Education & Youth

Members from the Snyder County Conservation District (SCCD) were invited to Camp Mount Luther (west of Mifflinburg, PA) to teach fifth graders at three out of seven Thursday stations held during Midd-West School District’s annual Outdoor Education program.  All presentations were held on October 16 and 23, 2025, to approximately 140 fifth graders from Middleburg and West Snyder Elementary Schools.

Click here for more information about the 3 SCCD presentations.

For more information regarding this event and other environmental educational opportunities for youngsters, call the Snyder County Conservation District at 570-837-3000 or email us at sccd@snydercd.org. 

The Conservation District (SCCD) has held many other environmental education events and field days for several years in and outside the school.

Inside the School

The Snyder County Conservation District (SCCD) was again invited to Middleburg and West Snyder Elementary Schools to coordinate and teach approximately 155 2nd graders several aspects of nature and organize an environmental education competition for nearly 150 5th graders in May 2025. SCCD staff, as well as staff from cooperating agencies, visited West Snyder Elementary School in Beaver Springs on May 9, 2025, and Middleburg Elementary School on May 12, 2025.

For more details, check out this write-up or contact Lauren Cheran, SCCD Program Administrator, at (570) 837-3000 x2.

Outside the School

For several years, the Snyder & Juniata County Conservation Districts have held summer Enviro-Camps in Richfield.

From August 11 – 13, 2025, a Kids’ Enviro-Camp was held at Richfield’s Basom Park, co-hosted by the Snyder County (SCCD) and Juniata County (JCCD) Conservation Districts. Approximately forty (40) children attended the camp each evening.

Click here for a brief event wrap-up with a few photos. Additional photos can be found on the SCCD’s Facebook page SCCD Facebook page.

Please visit our Education & Youth → webpage for more information regarding out educational outreach.

For more information on this and other SCCD environmental outreach programs for youth, contact Lauren Cheran, Program Administrator, at (570) 837-3000 x2 or Connor Steffen, Watershed Specialist, at (570) 837-3000 x8.

The Conservation District has given other presentations in schools and to school age groups over the years. For example:

• We have given presentations to local scouting groups and FFA members in the county over the years.
  • On a Saturday in March 2021, local Cub Scouts learned how to collect and make dogwood live stakes from Snyder County District (SCCD) Manager Jason Winey. Live stakes can grow to help prevent streambank erosion.

    Please read the news story written by the Sunbury Daily Item for more details on the event.

    For more information about live staking and how to prevent streambank erosion, please contact SCCD Program Administrator Lauren Cheran (x2) or SCCD District Manager Jason Winey (x3) at 570-837-3000.

• In years past, we created a “Soil Tunnel” in which young children learned the importance of soils.

Scholarships

SCCD offers scholarships/award monies to local high school students within the county interested in conservation. Contact the Conservation District at (570) 837-3000 or your high school for more information.

FFA Conservation Awards

For many years, the Snyder County Conservation District honors Snyder County FFA members who participate in certain SUN Area FFA contests: conservation public speaking, forestry and land judging. FFA members from Midd-West and Selinsgrove Chapters compete in SUN Area contests against other FFA members from Northumberland and Union Counties.

Overview

The Envirothon at the local, state and national level, educates high school students in natural resource and environmental sciences since its first local contest was held in 1979. The Envirothon emphasizes the importance of environmental sensitivity while stressing a need to achieve a social, ecologic and economic balance in life. The learning objectives emphasize awareness, knowledge, attitudes and application. The Envirothon provides future generations with the ability to be better equipped to address the complex natural resource concerns facing today’s world as well as the challenges of tomorrow. (From PA Envirothon’s Mission Statement)

Susquehanna Valley High School Envirothon

Teams from high schools within Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union Counties compete in one location where they test their knowledge in wildlife, forestry, aquatics, soils and a specific current issues topic that changes yearly. Each county conservation district awards medals to the highest scoring team from its county. An overall winning team is also recognized.

2025 Competition

Forty-four (43) teams involving almost 200 students from 15 schools in 5 central Pennsylvania counties arrived at the Shikellamy State Park Marina near Sunbury for the annual Susquehanna Valley High School Envirothon held on April 29.

