learn about Aquatic Macroinvertebrates (insects) and Water Quality
Conewango Creek Watershed Association is partnering with Penn State Extension to bring a new program to Warren County. The Master Watershed Steward Program (MWS) will begin Aug 28 and applications are being taken right now. The MWS program is modelled after the Master Gardener program where volunteers from our community receive training and in exchange, they provide volunteer service to the community. This local chapter will include Crawford, Erie and Warren Counites.
The Penn State Master Watershed Steward program was established to educate and empower volunteers to protect environmental resources. Training and volunteer service are coordinated at the county level by extension staff, partners, or trained volunteers. Generally, 15-20 people are selected for the program each year. Those accepted to the program attend training classes that focus on a broad range of water resource topics, including groundwater, stream ecology, wetlands, invasive plants, water recreation and stormwater management. There is a one-time registration cost to those accepted into the program. This is to cover the cost of the manual, name tag, and cost of the meeting facilities. Scholarships may be available.
CCWA Chairperson, Elizabeth Dropp states “We are very excited to work with Penn State Extension to bring the Master Watershed Stewards program to Warren, Crawford and Erie counties. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about our precious water resources and how they relate to our other natural resources.”
Master Watershed Stewards work with the community to improve the health of our streams, rivers and other natural resources. There is a wide variety of volunteer opportunities to meet any volunteer’s interest: streamside plantings, education for children or adults, presentations, water quality monitoring, stream cleanups, organizing hands-on workshops to build rain barrels, working with your local watershed organization and more.
The first couple of months consists of training to introduce the basic concepts of water, watersheds and water bodies and various challenges they have. Training will consist of a combination of Saturday field trips and online weekly trainings (Thursday evenings).
To learn more about the program and what it involves go to: https://extension.psu.edu/programs/watershed-stewards/about Warren County residents may also call Liz at 814-726-1441 and request a return call. You can learn more about Conewango Creek Watershed Association at www.conewangocreek.org .
More Details:
Crawford, Erie, and Warren Counties
The Master Watershed Steward Program will be launching in Crawford, Erie and Warren Counties in fall of 2021.
The Master Watershed Steward Program will be launching in Erie, Crawford and Warren counties this fall in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Sea Grant and other local partners! Training will be held, starting in late August using with online sessions on Thursday evenings and once-per-month Saturday field trips.
How to Apply
Before applying please visit our Do you really want to be a Master Watershed Steward? page. To apply:
1. Watch this 15 minute overview of the Master Watershed Steward Program.
3. Select an interview time on Thursday, July 29th. If this date doesn’t work for you, let Erin know and we can schedule another time to connect.
4. If you have additional questions, please join our open house on Thursday, July 15th at 6:30 p.m..
For more information, contact Erin Frederick at elf145@psu.edu.