Front Page Newsletter June 6, 2022

Register for the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference Today!

Registration is open for the 2022 PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference July 20-21, 2022, at the Red Lion Hotel Harrisburg Hershey in Harrisburg, PA. PACD’s first in-person event in almost two years is a can’t-miss face-to-face opportunity for conservation district directors, associate directors, district staff, partner agency staff, and invited guests.

Click here to register and for more information.

In addition to the in-person offerings, PACD is offering no-cost virtual access to the PACD Executive Council Meeting on July 21, 2022, from 9:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. via Zoom. If you can’t attend the PACD Executive Council meeting in person, please contact Molly Burns at mburns@pacd.org for a Zoom registration link.

PACD committee meetings will meet virtually in July prior to the conference. Committee registration is free, and each committee requires separate registration. Please email the listed contact to request a registration link.

PACD Conservation Committee Video Conference

July 6, 2022 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.

PACD District Employees Committee Video Conference

July 8, 2022 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Contact hmiller@pacd.org to request a registration link.

PACD Education and Outreach Committee Video Conference

July 11, 2022 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Contact swehinger@pacd.org to request a registration link.

PACD Legislative Committee Video Conference

July 12, 2022 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.

PACD Ways and Means Committee Video Conference

July 14, 2022 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Contact abrown@pacd.org to request a registration link.

PACD Operations Committee Video Conference

July 15, 2022 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.

PACD Hiring Agricultural Conservation Engineer or Technician in Bloomsburg Office

PACD is hiring a Conservation Engineer or a Conservation Technician in the Bloomsburg Office. The candidate must possess a valid PA driver's license and be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

Click here for the job descriptions. Candidates must submit a resume and cover letter to PACD at jobs@pacd.org. All application materials must be received by 4:30 pm on June 10, 2022.

$100,000 Available for Multi-Functional Riparian Forest Buffer Projects

The application deadline for PACD’s multi-functional riparian forest buffer program has been extended until June 30, 2023. About $100,000 is still available for projects statewide. Pennsylvania's conservation districts are encouraged to apply for funding to install multi-functional buffers with landowners. The sub-grant program is first-come, first-served. No matching funds are required!

Since 2018, over $590,000 has been allocated to multi-functional riparian buffer projects covering more than 125 acres.

To learn more about this program and apply, please visit PACD's website at https://pacd.org/?page_id=17536.

Reminder: Register for iMapInvasives Training for Conservation Districts

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and PACD are partnering to offer a free iMapInvasives Overview and Training for Conservation Districts!

When: The training will be offered via Zoom on June 28, 2022, beginning at 10 am.

Webinar Description: iMapInvasives is a comprehensive tool for online invasive species data management. It includes many aspects that appeal to natural resource managers, community scientists, and other interested members of the public. By providing a tool that advances knowledge and understanding of invasive species distributions across Pennsylvania, iMapInvasives promotes strategic decisions for conducting future survey and management work in priority locations across the Commonwealth.

Amy Jewitt, Invasive Species Coordinator at the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and Lead Administrator of the Pennsylvania iMapInvasives Program, will provide an overview of the iMapInvasives Program for PACD and Conservation District staff. Amy will show a variety of visual elements from the database and explain tools offered in the platform that are of value for PACD and conservation district staff regarding understanding species distributions, prioritizing management efforts, and using the platform as a data clearinghouse for conservation districts across the state.

Registration: Please click here to register for the event.

Poster Contest Deadline is June 30

There is still time to participate! The submission deadline for the 2022 National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Poster Contest is June 30, 2022. The theme this year is “Healthy Soil, Healthy Life.” Posters must be submitted to PACD via email to swehinger@pacd.org.

Click here for more information.

PA State Envirothon Competition Results

The 39th Pennsylvania Envirothon state competition was held at Camp Mount Luther on May 25, 2022. High school students from 62 Pennsylvania counties participated in this year's event.

The top 10 winners are:

First Place – Penncrest High School, Delaware County
Second Place – North East School District, Erie County
Third Place – Bangor Area HS, Northampton County
Fourth Place – Pleasant Valley High School, Monroe County
Fifth Place – Palmyra Area High School, Lebanon County
Sixth Place – York Home School Association, York County
Seventh Place – Carmichaels Area High School, Greene County
Eighth Place – Bradford Area High School, McKean County
Ninth Place – Homeschoolers for Christ, Indiana County
Tenth Place – Canton High School, Bradford County

The Pennsylvania Envirothon awarded scholarships to the first through seventh place teams. The scholarships were sponsored by Pennsylvania's County Conservation Districts and Shell Oil. In addition, each of the top ten teams received a plaque and other prizes.

The 2022 Pennsylvania Envirothon champions from Penncrest High School, located in Delaware County, earned the honor to represent Pennsylvania at the 33rd NCF-Envirothon competition planned for July 24–30th, 2022, at Miami University of Ohio, located in Oxford, Ohio.

Photo caption: Photo of the winning team from Penncrest High School (Delaware County) provided by PA Envirothon.

Cumberland County Conservation District Holds Rain Garden Workshop

Submitted by Lori Glace, Cumberland County Conservation District Watershed Specialist

Fifteen participants joined Upper Allen Township’s Rain Garden Workshop on May 19, 2022, where they learned about “Local Watersheds and Nonpoint Source Pollution," presented by Lori Glace of the Cumberland County Conservation District, and "How to Build a Rain Garden,” presented by Andy Yencha of Penn State Extension.

Participants helped to plant native plant species in the rain gardens in the parking lot of Upper Allen Township's Municipal Building. Thank you to Upper Allen Township for their help and preparation to administer the workshop.

Photo caption: Photos provided by Cumberland County Conservation District.

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.

Conservation Districts Encouraged to Soil Their Undies

Environmental experts and undergarments brand, The Big Favorite, are teaming up to encourage everyone to test soil health by planting their underwear this June.

The Pennsylvania Soil Health Coalition is partnering with Philadelphia-based The Big Favorite undergarment company, Lancaster Water Week, and All Together Now PA to launch an educational soil health campaign. The campaign challenges everyone to get to know their neighborhood microbes by planting underwear.

This series of digital activities will invite anyone with a field (row crop or grazing), backyard garden, or lawn to plant any pair of 100% cotton underpants. Once they're planted, the microbes in the soil will feast for 60 days before participants dig up the undies and report their findings to organizations and document via social media. Then, based on the level of decomposition post-dig, the partners will share tips on improving soil quality. The bottom line is the more the underwear decomposes, the healthier the soils are.

The Soil Health Coalition encourages county conservation districts to try this fun activity with their local farmers and educational programs. For more information, visit www.pasoilhealth.org/soilyourundies.

Photo caption: PA Soil Health Coalition members gather at Steve Groff’s Farm in Holtwood to bury undies. Photo provided by the PA Soil Health Coalition.

Hybrid Watershed STEM & Aquatic WILD Training

Conservation district educators are invited to attend a free training.

When: Two-part training on Thursday, June 16, 2022, 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. EDT (virtual, part 1/2) and Tuesday, June 21, 2022, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. EDT (in-person, part 2/2)

Where: Online via Zoom video conferencing (June 16) and in-person at Stroud Water Research Center, 970 Spencer Rd, Avondale, PA 19311 (June 21)

Cost: FREE! Aquatic WILD K–12 Curriculum & Activity Guide will be provided to all participants who attend both parts of this two-part workshop

Click here to register. Registration is required.