Yes, Penn State supports and organizes events which promote conservation and sustainable utilization of land, forests, and wild land.
The EarthTalks series, supported by Penn State’s Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, offers free public talks featuring distinguished researchers and practitioners from Penn State, as well as from other universities, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations, on a variety of conservation topics including wildfire management.
The Department of Ecosystem Science and Management conducts outreach work to connect the resources of the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management with community members, industry, and institutions in Pennsylvania and beyond by offering the latest research-based information and meaningful programming for adults and youth through Extension and 4-H programs.
Penn State Extension offers community workshops which promote conservation and sustainable utilization of the land including:
- Tree Tenders webinar
- A Community Forestry Institute workshop and Community Forestry webinar for members of municipal commissions, municipal staff, community advocates, and volunteers as well as Forest Management workshops.
- Master Watershed Steward Program which provides residents with extensive coursework in water and natural resources. In exchange for 40 hours of instruction, candidates agree to contribute 50 hours of volunteer service their first year, followed by 20 hours per year thereafter.
Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center promotes Citizen Science opportunities such as Project FeederWatch and Monarch Watch.
The Forestland Management Office manages more than 8,000 acres of forest owned by Penn State which are used for teaching, research, recreation, and as a renewable resource for timber and other forest products.
Ag Progress Days features a wide variety of crop management, wildlife and conservation education, as well as tours that focus on wildlife habitat and stream buffers.
In 2023, the HUB-Robeson Galleries included events which promoted conservation and sustainable utilization of the land, including forests and wild land, in exhibits such as “Magnificare” which shed light on sustainable actions, celebrated mutually thriving communities and environments, and illuminated interdependence and engagement while magnifying awareness, reciprocal responsibility, and protection of each other and our planet.
The HUB-Robeson Galleries 2021 – 2022 exhibition schedule included events and several exhibits that explore our relationships with wild birds.
Penn State’s Earth and Environmental Systems Institute and Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research co-hosted the 2022 Shale Network Workshop “Ten Years of Unconventional Resource Development: Lessons Learned and Future Directions”
A visiting sculpture installation brought The Lost Bird Project sculptures to locations in Centre, Blair and Huntingdon counties, including at Shaver’s Creek, locations on the Penn State University Park and Altoona campuses, and the Millbrook Marsh Nature Center in State College. It recognizes the tragedy of modern extinction by immortalizing five North American birds in sculpture.
Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on SDG15 HERE.
