The latest Watershed Winds newsletter from Penn State Extension highlights lots of upcoming learning opportunities.

Managing Natural Resources On Farms

Penn State Extension will be offering free webinars on Mondays at noon to highlight climate-smart agriculture, stream restoration, and pond management on farms--

-- February 26: Climate Smart Ag Mitigation and Spotlight on Conservation Practices This presentation will review the USDA's mitigation categories and common agricultural conservation practices that are classified as climate-smart in Pennsylvania as well as explore financial assistance programs

-- March 4: Monitoring Soil Moisture: A Climate Smart Ag Practice This presentation will look at some advancements in soil moisture monitoring and how making good management decisions can be a climate-smart practice.

-- March 11: Streambank Stabilization and Stream Crossings on Farms This webinar will discuss different practices for stabilizing eroding streambanks on various land uses such as cropland, pasture, and forest. Additionally, it will cover the available resources for financial or technical assistance associated with planning, permitting, and constructing these practices.

-- March 19: Five Steps for a Healthier Farm Pond Farm ponds can be used for a variety of reasons, from livestock drinking water to irrigation to fishing or just as a beautiful landscape feature. There are many challenges that can arise when managing a pond; this webinar will discuss five steps you can take as an earthen pond owner to help manage and minimize these challenges.

Click Here for more on this series and to register.

Nutrient Retention On Pasture Lands

Managing pastures for nutrient and soil retention is in the best interest of producers and the environment. Spring is a great time to evaluate your management techniques; you can learn a lot at this time of year when things look their worst.

Click Here learn more.

Tree Shelter Maintenance

Newly planted trees in buffer areas may need some assistance after rough weather events. Storms with high winds, changing temperatures, rain, snow, and ice can all cause property damage.

These weather elements can also create problems for young tree plantings along streams as a riparian buffer or upland as a reforestation project.

Trees and the tree shelters they are planted in are susceptible to getting knocked over for various reasons: weather being primary.

Click Here for more.

Recognition Of Art Gover

Penn State Extension educator Art Gover has 36 years of experience at Penn State as a researcher and educator in weed and vegetation management. Gover specializes in handling invasive species in natural settings.

Now retired, he continues to share his expertise as a volunteer with the Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward program.

Recently Gover earned the 2023 Natural Resource Education Champion Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals.

Click Here to learn more.

Become A Master Watershed Steward

Penn State Extension Master Watershed Stewards is a volunteer training program to expand upon your water and natural resources knowledge with Penn State's research-based information so that you will broaden our conservation outreach into the community.

Click Here to learn more about how to volunteer.

Other Education Opportunities

-- February 27: Backyard Stream Repair Series

-- February 28: Municipal Stormwater Management In PA

-- March 4: Monitoring Soil Moisture - A Climate-Smart Ag Practice

-- March 11: Streambank Stabilization & Stream Crossings On Farms

-- March 18: Five Steps For A Healthier Farm Ponds

-- April 9: PA Forest Seminar - Introduction To Working Buffers You Can Eat! Multiple times

-- Other Online Water Resources Courses

Click Here to read the entire newsletter.  Click Here to sign up for your own copy (bottom of page).

Visit the Penn State Extension webpage to learn about a wide variety of educational opportunities.

Related Articles - Watersheds:

-- Interfaith Partners For Chesapeake Faith & Waters Restoration Summit Attracts Nearly 200, Executive Director Jodi Rose Leaving For New Position  [PaEN]

-- PA Environmental Council, Aqua Pennsylvania Now Accepting Applications For New Protect Your Drinking Water Grant Program In Chester, Delaware Counties  [PaEN] 

-- The Reporter: State, Montgomery County Designate $1 Million To Launch Perkiomen Watershed Initiative To Identify Areas Of Flood Risk

-- EPA Announces $200 Million+ For PA Drinking Water, Wastewater, Stormwater Infrastructure Upgrades  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Watershed Winds: Webinars On Managing Natural Resources On Farms; Nutrient Retention On Pasture Lands; Art Gover Recognized; Other Educational Opportunities  [PaEN]

[Posted: February 21, 2024]

2/26/2024