McKean:

Finished rain barrel constructed by inmates at the Berks County Prison. Photo courtesy of Berks CD.

A rain barrel program has become one of the many tools that Pennsylvania's Conservation Districts have developed to help municipalities manage storm water runoff. Finding appropriate food grade containers to make those barrels, however, can be a challenge. When Berks County Conservation District sought to develop their program, it came to their attention that the local prison had an abundance of these containers that the manufacturer would not accept for return once emptied. 

Berks CD has now established a partnership with the Berks County prison. The district provides the money for the hardware and the paint (they offer the barrels in white, blue and green) and the prison inmates then assemble the barrels. When there is an order or a rain barrel workshop planned, the district contacts the prison. The prison's inmates then paint and construct the rain barrels. The district orders the barrels when needed.

The district anticipates the relationship with the Berks County prison continuing. Watershed coordinator Kate Keppen said, "I'm excited about a new rain barrel ordinance passed by the city of Reading, located in Berks County. The new ordinance seeks to promote and establish guidelines for rain barrel use in the city and prevent or limit the possibility of the rain barrels representing a standing water code violation. In response, our district has been conducting an increased number of rain barrel workshops with the rain barrels constructed by the Berks County Prison. This program is definitely a win for our community and the environment."

For more information about this innovative partnership, contact Kate Keppen at Kathryn.Keppen@BerksCD.com. 

Blair County Educator Urges Viewers to Embrace their Septic Tank

Communities across Pennsylvania will benefit from a $11.4 million investment in technical and financial assistance to rehabilitate dams that provide critical infrastructure and protect public health and safety.

"These structures play a critical role in flood prevention, water supply, and recreational opportunities," said Denise Coleman, NRCS State Conservationist. "This investment will protect people and ensure that these critical structures continue to provide benefits for future generations."

From the 1960s through the 1990s, local communities using NRCS assistance constructed more than 85 dams throughout the Commonwealth. These watershed management projects have primarily reduced flooding, protecting lives and property throughout the Commonwealth.

Nine dams in Pennsylvania will receive rehabilitation assistance for planning, design or construction through NRCS' Watershed Rehabilitation Program.

Click here for more information.

Whether you're looking for the best practices in K-12 STEM education or ways to build partnerships between informal and formal science educators, we've got all the bases covered and have more than 400 sessions available to choose from to fill your daily schedule at the NSTA Area Conference on Science Education in Richmond this October 16-18. Click here for more information.