UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Ken Pledger, of Cumberland County, has spent the past few years volunteering with Penn State Extension’s Master Watershed Steward program, putting in more than 500 hours of service working on a variety of tree-planting, stream testing and other environmental projects across the county.
Pledger explained that he discovered the Master Watershed Steward program after he and his daughter volunteered for a stream monitoring project on the East Branch of Antietam Creek. During this project, the pair conducted monthly chemical tests, which gave them insight into the stream's seasonal and chemical fluctuations.
He joined the Master Watershed Steward program’s Cumberland County class in 2022 and quickly got to work. Pledger’s first project with the program was a tree-planting effort on the Lake Heritage property in Adams County, where program members worked with community members throughout the process.
“We were given a presentation by one of the homeowners in that lake’s community who expressed concerns with man-made lakes,” Pledger said. “It was quite an eye-opener to learn about the long-term responsibilities associated with having such a water feature in their community.”
Pledger participated in the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership, a collaborative effort to plant 10 million new trees in priority landscapes in Pennsylvania by the end of 2025. He noted that he took part in many tree-planting events, from school grounds to land reclamation for an open-pit mine.
Furthermore, program organizers noted that Pledger has gone above and beyond, dedicating time to learning more about how water moves and functions in landscapes for use in his program and personal work.
“After completing my training as a Master Watershed Steward, I received additional training through the Chesapeake Urban Stormwater Professionals,” Pledger said. “Here I learned about the impacts of runoff and how to create permeable surfaces. One such practice I used on my property was the construction of three swales that follow the contours of our land.”
A swale is a shallow, sloped depression in the landscape designed to collect and slow rainwater. He explained that the goal of the personal project is to catch stormwater runoff, reduce the risk of flooding, help offset water pollution and give stormwater time to infiltrate the soil.
Karen Kaslow, Master Watershed Steward coordinator for Adams County, praised Pledger's consistent efforts to strengthen the health of the commonwealth’s watersheds and other natural resources.
Pledger and Kaslow encourage those with a passion for nature and a desire to learn to join the Master Watershed Steward program, where they will gain valuable skills to help improve the natural environment, whether at home or in the field.
The Penn State Master Watershed Steward program provides extensive training in watershed management to volunteers who, in return, educate the community about watershed stewardship based on university research and recommendations. The program was established to strengthen local capacity for management and protection of watersheds, streams and rivers by educating and empowering volunteers across the commonwealth.
Anyone interested in becoming a Master Watershed Steward can learn more about the program on the Penn State Extension website.