Topics that the students were tested in were wildlife, forestry, aquatics, soils, and a specific current issues topic that changes yearly. The current issue topic for this year is “Roots and Resiliency: Fostering Forest Stewardship in a Canopy of Change.”

Each conservation district awarded medals to the highest scoring team from its county. This year, the Snyder County winners were from a team from Susquehanna Valley Homeschoolers. They were the top team in the Aquatics and Soils stations and the top team in the overall competition. A second Susquehanna Valley Homeschoolers team were the top team in the Current Issues station. For more details, check this write-up.

If you would like more information or volunteer for the local, state, or international Envirothons, contact the Snyder County Conservation District (570-837-3000 or sccd@snydercd.org).

2026 Competition

The 2026 Susquehanna Valley High School Envirothon will be held on April 29 at the Shikellamy State Park Marina near Sunbury.

PA & North America Envirothons

Each county is eligible to send their top team to the PA State Envirothon each year in May.

2025 Competition

High school teams who won their county competitions sent pre-recorded oral presentations and answered questions remotely May 14 to 16. On May 21 they traveled to Windber Recreation Park near Johnstown to test their knowledge on wildlife, forestry, aquatics, soils, and this year’s current issues topic: Roots and Resiliency: Fostering Forest Stewardship in a Canopy of Change.

A team from Penncrest High School of Media, PA in Delaware County won the 2025 state title. They will compete against other teams from the USA, Canada, China and Singapore at the (National Conservation Foundation) NCF-Envirothon set for July 20 – 26, 2025, at Mount Royal University, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

2026 Competition

The 2026 PA Envirothon will take place in two parts.

1. Oral component judging will take on Thursday & Friday, May 14 & 15, and 
2. The on-site testing will be held at Camp Mount Luther near Mifflinburg on Wednesday, May 20.

Middle School Envirothon

SCCD also helps out with the annual Susquehanna Valley Middle School Envirothon with conservation districts from Columbia, Montour, Northumberland and Union Counties. Seventh and eighth graders from the five-county region participate in testing and hands-on activities.

2025 Competition

Forty-two (42) teams involving almost 200 students from 12 schools in 4 central Pennsylvania counties arrived at Montour Preserve near Danville and Washingtonville for the annual Susquehanna Valley Middle School Envirothon held on May 6.

Topics that the students were tested in were wildlife, forestry, aquatics and soils.

Each conservation district awarded medals to the highest scoring team from its county. This year, the Snyder County winners were from a team from Susquehanna Valley Homeschoolers. They were the top team in the Soils station and placed 2nd out of 42 teams. (A team from Lewisburg was the overall winner.)

2026 Competition

The 2026 Susquehanna Valley Middle School Envirothon will take place on Tuesday, May 12 at the Montour Preserve near Danville and Washingtonville.

Overview

This sub-section has information that can help homeowners conserve water that would normally not be used, such as rain barrels, household composters and rain gardens. Also, for those who live in rural areas not connected to a sewer line, we have information regarding on-lot septic care.

Stormwater Management

Stormwater is the water that runs off the land after precipitation, either rain or snowmelt. When wooded or meadow areas are replaced with roofs, driveways, sidewalks, and streets. These hard surfaces are called impervious surfaces, and they do not allow water to drain through them, unlike how rain can drain into soil (which is a pervious surface). When rain falls on impervious surfaces, it runs off rather than infiltrating into the soil or being taken up by vegetation. Some examples of problems caused by stormwater runoff includes flooding, stream erosion and pollution, and sediment build up in lakes and streams.

Learn more by checking out this document:   Homeowners Guide to Stormwater BMP Maintenance.

Rain Barrels

A rain barrel is a rainwater collection system that stores rooftop water for activities such as lawn and garden watering, car washing and even window cleaning.

Rain barrels provide rainwater that has no added chemicals. In-town residents that use public water can save on their water bill. A 2,100 square foot roof produces 1,260 gallons of water per 1 inch storm. They provide free water without stressing the water supply. Also, they help promote infiltration of water into the groundwater that would otherwise be lost to stormwater runoff, water that is shed from impervious surfaces such as asphalt, concrete and rooftops.

Note: At this time, the Conservation District is selling assembled rain barrels for a fee each (while supplies last). Contact us if interested.

Rain Garden

A rain garden is a type of garden which takes advantage of rainfall and stormwater in its design and plant selection.