By Jen Moore, Environmental Educator, Chapman State Park; Liz Dropp, Chair, Conewango Creek Watershed Association

Chapman State Park hosted a combined field experience with the Northwestern and PA Wilds groups of the Penn State Extension's new Master Watershed Stewards Program on September 18, 2021.

Jenn Moore, Environmental Educator with Chapman State Park hosted the group of Master Watershed Stewards along with Amber Stilwell and Travis Wingard, the program's county coordinators. 

Insects, especially aquatic insects, were taught by the Bureau of Forestry's Entomologist Tim Toman. The volunteers went to Penny Run and collected aquatic insects to learn about the diversity and identification.

Kylie Maland, from Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, was on hand for assistance as well. Amber Stilwell brought native live turtles with her and talked about their habitats and biology.

Jenn worked with the group to run water quality tests on Penny Run to introduce sampling protocol and what the tests mean for water quality. 

Nature Journaling was covered by Travis Wingard, Coordinator for the PA Wilds group of stewards.  Lastly Jenn Moore led the group on a kayak tour on the West Branch of Tionesta Creek.

This is the first group of volunteer trainees of the Northwestern and PA Wilds groups of the Master Watershed Stewards program.  There were 12 participants in all. 

The Master Watershed Stewards is a volunteer training program coordinated by Penn State Extension modeled after the highly successful Master Gardener Program.

Volunteers receive thorough instruction in a wide variety of water-related topics through a training program.

After training is complete, they will then provide volunteer services to their communities such as giving public talks, manning educational displays, planting stream buffers, stabilizing stream banks, water quality monitoring, and serving with local watershed groups.

Volunteers can focus their volunteer hours on activities that interest them most. Another training session for new volunteers is planned for next spring.

For more information on Watershed Stewards near you, visit the Master Watershed Steward Program webpage.

You can also contact the Northwestern MWS Coordinator Amber Stilwell by sending email to ars26@psu.edu or calling 814-898-7086 and PA Wilds MWS Coordinator Travis Wingard by sending email to: tww5160@psu.edu  or calling 814-486-3350.

To contact program partners: Elizabeth Dropp from Conewango Creek Watershed Association, a sponsor of the program, by sending email to: info@conewangocreek.org  or calling 814-726-1441. Jenn Moore can be reached by sending email to:  jennmoore@pa.gov  or calling 814-723-0259.

Please visit Chapman State Park’s website or Chapman State Park Facebook page.

(Reprinted from the latest Penn State Extension Watershed Winds newsletter.  Click Here to sign up for your own copy.

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[Posted: October 19, 2021]

10/25/2021