Not a member?
Join ClearWater now with an annual membership donation. Just click the button below to start helping us conserve land and water resources in Central Pennsylvania.
|
|
Thanks to our 1% Donor
Purple Lizard Maps!
|
Online shoppers can support ClearWater
Amazon.com shoppers can now have part of every purchase donated to ClearWater at no additional cost. It's easy!
|
Our Lisle Circle members have made a bequest to ClearWater in their estate planning documents.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Conservation E-Connection
|
 |
|
|
CENTRE GIVES SUCCESS... Supporters of ClearWater Conservancy honored the organization by putting it at the top of the leaderboard in terms of total dollars raised during the Centre Foundation's Centre Gives event in May. The Conservancy received $43,635 from 215 donors! About 60 folks turned out to join us, as shown in the photo above, at Barrel 21 Distillery for a Giving Happy Hour. Friends enjoyed a cocktail and a snack and logged on to make donations. Thanks to all who supported our shared vision for conservation in central Pennsylvania! We'll have more to report once matching funds are distributed by the Foundation, so stay tuned.
|
|
|
|
The Blue Ball Road cleanup crew, led by Leo the dog.
|
Watershed Cleanup Day nets almost 83 tons of trash
For the 21st year, an army of volunteers fanned out across Centre County to collect and then properly dispose of trash marring the woods and waters during ClearWater Conservancy's Watershed Cleanup Day.
521 volunteers including 396 adults and 125 children cleaned up 74 sites in Centre County. Collected from the landscape and properly disposed of were 82.8 tons of trash, including: 53.11 tons of mixed solid waste; 9.69 tons tires (594 tires total); 13.16 tons scrap metal and 6.83 tons of clean fill.
"Volunteerism is alive and well in Centre County, with a record number of volunteers giving their time to clean up trash, improving the visual esthetics of our land and waterways while protecting water quality," said Deb Nardone, Executive Director of ClearWater Conservancy. "Together, we collected nearly 83 tons of trash or about the weight of two train locomotives! ClearWater is t
hankful for
the families, organizations and businesses that give their time to clean up our
environment for all."
Since 1997, Watershed Cleanup Day volunteers have removed 6.09 million pounds of waste from local streams, roadways, sinkholes, and illegal dumpsites.
"The impact on the county is that tons and tons of visible trash is gone from our landscape. Anyone traveling around our countryside now sees a more beautiful, natural landscape. I th
ink that's important and it's why we hold this event every year," said Rod Fye, Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority Enforcement Officer and co-coordinator of the event.
Through a partnership with Centre County Recycling & Refuse Authority, an army of citizen volunteers and the generosity of local contractors, heavy equipment operators, businesses, municipalities and the MS4 partners, Watershed Cleanup Day continues to have an impact every year.
To sign up to participate in the 2017 cleanup, visit www.clearwaterconservancy.org and fill out a volunteer form.
|
Golf sold out, but still ways to be part of G
 olf-Fest
The Otto's Golf-Fest planning committee is happy to announce a record sell out for golf-sponsorships for the event on August 29th at Mountain View Country Club in Boalsburg. There are still many ways to become involved with our largest event of the year, through non-golf sponsorships
, prize
donations, volunteering, and new way
s to mix and mingl
e at pre-and post-event activities.
- Flag and Tee sponsorships: an affordable way for local businesses to reach over 250 people on the course.
- All ClearWater supporters are encouraged to save the date for Sunday, August 28th (the night before Golf-Fest) as the committee is planning an exciting new pre-event. Golfers and non-golfers alike can enjoy Otto's beverages, food, live music and enjoy the company of others who also are passionate about the beauty of Central PA and want to preserve and protect what makes this region special.
- As always non-golf guests are always welcome to join us for Happy Hour and the banquet dinner after our golfers are coming off the course.
|
Grant funds interpretive signs for Canyon trail project
The Conservancy has received a $7,500 Central PA Convention and Visitors Bureau (CPCVB) Tourism Grant to provide historic and environmental interpretation along the planned Spring Creek Canyon Trail in Benner Township.
ClearWater is working with project partners from PA Game Commission, PA Fish & Boat Commission and Benner Township to construct Phase I of the trail from Rock Road to Shiloh Road. Construction is slated to begin this summer.
The CPCVB and the Centre County Commissioners announced the 2016-2017 tourism grant recipients at a news conference in May.The total amount of the awards was $341,638.00, which is to be used for marketing to visitors or capital expenses to enhance the visitor experience. Grant recipients are selected by the Tourism Grant Review committee based on an application process and required to use the money to support projects and advertising designed to attract more visitors to Centre County and enhance the tourism experience.
Benner Township Engineer Don Franson leads a recent walk with board members of Spring Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited to review the Phase I trail project site. The SCCTU Board Members wanted to view the project site and urge environmental sensitivity to minimize any trail impacts on the stream.
|
Make a difference. Make a donation.
