Yes, Penn State University offers educational programs on fresh-water ecosystems for local or national communities. They include free and fee-based educational programs on topics such as water irrigation practices, water management, water conservation, and freshwater ecosystem programs such as Watershed Stewards and water management and conservation programs such as pond management and watershed restoration programs.

The university also offers educational programs for youth on fresh-water ecosystems. These include: Rain to Drain: Slow the Flow, a hands-on stormwater education curriculum, a watershed decision inquiry based activity kit about water quality issues in small watersheds and related decision-making processes, and a Watershed and Wetlands series for students in years 3 and 4 (ages 8-10).

Penn State’s Agriculture and Environment Center focuses on solving water quality challenges related to the impacts of land use and land management by fostering partnerships with stakeholders engaged in land and water issues. It integrates education, research, community outreach, and extension assets to help communities and stakeholders solve land and water-related environmental problems at multiple scales.  

The Penn State Extension provides many programs and resources about water irrigation practices, management, and conservation.

The Penn State Extension Watershed Protection and Restoration page offers a variety of watershed educational materials on healthy streams, riparian buffers, and managing restored wetlands and links to events and resources.

Learn more about Penn State’s Progress on SDG 14 HERE.

Yes, Penn State offers educational programs and outreach for local and national communities on sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism.

As a Sea Grant university (a United States network of coastal research and education programs), the mission of Pennsylvania Sea Grant is “to enhance the use and conservation of Pennsylvania’s coastal, marine, and Great Lakes resources to create a healthy environment, resilient and inclusive communities, and a strong and sustainable economy.”

The 2024-2027 Pennsylvania Sea Grant Strategic Plan prioritizes the following:

• Environmental Literacy and Workforce Development
• Healthy Coastal Ecosystems
• Resilient Communities and Economies
• Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture

A core value of the program is dedication to sustainability, which focuses on “Advancing environmental stewardship practices and communicating the value of the services that the coastal, watershed, ocean, and Great Lakes ecosystems provide to the nation.” Facilitating an informed public by promoting and delivering educational practices that engage participants in stewardship- and place-based learning is another core value of the Pennsylvania Sea Grant program.

Sea Grant educational programs and outreach for local or national communities on sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism include courses on Aquatic Invasive Species, Coastal Erosion, and the Great Lakes Literacy education exploration which provides a collection of resources and partners to support place-based education and stewardship opportunities.

The Sea Grant program collaborates with state, regional, and national programs to improve Pennsylvania’s coastal community resiliency and environmental literacy, and protect and restore its coastal, marine, and Great Lakes resources. These efforts, such as serving on and participating in a variety of boards, committees, and organizations include:

• Chesapeake Bay Invasive Catfish Workgroup
• Chesapeake Bay Regional Communications Committee
• Community Resilience Action Network of Erie
• Delaware County Coastal Zone Management Task Force
• Erie County Coastal Zone Management Task Force
• Great Lakes Panel on Aquatic Invasive Species
• Governor’s Invasive Species Council
• Lake Erie Region Conservancy
• Lake Erie Watershed Cooperative Weed Management Area
• Mid-Atlantic Aquatic Invasive Species Panel
• Pennsylvania Advisory Committee for Environmental Education
• Pennsylvania Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals
• Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Statewide Coastal Advisory Committee
• Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Water Resources Advisory Committee
• Pennsylvania Environmental Literacy Steering Committee
• Pennsylvania Green and Healthy Schools Partnership Advisory Committee
• Pennsylvania Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom Taskforce
• Pennsylvania Lake Erie Watershed Association
• Pennsylvania Master Watershed Stewards Statewide Advisory Committee
• Pennsylvania Meaningful Environmental and Watershed Educational Experience Task Force
• Penn State Water Team
• Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center External Advisory Committee
• Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development
• Regional Outdoor Learning Network
• Regional Science Consortium Executive Board
• Schuylkill Action Network – Stormwater Subgroup
• School District of Philadelphia Green Futures Education for Sustainability Committee
• Sea Grant communities of practices, such as:
  • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice
  • Green Infrastructure
  • Hazardous Material Transport Outreach Network
  • Marine Debris

Learn more about Penn State’s Progress on SDG 14 HERE.

