EAC Operation Videos

Join WeConservePA and Bird Town PA as we welcome guest speakers from the National Audubon Society's Bird-Friendly Communities team to learn how to use proclamations, resolutions, and ordinances (PRO) to promote healthier and safer habitats for birds through the use of native plants, bird-safe windows, and the reduction of light pollution.

So, you’ve organized your EAC and the members have been appointed — what now? This session is designed to give both newly formed and “young” EACs the tools needed to build a strong foundation for future success. Topics will include forming and organizing first steps, what can and can’t an EAC do, and community outreach and relationship building. Also included will be a discussion of potential funding sources for EACs/municipalities with guests from DCNR and the Montgomery County Planning Commission.

If building a successful EAC is the 101-level introduction, this course will serve as the 200-level follow-up. Geared towards established EACs that are looking to expand and improve upon their work, this session will cover topics including grant-writing, when and how EACs can become involved in public policy, and how to build strong community partnerships with other organizations (including parks and recreation departments, schools, land trusts, libraries, and more!).

Climate change, renewable energy, smart growth, and EV’s…oh my! Join guest speakers from NJ Future, the Environmental Protection Agency, Ready for 100, and the Upper Dublin EAC for a lively discussion on “Hot Topics” of interest to EACs. Presenters will lay out some of the issues facing municipalities, and ways in which EACs can engage. The program will end with an opportunity for open discussion between panelists and Q&A with attendees.

Brief presentations highlighting EAC initiatives, project success stories, or new and innovative ideas meant to inspire. Battery Recycling Program, Charlestown Township EAC Holiday String Light Recycling, Whitpain Township EAC Community-Based Cleanups, Allentown EAC Trees for All, Mechanicsburg Borough EAC Floating Gardens, Doylestown Township EAC Bird Watch Area Native Plant Transition, Whitehall Township EAC Pro’s and Con’s of a Regional EAC, Oxford Region EACs (Chester County) Getting Through the Noise, Town of McCandless EAC Advising Boards of Supervisors on Environmental Concerns, New Hanover Township EAC

As an EAC, one of the most important tools in the toolbox is community support. An engaged community, one which understands and is invested in the work of an EAC, can provide volunteer support on projects and become valuable advocates and allies for EAC priorities. Toni Gorkin will give an overview of the Heart of Uwchlan project, a program to introduce native plants and enhance the biodiversity of the township’s public spaces and to educate the public on sustainable practices. Volunteer opportunities as well as educational signage increase the visibility of the EAC and its work. Ben Felzer will discuss Bethlehem City EAC’s collaborative relationship with Lehigh University, including recruiting interns for work on projects, and their advisory work on Bethlehem’s Climate Action Plan (CAP). Fred Suffian and Ivy Ross, Warrington Township EAC will highlight the many service projects hosted each year, as well as how the EAC has developed and nurtured relationships with community groups to increase effectiveness. This session will provide an opportunity to learn from your peers, and gain insight into strategies and successes for gaining community buy-in.

This panel will spotlight how EACs can engage in and support environmental justice. Our panelists will attempt to answer a number of questions for participants: What are environmental justice areas, and why are they important (and what tools are available to municipalities at the state and federal level?) What are some of the gatekeeping practices that prohibit people of color from having access to/enjoying the land? Why can there be distrust of environmental organizations, and how can you go about overcoming it? And finally, how do you build better relationships with your municipality and community that can best situate an EAC to move the ball forward? Join us for this challenging and thought-provoking discussion, that will hopefully leave you feeling better equipped to move on EJ issues in the future.

EACs approach their work in a variety of ways and can focus their energy on any number of projects. In this inspirational session, we will hear from colleagues across the state who have successfully implemented programs including: the installation of an air quality monitoring system, the implementation of a municipal battery recycling program, and the development of a systematic approach to mapping stormwater BMPs. We will also hear from two EACs who have expanded their capacity by organizing a regional working group and creating an associate EAC member program. Speakers will highlight specifics of these programs that led to success, and provide tips to other EACs who may want to consider similar programs. This session will include a 15-minute stretch break, and time for Q&A with the panelists.

Join WeConservePA and Bird Town PA for a workshop designed to give EAC members, bird town leaders, watershed stewards, and others a primer on the structure and function of Pennsylvania government. We’ll start with the basics and then dive deeper into how you can use this information to engage and communicate more effectively on behalf of the environment.

How is Pennsylvania municipal government structured, and how does it function? Who are the key players, and how do EACs build relationships that will improve their effectiveness? Join Susan Myerov, and Tali MacArthur of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council for an information packed primer on PA government and the place of EACs. Attendees will leave with a more comprehensive understanding of the structure and basic powers of government, the people you need to know and why, and the tools, processes and plans used to guide municipal development.