Centre County Conservation District

09/08/2026

Interested in starting your own meadow? Stop by our office for free seed mix and educational materials! We can provide up to 0.20 acre of meadow seed mix per landowner. Supplies are limited and available on a first-come-first-serve basis. If you need assistance with determining where to plant your meadow, email Watershed Specialist, Leigh Rix, for guidance.

These materials wouldn’t be possible without grant support from Pa DEP. 🌱

Office Address: 414 Holmes St. in Bellefonte

08/17/2026

Last week, our summer intern, Erik Kressler, worked the PACD booth at Ag Progress Days. Hopefully you got a chance to chat with him about what our conservation districts have to offer!

Erik was a delight to have in our office the past few months, and we wish him the best as he starts his last year of undergrad at PSU!

08/04/2026

If you haven’t seen them yet, check out our blooming meadows in Holmes-Foster Park, Orchard Park, and Calvary Church! These meadows are designed to last for many years to come. If you’re interested in planting your own native meadow, contact our Watershed Specialist, Leigh Rix ([email protected]), today for planting advice and resources!

07/29/2026

EDIT 8/20/2026: we are all out of barrels! Thank you everyone who participated! If you want your chance at winning a special Mr. Whittle (our mascot) edition rain barrel that’s ready to be installed, come to our annual Farm City Banquet the evening of November 10! This rain barrel will come with a Rain Brothers kit already installed along with mosquito dunks to kill off any mosquitoes that seek shelter in your barrel. Contact our office for more details. 814-355-6817
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EDIT 8/4/2026: we still have 4 rain barrels left!! Call or email today to reserve yours!
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Looking for a free barrel for water collection? Starting at 2:30pm today, July 29, 2026, we will have nine (9) rain barrels available for pickup at our office! To claim your barrel, call our office at 814-355-6817 or email Kelly at [email protected]. You’ll have 5 business days to pick up your rain barrel before we pass it along to someone else on our waiting list.

Office Address: 414 Holmes St, Suite 4, Bellefonte, PA 16823

As for a tubing kit, we recommend this from Rain Brothers: https://rainbrothers.com/products/diy-rain-barrel-construction-and-installation-kit-w-downspout-diverter?fbclid=IwY2xjawTZgKtleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFuTnRvZE9NckZTS2hRdWVzc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHklyzGgXdMDGDx_1HmCE6P8QJcwVORECOt7LVY0kZ_UWgUFCeqpj_T4Yf0tO_aem_StXGtU70uTgU7Jt5SVNqjg

06/30/2026

S.T.R.E.A.M. Keepers 2026 was full of learning and exploring!

CCCD, in collaboration with Spring Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited and West Branch Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association, hosted this event at Black Moshannon State Park. Students had the opportunity to learn about Black Moshannon Creek, calculate stream flow, collect and identify macroinvertebrates, fly tie, participate in fly casting lessons, make bracelets, and try their hand at fly fishing (with success!!) 🍃🎣

This event was made possible by funding we received from Keystone Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society.

06/11/2026

Two of Centre County’s grassroots water monitoring programs have been improved thanks to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s Watershed Mini Grant Program!

The Keystone Water Resources Center (KWRC) was awarded funding to expand continuous conductivity monitoring across a land-use gradient. Conductivity is an affordable proxy for detecting chloride spikes caused by road salt. KWRC is a Centre County-based nonprofit dedicated to the protection and sustainable management of water resources in central Pennsylvania. KWRC currently monitors water quality and quantity at 33 sites in the Spring Creek’s Watershed, collaborates with regional academic and agency partners on watershed research, and provides education to the community. Annual reports from 1996-2024 are available at keystonewaterresources.org.

The PA Senior Environmental Corps was awarded funding to purchase four new meters to measure pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids, and salinity. It also includes two kick nets to collect macro-invertebrates for assessment of stream biological health. CCPaSEC consists of 70 volunteers monitoring 43 sites in 27 runs, creeks and trout streams in Centre County. Sites are categorized as Marcellus or non-Marcellus due to the impact of natural gas drilling activities and acid mine drainage. Their data is avalible at ccpasec.org.

Financial support for this project is provided by BHE GT&S which is dedicated to the economic, physical and social health of the communities served by BHE GT&S companies. This grant program was administered by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in commitment to its core mission of conserving Pennsylvania’s diverse ecosystems through science-based strategy, leadership, and collaboration.

Photo provided by Western PA Conservancy Staff

06/05/2026

05/14/2026

Little Fishing Creek landowners: come see us at Creekside Connections in June! Check out the flyer for more details. 🌳🍃🌼🌞

05/06/2026

Looking for an outdoor event for your kids this summer? Sign up for our STREAM Keepers event today!

This two-day-long event will focus on education and creativity, with various activities such as macroinvertebrate collection and identification, fly fishing lessons, crafts, and many more!

To sign up, see the QR code below or email Judi at [email protected].

04/29/2026

Centre County Conservation District Envirothon event for high school students at Bald Eagle State Park. Obviously these animals are not native to Centre County.