Virtual Session Abstracts

Join us for these webinars during the week of March 25th

1.  The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Local Conservation Districts, and You – Helping Achieve Pennsylvania’s Forest and Meadow Goals

When:

Live streamed at 9:00 am, Saturday, March 23

Keynote Speakers:

Brian J. Vadino

Watershed Specialist/Envirothon Coordinator

Montgomery County Conservation District

Kent Himelright 

Watershed Coordinator

Berks County Conservation District

Karen Wilwol

Watershed Specialist

Delaware County Conservation District

Moderator:

Michael Griffiths

Environmental Education Coordinator & Watershed Specialist

Berks Nature

Abstract: The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) has been awarded funding under Conservation Partnerships Program grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to offer to Pennsylvania’s conservation districts support for the implementation of conventional riparian buffers, multi-functional riparian buffers, and lawn conversions. These programs were developed to help achieve Pennsylvania’s goal of planting 5,000 acres of upland forest and 5,000 acres of meadow by 2025. This keynote will provide an overview of these grant programs, describe the application process, present criteria for participating, requirements for awards, and recommendations for successful applicants. This session will also present the perspectives of three Watershed Specialists working in different landscapes in our region, and highlight selected projects undertaken to date in Berks, Montgomery, and Delaware Counties. With funding still available in these programs, they offer important opportunities for anyone in our region considering the installation of a buffer or a lawn conversion to help achieve Pennsylvania’s goals for forest and meadow plantings. Additional resources that conservation districts can contribute to watershed protection and restoration will also be touched on this this session. This keynote will feature an extended Q&A segment that will include questions that have been crowd sourced in advance from the Watershed Congress audience.

2.  Civic Engagement for Environmental Protection, A Panel Discussion

When:

Live streamed at 2:00 pm, Saturday, March 23

Plenary Panelists:

Crystal Gilchrist

Vice Chair

Lower Frederick Township Planning Commission

Helen Eckel-Wiener

Chair, Caln Township Board of Parks and Recreation

Fundraising Committee Chair and Board of Directors, Old Caln Historical Society

Secretary, Board of Directors, Pennsylvania State Police Camp Cadet

Susan Myerov

Vice Chair

Abington Township Environmental Advisory Council

Edie Shean-Hammond

Chair

North Coventry Open Space Review Board

Moderator:

Katherine Evers

Engagement and Schuylkill Action Network Coordinator

Partnership for the Delaware Estuary

Abstract: There are many paths to follow for those interested in doing more to protect and restore their local streams. One important but often overlooked path is to become engaged in this work in your community is by volunteering to serve on a municipal advisory board or commission. These boards and commissions afford community members with the opportunity to provide their local elected officials with advice and guidance that can have an impact on development projects and decisionmaking about land use. Too often, seats on these boards and commissions are vacant because no one steps forward to serve. In order to encourage more civic engagement for environmental protection, this panel discussion will look at four different types of local boards and commission and the roles they plan in providing advice and guidance to elected officials. The local boards and commission represented in this panel discussion include environmental advisory councils, parks and recreation boards, open space review boards, and planning commissions. The panelists will discuss how they came to serve on these boards and commissions, what it is like to service in these roles, and review the accomplishments they have helped achieve. This panel discussion will also include questions that have been crowd sourced in advance from the Watershed Congress audience.

3.  The Impact of Changing Climate on Water Availability in the Schuylkill Basin

Prerecorded (available only to participants with full access or virtual tickets)

Presenters:

Mira Olson

Associate Professor

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering

Drexel University

Patrick Gurian

Professor

Environmental Engineering Program Head

Drexel University

Achira Amur

Post-Doctoral Researcher

Villanova University

Suna Ekin Kali

PhD Student

Luleå University of Technology, Sweden

Seung Ah Byun

Executive Director

Chester County Water Resources Authority

Kate Hutelmyer

Water Resource Planner

Chester County Water Resources Authority

Moderator:

