EAC Fall Gathering Agenda

Attendees will have the option to participate in a pre-conference tour of the Temple University Arboretum. There are four options available, each of which will focus on a different topic through the tour and discussion, led by Temple University Arboretum staff. Participants will have the opportunity to select the tour option which is of greatest interest to them.  Twenty registrants max per tour.

Option 1: Sustainability. A tour of the green infrastructure on campus – specifically, stormwater management gardens and the greenhouse that features stormwater capturing cisterns.

Option 2: Resilience. A tour of the Arboretum featuring examples of the tornado damage and how staff have worked with what’s remained to create an opportunity to teach about and learn from climate change related natural disasters.

Option 3: Native Plants. A tour of native plants featured throughout the Arboretum.

Option 4: Invasive Plant ID and Management. An exploration the Arboretum’s natural areas, identifying invasive plants, understanding how to distinguish them from native plant look-alikes and a discussion about invasive plant prevention and controls that have been implemented.

Welcome: Montgomery County Commissioners (Invited)

EAC Lightning Share Session. The lightning session will include 6-8 short presentations from EACs on a variety of topics.  Lighting sessions are not designed to be a deep dive into a topic, but rather to introduce a variety of ideas relatively quickly and spark further conversation.

A.1: Electrification for Communities – A Panel Discussion. A variety of speakers will share short presentations focused on the topic of electrification for communities followed by plenty of time for questions.  Presentations include progress on electrification in Lansdale Borough (including solar installations, and DC fast chargers for EVs), energy independence reporting from BlueSky Power, and the current state of large and small-scale solar in Pennsylvania.  Speakers: Joe Green, First Energy Corporation; Liz Robinson, Executive Director, Philadelphia Solar Energy Association; TBD, BlueSky Power. Moderator: Jon Lesher, Environmental Planning Assistant Manager, Montgomery County Planning Commission.

A.2: Parking Reform and the Path to a Greener Tomorrow. Explore how parking reform is emerging as a powerful tool in the fight against climate change. By removing mandatory parking minimums and rethinking antiquated municipal codes, communities can encourage more sustainable land usage and greener transportation while reducing urban sprawl and greenhouse gas emissions. We will discuss how these reforms not only decrease carbon emissions, but also foster a more livable, vibrant, green community! Speakers: Jarrett Lash, Planner, Upper Merion Township; Zach Davis, Chair, Upper Merion Township EAC.

B.1: Energy Audits as a Plan for Climate Action. At the local level, municipalities can drive climate action by first being models of energy efficiency, electrification, and clean energy generation, then applying their experience to the wider community. The first step is a good energy audit of municipal facilities that provides actionable, meaningful steps. We will present tips and techniques for getting an energy audit, and then making sure it doesn’t just sit on the shelf collecting dust. Included will be local case studies of municipalities that have turned their audits into real climate action, cutting carbon emissions significantly, and saving taxpayers money! Speakers: Dianne T. Herrin, CEM, Project Manager for Energy, Practical Energy Solutions; Joy Bergey, Member, Springfield Township EAC (Montco)

B.2: Protecting and Enhancing Groundwater Resources. Groundwater is an important, unseen, and often overlooked resource.  Protection and enhancement can occur at many levels:  regionally, the Delaware River Basin Commission’s Southeast Pennsylvania Groundwater Protected Area (GWPA), is an area where more stringent regulations apply to groundwater than in other areas of Pennsylvania.  At the watershed level, watershed protection efforts often have the added benefit of enhancing groundwater resources. And at the municipal level, MS4 programs can have a positive impact on groundwater.  Speakers: Elizabeth Koniers Brown, Director of External Affairs and Communications; Delaware River Basin Commission; Craig Thomas, Chester County Water Resources Authority; Beth Uhler, Pennsylvania Director, Center for Watershed Protection.

C.1: Rethinking Lawns: A Shift Towards Meadows. In recent years there has been a growing recognition of the benefits of converting traditional lawn to meadow on both private land and in public spaces. From improvements in water quality, stormwater management, decreased maintenance costs, and increased biodiversity, this session will cover some of the why’s and how-to’s of installing and maintaining meadows in municipal open spaces, institutions, and other land uses. Speakers:  Rob Gladfelter, Member, Lansdale EAC; TBD, Ernst Seeds; others TBD.

C.3: Events Planning and Management for EACs. Workshops, community days, tree plantings, and recycling programs, oh my!  There are many types of programs and events that Environmental Advisory Councils can be involved with, and getting started can be intimidating if you don’t have event planning experience.  This session will provide an overview of the event planning process, along with plenty of tips and tricks from presenters to take event planning from daunting to no big deal! Speakers: Carol Grayshaw, Director of Education, WeConservePA; Eric Lindhult, Chair, Upper Dublin Township EPAB.