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.

Community Trees Update Education Program on Woodland Management

Featured Training Course – Stream Restoration – 6 part Course

The United States has more than 3.5 million miles of rivers and streams that, along with closely associated floodplain and upland areas, comprise corridors of great economic, social, cultural, and environmental value. These corridors are complex ecosystems that include the land, plants, animals, and network of streams within them. They perform a number of ecological functions such as modulating streamflow, storing water, removing harmful materials from water, and providing habitat for aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals. Stream corridors also have vegetation and soil characteristics distinctly different from surrounding uplands and support higher levels of species diversity, species densities, and rates of biological productivity than most other landscape elements.

Many miles of rivers and streams have been seriously impacted by human activity. Restoring these steams to a more natural condition is a rapidly expanding field involving a multi-disciplinary approach. This 2-hour online course is the first in a series of courses that defines the issues and provides technical guidance in a wide variety of principles involved in steam restoration. This course covers an introduction to stream restoration and an overview of stream corridors, including physical structure and time at multiple scales, a lateral view across the stream corridor and a longitudinal view across the stream corridor. It is not necessary to complete all of these courses or complete them in order, but the order of the courses provides a logical progression through the subject matter.

  1. Webinar: More Than Good Looks: How trees influence urban stormwater management in green infrastructure practices

USDA Forest Service Urban Forest Connections Webinar Series

Wednesday, May 8, 2019, 1 PM – 2:15 PM (Eastern Time)

 

While green stormwater infrastructure increases in popularity, we are still learning about the role of trees in these innovative practices. In this webinar, Andrew Tirpak will discuss recent research results from studies designed to characterize the health of trees in bioretention practices and the benefits they provide to urban stormwater management. Lyn Rutherford will share observations from managing bioretention and detention ponds, noting how design, installation, and maintenance practices affect tree health and water quality function. This information can help stormwater engineers, urban foresters, and landscape professionals be successful in integrating trees into stormwater management efforts.

Presented by:

Andrew Tirpak, University of Tennessee

Lyn Rutherford, City of Chattanooga, TN

 

Cost:  Free

CEUs: 1.0 CEU with the International Society of Arboriculture

Where: Go to https://www.fs.fed.us/research/urban-webinars/connect.php

For more information: http://www.fs.fed.us/research/urban-webinars or contact the Urban Forest Technology & Science Delivery Team at urban@fs.fed.us with questions, feedback, requests for special accommodations, speaker suggestions, or to be added to the mailing list.

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  1. Tree Tenders Training

Join thousands of other concerned citizens like yourself. Become a Tree Tender and help increase tree canopy cover in your community. Tree Tenders® is a training program that empowers concerned residents to make dramatic strides towards restoring and caring for the tree canopy in their communities. The course is designed for lay people and experts alike. Become one of the Tree Tenders restoring and tending your part of the forest. Instruction is provided by DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry, in partnership with Penn State Extension, PHS, and other local urban forestry experts.

Tree Tenders training includes:

-Tree Biology

-Urban Stresses on Trees

-Tree Identification

-Tree Pruning and Root Care

-Tree Planting Techniques

-Community Organizing

 

Warwick Township, PA

May 16, 23, and 30, 2019

Offered by Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

6:00 PM – 9:15 PM

Register online at https://phsonline.org/programs/tree-tenders

For more information, call 215-988-1698

 

Pittsburgh, PA

May 29, June 5, and 12, 2019

Offered by Tree Pittsburgh

5:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Register online at https://www.treepittsburgh.org/ways-to-give/volunteer/

For more information, contact Joe@treepittsburgh.org or call 412-781-8733.

  1. Spotted Lanternfly Public Meetings

Offered by Penn State Extension

 

Spotted lanternfly is an invasive insect that has spread throughout southeastern Pennsylvania and surrounding states. SLF presents a significant threat to Pennsylvania agriculture, including the grape, tree-fruit, hardwood and nursery industries, which collectively are worth nearly $18 billion to the state’s economy. The public can do a great deal to stop the spread of this invasive insect. Learn more at a public meeting near you.

Cost: Free

Register online: https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly-public-meetings

 

Upcoming meetings:

Uniontown, PA – May 17, 2019

Danville, PA – June 8, 2019

Exton, PA – June 13, 2019

Berwick, PA – July 16, 2019

Bloomsburg, PA – August 15, 2019

 

 

  1. Webinar: Thinking Beyond the Backyard: Diversity in Urban Tree Plantings across the Northeastern USA

Penn State Extension Community Forestry Management Monthly Webinar Series

Tuesday, May 21, 2019, 12 PM – 1 PM (Eastern Time)

 

Tree planting efforts have increased in cities across the United States in recent years. However, information on these plantings remains siloed by cities making it challenging to identify national trends or make city-by-city comparisons.

