By: Dan Rhodes, Education Coordinator, Bradford County Conservation District
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     Boiled down to its’ simplest definition, energy is the power to do work. Without energy in its many forms, all the modern technology that moves people, goods and services, thoughts & ideas around the world at breakneck speed would come to a screeching halt. Our power plants scattered all over the country are constantly making electricity by burning fuels such as coal, natural gas, and oil, or converting nuclear energy, water power, wind power or solar power to electricity.  Without them, every person in the nation expecting that wall switch to produce light, would be disappointed. Without the energy we need to recharge our own bodies when we eat a meal, we would lack the power to walk, talk, think, breathe or even survive!

By: Nathan Dewing, Agricultural Team Leader, Bradford County Conservation District
 
'Tis the Season for contemplation. Having just come through harvest and entering winter, the growing season pauses and cues us to do the same. The natural world silently screams for us to slow down. It is time to ask again the important questions like - who are we? and why are we? A good time for some solid business planning. Let's consider an often-overlooked opportunity you may way to bring into the picture - the one-tenth principle. 

By: Nathan Dewing, Agricultural Team Leader
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   The Bradford County Conservation District celebrated difference makers at its annual appreciation dinner Friday night at the Troy Sale Barn. Volunteers were appreciated, land managers recognized, projects highlighted, supporters thanked and advances simply celebrated. 
    We all could stand to improve our habit of celebrating both big and little successes. 
   Conservation Districts set up within county jurisdictions across the country are boards of local residents who help promote sound use of natural resources in the community. Bradford County has excelled since its humble 1956 inception. Partnerships with land managers and community members are what make the wheels turn. 

By: Nathan Dewing, Agricultural Team Leader, Bradford County Conservation District
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You heard correctly – it is time to start your garden.  This week at the Stoll Natural Resource Center, we started our 2020 no-till demonstration garden. It may be new thinking, but we suggest you think of October as the beginning of your gardening season (November is not too late).  A few simple steps now can keep your garden soil working for you all winter. Read further for a step by step preparation guide. 2019 produced an excellent demonstration garden, with very little effort as we have reported.  Forty people attended the September Open Garden evening with lots of great questions and information sharing.  A big “thank you” to Chris and Jeanette Smith from Warren Township for mentoring the gathered gardeners.  

Excerpt taken from Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy (NPC) fall newsletter. To learn more about NPC or to sign up for their newsletter, visit https://npcweb.org/
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Halloween is less than a week away and chances are you’ve seen some kind of bat décor on display to complement the “spooky” festivities.  It’s probably bats’ nocturnal nature, unique appearance, and folklore affiliations (hint, hint: “I vant to suck your blood”) that have long left bats misunderstood and sometimes even feared.  However, bats are actually amazing creatures, vital to our environment.  Today, we’re helping to kick off Bat Week 2019 (visit https://batweek.org/ for lots of cool bat info), an annual, international celebration of the role of bats in nature, by sharing 3 reasons why you really should LOVE bats.
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By: Brad Cummings, Conservation Technician

Have you ever wondered who to call if you have a complaint or permit related question?  With all the different regulatory agencies and complex organizational charts within some of those agencies, this can sometimes be a daunting task.  We realize it can be frustrating if you don’t know who to contact, so we’ve created this brief guide to hopefully help point you in the right direction.
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