Environment & Energy Educational Opportunities For Students & Adults

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

Awards/Recognition

-- 19 Projects Recognized With 2025 Governor's Award For Environmental Excellence  [PaEN] 

-- PA Sea Grant: Virginia Friedman From Abington Friends School In Montgomery County Will Be Part Of A Shipboard Science Program On Lake Michigan This Summer  [PaEN]

-- Call For Nominations! PA Assn. Of Environmental Professionals Karl Mason And Walter Lyon Awards  [PaEN]

Upcoming Events

-- Interfaith Partners For The Chesapeake Bay: Celebrating Juneteenth & Solstice Around The Watershed 

-- AG Sunday Announces 7th Annual Drug Take Back Weekend At Pocono Raceway June 20-22 

-- Sierra Club Of PA: June 23 Webinar Analyzing The Governor's Lightning Energy Plan, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

-- PA Recreation & Park Society June 24 Webinar On Planning, Maintaining Your Splash Pads, Noon to 1:00 p.m. 

-- DEP’s Oil & Gas Advisory Board Meets June 25 On Well Development Pipelines; Wastewater Management Practices; Future Well Plugging Funding Needs  [PaEN] 

-- Protect PT, Partners To Host June 25 Webinar: 5 Years Later - A Progress Report On PA's Grand Jury Report On Fracking  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extension Hosts July 1 Webinar On Private Water Supply Education & Water Testing [Free Water Test], Noon to 1:00 p.m.

-- Penn State Extension July 2 Webinar On PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' In Private Wells - Key Influencing Factors  [PaEN] 

-- Pittsburgh’s Environmental Action Day July 12, City County Building, 9:00 a.m.

-- Sen. McCormick: President Coming To July 15 PA Energy Innovation Summit In Pittsburgh

-- Penn State Extension Hosts July 23 Webinar On Private Water Supply Education & Water Testing [Free Water Test], 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

-- Penn State Extension July 31 In-Person Workshop On Improving Equine Pasture Quality, York County

Programs/Information

-- DCNR State Parks Environmental Education News:  Celebrating Summer Solstice; Still Open, Still Awesome 

-- Tribune-Democrat: Managing Laurel Hill Is Personal For Game Commission Forester Tom Respet 

-- Republican Herald Editorial: Penn State Farm In Lackawanna County Can Make Region A Leader In Sustainable Agriculture Research

-- University Of Pennsylvania: Penn Medicine Sustainability Initiatives, Comprehensive Climate And Sustainability Action Plan 

-- Beaver Times: Pitt Researchers Visit Norfolk Southern Train Derailment Site For Environmental Testing

-- WESA: With Wheels, Willpower, Pittsburgh Teens Find Access To The City’s Greenspaces

-- PA Environmental Council: Artists-In-Residence Announced For Reflections Through Art - Susquehanna River Water Trails Project [PaEN] 

-- WHYY: ‘TERRA’ Weaves Women’s Bodies Into The Forest Of Northwest Philly’s Schuylkill Center

-- Forests For Chesapeake Bay: Buffer Maintenance Season Is Here; American Basswood; Upcoming Events

-- PA Natural Heritage Program News: Habitat Focus To Plant Conservation; Camera Trapping; Invasive Species Prevention Film; Saving The Places We Care About

Public Participation

-- DEP’s Oil & Gas Advisory Board Meets June 25 On Well Development Pipelines; Wastewater Management Practices; Future Well Plugging Funding Needs  [PaEN] 

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - June 14 [PaEN]  

-- DEP Posted 96 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In June 14 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

-- Republican Sen. Hutchinson Introduces Bill To Abolish DEP Climate Change, Recycling Fund, Coastal Zone Advisory Committees  [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Air Quality Permit For 72 - 2.5 MW Diesel-Fired Emergency Generators At New Amazon Data Services Data Center In Bucks County  [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Stream Evaluation Reports In Berks, Clinton, Forest, Huntingdon, Lancaster, Lycoming, Pike, Potter, Tioga, Westmoreland Counties

-- DEP Notice It Reorganized And Rescinded Water Program Technical Guidance, Permit Documents In DEP’s eLibrary

-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: Pennsylvania Has Failed Environmental Justice Communities For Years; A New Bill Could Change That 

-- Inquirer/Capital & Main- Audrey Carleton: Pennsylvania Has Failed Environmental Justice Communities For Years, A New Bill Could Change That

-- Scranton Times: Ex-Amity Landfill In Taylor Applies To DEP For Liner, Leachate Collection

Background On Issues

-- DEP: Widespread Non-Compliance With Environmental Laws Continues In Conventional Oil & Gas Industry;  3,108+ Abandoned Wells; At Least 85% Conventional Well Owners Fail To Submit Production, Waste, Well Integrity Reports  [PaEN] 

-- Rep. Vitali: PA House Environmental Committee Examines Problem Of Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells

-- The Center Square: Higher Plugging Bonds Floated To Help The State’s Abandoned Conventional Well Problem

-- Delaware River Frack Ban Coalition Launch Initiative To Defend The Delaware River Watershed From Oil & Gas Fracking  [PaEN] 

