Posted: December 3, 2025
Check out the collective power of the Master Watershed Stewards.
Master Watershed Stewards removing invasives at the Bowman's Hill Preserve. Photo by Paula Walter
The Master Watershed Steward program specializes in volunteer management, adding services for environmental restoration, education, and outreach in the community. The program recruits, trains, and engages knowledgeable volunteers who can work with Conservation Districts, local governments, and other organizations, supporting and enhancing their missions. The volunteers can:
- help local governments implement stormwater permit requirements
- coordinate and run litter clean-ups
- organize educational workshops
- set up educational booths at community events
- install and maintain best management practices and more!
In 2025, the Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward Program grew to 1,080 dedicated community volunteers in 55 counties who logged 51,871 volunteer hours across the state. Since the program began in 2013, the total volunteer hours are 255,951, valued at $8.9 million.
In their collective efforts this past year, working with local conservation organizations, the Master Watershed Stewards:
- Made over 142,465 personal contacts with Pennsylvania residents and shared information on protecting our water resources
- Reached 254 MS4 communities with qualifying stormwater education and outreach
- Organized 295 workshops and educational presentations for their communities
- Set up educational displays and engaged with residents at 308 community events
- Taught students about the environment in 141 schools
- 242 Master Watershed Stewards used their knowledge to support municipal boards and community watershed groups
- Planted 32,267 trees and 9,547 herbaceous perennials
- Distributed 707 rain barrels
- Conducted water quality monitoring on 352 sites along 201 streams
- Protected 352.5 acres of habitat and 12.8 miles of streams
- Removed 152 acres of invasive species
- Removed 6,780 55-gallon bags of trash
Thank you to the Master Watershed Stewards for all the good they've done in 2025!
If you would like to become a Master Watershed Steward, classes are forming for 2026. You can apply here.
If you would like to support our work with a year-end donation, you can help us to:
- Train new watershed stewards across Pennsylvania
- Provide tools and materials for restoration projects
- Support community education and outreach
- Strengthen the long-term health of local ecosystems
When you give to this program, you're investing in cleaner streams, healthier habitats, and more resilient communities—not just for today, but for generations to come.
