In November, PEC and POWR hosted the 2021 Statewide Conference for Watershed Organizations in State College. Held every other year, the conference provides an opportunity for watershed groups from across Pennsylvania to network and share their experiences with one another. Though attendance was smaller than in previous years due to the pandemic, it was refreshing to gather and participate in sessions in person. A scaled-back virtual option was available, which allowed participants to view the plenary and keynote sessions and gain access to other POWR workshops later in the month.
“We were thrilled to be able to host an in-person event, and that same excitement was obvious among those who attended,” said Tali MacArthur, Program Manager for Watershed Outreach at PEC and POWR. “We have received very positive feedback including one attendee who told us it was the best program and speaker line-ups to date. We would like to thank all those who helped make the event possible- speakers, sponsors, planning committee members, and hotel staff!”
Speaker highlights included Bethany Wiggin, Associate Professor at University of Pennsylvania; Michael Mann, Professor at Penn State University; and DCNR Secretary Cindy Dunn. Concurrent sessions covered a wide range of topics, from monitoring invasive species to building fundraising skills.
Below, you can view Bethany Wiggin’s plenary address from the conference. Other recorded content is available on POWR’s Facebook page.