SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD Presented to
For outstanding work conserving and enhancing waterways and green spaces through community education and outreach to advance ecological resilience in the Delaware River Basin.
The Master Watershed Steward Program is a Penn State Extension initiative that educates, equips, and empowers volunteer leaders to protect water resources and steward natural landscapes within their communities. Through rigorous training and sustained engagement, stewards serve as informed advocates and active participants in watershed conservation across Pennsylvania counties, including those within the Delaware River Basin.
It is an honor to receive the 2026 Special Recognition Award. Master Watershed Stewards in Philadelphia, the Delaware River Watershed, and across the state volunteer their time and labor to care for our waterways and the environment, but we do not work alone. Whether we are installing pollinator habitat in urban green spaces, educating communities about watershed protection, creating meadows, nurturing riparian buffers, maintaining healthy ecosystems in parks and along water bodies, or collecting data to support environmental research, we depend on support from and collaboration with our neighbors and community partners. Recognition for our work is, by its nature, recognition for the web of connections that ties us all together as stewards of our precious natural resources.
~ Beth Yount
Extension Educator, Water Resources
Master Watershed Steward Coordinator, Philadelphia
Since its inception, the program has achieved remarkable measurable outcomes. In 2025 alone, over 1,080 dedicated community volunteers logged more than 51,000 hours of service statewide, a contribution valued at nearly $8.9 million in community investment. These volunteers made over 142,000 personal education contacts, led 295 workshops, facilitated 308 community events, and reached 254 MS4 communities with stormwater and watershed education — directly supporting healthier waterways and public understanding of watershed resilience. Additionally, stewards planted 32,267 trees and 9,547 herbaceous perennials, enhancing riparian buffers, reducing stormwater runoff, and improving habitat connectivity.
The program’s volunteers also provide critical municipal assistance, from organizing stream clean-ups and conducting water quality monitoring to designing and installing green stormwater infrastructure such as rain gardens, riparian buffers, bioswales, and other best management practices. These engagements help local government partners meet regulatory stormwater obligations and, importantly, foster long-term community stewardship of public spaces.
Master Watershed Stewards are trained through a comprehensive curriculum covering watershed ecology, stormwater management, groundwater science, stream restoration techniques, soils and geology, native/invasive plant dynamics, and climate resilience strategies. With this foundation, stewards lead educational initiatives for audiences of all ages — from school classrooms to homeowner groups — strengthening public awareness and action on watershed health issues.
The program’s reach extends beyond technical support; it builds environmental leadership across sectors. Many stewards serve on municipal boards and local watershed associations, contributing insights that shape land-use planning, park management, and conservation policy. Furthermore, this workforce of trained volunteers effectively amplifies formal environmental agencies’ capacity, enabling deeper community engagement and localized conservation outcomes.
The Master Watershed Steward Program’s work has received significant accolades, including the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence, one of Pennsylvania’s highest honors for environmental impact and innovation. This recognition underscores the program’s effectiveness in watershed restoration, pollution prevention, and watershed stewardship leadership.
The program’s activities protect and restore water quality, enhance resilience to stormwater and flooding pressures, expand public access to nature, and strengthen connections between people and the rivers that sustain them. Stewards within counties such as Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware, and Northampton collaborate with local partners on restoration projects, ecological education, and green infrastructure implementation — all of which serve to improve watershed health and community resilience in this vital regional ecosystem.
The Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward Program volunteers not only conserve and restore waterside areas and public natural spaces but also cultivate a culture of stewardship that will benefit the Delaware River Basin for generations to come.
Jessica Hartley , Environmental, Health & Safety Manager
Vicinity Energy Philadelphia, Inc.
