By Kelly Jedrzejewski, Penn State News

In 2020, Bethany Canner became an inaugural member of the Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward volunteer program in the Lower Susquehanna region. However, her curiosity and interest in watershed management date back to her childhood.

“I grew up with a small stream in our yard and was always exploring the environment around it,” Canner recalled. “As an adult, our property borders the Swatara Creek, and I wanted to learn more about being a good steward of the creek and the land bordering it. The Master Watershed Steward program was a perfect way to gain that knowledge and connect to a community of like-minded people. I left the workforce to raise my children and run our farm, and the program has also allowed me to use my biology degree to help my community.”

In her time as a Master Watershed Steward, Canner has had “a hand in a little bit of everything.”

She has helped with initiatives such as creating rain barrels, hosting tree sales, planting riparian buffers, educating the public at the Pennsylvania Farm Show and working with the Penn State Extension Master Well Owner Network.

“Bethany is very knowledgeable in watershed skills and one of the most dedicated stewards we have in the Lower Susquehanna region,” said Jim Lewis, Master Watershed Steward coordinator for Dauphin, Lancaster and Lebanon Counties. “She consistently makes herself available for projects and workdays and donates her time selflessly.”

In conjunction with her work as a Master Watershed Steward, Canner is the president of the Swatara Watershed Association.

Many of her volunteer hours are devoted to association initiatives such as the Swatara Sojourn — a guided kayak trip with educational programming — and maintaining the Swatara Water Trail.

In October 2024, Canner helped plan Waterways on Wheels at Swatara State Park in Lebanon County. This event featured a 10-mile bike loop through the park along both banks of the Swatara Creek and included two education presentations.

Canner gave one of the presentations on the historical uses of the creek and the impacts those uses still are having today.

Canner is currently on the planning committee for the first Lebanon County Community Water Day, which will be held March 29 at the Mount Gretna Fire Hall in Mount Gretna Heights.

The event will include demonstrations about rain barrels and macroinvertebrates, water quality testing, and children’s activities.

“This Master Watershed Steward-sponsored event will bring together local, state and national government and nongovernment groups focused on water conservation,” she said. “It’s geared toward all members of the community.”

According to Lewis, Master Watershed Stewards contributed 44,000 volunteer hours in 2024 alone.

Volunteer labor, valued at $1.4 million, resulted in planting 29,000 trees and restoring 18 acres of habitat and eight miles of streams.

Lewis said volunteers across Pennsylvania have connected with more than 90,000 residents via 116 workshops, 266 community events and 92 school events.

More than 235 Master Watershed Stewards sit on municipal boards and participate in community watershed associations.

“There are so many ways to volunteer, and most don’t require a shovel!” Canner added. “There is always a way you can help no matter your abilities. You can be out front, or you can stay behind the scenes — and either will make an impact.”

The Penn State Master Watershed Steward program provides extensive training in watershed management to volunteers who, in return, educate the community about watershed stewardship based on university research and recommendations.

The program was established to strengthen local capacity for management and protection of watersheds, streams and rivers by educating and empowering volunteers across the Commonwealth.

Anyone interested in becoming a Master Watershed Steward can learn more at the program’s website.

Do You Want To Be A Watershed Steward?

(Photo: Bethany Canner, center, and fellow volunteers staff the program's booth at the 2025 Pennsylvania Farm Show Jan. 11..)

(Reprinted from Penn State News.)

Resource Links:

-- Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward Program - A Look Back At 2024 [PaEN] 

-- Engineering Careers In Conservation

-- Registration Open for 2025 Ag Water Webinar Series

-- Penn State Extension Offers Free Resources To Military Community

-- Winterkill In Ponds

-- Increased Prevalence Of Extreme Rainfall Events In Northeast US

Upcoming Extension Events

January 28--  Penn State Extension Conservation Cornerstone Webinar On Climate-Smart Ag Project (CARAT).  830 to 9:30.

January 29-- Penn State Extension Woods In Your Backyard Series (Part 3 of 9) - Trees and Shrubs For Different Sites And Objectives. 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

January 29-- Penn State Extension Webinar On Ice Melter Impacts And Reduction Strategy .  Noon to 1:00 p.m.

February 5-- Penn State Extension Woods In Your Backyard Series (Part 4 of 9) - Forest Ecology and Woodlot Management Techniques. 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

February 10-- Penn State Extension Hosts Webinar On Nitrogen - Crop Nutrient And Water Pollutant. Noon to 1:00 p.m.

February 11--  Penn State Extension (6 of 10) Pennsylvania Forests Webinar Seminar Series - Tree Communication.  Noon and 7:00 p.m.

February 12-- Penn State Extension Woods In Your Backyard Series (Part 5 of 9) - Providing and Enhancing Wildlife Habitat. 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

February 14-- DCNR, Penn State Extension Meaningful Watershed Education Workshop At Greenwood Furnace State Park, Huntingdon County. 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 

February 19-- Penn State Extension Woods In Your Backyard Series (Part 6 of 9)  - Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants In Small Woodlots. 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

February 24-- Penn State Extension Ag Water Webinar Series: PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' 101 For Farmers. Noon to 1:00 p.m.

February 26-- Penn State Extension Woods In Your Backyard Series (Part 7 of 9)  - Healthy Woods - Common Insects and Diseases. 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

March 3-- Penn State Extension Ag Water Series Webinar: Practices To Mitigate Flooding & Drought.  Noon to 1:00 p.m.

