Berks/Schuylkill County Master Watershed Steward Program

January 31, 2022 11:00pm to 11:00pm

Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward basic training will be offered again spring 2022 for Schuylkill and Berks County residents.

The application deadline has been extended to January 31, 2022. More details and a link to the online application is below.


Details on  the Program

Residents in Berks and Schuylkill County with an interest in the environment, a willingness to learn more and a strong desire to make a difference in the community are excellent candidates for this program. To become a Master Watershed Steward, you must complete approximately 40 hours of training and fulfill 50 hours of volunteer service within the first year. After becoming certified, you maintain your status by giving at least 20 volunteer hours and attending at least 10 hours of continuing education annually. Master Watershed Stewards are volunteers trained to become citizen scientists. They educate the public about water and perform "boots on the ground" projects to help improve the water quality in Berks and Schuylkill counties. The basic training curriculum covers a range of important environmentally critical topics.

The Spring 2022 training program will run March 5 through June 19 with a combination of live, online sessions on Thursday evenings starting at 6:00 p.m., weekend workshops, and on-your-own, on-demand videos. 

If you are interested but do not have sufficient internet access or capacity, or if transportation to field visits is a limiting factor in your participation, please reach out to us for possible accommodations.  

No prior watershed knowledge or training is required to take the Master Watershed Steward training course. The cost of the course is $125.00 which includes the training manual, field trip and other training resources, and Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward name badge. Financial waivers are available to individuals where this fee is cost prohibitive to their participation in the program. No financial documentation required.

For additional information, please contact Natalie Marioni, Master Watershed Steward Coordinator, Penn State Extension of Berks and Schuylkill County, 610-378-1327 or nkm5342@psu.edu.  

Click here for more info and registration.

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