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Front Page: Your Weekly News & Updates
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| Boot Camp application period opens, Farm Show concludes, NRCS uses ground penetrating radar, PALMS conference, urban communities webinar, and PA Game Commission helps flying squirrel population. |
Agricultural Conservation Technical "Boot Camp" Training Application Period Opens
Applications are now being accepted for the Agricultural Conservation Technical Training ("Boot Camp" Basic level and Level II). Conservation district staff are encouraged to take advantage of these free, week-long training opportunities which include both classroom learning and experience in the field.
If you do not receive confirmation from PACD, you will not be admitted. No walk-ins will be accepted.
Both courses are held at the Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County). Questions? Contact Shannon Wehinger at
[email protected].
These training opportunities are made possible by the following sponsors: Natural Resources Conservation Service, State Conservation Commission, and the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc.
Photo by Holly Hunt.
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Conservation District Booth Enjoys Another Successful Farm Show Week
The 102nd Pennsylvania Farm Show concluded on January 13, 2018, in Harrisburg, PA. Many thanks to the conservation districts who staffed the booth and brought their own unique exhibits to the Farm Show.
They are:
- Berks
- Chester
- Cumberland
- Franklin
- Lancaster
- Lebanon
- Lehigh
- Perry
- Schuylkill
- York
Thank you so much to the many volunteers who made the booth a success!
Photo caption: Brady Seeley, Cumberland County Conservation District Chesapeake Bay Technician, staffs the conservation district booth during the 2018 Farm Show in Harrisburg.
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Ground-Penetrating Radar Familiarization
By Josef Corso, Soil Conservationist Pathways Intern, Lancaster, PA
In December 2017, I met with Soil Scientists Jim Doolittle and John Chibirka to get familiarized with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) ground penetrating radar (GPR) deployment and operation for mapping a parcel of land for wetland restoration near the town of Aspers, PA. The objective was to see how the former wetland parcel, which was transformed in the 1930's into cropland, could be converted back into a wetland through the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP). In order to do this the scientists needed to find out if the subsoil can be readapted into a wetland as part of the adjacent river's natural stream channel. The GPR will provide the subsoil 3D imagery necessary to make that determination. The GPR utilizes electromagnetic (EM) radiation in microwave band waves, which is transmitted down into the subsoil, reflecting signals back from objects into the radar. This paints a 3D picture of the subsoil, which is then recorded into a computer.
Although it works well in sandy soils it has its limitations when it hits water, clayish soils, and salinity. The GPR provides immediate view of the subsurface and the natural changes in the soil, which can also be easily adapted for cultural resources and archeological survey. Imagery from data collection can be challenging and requires some experience for good interpretation. However, the GPR is a great way of looking into the soil in a non-destructive way without disturbing the soil. The GPR model can be easily delivered and operated by a two-person team. It can be employed in various terrains but one must take precautions. For example, closing into the field tree line may create false readings due to high underground debris or tree roots creating system interference. Also, since the GPR utilizes EM radiation, cell phone interference or signals from other electronic devices may create errors or alter data in the data collector during GPR operations. Once the survey is completed the data can be easily downloaded from the computer into a portable device.
Photo caption: Jim Doolittle (right) and John Chibirka using ground penetrating radar. Photo provided by NRCS.
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PALMS Conference Open for Registration
Join the Pennsylvania Lake Management Society (PALMS) from March 7-8, 2018, for their 28th annual conference. The conference will take place at the Ramada Conference Center in State College, PA.
Each year the PALMS Board of Directors coordinates a two day conference for those interested in learning more about pond and lake management. The two-day agenda covers a wide range of topics such as invasive aquatic plant identification and eradication, case studies of publicly funded projects and stewardship programs, management or remediation techniques, habitat or fishery improvement, and chemical application techniques.
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Outreach to Urban Communities Webinar
The next National Association of Conservation Districts Urban and Community Conservation webinar is scheduled for 12-1 p.m. on January 18, 2018. The topic is "Outreach to Urban Communities."
Learn about best practices for connecting to multilingual urban agriculture communities and how to engage homeowners' associations. There is no cost to participate, but space is limited. Registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, email Debra Bogar at [email protected].
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Spruce Plantings on Game Lands to Help Northern Flying Squirrel
Scattered remnants of a diminishing boreal forest are the last footholds for the state-endangered northern flying squirrel in northeastern Pennsylvania. The diminutive nocturnal rodent, with its disproportionately large eyes and unique ability to glide through the air, is in trouble. Forest fragmentation, the loss of trees necessary for food and shelter, and competition with a close cousin have kept this species precariously clinging to survival in the commonwealth. But help may be on the way in the form of a habitat-improvement project taking shape on state game lands in the Poconos.
Photo provided by PGC. Photo Credit Greg Turner - Northern flying squirrel in nesting box.
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Conservation Districts in the News
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Upcoming Events
January 17-18, 2018
Toftrees Golf Resort and Conference Center, State College, PA
January 23, 2018
DCNR Bureau of Forestry, Clarion, PA
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