What started with a pitch to use goats to help clear out invasive species has evolved into a yearslong project initiated by Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward Program volunteer Eve Puhalla, of Montgomery County, to restore the pond at Camelot Park, a 102-acre recreational park with sports fields and walking trails in East Greenville.
From a young age, Puhalla said, she strongly believed in taking care of the natural world and understanding the impact people have on the environment. In college during the 1980s, she took correspondence courses on conserving natural resources and started a recycling program in her dorm during a time when conservation was not a common thought.
“That course really changed the trajectory of my life in a lot of ways,” she said. “It solidified for me the need to take care of our planet. Somebody’s got to do it, so it may as well be me.”
Since then, Puhalla has been seeking ways to reduce her environmental impact in both her personal life and her community, including having her yard certified as watershed-friendly.
Upon learning about the Master Watershed Steward program from a colleague, she quickly registered and became part of the second class held by the program in Montgomery County.
Soon after, she began working on projects for the program and pitching some of her own.
“The way the Camelot Park project came about is funny — I had suggested to the Upper Hanover Township board of supervisors to use goats to help clear out invasive species in a forest near my house,” she said. “At the time, it wasn’t something the township could afford to do, but they reached out to me later about the pond at Camelot Park, asking if I could help.”
Puhalla explained that the pond had been overrun by invasive species and poison ivy that had dominated and almost completely covered the pond.
Working with fellow Master Watershed Stewards and the local community, she has spent the past three years clearing debris and restoring the pond to make it accessible to the public again.
Kathleen Connally, Master Watershed Steward coordinator for Penn State Extension in Bucks County, highlighted the energy that Puhalla put into organizing the volunteer efforts in her community and how she was able to work with her township on the project.
“It’s a testimony to what Eve has been able to do on behalf of the Master Watershed Steward program: creating a relationship like that with her township,” she said. “It’s the dream we have when we run these training classes — people doing meaningful work in their own communities and having the background to connect with township officials to get that work done.”
Puhalla and Connally encourage those who want to make a positive impact on the environment to join the Master Watershed Steward program, which enables volunteers to work with like-minded people on projects such as pond and stream restorations.
“Even if it’s just one person who volunteers for a few hours on a project, it matters,” Puhalla said. “Those hours make a big difference when you’re talking about clearing out invasives and making the environment a better place.”
The Penn State Master Watershed Steward program provides extensive training in watershed management to volunteers who, in return, educate the community about watershed stewardship based on university research and recommendations.
The program was established to strengthen local capacity for management and protection of watersheds, streams and rivers by educating and empowering volunteers across the Commonwealth.
Spring Training Sign-ups Going On Now
Anyone interested in becoming a Master Watershed Steward can learn more on the Extension website.
(Reprinted from Penn State News.)
[Posted: January 12, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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