-- MCall: Is Ban On Fracking In Delaware Watershed At Risk?  Advocates Put Out A Call To Action

-- $100/Well Bounty Established For Previously Unknown Oil & Gas Wells Abandoned By Conventional Well Owners Under New Program Funded By Oil Region Alliance; 4 Penn State Extension Workshops Set  [PaEN]

-- DEP Reviewing Permits For Drinking Water Treatment System To Provide Water For 21 Homes In Dimock, Susquehanna County Whose Wells Were Contaminated By Shale Gas Drilling 20 Years Ago [PaEN] 

-- 25 Environmental Groups; Local Government Associations Oppose House Bill To Fast Track Large-Scale Energy Generation, Storage Projects Proposed By Gov. Shapiro  [PaEN] 

-- PA Senate Republicans Pass Bill To Roll Back Environmental, Health, Safety Regulations By Doing Nothing And Avoiding Accountability  [PaEN]

-- Spotlight PA: PA Republican Senate Leader Says No Action On Bipartisan Bills To Boost Electricity Production Until PA Supreme Court Decides On Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Rule Case

-- PUC Releases Electric Utility, PJM Summer Readiness Reports: Sufficient Generation Capacity, But Extreme Demand May Result In Energy Shortfall  [PaEN]

-- Beaver Times/Inside Climate News- Jon Hurdle: PA Fracking Company Surrenders Water Permits, Can’t Get Enough Water Out Of Big Sewickley Creek In Beaver County

-- Observer-Reporter Guest Essay: A Future Fueled By Washington County - By Electra Janis, Washington County Commissioner [Hydrogen Hub]

-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: First Amendment Battle Pits Philadelphia Gas Works Against Climate Advocates In Rate Hike Case 

-- Pittsburgh Business Leaders Deliver Letter Urging PA’s US Senators To Preserve Federal Energy Tax Credits And 100,000 Jobs In Pennsylvania  [PaEN] 

-- WESA: PA Clean Energy Businesses Call On McCormick, Fetterman To Preserve Federal Clean Energy Tax Credits 

-- TribLive: Congressional Republican Budget Bill Will Cost Thousands Of Clean Energy Jobs, Millions In Investment In PA, Advocates Say

-- EPA To Repeal All Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards, 2024 Mercury & Air Toxics Standards For Fossil Fuel Power Plants  [PaEN] 

-- PublicSource.org: President’s ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ Could Spell Layoffs For Pittsburgh-Area Clean Energy Firms 

-- PA Trout Unlimited, 17 Other Environmental, Conservation Organizations Expressed Opposition To Proposed DEP Changes To Spill Reporting Requirements  [PaEN] 

-- Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition: Rare Earth Elements Study At Passive Mine Drainage Treatment Systems; Controlled Burn All Female Crew; Statewide AMD Conference [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Getting Stuff Done For The Chesapeake Bay: Pennsylvania’s Impact During Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week  [PDF of Article] 

-- University Of Maryland Chesapeake Bay & Watershed Report Card Shows Declined Health From 2024, Presents Long-Term Improvement  [PaEN]

-- WHYY/AP: Chesapeake Bay Health Grade Dips After Hottest Year On Record, Extreme Rainfall Patterns

-- Wilkes-Barre Times Leader Editorial: Chesapeake Bay Report Deserves Our Attention

-- Senators Yaw, Martin: PA Senate Resolution Designates June 8-14 As Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week In Pennsylvania

-- Lancaster Farming: York County Says Real-Time Monitoring Paints Accurate Pollution Picture

-- PennLive: Sinkholes Have Caused Millions In Property Damage; Is The State Doing Enough About Them?  [Buzzi Unicem Cement Pumping Water Out Of A Quarry In Northampton County] 

-- WNEP: Search For Missing Kayaker In Loyalsock Creek Turns Into Recovery Effort In Lycoming County

-- WNEP: Missing Kayaker Recovered In Lycoming County

-- Susquehanna Greenway: Benefits To Choosing Mineral Sunscreen - Better For Your, Better For The River 

-- DCNR Celebrates Naturalistic Fish Passage On The Susquehanna River At Shikellamy State Park In Northumberland County  [PaEN] 

-- WNEP: New Fish Passage Dedicated At Sunbury On The Susquehanna River

-- DCNR Grants: Dam Removals Improve Habitat, Outdoor Recreation; Why Mow?; Regional Trail Workshop Mini-Grants 

-- Tribune-Democrat: Pennsylvania’s Snake Season Begins Tuesday  

-- WESA: Pennsylvania Researchers See Tick Population, Related Diseases Ticking Up

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: With Pollinator Week Just Around The Corner, It’s Time To Go Native 

-- York Daily Record: Osprey In Dangerous Lake Redman Nest Aided By Met-Ed, Game Commission 

-- Reading Eagle: New Wildlife Viewing Platform Unveiled At Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area 

-- Erie Times: Live Camera Covers Purple Martins Trying To Hatch Eggs, Raise Nestlings

-- Erie Times: Erie Bird Observatory’s Next Era Takes Flight With New Executive Director 

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: June 13, 2025]  PA Environment Digest