From a “top-to-bottom” tour of the Sewickley Creek Watershed, to a field day showing homeowners how to save energy, the Westmoreland Conservation District’s upcoming slate of programs offers a variety of informative and fun ways to learn more about conservation.

All programs are open to the public and, while some are geared to specific audiences or an advanced level of technical expertise, anyone is welcome to attend. Most programs require registration and have a nominal fee.

A list of selected upcoming events is included below.

For more information on a specific program, or to register for all programs, contact Christie at the Westmoreland Conservation District at 724-837-5271 or send email to christie@wcdpa.com .

· September 26-- Conservation Bus Tour – “Top to Bottom” in the Sewickley Creek Watershed. 8:30 a.m. – 2:45 p.m. Bus leaves from, and returns to, Westmoreland Conservation District, Greensburg.

On this tour, participants will get to know the Sewickley Creek Watershed by following a route that water takes as it flows across the land. The tour begins in the high, healthy forests on Chestnut Ridge, rambles down across farms and urban areas, and ultimately ends near Sewickley Creek’s confluence with the Youghiogheny River, Pennsylvania’s 2008 River of the Year.

Along the way, participants will see how various activities – farming, urban development, and natural resource extraction – affect the quality of this watershed, for better and worse.

Stops include: Saint Boniface Woods, Friendship Farms, Mammoth Park, New Stanton Borough, a private farm with a natural-gas well, and the innovative Lowber abandoned-mine-drainage cleanup site.

Space is limited and registration is required by September 17. $25, includes lunch and transportation from and to the Westmoreland Conservation District.

Financial and other support for this project is provided by the PA Association of Conservation Districts through its education grant from the Department of Environmental Protection under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

· September 27 - Forestry I Workshop. 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Westmoreland Conservation District and Ann Rudd Saxman Nature Park, Greensburg.

Learn common forestry terms and basic tree identification, how to measure the diameter and height of a tree, and how to use a forester’s prism. Part of the class will be spent in the wooded Ann Rudd Saxman Nature Park.

Participants will leave with an understanding of forest industry terms, basic measurement methods, and timber-volume estimating. Led by forester Tony Quadro, this workshop is cosponsored by the Westmoreland Woodlands Improvement Association..

Space is limited and registration is required by September 22. $5; reduced rate of $4 for members of the Westmoreland Woodlands Improvement Association.

· October 16 - Sustainable Energy Field Day – Homeowners’ How-To. 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Workshops. 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Open House. Westmoreland Conservation District, Donohoe Center, and GreenForge buildings – all located adjacent to each other on Donohoe Road, Greensburg

Experts from various fields will be on hand to give homeowners tips and techniques for saving energy . Topics may include: conducting a home-energy audit…the practicality of using energy alternatives such as wind, hydro, and solar…how native plants and careful landscaping can save energy…what’s new in insulation, windows, and metering your electric use…and funding programs that could help with the cost of making energy-conservation changes.

Space for the workshops is limited and registration is required. by October 3. $20, includes lunch.

The morning’s experts will be on-hand to talk one-on-one, a variety of vendors and exhibitors will be displaying their energy-saving products and services, and tours of the campus’s sustainable buildings will be on-going. Activities for children also are planned.

The Open House is FREE and it is NOT necessary to register. Just come!

The Sustainable Energy Field Day is sponsored by the Westmoreland Conservation District, Penn State Cooperative Extension, US Department of Agriculture Rural Development, GreenForge, Allegheny Power, the Western Pennsylvania Sustainable Energy Fund, and Home Depot.

· January 6-7 - Geographic Information Systems Workshop. Time TBA. Time TBD. Westmoreland County Community College, Youngwood

This workshop will help participants identify which online mapping systems are most appropriate for their particular needs, as well as help both new and experienced users become more proficient with their use.

Space is limited and registration is required.

· January 23 - Contractors’ Workshop. Time TBA. Westmoreland Conservation District, Greensburg.

This workshop will feature timely, practical information helpful to contractors. Exact topics are being determined. Participants will receive a copy of the updated Westmoreland Conservation District Best Management Practices manual.

Space is limited and registration is required January 16. A fee will be charged.

8/1/2008