Gifts to ClearWater Conservancy support all of the work we do to conserve land and water resources in Central Pennsylvania and educate the next generation of stewards about the need to do so. Everyone benefits from conserved land, healthy streams and public access to outdoor recreation. Please contribute today and be a part of keeping nature a priority in our landscape.
|
Wish list...
Here's a few things we need to do our day-to-day work conserving land and water resources in central Pennsylvania. Donations of these items help us spend more directly on our mission. All items need to be safe and in good, working condition.
- A 6-foot stepladder
- A pickup truck
- A set of eight or more matching chairs suitable for use at a conference table
|
Green Ribbon Task Force takes tour of Musser Gap
|
|
|
On the tour at Musser Gap are, from left: DCNR Pennsylvania State Forester
Dan Devlin, ClearWater Conservancy Conservation Biologist
Katie Ombalski, DCNR Secretary
Cindy Dunn and DCNR Deputy Secretary
John Norbeck.
|
ClearWater Conservation Biologist
Katie Ombalski and
Jason Albright, Assistant DCNR State Forester, led a tour of Musser Gap for DCNR's Green Ribbon Task Force as part of a regional meeting of the group in Boalsburg recently.
The Green Ribbon Task Force convenes experts from private industry, academia, marketing, forest science, economic and workforce development and related disciplines to analyze current limitations to forest conservation and job growth and to develop an action plan to address both objectives.
Pennsylvania's 17 million acres of forestland provide critical values to society, such as clean water, recreation opportunities, plant and animal habitat, and raw materials for a long-established forest products industry. In recent decades, numerous factors, including changing land-use patterns, declines in forest health, and the economic recession have begun to threaten forest-related values and reduce the number of forest-based jobs.
|
Nardone addresses watershed commission
ClearWater Executive Director
Deb Nardone addressed the Spring Creek
 Watershed Commission recently on several collaborative efforts.
|
SPRING MONITORING WALK ... A group representing ClearWater Conservancy and Rhoneymeade Farm recently toured the grounds together while conducting the annual conservation easement monitoring of the property. Pausing at the Spring House just below the Sculpture Garden on Rimmey Road are, from left, Rhoneymeade volunteer
Jeff Mathison, Rhoneymeade Board Member
Sabine Carey, ClearWater Conservancy site steward
Elwood Hatley and Rhoneymeade Property Manager
James Lesher. Behind the camera was ClearWater Land Conservation Manager
Kevin Abbey. Conservancy staff and about 15 volunteers monitor 17 eased and owned properties annually. Rhoneymeade, the ancestral home of Grange Fair founder
Leonard Rhone, was ClearWater's first conservation easement back in 2000. Then owner and ClearWater Board Member, the late
Richard Morgan, conserved the property with a perpetual conservation easement.
|
CWC staff leads tour as part of conservation conference
|
|
|
Josh Lincoln
of The WHM Group discusses the stream restoration at the Hughes Farm on Halfmoon Creek during the PALTA Conservation Conference Mobile Seminar. Josh and
WHM regularly lend their stream design expertise to ClearWater projects.
|
Conservation Biologist Katie Ombalski and Land Stewardship As
sistant Colleen DeLong lead 25 participants on a Stream Restoration Tour Mobile Seminar during th
e 20
1
6 Pennsylvania Land Trust Association (PALTA) Conservation Conference held in State College in May.
The group toured three completed stream restoration
projects in th
e Spruce
Creek Watershed where they heard and saw firsthand how and why ClearWater execute
s stream restoration and forest buffer projects from staff, partners, landowners and volunteers involved in the conservancy's Rip
arian Conservation Program. Lunch at Way Fruit Farm was a stop enjoyed by all. Thanks to PALTA for agreeing to make our tour part
of the 2016 Conference and to the attendees, cooperating landowners, partners and volunteers who pitched in to make the day such a success.
|
Coalition joins for volunteer planting effort in Penn's Valley
|
|
|
Fred Strathmeyer, Jr. hard at work in Penn's Valley. |
Thanks to a partnership between Chesapeake Bay Foundation, USDA, ClearWat
er Co
nservancy, and a Centre County landowner, 25 dedicated volunteers planted 500 native trees seedli
ngs on a stream buffer benefiting Penn's Creek near Coburn, Pa. A total of 11 acres were planted through a partnership between Volunteers included:
Fred Strathmeyer, Jr., Deputy Secretary of PA Department of Agriculture
; Matt Keefer, Assistant State Forester, DCNR Bureau of Forestry;
Clair Ryan, Chesapeake Bay Pennsylvania Watershed Restoration Program Manager;
Marcus Kohl, Regional Director, DEP North Central Regional Office; and volunteers from ClearWater Conservancy, Penn's Valley Conservation Association, the Penn State Student Chapter of the Society of American Forester's, Penn State Environmental Resource Management students and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
|
Two Adventures in Conservation outings
 in one day
The Conservancy led not one, but two outdoor excursions May 14, starting off with a Spring Bird Walk at Thompson Woods Preserve in State College.