Danica Doroski, Doctoral Candidate with Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies presents this study that consolidates and synthesizes data from municipalities and non-profit organizations across the Northeastern United States. Ms. Doroski’s work illuminates patterns in species composition that can inform future plantings and improve tree-planting programs on the local level.

 

Registration and connection details: Register at

https://psu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nyDMKDAQQdSkj4LZZw-fhg

Use the link above to register for the webinar early, or at the time of the webinar. If you register prior to the webinar, you will receive an email with a link to access the webinar. If you register at the time of the webinar, you will be connected directly to the webinar following registration. We recommend registering and accessing the webinar room 15 minutes prior to the webinar start time to ensure you are able to connect.

Cost:  Free

Continuing Education Credits: One Continuing Education Credit for Landscape Architects; SAF Certified Foresters (CFEs); and PLNA Certified Horticulturalist (PCH) will be offered to attendees. One CEU for ISA Certified Arborists will be awarded with 80% or higher score on webinar quiz. Certificates of attendance will be provided after the program.

 

For more information contact Scott Sjolander at 814-350-7749 or sas305@psu.edu

  1. Tree Climbing School

Offered by Penn State Extension

 

The Penn State Extension Tree Climbing School is an intensive 3-day class designed to teach the fundamentals of safe tree climbing and maintenance. Major emphasis will be placed on learning the skills required to climb and prune trees. The school will include classroom and fieldwork covering safety/safe climbing practices, equipment/use of hand tools, tree terminology, tree disease and insect diagnosis, culture and pruning, tree removal, and climbing knots. Check out this video to learn more and see the tree climbing school in action.

 

Students completing this school will not be accomplished climbers; however, students will have a satisfactory basic understanding, knowledge, and the skills required in the field of tree maintenance and tree climbing. A great deal of time will be spent in trees climbing. To achieve success in this climbing course, all participants should be in good health and have a desire to work in arboriculture.

 

Allison Park , PA

May 22-24, 2019

7:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Cost: $350

Register online at: https://extension.psu.edu/tree-climbing-school

Registration deadline: May 17, 2019

For more information, contact Brian Wolyniak at bjw229@psu.edu or 412-482-3455.

 

Elizabethtown, PA

May 28-30, 2019

7:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Cost: $350

Register online at https://extension.psu.edu/tree-climbing-school

Registration deadline: May 24, 2019

For more information, contact Tim Abbey at tma13@psu.edu or 717-840-7408.

 

East Norriton, PA

June 3-5, 2019

7:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Cost: $350

Register online at https://extension.psu.edu/tree-climbing-school

Registration deadline: May 27, 2019

For more information, contact Julianne Schieffer at jxs51@psu.edu or 610-489-4315.

 

  1. Webinar: Cultivating Innovation – Documenting 15 years of TREE Fund Research Impact

TREE Fund Webinar Series, in partnership with Alabama Cooperative Extension

May 29, 2019, 1 PM – 2 PM Eastern Time

 

TREE Fund contracted Drs. Andrew Koeser and Richard Hauer to conduct a comprehensive, 15-year assessment of the discoveries, impacts, and returns on investment associated with its past research grant awards. Drs. Koeser and Hauer share some of the highlights of this work – from facts and figures to personal accounts by industry leaders on how TREE Fund has impacted their professional lives in their May webinar. You may be surprised at what commonly accepted practices trace their origins to TREE Fund research projects!

Presented by:

Dr. Andrew Koeser, University of Florida

Dr. Richard Hauer, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point

 

Registration and connection details: Register at https://auburn.zoom.us/webinar/register/f688bc627a39ed2c4ac87b605f06faf5

Cost:  Free

Continuing Education Credits: One Continuing Education Credit for SAF Certified Foresters (CFEs), ISA Certified Arborists, and NALP.

 

  1. Woody Plant Conference

Friday, July 19, 2019, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA

 

Mark your calendars for the 22st annual Woody Plant Conference at Swarthmore College. This popular day-long conference focuses on great woody plants for the Mid-Atlantic states and how to use them in the landscape. The conference is geared to landscape professionals and avid amateur gardeners.

