Penn State Extension helps plant trees

UNIVERSITY PARK — More than 1,300 large trees were planted across Pennsylvania this spring through a program helping communities overcome the cost and complexity of expanding local tree canopy. Supported by Penn State Extension and the nonprofit TreePennsylvania, the effort helps municipalities plant dozens of trees at a time with volunteer support and reduced expenses.

Through the bare-root tree grant program, communities receive large trees, technical guidance and training. The approach builds local capacity to sustain urban forestry over time, said Vincent Cotrone, urban forestry extension educator.

The program delivers trees about 12 feet tall at planting, without the heavy root balls that typically require machinery to move.

Instead, trees are shipped without soil, with roots dipped in hydrogel to retain moisture and transported in refrigerated tractor-trailers. Hundreds can be moved at once and handled by volunteers at central drop sites.

Food preservation workshops available

UNIVERSITY PARK — Anyone interested in preserving food at home can learn food preservation methods and best practices by attending in-person workshops and webinars hosted by Penn State Extension. The workshops are offered throughout the year in a variety of locations across the state.

The series includes instructional workshops and live webinars on topics such as jams and jellies, pressure canning, tomatoes and salsa, drying, wild game, fermented pickles and sauerkraut, pickling and water bath canning.

Workshop and webinar registration dates vary by event; workshops carry a $15 registration fee and webinars carry a $5 registration fee.

For more information, participants can find workshop and webinar registration on the Penn State Extension website.

Penn State Extension program receives award

UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State Extension’s Master Watershed Steward Program received the 2026 Special Recognition Award from the Water Resources Association of the Delaware River Basin.

The award recognizes an individual or organization whose expertise or partnerships have catalyzed meaningful progress in water management. The program was cited for its work conserving and enhancing waterways and green spaces through education and outreach and advancing ecological resilience in the Delaware River Basin.

“We are so grateful to have the work of Master Watershed Stewards recognized by the Water Resources Association,” said Erin Frederick, statewide Master Watershed Steward coordinator.

She noted that nearly 600 Master Watershed Steward volunteers across the Delaware River Basin in Pennsylvania contributed more than 33,000 hours in 2025, supporting restoration and monitoring efforts and reaching more than 76,000 people through education programs.