take place as a video conference on January 28 at 10:00 a.m. Committees will meet virtually prior to the Executive Council session, so watch future editions of Front Page for committee dates. Need to update your district’s slate of voting delegates prior to January? Contact Molly with PACD at mburns@pacd.org.

The Conservation Technician for the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) in the South Central Region provides technical assistance to the Growing Greener program and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

This position will: provide technical assistance to area partnership Growing Greener personnel and NRCS in the planning, design, and construction of engineering practices; prepare designs of agricultural conservation practices and water quality best management practices (BMPs), which are site-specific and require coordination among various groups and individuals; and provide engineering assistance in conducting preliminary investigations.

Click here for the full job description. Candidates must submit a resume and cover letter to PACD at jobs@pacd.org. All application materials must be received by 4:30 p.m. on October 22, 2020.