Yes, the university offers educational outreach for local and national communities to raise awareness about overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices primarily through two key efforts.

1) Penn State administers Pennsylvania’s Sea Grant program which offers educational materials and curriculum, resources and activities for local or national communities to raise awareness about overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices.

Education focus areas include:

• Coastal and Great Lakes habitats, ecosystems, and the services they provide are protected, enhanced, and/or restored.
• Land, water, and living resources are managed by applying science, tools, and services to sustain resilient coastal and Great Lakes ecosystems.
• Natural resources are sustainably managed to support coastal communities and working waterfronts, including commercial, recreational, subsistence fisheries, and aquaculture.

One example is the Great Lakes Literacy education exploration (GLLee) program which provides resources and partners to better equip educators to explore Great Lakes Literacy with youth through place-based education and stewardship opportunities in schools and communities. Topics include Aquatic Invasive Species and Coastal Erosion.

Another example is the Shipboard Science Immersion (SSI) program which promotes Great Lakes science while forging lasting relationships between Great Lakes researchers and educators. The goal of the program is to foster “informed and responsible decisions that advance basin-wide stewardship by providing hands-on experiences, educational resources, and networking opportunities promoting Great Lakes literacy among an engaged community of educators, scientists, and youth.”

The third and final example is the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) program. It is made up of multiple components that include learning in the classroom and outdoors and are designed to increase environmental literacy by actively engaging students in building knowledge and meaning through hands-on experiences to ultimately make sense of the relationships between the natural world and society. MWEEs help connect students with their local environment and equip them to make decisions and take actions that contribute to stronger, and more sustainable and equitable communities.

Additionally, the Sea Grant program supports:

• Commercial and recreational fishers and aquaculturists who are knowledgeable about efficient, sustainable, and responsible tools, techniques, and uses of coastal and freshwater resources.
• Resource managers and fishing and aquaculture communities access to diverse knowledge and tools to increase their capability to adapt to changing resource management needs, including those driven by climate change.
• Consumers understanding of the health and sustainability benefits of domestically produced seafood and use that knowledge to inform their seafood purchasing decisions.

2) Penn State Extension provides educational materials, webinars, and workshops for safe and sustainable fishing practices. Topics include pond management, PFAS in surface waters, and investigating stream health.

Learn more about Penn State’s Progress on SDG 14 HERE.

Yes, Penn State organizes events which promote conservation and sustainable utilization of oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and marine resources through its Sea Grant program, Riparia Center, Extension programs, with the Pennsylvania Water Council, and through resources on the Office of Physical Plant (University facilities division) website.

• The Sea Grant program hosts annual environmental forums focused on Lake Erie (see May 2023 Forum  and archived agendas covering Hazard Mitigation and Climate Change, Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and Environmental Justice and Equity for details on more Lake Erie specific topics).
• The Marine Science Society at Penn State sponsors social events in marine science, such as guest speakers, movie showings, and marine science interest trips, conventions, or trips to see or enhance bodies of water.
• Riparia responds to requests for information and assistance from the University students and faculty, the University’s Office of the Physical Plant, federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, consulting firms, industries, schools, and citizens. 
• Extension programs include webinars and workshops on the role of river basin commissions and water use, groundwater protection, water management, stream ecology, the relationship between agriculture and Chesapeake Bay water quality, and watershed-friendly property certification. 
  • Extension programs led by the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management help people make informed decisions that improve their own well-being and ensure clean water, viable populations of native wildlife, recreational opportunities, attractive communities, and the sustainable production of wood and paper products.
• The Water Council and what was knows as Penn State’s Sustainability Institute held joint events in 2021. The Soundings water film series was co-presented by Penn State’s Sustainability Institute, Penn State’s Water Council, and WPSU (Penn State’s public media station). This series explored the intersecting issues surrounding water conservation and the innovative research and policy solutions addressing these issues around the world. The Soundings series explored the many different ways we interact with water and helped to highlight Penn State’s leadership in a breadth of water-related fields. From exploring environmental justice issues of access to clean, safe water to celebrating the importance of water in cultures around the world, these films invite us to take soundings of our liquid planet.

