Welcome to our "Here's the Dirt" page, featuring monthly staff-written newsletter articles alongside District news, including staff announcements, program highlights, and other updates from the Pike County Conservation District. Explore the latest stories and information to stay connected with our work and community efforts throughout the county.
Rooted in Service: The Board’s Role Then & Now
Lisa Dolci, Administrative Manager Big things often start small—like a tiny seed that grows into a big tree. Back in 1956, Pike County planted its own seed of conservation by creating the Pike County Soil Conservation District. What started as a handful of dedicated individuals has grown into a dedicated team working to protect the County’s natural resources. From safeguarding streams to educating neighbors, the District has grown deep roots…
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Building History: The District’s Story
Madelyn Garcia, Watershed Specialist A Place Shaped by Land, Water, and Community Long before the Pike County Conservation District existed, Pike County itself was shaped by natural resources. Blooming Grove Township, founded in 1850 from parts of Lackawaxen and Palmyra Townships, was built on forests, logging, and sawmills. Well into the 20th century, the land sustained livelihoods, guided settlement patterns, and quietly bore the impacts of human use. As communities…
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Flow Forms & Rock Realms: A Year of Hydrogeomorphic Discovery
While we don’t want to throw rocks, we certainly have enjoyed learning this year about how they interact with water and how that relationship helps shape our landscape. Let’s take a stroll through our 2025 newsletter themes and then lace up our boots for action to keep the environmental momentum going in 2026! Springtime & Planting Power In early 2025, we focused on landscaping with purpose. Native species don’t just…
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Shake, Melt, Repeat: How Salt Shapes Our Winters
Madelyn Garcia, Watershed Specialist As autumn fades and winter approaches, road crews across Pennsylvania start gearing up with plows and salt spreaders. While road salt keeps our roads safe in icy conditions, it can have lasting consequences for the health of our local streams, lakes, and groundwater. But did you know that the type of winter weather we get — rain or snow — actually changes how road salt moves through…
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PCCD Welcomes Our New Watershed Specialist and Resource Conservationist!
The District is excited to welcome two new faces to team! Madelyn Garcia – Watershed Specialist Madelyn grew up in New York with limited access to green spaces, but it was during her college field courses that she discovered her passion for making nature more accessible and inclusive. She earned both her B.S. in Environmental Science and M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from Pace University, where she explored…
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The Good, The Bad, and The Groundwater
Emily Granville, Communications Coordinator Water is crucial to our survival, and without it the Earth wouldn’t be able to sustain life. Thankfully, water is a renewable resource that moves in a continuous cycle! You’ve most likely heard of the water cycle before, and if not then you’ve probably seen it in action without even realizing it. Water changes from a liquid state to a gaseous state through evaporation. During the…
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I Can See Clearly Now, The Sediment Is Gone: A Closer Look at PA’s #1 Water Pollutant
Matt Williams, Resource Conservationist Have you ever found yourself driving along interstate 84 at the PA – NY border wondering why the water in the Delaware river is so brown in color? You may have made this observation following a heavy rain event, potentially one that coincided with flash flood warnings. That murky brown color is caused by the presence of rock and soil particles, also called ‘sediments’, making…
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The Flow Must Go On: Stormwater’s Journey Across the Land
Rachael Marques, Watershed Specialist With all the heavy rainstorms this summer, now is the perfect time to talk about stormwater. Stormwater is simply precipitation from a storm that runs across the earth’s surface. This water falls on our landscape and can move in a variety of ways! As shown in the image below, when water falls from a storm it has a few paths. It can be absorbed by…
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PCCD welcomes our new Communications Coordinator!
PCCD has a new staff member! Emily Granville will be joining the team as our new Communications Coordinator. “In 2018, I graduated from the University of Scranton with a B.S. in Biology. I focused my studies on wildlife and the various ways we could protect both animals and their habitats. As an Education Specialist and later the Docent Coordinator at the Lehigh Valley Zoo, I had the privilege of helping…
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Go with the Flow: How Geology Shapes our Streams
Rachael Marques, Watershed Specialist This year, we’ve delved into how our region’s geology influences various water resources. Previously, we examined groundwater interactions; this month, we turn our focus to surface waters. As the Watershed Specialist here, I talk a lot about watersheds. But what are they? Shown in the image below, they are essentially common drainage areas, or areas where all precipitation and water drains to a common…
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