Erik Silldorff

Restoration Director

Delaware Riverkeeper Network

Abstract: Water resources management has always been a challenging field, but changing climate and shifting precipitation patterns are adding complexity to this work. This talk will review a study that applied a hydrologic model to assess the impact of climate and land use change on water resources in the Schuylkill River Basin. By modeling regional land use change scenarios, researcher found that, barring substantial changes in global greenhouse gas emissions, the region should prepare for substantially greater frequency of low flow conditions in the Schuylkill River. In addition, staff of the Chester County Water Resources Authority will review how changing conditions, including climate, served as catalysts in the effort to reevaluate and update the goals, objectives and strategies presented in "Watersheds 2045", Chester County's integrated water resources plan, which was officially adopted in January 2024. 

4.  Development of an Acoustic Monitoring Framework for Salt Marsh Restoration Decision-making

pre-recorded (available only to participants with full access or virtual tickets)

Presenter:

Kelly Faller

Estuary Science Coordinator

Partnership for the Delaware Estuary

Moderator:

Jerry Coleman

Associate Professor, Biology

Montgomery County Community College (retired)

Abstract: Bioacoustic monitoring is a promising method to study restoration efficacy in salt marshes at risk of loss due to rapidly rising sea levels. These low-cost, low-impact methods can reduce time spent in the field, while drastically increasing the amount of data collected at a site. Soundscape ecology — a field that synthesizes several existing disciplines— investigates the acoustic relationships between organisms and their environment. A principle of soundscape ecology is the acoustic niche hypothesis, which suggests that species in mature ecosystems avoid competition by vocalizing at unique frequencies at varying times. Thus, a healthy system is a noisy one, where most, if not all, frequencies are filled. Disturbed systems, conversely, could have identifiable acoustic frequency gaps. In this study, we aim to identify acoustic niche gaps in unrestored marshes of the Delaware Bay and determine if degradation can be characterized through sound, as well as quantify the acoustic changes before and after restoration. Additionally, we are currently developing a framework for long-term acoustic monitoring of reference marshes along the Delaware Bay. Aligning with our Mid-Atlantic Coastal Wetlands Assessment program, we will begin using acoustic inventories as reference datasets for online tidal marsh restoration decision support tools, such as the Marsh Future Mapper, which is currently under development. Using acoustic indices, users of these tools will be able to get a sense of the ecological function of focal marshes through soundscapes, that in turn would help inform conservation decisions. We will use what we learn about degraded marsh soundscapes and apply them to further support salt marsh restoration in the Mid-Atlantic.

5.  Lawn Conversion in Pennsylvania

When:

On Zoom at 11:00 am, Tuesday, March 26

Presenter:

Alyssa Keiser

Southeastern Regional Watershed Forestry Specialist

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Moderator:

Abstract: In Pennsylvania, there are two million acres of lawn. Maintaining a lawn takes work. Grass needs to be treated with fertilizer because the soil is not right (not to mention how those fertilizers run off into streams when it rains). Turf wants water when the weather doesn’t provide it. Mowing requires time and takes energy; and pollinators disappear because they no longer have food to eat. One way to reduce your environmental footprint, help provide clean water, and welcome birds and beneficial insects is to let go of all that grass! A diverse array of native trees, shrubs, perennial flowers, and warm season grasses are much better than turf grass for keeping soil and nutrients in place. In this presentation you will learn about the site prep, install, and maintenance of meadows. You will learn the benefits of having a meadow and programs accessible to landowners for assistance.

6.  Pennsylvania Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability (PA STEELS) - Pennsylvania’s New Environmental Education Standards: New Opportunities for Education and Community Partnerships 

When:

On Zoom at 4:00 pm, Wednesday, March 27

Presenter:

Tammie Peffer

Environment & Ecology Content Advisor

Pennsylvania Department of Education

Michelle Niedermeier

Education Lead

Pennsylvania Sea Grant College Program

Moderator:

Elisabeth Bomstein

Member Programs & Development Associate

Delaware Riverkeeper Network

Abstract: Systemic environmental and sustainability literacy requires a well-designed plan and requires support from across an entire community. Essential to the literacy effort is sustained support, not only from educators, administrators, and facilities managers, but also from field-based natural resource specialists, environmental educators, and industry experts.