Learn more about Penn State’s Progress on SDG 14 HERE.

Yes, Penn State brings Penn State researchers, educators and students together with community members to work directly, through research and engagement with industries, to maintain and extend existing ecosystems and their biodiversity to solve water quality problems in local priority watersheds. 

The Agriculture and Environment Center Community Watershed Engagement Program brings Penn State researchers, educators and students together with community members to work directly, through research and engagement with industries, to maintain and extend existing ecosystems and their biodiversity to solve water quality problems in local priority watersheds. Efforts include:

• The Lower Susquehanna Regional Partnership, or LSRP, launched by the Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center in priority adjacent watersheds in western Lancaster and southern Lebanon and Dauphin Counties. A diverse set of agriculture and conservation partners are working together to provide sampling and data collection, outreach, technical assistance, and funding assistance to interested farmers in the LSRP region. The LSRP includes Penn State University, Lancaster, Lebanon and Dauphin County Conservation Districts, United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resource and Conservation Services, USDA Agricultural Research Servcie, Lancaster Farmland Trust, Stroud Water Research Center, PA No-Till Alliance, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, Chesapeake Conservancy, Londonderry Township and other local municipalities, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and, most importantly, local farmers.

• Conewego Creek Initiative brings together a diverse partnership of organizations collaborating to pool resources and work with Conewago residents, farms, businesses, and municipalities to increase adoption of practices that will improve and protect water quality. The Initiative is a dynamic, organic process, and new partners are always welcome. Partners include Penn State Extension, Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center, Dauphin County Conservation District, Lancaster County Conservation District, Lebanon County Conservation District,  Mount Joy Township, and Tri-County Conewago Creek Association, among others.

• The Greening the Lower Susquehanna program provides opportunities for citizens to work alongside community partners to improve water quality and provides free trees to landowners interested in establishing backyard buffers or reforestation. They also coordinate the “Greening the Lower Susquehanna” volunteer conservation corps, a group of hundreds of dedicated volunteers who help plant and maintain riparian buffers, rain gardens, and native meadows, clean up streams, and rescue seedlings for future plantings.
• The Sustainable Watersheds Program promotes, restores, and maintains healthy local watersheds through collaborative community engagement and engaged scholarship. Through this program Penn State students and the Agriculture and Environment Center have:
  • developed and delivered stormwater workshops for homeowners in local communities around Penn State;
  • helped develop manure management plans for local farmers;
  • designed and implemented volunteer rain gardens;
  • produced videos to document the restoration work of Spring Creek Trout Unlimited;
  • worked with community members of the Lost Creek watershed in Juniata County to develop a vision for Lost Creek and a comprehensive watershed restoration plan; and
  • are active members of a new watershed partnership in Halfmoon Creek in Centre and Huntingdon Counties.

Learn more about Penn State’s Progress on SDG 14 HERE.

Yes, Penn State University works directly on technologies and practices that will enable the marine industry to minimize and prevent damage to aquatic ecosystems through research and community engagement projects. Examples include:

• Engaged scholarship projects focused on stormwater management.
• Extension materials, workshops and webinars on water resource management. They cover topics such as Master Watershed Training, riparian buffers, and watershed-friendly native planting.
• Riparia Center, a center where science informs policy & practice in wetlands ecology, landscape hydrology & watershed management, conducts research and has tools for conservation and restoration of wetlands, wildlife, and aquatic resources.
  • Riparia’s four major areas of research, and associated outreach and education activities, are:
    1. Wetlands and Watersheds: Long-term studies of the ecology and management of wetlands, streams, and riparian areas on a watershed basis.
    2. Ecological Indicators: Development and testing of ecological indicators for wetlands, streams, and forests with an emphasis on assessments across spatial scales from site to landscape.
    3. Conservation Science: Applying the principles and practices of natural sciences and social sciences to foster the conservation of biodiversity and aquatic ecosystems, with an emphasis on wetland-dependent wildlife.
    4. Ecological Restoration: Development of design principles and monitoring protocols for wetland creation and restoration sites based on a set of reference wetlands.

