• About
  • Get Here
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Community & Business
  • Stewardship
PA Wilds Logo
  • Explore
    Landscapes

    Landscapes

    Landscapes are thematic regions of the Pennsylvania Wilds, each with their own character and unique, place-specific experiences.

    Learn more

    Elk Country

    Allegheny National Forest and Surrounds

    Cook Forest and the Ancients

    I-80 Frontier

    Dark Skies

    Pine Creek Valley and The PA Grand Canyon

  • Take a
    Journey

    Journeys

    Our Journeys are the many roads & byways & trails & waterways that connect our landscapes and inspire your exploration.

    Learn more

    Scenic Route 6

    National Wild and Scenic Rivers

    Kinzua Experience

    North Country National Scenic Trail

    Bucktail Scenic Byway

    Elk Scenic Drive

    West Branch Susquehanna

    Pine Creek Rail Trail

  • Find
    Activities
  • Attend an
    Event
  • Made in the
    PA Wilds
PA Wilds Logo

☰

  • Explore Landscapes

    • Elk Country
    • Allegheny National Forest and Surrounds
    • Cook Forest and the Ancients
    • I-80 Frontier
    • Dark Skies
    • Pine Creek Valley and The PA Grand Canyon
  • Take a Journey

    • Scenic Route 6
    • National Wild and Scenic Rivers
    • Kinzua Experience
    • North Country National Scenic Trail
    • Bucktail Scenic Byway
    • Elk Scenic Drive
    • West Branch Susquehanna
    • Pine Creek Rail Trail
  • Find Activities
  • Attend an Event
  • Made in the PA Wilds
  • About
  • Get Here
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Community & Business
  • Stewardship

Due to the risks associated with COVID-19, please use appropriate precautions when traveling and refer to CDC recommendations when visiting the Pennsylvania Wilds.

Environmental education programs inspire stewardship in the PA Wilds

  • by Guest Contributor
  • November 30, 2020
  • Share:
Head Back

By Karen Elias

As our planet continues to heat due to climate change, we are becoming more aware of water as both a precious life-sustaining resource and a potential challenge.  Here in Pennsylvania, several counties were recently experiencing severe drought.  But as temperatures continue to rise across the Commonwealth, every county is expected to become warmer and wetter, factors that — according to a recent report from the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)  — will create potential problems.  Increased rainfall brings greater chances of flooding and forces pollution runoff into our streams and rivers.  It also disrupts planting schedules and puts added stress on our energy, transportation and water infrastructures, many of which are located in areas susceptible to flooding and landslides.

The DEP is hoping to head off these problems before they become emergencies by creating “environmental stewards among Pennsylvanians of all ages and backgrounds,” according to DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell.  The first step in creating resilience is greater awareness, and to this end the DEP is encouraging efforts to develop new, or expand current, environmental programming through its Environmental Education Grants Program.

The program was established by the Environmental Education Act of 1993, which mandates that 5% of the pollution penalties that DEP collects every year be set aside for promotion of environmental education in Pennsylvania.  To date, the DEP has awarded $12 million in grants to support these efforts throughout the state.  The funds are used to support projects that include creative, hands-on lessons for students, materials for teacher training programs, and resources for outdoor learning.

This year the DEP awarded $434,168 in grant money to 55 innovative environmental education projects.  Among those receiving awards were two counties, Potter and Clinton, in the PA Wilds.

The Clinton County Conservation District (CCCD) received its award for one of the many educational programs they sponsor each year.  Toby Boyer, the Watershed Specialist and Education Coordinator for the CCCD who wrote the winning grant, described the project. 

“We usually work with Lock Haven University,” he said, “to give their pre-service teachers a chance to obtain Project WET certification two times per year. Project WET is a curriculum that teaches science and water education. This curriculum includes all types of information regarding how we use water, drinking water, water ecology, the chemical makeup of water, and much more. It’s an excellent all-around tool for a student who’s on track to become an educator.”

Students participate in a Project WET Workshop in 2019 at the Clinton County Conservation District. Photo provided.

The CCCD offers these pre-service trainings in the WET curriculum twice a year, during the fall and spring semesters, typically using a hands-on format that allows prospective teachers to practice ways of incorporating lessons on water into their classes at various skill levels and for a variety of subject disciplines.   The training will take place this semester as a Zoom conference due to COVID-19  restrictions.  This year’s grant money will be used to defray the costs of the WET resource manuals, as well as purchase materials like knee boots and water quality test kits to help the CCCD provide better hands-on education to students in the county.