Pennsylvania’s new Science, Technology & Engineering, and Environmental Literary and Sustainably (STEELS) academic standards are multidimensional and encourage the application of science and engineering practices focused on local phenomena, such as environmental issues.  The standards include cross-cutting concepts and principles related to environmental literacy such as the UN Sustainability Goals and Guidance from organizations and documents such as the North American Association for Environmental Education, Agricultural Education, Pennsylvania Sea Grant, the Delaware River Basin Commission, Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, and Conservation Districts.

Field Professionals and non-formal environmental educators are in a unique position to support the development of environmental literacy plans for nearby local education agencies (AKA, school districts) while addressing two of the highest needs identified within in Pennsylvania’s environmental literacy and sustainability education community: 1) school administrator’s understanding of environmental literacy and its goals, and 2) development of systemic support infrastructure within the local education agency’s locus of control. 

This interactive session seeks to help community partners identify areas where they can support districts or independent schools in their service area. 

Join us to explore the new STEELS standards, and support materials such as the District/School Environmental Literacy and Sustainability Plan template and identify areas where your organizations and expertise can support the effort. 

7.  Read(y)ing for 100: energy transition & climate action planning in Reading

When:

On Zoom at 1:00 pm, Thursday, March 28

Presenters:

Bethany Ayers-Fisher

Sustainability Manager

City of Reading Public Works

Christopher Nafe

Energy Program Specialist

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

Carly Sullivan

Student

The Pennsylvania State University

Moderator:

Kent Himelwright

Watershed Coordinator

Berks County Conservation District

Abstract: The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania produces a Climate Action Plan update every three years, and since 2019, has been supporting Pennsylvania municipalities in developing their Climate Action Plans through the Local Climate Action Plan (LCAP) program. This free-to-municipalities cohort matches resources from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Penn State, and others to support municipalities in their greenhouse gas emission inventories, pollution reduction plans, and energy transition goals. DEP program leader Christopher Nafe will introduce the program and how to have your municipality participate. City of Reading Sustainability Manager, Bethany Ayers Fisher, will discuss the benefits of participating, the strategies the City of Reading is implementing to meet its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2050, Zero landfilled waste by 2050, and increasing prosperity for residents, and the opportunities for additional technical assistance Reading is receiving because of participation in the LCAP cohort, Sustainable PA, and Pennsylvania Municipal League.

8.  Mastery High School of Camden: A Learning Campus on the Delaware River 

When:

On Zoom at 4:00 pm, Thursday, March 28

Presenters:

Justin Dennis

Camden Program Director

Trust for Public Land

Rosa Mannion, RLA, ASLA

Principal Landscape Architect

NV5

Erin Ramsden, RLA

Landscape Architect

NV5

Moderator:

Fred Stine

Community Action Organizer

Delaware Riverkeeper Network

Abstract:  The Camden waterfront is in the midst of exciting transformations that will permanently redefine the city’s relationship to the water and to waterfront recreation. Mastery High School of Camden sits at the confluence of the Delaware River Back Channel and the Cooper River, directly across from Petty’s Island and Cramer Hill Waterfront Park. The Trust for Public Land is raising funds and managing a $3.5-million project to  re-imagine the campus in order to bring student learning directly to the riverfront through Camden’s only nature-immersed classroom,  with food production in collaboration with neighbors, and student-managed community green spaces. The project seeks to bring nature into the campus and to bring the campus out to the river in a mutually beneficial design, which is being led by NV5’s landscape architects and engineers. The design includes accommodation for the planned 34-mile Camden County LINK trail, a multimodal trail through Camden all the way to the Pinelands National Reserve. Attendees to this session will learn: the larger context surrounding the campus, inclusive of conservation efforts, transportation equity, climate resilience, and more; the master planning and conceptual design for the campus; and the real-world issues and challenges a project such as this must navigate.