Presentation proposals and student posters are now being accepted for the 2024 Keystone Coldwater Conference to be held on February 23-24 at the Ramada Conference Center in State College, PA.  The deadline for submissions is December 15.

The conference theme is “Shared Priorities: Ensuring Cold, Clean Water for All through Community and Collaboration.”

A primary objective of the conference is to promote collaboration and an exchange of ideas among diverse groups with shared interests in cold-water fisheries and watershed conservation.

Conference Topics

Across Pennsylvania, many different organizations and agencies are working to protect and enhance cold-water ecosystems, but often we work in our own bubbles and may not be aware of what others are doing.

By coming together to discuss our shared priorities, we can develop strategies to promote collaboration, create synergy, and enhance conservation outcomes.

We also believe that community engagement is key to protecting and enhancing cold-water resources.

By increasing public knowledge and understanding of the issues facing our cold-water ecosystems and efforts to protect and conserve them, we hope to foster greater stewardship of these important natural resources.

Proposals are welcome on topics related to today’s challenges to conservation, protection, restoration, and stewardship of cold-water resources and to share examples of success in meeting these challenges.

We welcome presentations that address issues such as emerging contaminants like microplastics and "forever chemicals," the effects of climate change on cold-water ecosystems, impacts of new and proposed policy changes, threats associated with exotic and invasive species, water quality and habitat impacts associated with development, as well as projects directed at conserving and restoring aquatic species and their habitats, especially native and wild trout.

We are also interested in proposals about creative outreach, education, and engagement efforts that can be utilized to promote community support for and stewardship of our shared cold-water resources.

Student Poster Contest

Undergraduate and graduate students from Pennsylvania colleges and universities are also invited to share their cold-water related research and participate in our student poster contest.

Posters will be judged by a panel of conservation professionals during the student poster session on Friday evening, February 23, 2024.

Monetary prizes will be awarded to the top undergraduate and graduate student posters during the conference the following day.

We want to hear about:

-- Current research & scientific findings

-- Successful on-the-ground projects

-- Effective monitoring efforts

-- Community stewardship successes

-- Outreach and advocacy efforts and outcomes

-- Unique approaches to watershed/conservation education

-- Innovative funding sources and partnerships

-- Measuring and building upon successes

Click Here to submit proposals.  Questions should be directed to Rachel Kester at c-rkester@pa.gov.

For more information on the conference, visit the 2024 Keystone Coldwater Conference website.

[Posted: November 13, 2023]

11/20/2023