March 4-- Penn State Extension Webinar On Residential Stormwater Solutions - Rainwater Catchment Systems. Noon to 1:00 p.m.

March 5-- Penn State Extension Woods In Your Backyard Series (Part 8 of 9)  - Converting Lawns to Natural Areas (Meadows and Woods). 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

March 10-- Penn State Extension Ag Water Series Webinar: Tile Drainage In Pennsylvania. Noon to 1:00 p.m.

March 11-- Penn State Extension (7 of 10) Pennsylvania Forests Webinar Seminar Series - Hazard Tree Analysis.  Noon and 7:00 p.m.

March 12-- Penn State Extension Woods In Your Backyard Series (Part 9 of 9)  - Putting Your Knowledge To Work - What’s Your Plan?  Map it Out. 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

March 17-- Penn State Extension Ag Water Series Webinar: Where Does Water Go?  Watersheds & Mapping. Noon to 1:00 p.m.

March 19-- Penn State Extension Pond Management Series (1 of 4). Noon to 1:00 p.m.

March 24-- Penn State Extension Ag Water Series Webinar: Countywide Clean Water Plans - Beyond 2025. Noon to 1:00 p.m.

March 26-- Penn State Extension Pond Management Series (2 of 4). Noon to 1:00 p.m.

April 2-- Penn State Extension Pond Management Series (3 of 4). Noon to 1:00 p.m.

April 8--  Penn State Extension (8 of 10) Pennsylvania Forests Webinar Seminar Series - Forest Resilience Scorecard for PA.  Noon and 7:00 p.m.

April 9-- Penn State Extension Pond Management Series (4 of 4). Noon to 1:00 p.m.

May 13-- Penn State Extension (9 of 10) Pennsylvania Forests Webinar Seminar Series - Tree Nuts in Pennsylvania.  Noon and 7:00 p.m.

June 10-- Penn State Extension (10 of 10) Pennsylvania Forests Webinar Seminar Series - The Use of Slash Walls to Exclude Deer and Regenerate Native Forest Tree Species.  Noon and 7:00 p.m.

Related Articles - Watersheds:

-- PennVEST Approves $288.2 Million Investment In 39 Water Infrastructure Projects In 24 Counties; Almost All Federal Funding Now Frozen  [PaEN]

-- New Federal Administration Issues Executive Order Declaring A National Energy Emergency; Order Repealing Other Energy, Climate Orders; Regulatory Freeze  [PaEN]

-- Sen. Yaw To Introduce Bill To Use Revenue From Taxing Gambling Skill Games To Support Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program  [PaEN]

-- Registration Open! Shamokin Creek Restoration Alliance June 4-5 Mine Pools As Beneficial Resources Conference At Bucknell University  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward Program - A Look Back At 2024 [PaEN]

-- Master Watershed Steward Bethany Canner Leads Community Events In Lebanon County  [PaEN]

-- PASA Sustainable Agriculture Recognizes Innovation, Collaboration In 2025 Pasabilities Awards  [PaEN]

-- PA Grazing Lands Coalition Now Accepting Applications For Educational Mini-Grants  [PaEN]

-- Agricultural Producers: Use CHEMSWEEP To Dispose Of Unwanted Pesticides On Your Farm Until March 31  [PaEN]

-- Delaware River Basin Commission To Hold Feb. 5 Hearing, March 12 Business Meeting  [PaEN]

-- NOAA Now Accepting Applications For K-12 Environmental Literacy Grants For Delaware Bay Watershed; Applicant Webinars  [PaEN]

-- DCNR, Penn State Extension Feb. 14 Meaningful Watershed Education Workshop At Greenwood Furnace State Park, Huntingdon County  [PaEN]

-- Take Action Now! Chesapeake Bay Foundation Urging Watershed Citizens To Support Designation Of Eastern Hellbender As An Endangered Species   [PaEN]

-- ‘Hellbender Defenders’ Say Endangered Species Listing For North America’s Largest Salamander Is Long Overdue  [PaEN] 

-- Warren Times: Our Biggest Resolution - Our Commitment To The Planet That Sustains Us - By Mac Dawson, Nature Educator, Audubon Community Nature Center   [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Billions Have Been Allocated To PA From Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure, Inflation Reduction Acts, New Administration Ordered Halt To Disbursements  [Water Infrastructure, Mine Reclamation, Conventional Oil & Gas Well Plugging, $396 million in RISE PA decarbonization funding]

-- CanaryMedia.com: Executive Order Freezes Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act Funding For 90 Day Review [Water Infrastructure, Mine Reclamation, Conventional Oil & Gas Well Plugging, $396 million in RISE PA decarbonization funding]

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: ‘Ticking Time Bombs’: Nearly 100 Coal Ash Dumps Pepper Chesapeake Bay Watershed

-- LehighValleyLive: PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Sewage Sludge Fertilizer May Pose Risk To Humans, EPA Warns

-- JD Supra: EPA Identifies Significant Concerns For Ag Producers Due To Biosolids That Contain PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’

-- Williamsport Sun Letter: Endangered Listing Long Overdue For Eastern Hellbender - By Anna Pauletta, One Of Original Hellbender Defenders As A Student

-- WHYY - Zoe Read: 3 Years After Hurricane Ida, Study Aims To Prepare Communities Along The Brandywine For Future Storms

-- Delaware River Basin Commission Seeks Members For Several Advisory Committees

-- Delaware RiverKeeper Jan. 24 RiverWatch Video Report

[Posted: January 24, 2025]

1/27/2025