Lackawanna County Conservation District

08/14/2026

We don't want to believe it, but fall is right around the corner. Back again in 2026 is our Lackawanna County Soil Health Enhancement Program! Eligible applicants can receive cost-share funding for planting no-till cover crops after harvest. Cover crop plantings can be single species or multi species. For more information or to apply, contact Eric Johnson at: 570-382-3086, ext. 7 or [email protected].

07/31/2026

Sometimes it is the little things that bring a smile to our faces. Here at the LCCD, we have lots of little things right outside our door! Every year we get excited about our little friends who camp outside of our office in our pollinator gardens. They are small and silent, minding their own business. Some buzzy ones commute to the flowers for work while this eight-legged predator used them to build the home in which she raised her young. The most recent leaf-loving family to move in spends the days chewing away at the endless buffet, growing by nearly 3000 times in just two weeks! While they don't pay us rent in money, they do uphold the lowest level of our food chain, ensuring life on Earth is stable and reliable for us much larger creatures. They don't ask for much, and we enjoy their presence by observing them from a healthy distance. The least we could do is let them live in our garden free of charge, right?

07/24/2026

This year's native meadow conversions are under way! We are excited for the outcome of all of this hard work, thanks to Williams Forestry. The first step in the process, on a few of the sites, is the removal of non-native or invasive species. The photos illustrate what the process looks like. In the end, native wildflowers will make up the primary species on this land, and it will all be worth it for the pollinators and other wildlife for years to come!

06/08/2026

06/01/2026

Senior Envirothon (April 22nd):
Hosted at Keystone College, the Senior High Envirothon was attended by 135 students from 8 schools across Lackawanna and Wyoming counties. These students were tested on their knowledge of Pennsylvania's environment in 5 categories (aquatics, wildlife, forestry, soils, and current issues). There was also a presentation from the Wilderz at Pocono Wildlife who did an excellent job educating the students on PA native animal species. We are grateful for our test proctors from other conservation agencies (NRCS, PAGC, PAFB, DCNR, PADEP) who did a great job manning their stations and educating the students of their duties working in conservation. A non-testing station was hosted by Keystone College's Eco Club who taught the students about maple syrup production.
This year's winners were Abington Heights White (3rd place), North Pocono's Eco Patrol (2nd place), and North Pocono's Eco Defenders (1st place). Great job to all of the students who participated and a huge thanks to everyone who helped out at the event (Keystone College staff, Expand Energy volunteers, Wyoming County Conservation District staff, and Lackawanna County Conservation District staff). We are looking forward to next year's Senior Envirothon!

Junior Envirothon (May 27th):
Hosted at the Lackawanna State Park, the now Regional Junior High Envirothon invited Wyoming County to join Lackawanna and Susquehanna Counties in the environmental education competition! Across 3 counties, we were delighted to challenge 110 students from 8 schools to test their knowledge on Pennsylvania's environment. There was also a presentation from Clyde Peeling's Reptiland who did an excellent job educating the students on reptiles from around the world. We are very grateful to our station attendants from DEP, DCNR, NRCS, PAFBC, and PAGC for taking the time to attend yet another Envirothon. We would also like to thank Tony DeSantis from the Lackawanna State Park for hosting the event's non-testing station. Additional thanks go to Laura Anderson and Jillian Pagnotti from the Wyoming County Conservation District and Susquehanna County Conservation District for their help at the event!
Despite this being their first year at the event, Lackawanna Trail swept the competition! The Lackawanna Trail Bikers and Valley View Blue tied for 3rd place. The Lackawanna Trail Hikers came in 2nd place. The Lackawanna Trail Riders took 1st place. Great work from all of the students who participated in the event, and we are looking forward to doing it again next year!

06/01/2026

LCCD Seedling Sale (April 17th-18th):
The Lackawanna County Conservation District had another successful seedling sale at South Abington Park! Kimberly Nagle took the lead yet again and was aided by the Conservation District's staff, as well as Janet Creegan with DEP and Lackawanna County's Environmental Office. The proceeds went to funding scholarships for high school students looking to pursue higher education in environmental sciences and/or agricultural fields. Thank you to everyone who purchased from us and keep an eye out for next year's sale!

LCCD South Abington Road Trash Clean Up (May 28th):
It was a beautiful day to be outside for our annual trash cleanup on South Abington Road, which took place on May 28th. Thank you to the Conservation District staff for taking the time to get dirty and help clean up our roadsides. We collected 12 bags in total as well as scored a good-conditioned volleyball and beach ball!

06/01/2026

Trout Release with West Scranton Intermediate (April 17th):
On a rainy Friday at the Lackawanna State Park, West Scranton Intermediate's 6th grade class came to release the trout that they had spent the previous 4.5 months raising with their teacher, Brenda Dixon! From egg to fingerling, the students watched the beginning stages of the life cycle experienced by Rainbow Trout. Brenda did a great job maintaining her tank and achieved great success with over 40 fingerlings by the release day! Once the students released the fingerlings into Lackawanna Lake, they spent the next few hours learning about macroinvertebrates, freshwater eels, and bird migration, as well as participating in a mini bio-blitz. Thank you to PADEP for helping to structure the event as well as station presenters: Camryn Rogers (LCCD), Tony DeSantis (DCNR/Lackawanna State Park), Laura Anderson (WCCD) and Master Watershed Stewards.

Trout Release with JFK Elementary (May 1st):
At Covington Park on a sunny Friday, John F. Kennedy Elementary's kindergarten class experienced a similar event where the students were taught well about the Rainbow Trout by Renee Miller. The kindergarteners released their trout and later demonstrated their knowledge of the fingerlings. From stages of the life cycle to water temperature to the color of the eggs, the students learned a lot from the Trout in the Classroom program thanks to the hard work of the kindergarten teachers. Many of the students agreed their favorite part of the program was watching the fish eat! After releasing the trout into DeSantis Pond, the young students learned about animal adaptations from Camryn Rogers (LCCD), ecosystems and plants from Paul Bechtel (Lackawanna County Department of Parks and Recreation), recycling from the Lackawanna County Environmental Office, and the benefits of trees from Bailey White (LCCD).

Trout Release with Greater Scranton YMCA Pre-K (May 16th):
The Greater Scranton YMCA's Pre-K class, with Christine Moskowicz, experienced a different style of release day. On a sunny Sunday, most of the students showed up with their parents to take part in releasing their trout into Lackawanna Lake. The class enjoyed waving 'bye' to their fingerlings and later playing in the sun and the water with their classmates. Thank you to the parents who made it possible for their children to experience the final step of the PA Trout in the Classroom program. We are looking forward to doing it all again next year!

Link to WNEP Scranton Trout Release
https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/scranton-kindergarteners-explore-conservation-by-raising-and-releasing-trout-covington-township-lackawanna-county/523-d7c01b0f-f06e-48b3-be1b-8cd9e7b7030a

04/23/2026

https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/2026/04/22/students-compete-in-envirothon-at-keystone-college/

High school students from Lackawanna and Wyoming counties participated in the annual Pennsylvania Envirothon Competition on Wednesday on the Keystone College campus.