• Pennsylvania Sea Grant funds research that gathers input and data from partners across the Commonwealth to ensure that research topics focus on critical issues that impact our Great Lakes, coastlines, and watersheds. This research has the potential to yield solution-based results to assist decision makers, address pressing coastal and watershed issues, and develop or update statewide ecosystem management strategies. Sea Grant also provides resources such as educational materials, fact sheets, maps, manuals, and reports.
• The Water-Energy-Food Nexus Discovery Map was developed by the Penn State WEF-Nexus strategic initiative program. It aids in fostering comprehensive sustainable development projects around the globe by providing filterable research and data visualization that allows users to locate areas of need, growth, partnership, and action.
   

Learn more about Penn State’s Progress on SDG 14 HERE.

Yes, Penn State does have water quality standards and guidelines for water discharges that follow the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Water Act standards. In addition, the university has a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permitting for all discharges to the environment. 

University policy SY40 Disposal of Pollutants in University Sanitary Systems prohibits the disposal of materials that could:

• adversely affect the general public or wastewater personnel in the course of their work;
• interfere with the operation of the University Sanitary Sewer system;
• pass through inadequately treated into the environment or otherwise be incompatible with the University Sanitary System; or
• interfere with the safe reuse and recycling of wastewater and sludge from the University Sanitary System or local Sewer Authority providing sanitary sewer service to the Campus.

Since 1983, spray application of all University Park wastewater goes onto a Living Filter to recharge the groundwater.   Begun as a research project in 1962, the Penn State Waste Water Renovation and Conservation project demonstrated that treated effluent could be successfully recycled back into the water supply when applied to agricultural land under the right conditions. Today, the university pumps hundreds of millions of gallons of waste water each year to land north of the university where, instead of being discharged into streams, it is sprayed on agricultural and forest land, and eventually replenishes local groundwater supplies.

Learn more about Penn State’s Progress on SDG 14 HERE.

Yes, the university Waste Reduction Task Force outlined an action plan in their 2019 Report. A primary recommendation they outlined is to encourage waste reduction across campus via reusable mugs, beverage cups, and other reusable food containers and to reduce single-use plastic bags. 

As of August 2023, Penn State Housing and Food Services stopped use of Styrofoam products at its residential dining locations at University Park and the Commonwealth Campuses. All dining locations will use either recyclable, reusable, or compostable containers. The initiative is described in an August 18, 2023 Penn State News story “Housing and Food Services transitioning away from using Styrofoam products: As of Aug. 14, Styrofoam products will no longer be used at residential dining locations.” The change is a part of the University’s larger effort to remove unnecessary campus waste.

The university is exploring, with the guidance of the Waste Reduction and Recycling Programs Manager and the interim director of the composting facility, how to improve the composting operation that, if done, will enable us to reduce single-use plastics and convert to compostable food service ware.  

The university Recycling Policy establishes a Recycling and Reuse Policy with a targeted goal to develop and implement a policy that will promote waste reduction at the University to include recycling, reuse, composting, and green purchasing. 

Learn more about Penn State’s Progress on SDG 14 HERE.

Yes, Penn State University has a set of interrelated policies and plans to prevent and reduce marine pollution.

