Environment & Energy Educational Opportunities For Students & Adults

Opportunities to learn more about environmental and energy issues affecting Pennsylvania for students and adults--

Awards/Recognition

-- Westmoreland Conservation District Recognizes Terry Matty As Farmer Of The Year, John N. Ward With J. Roy Houston Conservation Partnership Award  [PaEN]

-- Indiana Gazette: Rosebud, Robindale Mining Honored By PA Coal Alliance During Recent Mine Safety, Reclamation Award Event

-- Indiana Gazette: Robindale Mining Site After Reclamation 

-- TribLive: Unity Twp. Officials Recognize Dozens Of Firefighters For Response In Marguerite Mine Sinkhole Search  

-- Northeast Recycling Council Recognizes UPMC's Dr. Isabela Angelelli For Sustainable Healthcare Leadership At Pittsburgh’s Children's Hospital [PaEN] 

-- Post-Gazette: Chesapeake Bay ‘Champion’ The Late David Schulte From Beaver County Is Honored For His Work As A Federal Marine Biologist 

-- Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership: Heather's Healing Connection With Her Late Mother Is Taking Root In Her Harrisburg Backyard  [PaEN] 

-- Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center Alum Celia Graef Establishing School-Based Agricultural Education Program In Ghana

-- Warren Times: Allegheny National Forest Ranger Rich Hatfield Honored By North Country Trail Association  [PDF of Article] 

-- Spotlight PA: Meet A Berks County Teen Ruth DeLoretta Inspired By Church Mission Trips To Advocate For Single-Use Plastic Bag Ban Legislation 

-- TribLive Editorial: Laurels To Mountain Watershed Assn. Waterway Cleanup Efforts  

-- Delaware Highlands Conservancy: Vote For Your Favorite Photo In People’s Choice Competition 

Grants

-- Fish & Boat Commission Awards $196,832 To Support 16 Education Projects In 10 Counties; Next Round Of Grants Opens Sept. 15

Upcoming Events

-- Penn State Extension 4-Part Pennsylvania Forest Webinar Series Starts Sept. 9 With Managing Unwanted Vegetation; Other Educational Opportunities  [PaEN]  

-- LancasterOnline: Connect With Nature, Enjoy Live Music At Lancaster Conservancy’s Trail Fest Saturday

-- Penn State EarthTalk Sept. 15 - Turning Abandoned Mine Drainage Into Sources Of Critical Minerals, Rare Earth Elements  [PaEN] 

-- PA iMapInvasives Sept. 17 Webinar On Boat Cleaning Stations To Prevent Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species, 10:00 a.m.

-- Manada Conservancy Hosts Sept. 18 Barn Owl Conservation Program, East Hanover Twp. Community Park, Dauphin County, 7:00 p.m. 

-- Horn Farm Center For Agricultural Education Sept. 18-21 Paw Paw Festival, York County 

-- Center For Coalfield Justice To Host 500 Feet From Fracking Tour Sept. 20 In Washington County  [PaEN] 

-- Independence Conservancy To Host 3 Tire Collection Events In Allegheny, Beaver Counties Starting Sept. 20 [PaEN] 

-- Williamsport Sun: DCNR, Willsboro Parks, Western PA Conservancy Community Tree Workshops Offered Sept. 24 In Wellsboro, Tioga County

-- Penn State Extension Sept. 26 In-Person Workshop On Managing Invasive Plants, State College, 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

-- North Branch Land Trust/Eastern PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation:  Sept. 27 Natural Tie Dye - Iron Oxide Pigments From Local Mine Drainage, Picton Wildlife Sanctuary, Luzerne County, Noon to 2:00 p.m.

