Master Watershed Steward Program and Training in Watershed Management
The Keystone Clean Water Team has been involved in watershed training and citizen based science programs since the foundation of the organization. We have conducted rain barrel workshops, training sessions on low impact development and rural/urban landowner stormwater management, citizen science and stream and lake monitoring programs, education on conservation of water, resources, and energy, private well owner outreach, groundwater/watershed education, and stream and watershed assessments.
In June and July of 2019, we were asked by the Penn State Master Watershed Steward Program to conduct 2 training sessions for their education efforts.
Program 1: “Earth- Was Not Always a Big Blue Ball”
Program 2: “Pennsylvania – Balancing Natural Gas/Development/ Groundwater and the Environment ”
If you are looking for other resources on these topics, please consider the following:
Educational Booklet on Drinking Water In Pennsylvania
Know Your H20 Store – Neighborhood Hazard Reports (Nationwide) and Water Testing Services
Interesting Reading: The Poisoned City: Flint’s Water
Training Courses
Natural Gas and Fracking – Environmental Consequences
Stream Restoration (Course 1 of 6)
Stream Monitoring Program – Use our Surface Water Quality Index Calculator (give your stream or surface water a Grade)
You can find information on the Penn State Master Watershed Steward program was established to educate and empower volunteers to protect environmental resources. Training and volunteer service are coordinated at the county level by extension staff, partners, or trained volunteers. Generally 15-20 people are selected for the program each year. Those accepted to the program attend training classes that focus on a broad range of water resource topics, including groundwater, stream ecology, wetlands, invasive plants, water recreation and stormwater management. There is a one-time registration cost to those accepted into the program. This is to cover the cost of the manual, name tag, and cost of the meeting facilities. Master Watershed Stewards work with the community to improve the health of our streams, rivers and other natural resources.
Example projects
- Organizing educational events such as rain barrel building workshops and seminars on backyard stormwater management.
- Participating in stream restoration projects.
- Sampling water quality and stream assessments.
- Coordinating and conducting stream clean-ups.
- Working with municipal officials on stormwater.
- Planning and carrying out habitat improvement projects.
- Teaching adults and children about the environment.
On Climate, I do recommend:
The Politically Incorrect Guide to Climate Change (The Politically Incorrect Guides)
Global Warming-Alarmists, Skeptics and Deniers: A Geoscientist Looks at the Science of Climate Change Paperback – Illustrated, January 20, 2012.
The New Year Has Started, and We Need to Change How We Address Water Issues.
Geologists uncover Antarctica’s fossil forests
“Prehistoric polar forests were built for survival, but were not hardy enough to live in ultra-high concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide. A geologist is studying the tree fossil record in Antarctica from a mass extinction 250 million years ago, looking for clues to how greenhouse gases affected plants — then and now.”
By the trip’s end, the geologists had found fossil fragments of 13 trees. The discovered fossils reveal that the trees are over 260 million years old, meaning that this forest grew at the end of the Permian Period, before the first dinosaurs.
“People have known about the fossils in Antarctica since the 1910-12 Robert Falcon Scott expedition,” said Gulbranson, a paleoecologist and visiting assistant professor in UWM’s Department of Geosciences. “However, most of Antarctica is still unexplored. Sometimes, you might be the first person to ever climb a particular mountain.”
Learn More – University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee- Erik Gulbranson,
Featured Course – Restoring Urban Ecosystems
“The geologic record shows us the beginning, middle and end of climate change events,” Gulbranson said. “With further study, we can better understand how greenhouse gases and climate change affect life on Earth.” (Question- Does his statement put the cart before the horse?)
Riverfest in Wilkes Barre
Great Event – No Dragon Boats Yet – but a great opportunity to get the kids educated about water and earth science. This year we had rocks and minerals with samples of lava, quartz, fools gold, uncut sapphire, amethyst, coral, pyrite on Marcellus Shale, anthracite coal, and peacock coal.
Again Nice event
http://www.pacleanwater.org