To prevent and reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, the university has:

• Policy SY40 Disposal of Pollutants in University Sanitary Systems outlines the following practices related to disposal of pollutants:
  • prohibits the disposal of materials that could adversely affect the general public or wastewater personnel in the course of their work;
  • prohibits the disposal of materials which could interfere with the operation of the University Sanitary Sewer system;
  • prohibits the disposal of materials which could pass through inadequately treated into the environment or otherwise be incompatible with the University Sanitary System; or
  • prohibits the disposal of materials which interfere with the safe reuse and recycling of wastewater and sludge from the University Sanitary System or local Sewer Authority providing sanitary sewer service to the Campus.
• a Stormwater Master Plan that defines where current stormwater problems exist at the University Park Campus and where upgrades will be required in the future to correct these problems.
• as part of the Susquehanna River basin, followed the Susquehanna River Basin Commission permitting for water withdrawals to protect downstream water flows.
• the Joint Pollutant Reduction Plan, which provides a contractual obligation for the continued monitoring of the existing Regional Chesapeake Bay Pollutant Reduction Plan and Impaired Waters Plan.
• Penn State Extension’s Saving the Chesapeake initiative brings together farmers, industry, and government agencies to come up with science-based solutions for reducing pollutants in Pennsylvania’s watersheds impacting the Chesapeake Bay
• the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Pollution National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit regulates nutrient discharge into surface streams that flow to the Susquehanna River and to the Chesapeake Bay

Penn State’s stormwater philosophy is that the University promotes foremost the use of conservation design practices that preserve and use natural critical hydrologic areas, including, but not limited to, floodplains, wetlands, streams, minor drainageways, natural recharge areas, carbonate closed depressions and sinkholes.

Learn more about Penn State’s Progress on SDG 14 HERE.

Yes, the university has several long-standing plans that are followed to minimize alterations of aquatic ecosystems related to campus. Key examples include:

• Treated effluent from Penn State’s wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) has been land-applied year-round at sprayfields – the “Living Filter” – since 1983 rather than stream-discharged.
  • According to the Dorman Lab’s Wastewater Project, “In the living filter system the post treatment effluent is sprayed over 600 acres of agricultural and forest land as a final filtration step before entering the groundwater. ” 
  • An estimated 90% of the irrigated water, over 500 million gallons per year, recharges the region’s water table.  The land application of treated wastewater helps to maintain base flows in streams and reduces the impacts of drought conditions.
• The SY40 Disposal of Pollutants in University Sanitary Systems policy prohibits the disposal of materials that:
  • could adversely affect the general public or wastewater personnel in the course of their work,
  • could interfere with the operation of the University Sanitary Sewer system, or
  • could pass through inadequately treated into the environment.
• Penn State’s WWTP has not discharged to Thompson Run since 1983 and is thought to be one of the many reasons that the water quality of Spring Creek is considered to be better now than any time in the last 100 years. 
• Penn State University has extensive stormwater management on site to minimize impacts to surface water bodies and streams and the University overall is a net zero discharger of surface runoff. 
• Guiding Principles for Campus Planning encourages the efficient use of resources (energy, water, materials, etc.) to provide economic solutions, minimize demand, reduce waste, and preserve and protect natural resources; protecting the quality of water resources and the natural environment by establishing protected environmental resource areas; and developing a comprehensive campus stormwater management approach to mitigate impacts of campus development and improve water quality.

Learn more about Penn State’s Progress on SDG 14 HERE.

Yes, the university uses several approaches to monitor the health of aquatic ecosystems.

The university conducts water quality sampling in surface waters where discharges take place as part of the stormwater management program described in the Stormwater Guidance, Policies, and Master Plan document.

The Riparia Center on the University Park campus conducts long-term studies of the ecology and management of wetlands, streams, and riparian areas across the Commonwealth on a watershed basis, and develops and tests ecological indicators for wetlands, streams, and forests.

The University also partners with local agencies and organizations (Trout Unlimited, Spring Creek Watershed Management, etc.) to monitor water quality in the Centre Region.  

Learn more about Penn State’s Progress on SDG 14 HERE.

