Registration Opens for PACD Virtual Committee and Executive Council Meetings |
PACD will hold virtual meetings for all six PACD committees and PACD Executive Council via Zoom this January. Committees will meet between January 8 and 21, followed by PACD Executive Council on January 28.
Registration is open to all conservation district directors, associate directors, and staff, as well as partner agency staff and invited guests. Registration for each meeting is free and required. Registrants will receive a link to the Zoom meeting and instructions to participate. A phone number will also be provided for anyone who wishes to participate via conference call.
Please email the listed contact to request a registration link:
PACD Conservation Committee Video Conference
January 8, 2021 | 10-11 a.m.
PACD Legislative Committee Video Conference
January 11, 2021 | 10-11 a.m.
PACD District Employees Committee Video Conference
January 12, 2021 | 10-11 a.m.
PACD Education and Outreach Committee Video Conference
January 14, 2021 | 10-11 a.m.
PACD Ways and Means Committee Video Conference
January 19, 2021 | 10-11 a.m.
PACD Operations Committee Video Conference
January 21, 2021 | 10-11 a.m.
PACD Executive Council Video Conference
January 28, 2021
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Meet the New PACD Staff Members! |
Meet Lauren Brodbar, the new conservation technician in the Lebanon office.
Lauren is the PACD conservation technician based out of the Lebanon office. She recently graduated from Delaware Valley University with a degree in crop science. Previously Lauren worked at an agriculture research farm as well as at the farms at the University. She has completed an independent research project on the forage Sunn Hemp, and has a passion for plants and soil.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her horse, Rudy, teaching and taking dance classes, reading, and cooking.
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Meet Diane Young, the new administrative and program assistant in the Harrisburg office.
By Diane Young
I recently moved back to the beautiful state of Pennsylvania after living out of state for several years, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to be here and to be part of the great team at PACD! While I've provided support in many different industries, I'm thrilled to embark on this adventure in a new area: Conservation!
I have two wonderful children and five beautiful grandchildren (who I don't get to see often enough!). When I'm not working or making improvements on my 96-year-old home, I love to read and spend time outdoors in God's beautiful Creation.
Photo caption: Photos provided by Lauren and Diane.
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2021 Pennsylvania Envirothon goes Virtual |
The Pennsylvania Envirothon provides thousands of students with the knowledge and tools necessary to address the natural resource challenges facing today’s world. Annually there is an in-person, hands-on, team-oriented problem-solving competition; however, in 2021, it’s virtual!
The Envirothon is a “team” competition, and the 2021 event will be held as such. Teams will compete for scholarships and prizes, just as they would at a traditional event.
We see this as an opportunity to continue the mission of the Envirothon and promote environmental literacy. This 2021 virtual competition allows Envirothon teams to utilize technology to work through the station resources and compete online. It may not be the outdoor experience that we relish, but we are committed to making the 2021 virtual Envirothon a worthwhile experience for all participants.
County conservation districts are preparing to hold in-person or virtual local competitions to qualify a team to represent their county at the State Competition. Local county events will be held throughout April.
The Pennsylvania Envirothon State Competition will look different, with the virtual station testing taking place on May 10 and 11. The top 15 teams, with the highest cumulative station testing scores, will move on to prepare a presentation, done digitally for the first time, and compete in the oral presentation component. The oral presentation segment will occur on May 24 and 25. Pennsylvania Envirothon is planning to hold a virtual “live” awards ceremony on May 27 where the top Envirothon team will be announced.
The top team will represent Pennsylvania at the NCF-Envirothon international competition hosted by Nebraska, July 25 - July 31, 2021.
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Register Now for 2021 Virtual Staff Conference |
The foundation for a successful district is built on three components: Team, Tools, and Talent.
Building for Tomorrow’s 2021 Staff Conference February 8 -12 features a look at each of these ingredients with a whole week of online programming dedicated to helping conservation district staff reconnect, learn, and share.
The theme for opening day on Monday, February 8, is Team, featuring workshops on stress management during challenging times and the connections between personal beliefs and team cohesion.
Starting Tuesday, February 9, the focus shifts to Tools, with three days of interactive forum sessions for district staff to share information on topics including local media outreach, productivity and time management apps, drones, and video and meeting technology.
Our two-part Keynote presentation on Wednesday and Thursday is on Conflict Management for Conservation Workers, presented by Rita Coleman Graham, who draws on decades of environmental experience in her work as a consultant on conflict resolution.
The conference wraps up on Friday, February 12, by highlighting the Talent that went into sharing district work and projects in 2020 with the premiere of the CDVAs, our first annual Conservation District Video Awards show.
Click here for agenda and registration for the 2021 Virtual Staff Conference February 8-12, 2021.
Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.
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Pike County Conservation District Produces Brochure & Website |
Pike County Conservation District produced a bi-fold brochure titled “A Homeowner’s Checklist for a Watershed Friendly Home.” The brochure presents information about reducing nonpoint source pollution from private property in the form of a checklist homeowners can use to evaluate their own homes. These brochures have been distributed to the Pike County municipalities and will be handed out at future district events and other locations upon post-pandemic reopening.
To distribute the information more effectively in the current climate, the checklist was also made into an interactive, illustrated webpage (which can be viewed here: https://pikeconservation.org/checklist/, allowing people to access the checklist while remaining socially distanced.
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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. |
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Potter County Conservation District Celebrates 75th Anniversary!
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On November 28, 1945, the Potter County Conservation District became the first district established in Pennsylvania.
Our roots began in the farming community, with the primary goal of helping agriculture thrive while protecting natural resources. From the late 1930s until 1945, three influential local figures spearheaded the establishment of the District – Henry Staiger, an agriculture teacher and involved community member, and Ed Fisher and Roselle Lette, both progressive farmers.
The district's initial goal was to prevent soil erosion for future farming and to conserve water quality. As Mr. Staiger explained to a then skeptical public, “would you allow a hole to remain in your pocket if you were only losing a dime at a time?” the example being that soil erosion, although often slow, is a steady loss with long term negative effects.
Click here to read the press release and view more photos.
Photo caption (L-R): Emily Shosh, Communications and Outreach Advisor, Glenn Dunn II, Resource Conservationist, Jared Dickerson, Watershed Specialist, and Andrew Mickey, DG/LVR Specialist.
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Adapting Community Programming During COVID-19 |
The next National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Urban and Community Conservation webinar is scheduled for Noon-1:00 p.m. on December 17, 2020. The webinar will feature the Thurston Conservation District (TCD) and its collaboration efforts with the nonprofit organization Bounty for Families.
The TCD has successfully adapted its programming during COVID-19. During the webinar, speakers will cover how they transitioned their outreach online using videos, live events, and strategic community connections to strengthen their partnership as they worked to develop a community garden site.
There is no cost to participate, but space is limited. Registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, click here.
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Conservation Districts in the News |
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Adams, Bedford, Centre, Cumberland, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York:
Cambria:
Elk:
Indiana:
Jefferson:
Lancaster:
Luzerne:
Other News:
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January 8, 2021 | 10-11 a.m.
PACD Conservation Committee Video Conference
January 11, 2021 | 10-11 a.m.
PACD Legislative Committee Video Conference
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Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. | 717.238.7223
5925 Stevenson Avenue, Suite A, Harrisburg, PA 17112 | www.pacd.org
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