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Experience Ag Progress Days – Sign Up to Volunteer!

Penn State Ag Progress Days will be held August 11-13, 2026, at the Russell E. Larson Agriculture Research Center at 2710 West Pine Grove Road in Pennsylvania Furnace. Nine miles southwest of State College, PA, this event will feature the latest technology and research exhibits, educational programs, and guided tours.

This event is an excellent opportunity to highlight the work and programs of the conservation districts.

We are looking for volunteers for the conservation district booth for this event (2 volunteers are needed per shift). If you’d like to schedule a shift, send your name, contact information, and preferred shift(s) to swehinger@pacd.org.                                                                         

The open shifts are:

-Wednesday, August 12: 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  

-Wednesday, August 12: 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

-Thursday, August 13: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

When available, volunteers will be sent a final volunteer schedule, parking passes, and other show information. For more information on Ag Progress Days, visit their website at https://agsci.psu.edu/apd.

Photo caption: Allie Shreffler (left) and Chelsea Gross pose at the conservation district booth at Ag Progress Days on August 12, 2025. Photo provided by Westmoreland Conservation District.

Chesapeake Bay Education Summit

PACD Director of Communications & Education Shannon Wehinger was honored to participate in the Chesapeake Bay Program’s 2026 Education Summit held in Harrisburg this week. The event was organized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and connected seven locations around the Bay via shared virtual sessions.

PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn, PA Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell C. Redding, PA Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Jessica Shirley, and PA Department of Education Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe all participated in the event.

Photo caption: Group photo after the event. Photo taken by Krysta Hougen-Ryall.

Westmoreland Holds Annual Pedaling for Conservation Event

PACD President Emil Bove led the annual Westmoreland Conservation District's Pedaling for Conservation bike ride on the Five Star Trail in Greensburg. Twenty-six cyclists joined this ride on an urban rail with trail and learned about a variety of conservation topics, including urban stormwater issues, abandoned mine drainage, sewage treatment, a recent trail relocation project, a community art project, and mosquito and tick monitoring in the county.  

Photo caption: Photo of Emil Bove with the pedaling group provided to PACD by the Westmoreland Conservation District. 

Local News Features Lackawanna County Conservation District's Trout in the Classroom Program

Local elementary school students released trout they had raised in their classrooms. The video features Lackawanna County Conservation District Watershed Specialist, Bailey White, explaining the benefits of the program.

Click here to watch the video.

Photo caption: Screenshot of WNEP video.

Five Conservation Districts Receive Grant for Environmental Education 

Congratulations to the following conservation districts for receiving PA Department of Environmental Protection's Environmental Education Grants:

• Erie County Conservation District: $30,000 for the “Hidden Creeks Public Art Project,” which will create and install 8 public art pieces and accompanying signs, 2 stand-alone signs, and an interactive website to highlight the history of the Mill Creek Flood, the engineering of the Mill Creek Tube, the impact on water quality by burying a creek beneath city infrastructure, and how the community can assist with the preservation and conservation of our water supply.

• Lehigh County Conservation District: $5,000 for the “Reclaiming Roots: From Classroom to Courtyard” program, which, in partnership with Whitehall-Coplay Middle School, will transform an underutilized courtyard into a vibrant outdoor classroom that will offer hands-on learning opportunities that connect students to concepts of climate resilience, water systems, and sustainability

• Luzerne Conservation District: $4,987 for “Fostering Inclusive Connections to the Watershed,” which, in partnership with Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation and North Branch Land Trust, will hold six high school-level workshops for underserved communities. The workshops will address PA Academic Standards and engage the audience in hands-on activities, classroom, and field experiences.

• Schuylkill Conservation District: $3,751 for the “Outdoor Wildlife Learning Summer Nature Camp,” which, partnering with Assumption Blessed Virgin Mary School in an environmental justice area, will deliver the nonformal four-week Outdoor Wilderness Learning (OWL) Summer Nature Camp in 2026, with funding requested for three weeks.

• Wayne Conservation District: $867 for “Under the Leaves: Exploring the Lacakwaxen River,” a hands-on streamside workshop for members of the public to learn about stream ecology and water quality using the Stroud Leaf Pack Network, tree identification, and fishing recreation, in partnership with volunteers from Trout Unlimited chapter #462. 

Congratulations also to Pennsylvania Envirothon Inc. for receiving $55,173.

Click here to read about all the funded projects:

Extension to Host ‘Keystones of Ag Best Management Practices’ in June 

Penn State Extension will offer a workshop in June to help conservation professionals explore conservation best management practices and strategies with experts.

Penn State Extension’s Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training will hold the “Keystones of Ag Best Management Practices” June 3-4 at the Hilton Garden Inn State College

1221 E. College Ave., State College.

This course is intended for conservation district staff working with the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) or other agricultural conservation programs, agricultural conservation professionals in the public, private, and nonprofit organization sectors, or anyone interested in learning more about agricultural conservation best management practices.

Organizers note that space is limited, so preregistration is required. Participants can pre-register by May 31 for a $60 fee.

The Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training at Penn State Extension is funded through the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program and similar funding programs administered by the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission.

More information about the workshop is available on the Penn State Extension website at https://extension.psu.edu/keystones-of-ag-best-management-practices.

Photo caption: Photo by Jenn Fetter.