Spring 2024 Master Watershed Steward trainings in Warren, Erie, and Crawford Counties.

11/20/2023

ERIE, Pa — Warren, Erie, and Crawford County service groups and others interested in improving the health of Pennsylvania’s waterways can request an in-person or virtual information session to learn about the Master Watershed Steward program, which educates and empowers volunteers to carry out watershed projects and education in their communities. Sessions can be requested in December 2023 and January 2024.

These information sessions are designed for those who want to make a positive difference in their communities, have a keen interest in the environment, are willing to learn and teach, and have time to volunteer. Sessions will cover the Master Watershed Steward program training, structure, commitment, and requirements; the types of projects in which the Master Watershed Steward volunteer team engages; valuable program partners; and Penn State Extension and the land-grant university system.

Among other projects, 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.

Penn State Extension offers these sessions free of charge. Service groups in Warren, Erie, and Crawford Counties are highly encouraged to reach out to the local program coordinator Amber Stilwell to set up a time and date in December 2023 or January 2024. Amber can be reached at ars26@psu.edu.

The 2024 spring training for the Master Watershed Steward program begins March 18^th and runs through mid-June. Applications are now being accepted through Feb 16^th for the Warren, Erie, and Crawford County program. Interested applicants can apply directly through this link: https://pennstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eLhq9J1HsIFhpzf

More information is available on the Penn State Extension website at https://extension.psu.edu/programs/watershed-stewards/counties/crawford-erie-warren

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