Margaret Brittingham
,
ClearWater board member and professor of Wildlife Resources at Penn State and Clea
rW
ater Conservation Biologist Katie Ombalski guided participants on a two-mile walk during which 32 species were seen or heard, including: Mallard 2, Mourning Dove 5, Red-bellied Woodpecker 2, Downy Woodpecker 1, Pileated Woodpecker 1, Red-eyed Vireo 3, Blue Jay 25, American Crow 3, Tree Swallow 1, Barn Swallow 1, Black-capped Chickadee 8, Tufted Titmouse 2, White-breasted Nuthatch 8, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1, House Wren 2, Carolina Wren 4, Wood Thrush 4, American Robin 19, Gray Catbird 46, European Starling 10, warbler sp. (Parulidae sp.) 2, Common Yellowthroat 1, Magnolia Warbler 3, White-crowned Sparrow 2, Song Sparrow 7, Scarlet Tanager 2, Eastern Towhee 12, Northern Cardinal 10, Common Grackle 5, Brown-headed Cowbird 8, Baltimore Oriole 8, House Finch 7 and American Goldfinch 4.
A little later that morning, Water Resources Coordinator
Adrienne Gemberling and Marketing and Communications Manager
Chris Hennessey led a small group of children and adults on a first-ever Stream Exploration adventure. The equipment needed for this outing, including waders, nets and observation equipment, were provided in part by a Get Outdoors PA grant, funded in part by the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society and a grant from the Environmental Stewardship Fund under the administration of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.
After a talk about water sources and the importance of clean water to all living things, participants waded into Galbraith Gap Run to capture and observe aquatic insects and animals including damselfly, mayfly, stonefly, dobsonfly and caddis fly larvae, plus crayfish and salamanders. We then discussed why the creatures we found need clean water and how they relate to other animals in the food chain, including humans.
|
|
| Big stonefly larvae were found in abundance in Galbraith Gap Run. |
|
Residents learn about forest restoration pla
 n
The coalition is working together to restore the contiguous, 62.8 acre park lands to improve the water quality of Walnut Run, wildlife habitat of the forest, aesthetics and recreational value. The forest restoration plan is being prepared by Mike Wolf of Appalachian Forest Consultants in Stoystown, Pa.
Another informational Walk and Talk will be held Thursday, July 7 at 6:30 p.m.
Meet at the Thompson Woods Preserve Parking area off of Walnut Spring Lane.
To learn more about this effort and the science behind it,
Click Here
|
All invited to Trout Unlimited Family Fishing Picnic
Spring Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited invites the community to a free family fishing clinic and picnic at Tussey Mountain Pond in Boalsburg Sunday, June 12 from 12 to 4 p.m.
Click Here for a flyer with all the details.
|
Time for Frogfest at Muddy Paws Marsh
Frogs are an important part of the ecosystem and spring is a great time to see and hear them at the Muddy Paws Marsh Frogfest Saturday, June 11 from 3 to 6:30 p.m. Enjoy marsh walks, pollinator/native plant gardening with Penn State Extension Master Gardeners, birding, music, art, fly-fishing and more. It's a free family event!
Click Here to visit the event page for more details.
|
Penn State offers first course on rural road ecology
PSU students will now be offered a course on rural road ecology and maintenance which explores the interaction of natural systems with unpaved and low-volume paved roads. The application of Driving Surface Aggregate (DSA), developed by Penn State's Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies, has been shown to reduce erosion, improve water quality of adjacent streams, reduce the need for road maintenance and save precious tax dollars. DSA has been implemented in regions throughout the United States.
Click Here for the complete story.
|
Earth
 -friendly cups & bird-friendly java
make great gifts
How about some organic Fair-Trade, Bird Friendly coffee in a stainless steel ClearWater Pint for breakfast?
Ordering coffee with us is easier than ever with our new Google-powered order form.
Click Here to order something for all the coffee drinkers on your list. We will monitor the orders and send you an email letting you know that your order has been processed and when you can it pick up.
You can also call or stop in during business hours to purchase what we have on hand.
Birds & Beans
is the only coffee brand in the U.S. which solely roasts 'Bird Friendly®' Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center certified coffee. The coffee is also Fair-Trade and USDA Organic certified. All Birds & Beans coffees are grown using methods that are not destructive to songbird habitat, and are sustainable and safe for farmers and their families.
Coffee is available in beans and ground. Bags of coffee are $12 each or 2 for $20 for regular coffee, $13 each for decaf. Two-pound bags also available by special order only.
Infinitely reusable and super durable, our new Clear
Water Stainless Steel Cups are now available at our front desk along with Birds & Beans bird-friendly coffee. Double-walled and sporting a lid, our logo cup
s will keep hot things hot and cold things cold for many moons. Cups are $18 each and include a lid.
|
|
|
|
|