-- Penn State Extension Oct. 3 In-Person Workshop On Managing Invasive Plants, Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, Huntingdon County, 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

-- Penn State Extension Oct. 8 In-Person Workshop On Managing Invasive Plants, State College, 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

-- Call For Proposals: Bucknell University 20th Annual River Symposium Nov. 7-8  [PaEN]

Public Participation

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - September 13 [PaEN] 

-- DEP Posted 82 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In September 13 PA Bulletin  [PaEN] 

-- PUC Sets Sept. 30 In-Person Hearings On Future Of The ‘Troubled’ Private Rock Spring Water System In Centre County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Sets Advisory Committee Meetings On State Water Plan Starting Oct. 7  [PaEN]

Programs/Information

-- TribLive: ‘Gear For Deer’ Seeks To Boost The Number Of First-Time Hunters

-- Morning Call: Radon Testing In Bethlehem Schools Is ‘Overdue,’ But Some Board Members Worried About Cost 

-- Inquirer: Penn Study Finds Air Pollution Linked To More Severe Alzheimer’s Disease

-- TribLive: Chris Bason Ready To Soar With New Role At Western PA Audubon Society, Headquartered In Fox Chapel Allegheny County  

-- From Peaks To Pennsylvania Trails: Kate’s Real Food Extends State Park Adventure Series With PA Fall Travel Guide  [PaEN] 

-- The Derrick: Volunteers Get To Work While The Weather’s Still Nice In Oil Creek State Park  [PDF of Article] 

-- PA Wilds: A-Maze-Ing Partnership Between PA Wilds Center And Pine Creek Corn Maze In Lycoming County 

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Blog: Nearly 50 People Learn About Importance Of Riparian Buffers, Plants During Floating Classroom In Williamsport

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Blog: Plant ID Walk Kicks Off September Community Science Bioblitz At Centre County’s Musser Gap Greenway

-- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: Freshwater Mussels Making A Comeback In SW PA Waters: The ‘Livers Of The Rivers’ 

-- Penn State Extension: Invasive Flathead Catfish Now Top Predators In Susquehanna River In PA 

-- KDKA: Pete The Turtle Who Went Missing From Crawford County Wildlife Center Found 20 Miles Away 3 Years Later

-- TribLive: Goats Tackle Baa-d Overgrowth In Shaler With Such Gusto, Township Is Considering Having Them Back In The Spring 

-- PennLive: Pennsylvania’s Top 10 ‘Power Plants’ For Pollinators

-- The Allegheny Front: How To Start Composting At Home

-- The Allegheny Front: It’s Easy To Compost, Just Drop Off Your Food Waste At A Pittsburgh Farmers Market

-- The Allegheny Front: Pittsburgh Startup Aims To Make Food Waste Recycling Easy And Affordable

-- The Allegheny Front: Composting And Feeding Food Waste To Animals Have Big Climate Benefits, Study Finds

-- Erie Times - Brian Whipkey: Most Earthworms Are Not Native To Pennsylvania; Here’s How They Got Here 

Remembering 9/11

-- We Remember Sept. 11, 2001 - DEP Responds To A National Tragedy  [PaEN]

-- Tribune-Democrat: Gov. Ridge, Now 80, Will Be Dedicated To 9/11 And Flight 93 ‘Until His Last Breath’

-- TribLive: Gov. Shapiro Joins Families To Mark 24th Anniversary Of Crash Of Flight 93 In Somerset County 

-- TribLive: Anniversary Of 9/11 Attacks Draw Hundreds To Flight 93 Site In Somerset County

-- PennDOT, DCNR Working To Establish 9/11 National Memorial Trail Across Pennsylvania Ahead Of 25th Anniversary  [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Interest In Flight 93 Memorial Remains Strong On 24th Anniversary Of 9/11 Attacks 

-- Altoona Mirror: Friends Of Flight 93 Work To Ensure Heroism Aboard Doomed Plane Is Never Forgotten

-- Penn State Master Gardeners Honor Flight 93 Heroes Through Day Of Service At Flight 93 National Memorial In Somerset County  [PaEN] 

-- Tribune-Review: Flight 93 Friends Group Now Offering Virtual Daily Education Sessions

-- Tribune-Democrat: Retired Letter Carrier Paul Donati Now Ambassador For Flight 93 Story 

-- TribLive Editorial: What Was Forged On Sept. 11 - ‘It Didn’t Take Long For Us To Revert To A Path Of Enmity’

-- A.I. /Data Centers

-- In Case You Missed It -- A.I./Data Center Articles & NewClips From Last Week -  September 15  [PaEN]

Background On Issues

-- Environmental Quality Board Adjourns Without Discussing Or Acting On Any Of 3 Pending Oil & Gas Rulemaking Petitions  [PaEN] 

-- Observer Reporter: 2 Townships In Greene County Declare Disaster Emergencies Over Contaminated Water Wells  [PDF of Article] 