An Environmental Education Grant was also awarded to the Potter County Conservation District in support of several free workshops held this fall to educate the public about a variety of environmental issues.  Each workshop was held outdoors at Mitchell Park in Coudersport; masks and social distancing requirements were followed, and the workshops used a combination of lecture and hands-on activities to stimulate learning.    

The funding supported workshops on pollinator health, water conservation, and tree planting, and each event allowed participants to complete a hands-on project to take home.  At one, they constructed solitary bee nesting boxes; at another, they made rain barrels; and at a third, they were each given between 10 and 15 Norway Spruce trees to plant.  Each workshop touched on water issues, including conservation, pollution prevention, availability, and stormwater management.  At the tree planting workshop, participants learned about the value of planting trees in riparian areas — the zones between land and rivers or streams — to slow the flow of surface water so that it can more easily be absorbed, and to filter sediment to prevent it from being carried off downstream, thereby preserving water quality.

Emily Shosh, Communications and Outreach Advisor for the Potter County Conservation District and writer of the winning grant, said of Potter County’s programs, “Our programs are all aimed to provide simple backyard conservation tools with the goal of increasing environmental self-efficacy (motivation and confidence in one’s self to make positive changes for the environment) of the public we serve.”

(At right, Emily Shosh is pictured during an environmental education program on monarch butterflies.)

These projects attest to the dedication of Pennsylvania’s environmental educators who are developing innovative ways to help us care more thoughtfully for the world around us.  

“Through the DEP Environmental Education Grants,” according to Governor Wolf, “Pennsylvanians of all ages gain knowledge of the natural world, appreciation for the importance of a healthy environment, and an understanding of the need for environmental protection and sound resource management.”  

The 2021 Environmental Education Grants program application period opened on September 11, 2020.  Groups eligible to apply for funding include school districts, private schools, colleges and universities, intermediate units, environmental education centers, nonprofit conservation and education organizations, and business and county conservation districts.  The deadline is December 11, 2020.  You are encouraged to apply. Refer to the DEP website for further information.

About the Author

Karen Elias, retired after 40 years of teaching college English, is now working as a freelance writer and environmental advocate in Lock Haven.  She recently completed training to become a Climate Reality leader and is using her writing to increase both awareness of our precious natural resources and support for environmental sustainability. As a regular contributor who shares Stories of Personal Experience And Knowledge to the PA Wilds Are Calling blog, Karen is a member of WildSPEAK, the PA Wilds Civilian Storyteller Corps. 

Related Articles

Cavity Nesters: Making Homes in Decaying Wood


Read More

How you can support streamside buffer plantings via new Keystone Tree Fund


Read More

In search of the wild leek: The first green of spring in the PA Wilds


Read More

More From Our Blog

Author: Guest Contributor
The Pennsylvania Wilds is home to more than 2 million acres of public land, 50 state game lands, 29 state parks, 8 state forests, 2 National Wild & Scenic Rivers, abundant wildlife, hundreds of miles of land and water trails, some of the darkest skies in the country, and the largest elk herd in the northeast. The PA Wilds team is grateful to share the many stories of this region through the words and images of our talented guest contributors.

Back to the blog

Comments:

Explore Landscapes & Journeys

  • Elk Country
  • Allegheny National Forest and Surrounds
  • Cook Forest and the Ancients
  • I-80 Frontier
  • Dark Skies
  • Pine Creek Valley and The PA Grand Canyon
  • Scenic Route 6
  • National Wild and Scenic Rivers
  • Kinzua Experience
  • North Country National Scenic Trail
  • Bucktail Scenic Byway
  • Elk Scenic Drive
  • West Branch Susquehanna
  • Pine Creek Rail Trail

Connect & Learn

  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Our mission
  • Submit your stories
  • Privacy Policy

Newsletter sign up

Facebook

facebook

Instagram

Instagram

YouTube

youtube

Twitter

twitter

Copyright 2021 The Pennsylvania Wilds

Site by Pixel & Hammer

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Fill out this form and tell us a little about yourself so we can provide you with upcoming events and news that are hand-picked for your interests!

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required