Yes, Penn State University develops, supports, and offers programs that encourage and maintain good aquatic stewardship practices. For example:

• University Extension’s statewide Watershed Stewards program encourages good aquatic stewardship practices. It provides training, resources, and ongoing support to volunteers looking to engage in environmental restoration projects and educational programs. There are nearly 1,000 Master Watershed Stewards across 42 counties that have collectively planted 100,000 trees and taught over 400,000 adults and children how to be better stewards to our water, wildlife, and more.
• University Extension developed water management and conservation programs such as pond management which teaches landowners with ponds of 1/4 acre in size how to determine goals for the pond; assess, inspect, and measure a pond; maintain a pond; implement safety practices; identify and control aquatic plants and algae; manage a pond fishery; and, manage wildlife in and around a pond.
• University Extension offers watershed restoration programs such as managing a restored wetland, watershed friendly de-icing, and “Roadside Guide to Clean Water: Streambank and Floodplain Restoration” and webinars, workshops, and articles about water quality and management on topics such as “The Role of Trees and Forests in Healthy Watersheds” and “Applying Herbicides in and Around Water.” These are available for free online to all.
• The University has developed programs such as a Water Resources Preservation Areas (WRPAs) land-use classification for approximately 455 acres of land at University Park which has resulted in the University overall becoming a net zero discharger of surface runoff.
• The purpose of the university’s Stormwater Protection Plan is to promote health, safety, and welfare within the University and its watershed by minimizing the harm to the environment by stormwater from the campus through provisions designed to manage stormwater runoff impacts at their source by regulating activities that cause the problems and by using minimum structural controls, relying on natural processes. All new development and redevelopment projects at the University have the goal of reducing peak runoff rates downstream.
• The Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center focuses on solving today’s water quality challenges related to the impacts of land use and land management.  The center fosters partnerships with stakeholders engaged in land and water issues, and integrates the College and University’s education, research, community outreach, and extension assets to help communities and stakeholders solve land and water-related environmental problems at multiple scales.

Learn more about Penn State’s Progress on SDG 14 HERE.

Yes, Penn State partners with numerous local community organizations to maintain shared aquatic ecosystems.

Partners include Spring Creek Watershed Commission, Trout Unlimited, the local townships, and the Borough of State College. Together, partners evaluate and manage water quality in the region, primarily through the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems Partnership with Ferguson, Harris, Patton, and College Townships and the Borough of State College.   

The Stormwater Living Lab program was initially funded by the university’s Strategic Initiative Seed Grant and utilizes our multi-campus network to create a living laboratory for green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) research, education, and innovation and to build community capacity. Community projects are a point of pride for this program. These include a master plan for Giant Food Stores in Carlisle, PA that incorporates community gardens and rain gardens and designing a neighborhood bioswale with Union School Home Owners Association in Mount Joy, PA. These and other community projects are featured on the Stormwater Living Lab Community Project page HERE. 

Penn State’s Agriculture and Environment Center Community Watershed Engagement Program brings Penn State researchers, educators and students together with community members to solve water quality problems in local priority watersheds. 

Learn more about Penn State’s Progress on SDG 14 HERE.

Yes. the university has implemented a watershed management strategy that is location specific to protect aquatic diversity outlined in the stormwater management permit. 

Details can be found in the Stormwater Program document. The purpose of the Penn State Stormwater Program is to promote health, safety, and welfare within the University and its watershed. Minimizing the harm to the watershed and aquatic species by managing stormwater from campus is accomplished through provisions designed to:

• manage stormwater runoff impacts at their source by regulating activities that cause the problems and by using minimum structural controls;
• relying on natural processes;
• utilize and preserve the existing natural drainage systems as much as possible;
• focus on infiltration of stormwater, to maintain groundwater recharge, to prevent degradation of surface and groundwater quality and to otherwise protect water resources;
• maintain existing flows and quality of streams and watercourses; and
• prevent scour and erosion of stream banks and streambeds.

An example of a strategy included are limitations on temperature of stormwater discharge to the environment to protect the downstream cold water fishery known as Spring Creek. An overview of Spring Creek explains how it interacts with campus, and the stream conditions report reflects impacts of discharges.

Learn more about Penn State’s Progress on SDG 14 HERE.

No, Penn State does not have a policy to ensure that food on campus that comes from aquatic ecosystems is sustainably harvested.

Learn more about Penn State’s Progress on SDG 14 HERE.