Philadelphia County

Join the community of volunteers working to improve the health of Philly's waterways!

If you have an interest in the environment and the water we drink, a willingness to learn more, and most importantly, a strong desire to make a difference in the community, Penn State Extension's Master Watershed Steward Program may be a good fit for you! To learn more, contact Beth Yount at bay5094@psu.edu.

Philadelphia residents with an interest in the environment, a willingness to learn more and a strong desire to make a difference in the community are excellent candidates for this program. To become a Master Watershed Steward, you must complete approximately 40+ hours of training and fulfill 20 hours of volunteer service within the first year. After becoming certified, you maintain your status by giving at least 20 volunteer hours and attending at least 10 hours of continuing education annually. Master Watershed Stewards are volunteers trained to become community scientists. They educate the public about water and perform "boots on the ground" projects to help improve the water quality in Philadelphia. The basic training curriculum covers a range of important environmentally critical topics.

The Spring 2024 training program will begin on Sunday, March 10th, with an in-person orientation, and continue on Thursday evenings from approximately March 14 to June 20 (dates subject to change) with a combination of live, online sessions once a week in the evenings, occasional in-person weekend workshops, and on-your-own, on-demand videos.

Master Watershed Stewards volunteer to protect our environment, by:

• Organizing educational events, workshops, and community walks
• Planting trees and native plants and restoring waterways
• Managing invasive plants
• Marking storm drains
• Hosting stream and trash clean-ups
• Working towards clean waters and environmental justice
• And more!

First time hearing about the Master Watershed Steward program? Find out more on our general information page.

If you are interested but do not have internet access, or if transportation to field visits is a barrier to your participation, please reach out to us for assistance.

Before applying please visit our Do you really want to be a Master Watershed Steward? page.

1. Complete this application.
2. If you have questions, attend an information session (details coming soon) or email bay5094@psu.edu.

Contact Beth Yount at bay5094@psu.edu with any questions.

Things to Note

• No prior watershed knowledge or training is required.
• Space is limited in the class and not all who apply will be accepted.
• Attending the class costs $125 and includes the training handbook. Payment is due after notification of acceptance into the program. Financial support is available to individuals if the fee is a barrier to participation. No documentation is required.
• Participants can only miss one class or field trip and still be eligible for graduation from the program. If you miss more than one class, it is the responsibility of the participant to work with the instructors to make up the missed class. 
• Graduation is conditional on attending classes and workshops.

Philadelphia's Master Watershed Steward program is a partnership of Penn State Extension and the Philadelphia Water Department.