-- WTAE: 2 Greene County Townships Issue Emergency Declarations 3 Years After Water Well Contamination From Fracking 

-- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: Two Greene County Townships Declare Disaster Emergencies, Seek Public Funding For Drinking Water Systems Amid Claims That Shale Gas Industry Contaminated Wells 

-- PA Capital-Star/Inside Climate News: Two Greene County Townships Declare Disaster Emergencies, Seek Public Funding For Water Systems Amid Claims The Gas Industry Contaminated Water Wells

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Sept. 6 to 12 - Disposing Of 4.6 Million Gallons Of Oil & Gas Wastewater; 18,000 Gallon Drilling Spill; Failure To Restore Pipeline Right-Of-Way - Again  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Eureka Resources Submits Plan To Cleanup, Close All 3 Oil & Gas Wastewater Treatment Facilities, Remove 4.6 Million Gallons Of Wastewater Left In Lycoming & Bradford County Facilities  [PaEN]

-- DEP: Cleanup Continues At Repsol Shale Gas Well Pad After A Well Control Incident In July Caused A 34-Hour Uncontrolled Wastewater Release In Bradford County  [PaEN]  

-- DEP: Blackhill Energy Pipeline Horizontal Drilling Accident Results In 18,000 Gallon Spill In Granville Twp., Bradford County  [PaEN] 

-- Delaware River Basin Commission Approves Extension Of Permit For Proposed Docks At Gibbstown LNG Gas Export Terminal In NJ  [PaEN]

-- Delaware Currents: DRBC Grants 5-Year Extension For Gibbstown, NJ LNG Gas Export Facility Dock Project

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Low Flow Water Conditions Trigger Water Withdrawal Restrictions On 39 Shale Gas Water Withdrawal Points In PA, 20 More In Caution  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Releases Companies, Individuals Receiving $7.24 Million In Federal Funds To Plug 329 Conventional Gas Wells In 13 Counties  [PaEN]

-- Energy Transfer/Sunoco To Host Sept. 15 Public Meeting To Accept Comments On Interim Site Characterization Report For Pipeline Rupture In Upper Makefield Twp., Bucks County  [PaEN]

-- DEP Provides Update On Energy Transfer/Sunoco Petroleum Pipeline Rupture Cleanup In Upper Makefield Twp., Bucks County On Sept. 9

-- The Derrick: Aqua Pennsylvania Issues Boil Water Advisory For Village Of Reno In Venango County Due To Bacteria In Water Hauled To The System To Make Up For Water Contaminated By Conventional Oil Well Spill In July 2023  [PDF of Article]

-- The Derrick: Boil Water Advisory Lifted For Village Of Reno In Venango County; Aqua PA Still Hauling Water To Make Up For Lost Supplies After Conventional Oil Well Spill In 2023

-- The Center Square: Report - PA Electric Companies Struggle With Outages

-- EPA To Allow Construction Of Power Plants, Industrial Facilities Before Air Quality Permits Are In-Hand [PaEN]

-- WHYY: Horsham Twp. Has Big Plans To Redevelop Former Willow Grove Naval Base In Montgomery County [PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’]

-- Republican Herald: Project To Fix Abandoned Mine Lands, Stream In Branch & Reilly Townships, Schuylkill County Advances With DEP Grant   [PDF of Article] 

-- Chesapeake Bay Program: Historic Number Of Trees Planted In Bay Watershed Committees In 2024, Overall Tree Canopy Declines Across The Region

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: Disease Threatens Beech Trees In All Chesapeake Bay States

-- LehighValleyLive.com: Pennsylvania’s Elk Herd - Once Nearly Wiped Out, Now A Thriving Wildlife Attraction

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: As Northern Snakeheads Invade Area Waters, Scientists Rush To Understand The Impact

-- AP: Head Of Tick Research Lab Of PA Says Spreading Invasive Tick Species Makes For ‘Ticker’ Year [Video]

Visit the  DEP Calendar of Events;  PA Parks & Forests Foundation’s Events webpage and DCNR’s Calendar of Events for activities happening near you.

Visit DEP’s Teaching Green webpage to learn about more environmental education resources.

Visit the PA Environment Digest Calendar Of Events for more opportunities.

[Posted: September 14, 2025]  PA Environment Digest