Spring is just around the corner, and after this long cold winter, doesn’t it feel great to think about the snow melting, the ground thawing, and getting your hands into the soil to plant something new and green in your community?
This online tool presents opportunities that communities and organizations can use to protect and enhance natural resources, save energy and maintenance costs, improve water quality, connect people to nature, as well as other practices to enhance our public spaces for the benefit of society and the environment.
The Cameron County Conservation District collaborated with Penn State Extension Water Resources Educator, Jim Clark, to secure a seventy-nine hundred dollar grant from the Headwaters Research, Conservation, and Development Council.
Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in runoff from pavement with coal-tar-based sealcoat remain elevated for months following sealcoat application, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Penn State Professor Jim Shortle provided a one hour webinar on January 29, 2014 discussing a recent study on the agricultural costs of cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay. Dr. Shortle is a Distinguished Professor of Agricultural and Environmental Economics and Director of the College of Agriculture’s Environment and Natural Resources Institute at Penn State University.
We all know that it is very important to remove ice and snow from walkways to prevent injury. However, we often forget the damage that some of the materials we use to melt ice can do to plants and the environment.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Global Analysis-Annual 2013, was released by the National Climatic Data Center. The web site includes global and US data, and covers among other things the state of the climate, temperature, precipitation, drought, extremes, societal impacts, snow and ice, and references.
The Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Program provides a safe way to dispose of products that are hazardous in nature but are not regulated as hazardous waste under state and federal regulations.
In the winter water gets much colder and ice may cover the top of the pond for an extended period of time. How does this affect the animals living in the pond?
Traces of 18 unregulated chemicals were found in drinking water from more than one-third of U.S. water utilities in a nationwide sampling, according to new, unpublished research by federal scientists. Included are 11 perfluorinated chemicals, an herbicide, two solvents, caffeine, an antibacterial compound, a metal and an antidepressant.
Residents of Pennsylvania are used to dealing with snow. Annual snowfall ranges from an average of about 20 inches in southeastern counties to nearly 100 inches downwind of Lake Erie. While the winter of 2013-14 has produced some snow, most areas of the state have lacked a persistent snow cover for much of the winter.
Saving water is easy when you think about it. Here’s a fun and easy way to see how water-wise you are by taking a Home Water Audit, courtesy of iConservePA.org H20 Water Use It Wisely Program.
How do you know if ice on a pond or lake is safe to walk on? I like to ice fish in the winter, but I always feel uneasy the first time on the ice because I don’t know how thick the ice is.
Funding provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Pennsylvania Ground Water Association was used to develop and implement programs of Penn State Extension’s Master Well Owner Network (MWON) over the past year.
As the holiday season draws to a close, you may be searching for options for how to get rid of your real Christmas tree. Luckily, there are some eco-friendly options that can reduce landfill waste, and even contribute to habitat improvement!
Bear Creek is poised to become the third ski area in Pennsylvania, and one of only a few in the country, to use highly treated liquid effluent to make snow for use on public trails.
EPA realeased a Synthesis Report on the Importance of Water to the U.S. Economy. This report is intended to help raise the awareness of water’s importance to our national economic welfare, and to summarize information that public and private decision-makers can use to better manage the nation’s water resources. It highlights EPA’s review of the literature and practice on the importance of water to the U.S. economy, identifies key data gaps, and describes the implication of the study’s findings for future research. EPA hopes this report will be a catalyst for a broader discussion about water’s critical role in the U.S. economy.
Tiny headwaters or streams that only flow after precipitation or in certain seasons form the foundation of our nation’s water resources. These often unknown, unnamed and under-appreciated streams have a tremendous impact on everything downstream, including rivers, lakes and coastal waters, as well as people. At least 117 million Americans get drinking water from these streams. That is more than one-third of the U.S. population. See EPAs interactive map and blog post to learn more about water in your county.
When autumn arrives, hikers and bikers go the extra mile to find fall foliage. But it can be hard for homeowners to love fall leaves when they drop off of tree limbs and onto green lawns. And in a number of communities, the once-accepted methods of getting rid of leaves—chucking them into the trash can or lighting large piles on fire—are no longer allowed, due to limits on landfill space and concerns over human health. Here are four tips to help you get rid of your leaves while reducing your impact on the Chesapeake Bay or any other water body.
Do you enjoy bird or wildlife watching out your windows? You might need to add some features and resources to your property to attract them. Although backyard feeders are a popular way to attract birds, providing a source of water is equally important for creating a wildlife friendly yard. By adding a bird bath or wildlife pond, you provide necessary water not only for birds but for many other species as well.