 

Featured speakers include:

David Rubin, Principal, DAVID RUBIN Land Collective, will discuss collaborative, human-centered landscapes that create positive change. He will focus on landscape architecture and urban design that emphasize socially-purposeful design strategies.

Nina Bassuk, from Cornell University’s Urban Horticulture Institute will highlight superior hybrid oak selections for introduction into the nursery trade.  These oaks can improve biodiversity and resiliency in the urban forest.

Ed Bowen, from Issima Nursery in Little Compton, Rhode Island will speak on latest developments in hydrangea breeding. The beautiful flowers of hydrangeas and their long bloom time, from early spring into fall, make them so popular. Ed focuses on hardiness in his hydrangea breeding.

Bernd Blossey, Associate Professor at Cornell University will discuss his research on invasive plants and how they threaten native species and the integrity of ecosystems.

 

Continuing education units (CEUs) for landscape architects and International Society of Arboriculture

certified arborists will be available.

Register online:  http://www.woodyplantconference.org/

 

The conference is co-sponsored by  Chanticleer, Longwood Gardens, Morris Arboretum, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College, and Tyler Arboretum.

 

 

  1. Managing Invasive Plants

Offered by Penn State Extension

July 24, 2019, 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM

Allentown, PA

 

Managing Invasive Plants will provide participants with the knowledge and skills to properly identify invasive plants and develop strategies for treatment and control.

 

Invasive weeds and pests are a major threat to our natural and cultivated landscapes, spreading quickly and displacing or killing native plants. Invasive species (plants, insects, and animals) are costing the United States more than $138 billion each year, due to their economic impact on agriculture, forestry, fisheries, waterways, wildlife, and ornamental landscapes. Ecologists now rank invasion by exotic plants, animals and pathogens second only to habitat loss as a major threat to local biodiversity.

 

A portion of the day will be spent in the field looking at invasive plants, the results of management, and a calibration demonstration.

 

Register online at: https://extension.psu.edu/managing-invasive-plants

Cost: $75

Registration deadline: July 17, 2019

For more information, contact Julianne Schieffer at jxs51@psu.edu or 610-489-4315.

Training

Sustainable Design

Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority Launches Regional Stormwater Management Project – Senator John Yudichak

Announcement: Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority Launches Regional Stormwater Management Project

“On the banks of the Susquehanna River, the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority (“WVSA”) recently launched an innovative regional stormwater management project that could be a springboard for other cooperative efforts between the region’s municipalities. Senator John T. Yudichak, Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”) Secretary Patrick McDonnell, and representatives from more than 30 municipalities from Luzerne County announced the joint venture on the River Commons in Wilkes-Barre.

Under the plan, the WVSA will coordinate and implement a regional and comprehensive stormwater management program that will reduce pollution of the Susquehanna River and help Pennsylvania meet its obligations under the Chesapeake Bay Agreement. Under existing federal law, municipalities in Northeastern Pennsylvania must curb pollution of the Susquehanna River by as much as 10% in the next five years or each community could be penalized for failure to comply with federal law. The Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) regulations are intended to keep harmful contaminants out of the river and minimize each community’s environmental impact upon the river and downstream communities. As the EPA targeted reductions are met, the Susquehanna River will become cleaner thereby making it safer for wildlife as well as for fisherman, kayakers, and other sportsmen to enjoy.

The WVSA will assume the lead–on behalf of member municipalities–to finance capital projects, submit all stormwater management plans and permit applications, and implement pollution control measures throughout its service area that will reduce stormwater pollution to meet the EPA’s benchmarks. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, will be assisting with stormwater mapping as part of the program.

“The WVSA is well-prepared to meet this challenge and we are eager to advance this project after months of planning,” said Jim Tomaine, Executive Director of the WVSA. “Over the next five years, we will reduce pollutants contaminating the Susquehanna River, which will improve water-quality.” By working together, the WVSA estimates that the region will save $57 million over five years and $274 million over the next two decades, in present-value dollars. Individual households will pay a nominal fee—anywhere between $3 and $4.50 monthly—to the WVSA to finance the regional effort. The WVSA estimates that households will pay between 70% and 90% less than if their municipality pursued EPA compliance on its own. “We all have a responsibility to clean up the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay because no single municipality could meet this obligation alone,” said Senator Yudichak. “The regional stormwater project—designed to improve water quality and wildlife habitats throughout the watershed—represents the most comprehensive environmental project in northeast Pennsylvania in the last forty years.”

Learn More about Senator Yudichak (14th Senate District)

Stormwater Management for Homeowners