"The Dirt"
A Resource for Local Conservation
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2022 Environmental Stewardship Award Winner |
Jessica Buck, District Manager
The Perkiomen Creek Dam Removals and Stream Restorations project received the 2022 Environmental Stewardship Award for the removal of obsolete dams, associated stream restoration work, and a successful collaborative process with community partners. This restoration effort by Aqua Pennsylvania, Inc. successfully resulted in improved water quality, enhanced habitat biodiversity, and restored stream channels. Project Profile
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Don't Kick Those Leaves to the Curb! |
Andrew Fenstermacher, Resource Conservationist
As fall comes to an end, the chill in the air feels more like winter every day. With autumn comes a dreaded task for most homeowners—leaf clean up. If you live in a suburban environment, chances are over the past few weeks, you’ve seen and participated in raking and bagging leaves. But did you know those leaves have an important, ecological alternative use? If you maintain flower beds, a vegetable garden, or enjoy a nice green lawn, you should consider mulching those fallen leaves.
Mulch is defined as, “a protective covering spread or left on the ground to reduce evaporation, maintain even soil temperature, prevent erosion, control weeds, and enrich the soil.” The leaves that fall in your yard can be turned into a rich mulch that will have numerous benefits to plants and animals alike. Trees use nutrients from the soil and over half of those nutrients are stored/created from the leaves and other organic matter that enriches the soil. Disposing of these valuable leaves is disposing of a natural, organic fertilizer! That nutrient deficit is generally then addressed by applying synthetic fertilizer, adding dyed store-bought mulch, and using extra water during the growing season. Not only can these artificial methods of ‘greening up' our lawns be bad for the environment, they’re also quite expensive!
So how do you turn those crunchy, pesky leaves into a beneficial use? There are a few ways to mulch leaves, depending on your usage and goal. You can simply pass your lawnmower over the leaves a few times, leaving valuable organic residue on the lawn, to incorporate into the soil. In a few weeks, those pieces will breakdown further, and be barely noticeable. If you want to use the leaf mulch in your flower bed or garden, one method that works well is to use a large trash can. Fill the trash can with dried leaves and run your weedwhacker inside until you achieve the desired consistency. If you have a lawnmower with a catch-bag, you can simply empty that bag into a container after shredding the leaf-litter.
Dried leaf mulch can be stored in a pile or used right away. Spread it over your garden or flower bed in a 2–4-inch layer. The leaf mulch will immediately provide insulation for your plant’s roots, prevent soil erosion from rain and wind, and retain moisture on the soil surface. It also provides a warm blanket over the winter months, insulating beneficial soil organisms and microbes! Once the mulch breaks down further, it will provide the organic matter and nutrients that will allow your plants to survive the winter and thrive next spring. Simply incorporate the mulch into your beds in the springtime. Utilizing leaf litter benefits soil health as well as water quality. So, save those leaves this year, don’t kick ‘em to the curb!
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Montgomery Co. Conservation District partners with “Trout in the Classroom” Program |
Brian Vadino, Watershed Specialist
In May 2022, Montgomery County Conservation District partnered with volunteers from Perkiomen Valley Trout Unlimited (PVTU), staff from Aqua Pennsylvania and staff from Stroud Water Research Center to provide interactive environmental education programming to students from Christopher Dock High School and Upper Perkiomen Middle School.
This programming included two “Trout in the Classroom” (TIC) field trips on May 4th and 12th. Jim Coffey, who serves as a Board Member, TIC Coordinator and Youth Education Coordinator with PVTU, brought partners together to make these unique educational experiences possible. Trout in the Classroom is a Trout Unlimited and PA Fish and Boat Commission environmental education program that enhances science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics curriculums. Students study and raise trout from eggs to fingerlings in a cold-water aquarium during the school year. The program provides a unique, hands-on opportunity to teach the relevance of watershed conservation. Where permitted, the program culminates with a field trip to a community stream, river, lake, or pond where students release their fish into a state-approved location. For more information, visit https://www.troutintheclassroom.org/
During each field trip, groups of students rotated through a series of stations, where they learned about aquatic macroinvertebrates, the importance of riparian (streamside) forests, fly-tying and fly casting. Before each event concluded, students had an opportunity to release the trout fingerlings that they raised in their classrooms into the East and Main Branches of Perkiomen Creek.
Photo caption: Students releasing trout fingerlings into East Branch of Perkiomen Creek
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Attention Ag Community:
Two funding opportunities currently available!
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Abigail Reiter, Ag Conservation Specialist
The 2022 Small Business Advantage Grant
The PA Department of Environmental Protection’s Small Business Advantage Grant is open for 2022. Applications will be accepted until March 24, 2023 or when funding is exhausted, whichever comes first. This grant provides reimbursement funds of 50% to 80% for eligible projects implemented by Pennsylvania small businesses to improve energy efficiency or reduce pollution or waste. This grant is available to assist in funding several Natural Resource Protection Projects which were implemented after July 1, 2022. Eligible projects include: Forested or Grass Riparian Buffer Plantings, Streambank Exclusionary Fencing, Grazing Management Fencing, Agriculture/Barnyard Runoff Control and Stormwater Management, Agricultural Solar Pumping or other Agricultural Best Management Practices for which the applicant can demonstrate to DEP the potential for pollutant reductions. Montgomery County Conservation District is available to assist in applying to this program. Please contact Abigail Reiter at (610) 489-4506 x24 if you have or are interested in implementing Natural Resource Protection Projects. Additional program information can be found here.
PACD Ag Plan Reimbursement Program
The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, through a grant from PA DEP, is currently offering an Ag Plan Reimbursement Program. Open until June 30, 2024 or until all funds are spent, this program assists agricultural landowners with the costs of developing Manure Management Plans, Ag Erosion and Sediment Control Plans, Act 38 Nutrient Management Plans and Conservation Plans (which are written to meet the state requirements outlined in Chapter 102 of PA Code). Reimbursement is available for 80% of the planning costs, up to a maximum amount of $1,500. A 20% cost match is required from the landowner/operator. For additional information or to apply for reimbursement please contact Abigail Reiter at (610) 489-4506 x24. For more information visit the PACD website.
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December 5th: Celebrate World Soil Day!
Humans survive thanks to a few inches of healthy soil that grows 95% of our food.
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Updated Ch. 102 / NPDES Permit Application Review Fee Schedule & District Application
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Please note that the Montgomery County Conservation District has revised the MCCD Chapter 102 Plan Review Fee Schedule as well as the MCCD Application for Chapter 102 and/or NPDES Permit Reviews. Please utilize the updated fee schedule and District application for all submissions and resubmissions (new, revisions, renewals, corrective action plans, amendments, etc.) effective November 1, 2022.
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From the staff at MCCD, we wish you a happy and healthy holiday season. |
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