Interested in becoming a Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward?  Extension is holding information sessions for interested volunteers across Pennsylvania starting in December.

Do you have a deep love of water, wildlife, and woods? Do you enjoy learning about the environment and being outdoors? Is it important to you that we preserve our waterways and natural areas for future generations?

Take action! Join the Master Watershed Steward Program!

The Master Watershed Steward program educates and empowers volunteers to do watershed projects and education in their communities.

Master Watershed Stewards--

-- Teach adults and children about water quality, wildlife habitats, and the environment

-- Develop educational materials

-- Organize and conduct educational events, stream clean-ups, and invasive plant removal projects

-- Design and maintain demonstration gardens

-- Conduct stream monitoring projects and research

-- Research and write newsletters and online articles

-- Partner with municipal officials on projects, such as bioswales, rain gardens, native meadows, and other green stormwater management solutions

Counties Covered… So Far

Master Watershed Steward groups can be found in Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Berks, Bradford, Bucks, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Chester, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Forest, Franklin, Indiana, Jefferson, Lancaster, Lackawanna, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, Potter, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Tioga, Warren, Westmoreland, Wyoming and York counties.

Click Here for information on these groups, but groups are forming all the time.  

Contact your County Penn State Extension Office or Erin Frederick, Statewide Master Watershed Steward Coordinator, for information on counties not listed-- elf145@psu.edu or 610-391-9840.

Information Sessions

Information sessions on becoming a Master Watershed Steward are being held for these areas--

-- Adams, Cumberland & Franklin Counties: Online - January 11 (6:30 p.m.).  Click Here to register.

-- Armstrong, Indiana & Westmoreland Counties: Online - January 12 (7:00 p.m.) Click Here to register.

-- PA Wilds: Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, and Tioga counties: Online -  December 8 (7:00 p.m.) and 16 (1:00 p.m.) and January 17 (7:00 p.m.).  Click Here to register.

-- Carbon, Monroe & Pike Counties: Online - January 11 (6:00 p.m.), January 18 (6:00 p.m.).  Click Here to register.

-- Dauphin, Lancaster & Lebanon Counties: Online - January 12 (6:30 p.m.), January 26 (6:30 p.m.).  Click Here to register.

-- Lehigh & Northampton Counties: In-Person - December 6 (Allentown, 7:00 p.m.), December 8 (Nazareth, 7:00 p.m.).  Click Here to register.

-- Luzerne & Lackawanna Counties: Online - December 12 (7:00 p.m.)  Click Here to register.

-- York County: Online - December 13 (7:00 p.m.), January 10 (7:00 p.m.)  Click Here to register.

Training & Volunteer Service

Training and volunteer service are coordinated at the county level by Penn State 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.

Visit the Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward Program webpage for more information.  Questions should be directed to Erin Frederick, Statewide Master Watershed Steward Coordinator, elf145@psu.edu or 610-391-9840.

Related Articles:

-- Efforts By Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward Program Play Role In 2 Governor's Awards For Street 2 Creek, Watershed Friendly Certification

-- Award-Winning Master Watershed Steward Projects From 2021

-- Spotlight On A Busy Master Watershed Steward - Tom Price, Bucks County

-- Penn State Master Watershed Steward Program – A Look Back On 2021’s Accomplishments

-- Penn State Master Watershed Steward Volunteers Lead Stream Assessment In Allegheny County

-- Penn State Master Watershed Stewards Install Downspout Planters, Naturalize Stormwater Basins, Plant Live Stake Nursery With KPB, The GIANT Company Healing The Planet Grant

-- Master Watershed Stewards: A Reawakening - Spring Ephemeral Wildflowers Near Streams

[Posted: November 13, 2022]

11/14/2022