Beaver County Conservation District

Beaver County Farm, Breeze Ridge Farm, is set to receive a $8,303.00 in federal grant funds from the USDA’s Renewable and Energy Efficiency Program. The Renewable and Energy Efficiency Program is a program within the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). The funding from this grant will go towards the purchase of new fans for the barn that will monitor the air temperature and turn off or on automatically as needed, which saves energy and lowers costs for the farm. Breeze Ridge Farm proudly participates in the USDA’s Conservation Stewardship Program, and Bob Guidice sits on the Board of Directors for the Beaver County Conservation District. Congratulations, Breeze Ridge Farm, on this exciting grant opportunity!

Beaver County Conservation District will once again be hosting a PA Master Naturalist class at our facility in the spring of 2025. Registration for the class opens this Friday November 15, 2025. See the flyer below for more information! You may also email the environmental educator at the District with questions regarding the spring class.

We are a bit behind in sharing this, things have been busy this fall at the District! We had the pleasure of attending the 2nd Annual Big Sewickley Creek Watershed Association's Watershed event and we had a wonderful time meeting with everyone and watching the wildlife education demos! Thank you for having us!

The October WNV report is up. View the highlights below and visit our website to read the full end of year report!

If you have lost anything on the District grounds over the last week, please reach out to the District Manager at 724-378-1701 ext 210. An item was turned in to our office and we are looking to find the owner. Thank you!

Happy Riparian Buffer Month! Check out our latest news letter for an article all about buffers!

🌿 It's October and that means it's Riparian Buffer Month! This month is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of riparian buffers in protecting our waterways. 🌊🍃

September West Nile Virus report is up! Visit our website https://www.beavercountyconservationdistrict.org/ to read the full report!

The fall 2024 issue of the Beaver Tales newsletter has been published! Visit our website or the link below to read the full newsletter, don't miss out!
https://www.beavercountyconservationdistrict.org/_files/ugd/1d3493_47586427c7d44a739cb6e4af3583d111.pdf

A new grant opportunity has become available to Pennsylvania farmers!! The deadline to apply is November 15, 2024 at 11:59 PM. If interested in more information or to apply, visit the following link.

The Beaver County Conservation District is seeking to hire an Agricultural Resource Conservationist. If you are interested or would like to learn more please visit the following website for more information and to apply.

Beaver County Conservation District Agricultural Resource Conservationist Job Aliquippa Easy 1-Click Apply Beaver County Conservation District Agricultural Resource Conservationist Full-Time job opening hiring now in Aliquippa, PA. Apply now!

For your information:
The Beaver County Conservation District’s Mosquito-Borne Disease Control Program (BU 13579 ) will be conducting a truck-mounted, Ultra Low Volume (ULV) spray event on Monday, September 23, 2024, between 7:30 pm and 9:30 pm to decrease mosquito populations and reduce the risk of West Nile virus (WNV) transmission. In case of inclement weather, the rain date will be Tuesday, September 24th.

Area of focus will be the town of Aliquippa and portions of West Aliquippa. Recent mosquito samples from this location have tested positive for WNV.

The pesticide being applied is Aqua Duet and is designed to provide quick, effective control of adult mosquito populations. Aquaduet has a very low toxicity profile to mammals and has negligible impact on non-target insects and the environment. It will be released at 1 ounce per acre. The SDS sheet and label for Aqua Duet are attached to this email along with the PEMA notification form.

Any questions, please call Phoebe Prince at the Beaver County Conservation District (724) 378-1071 ext. 222 or (724) 462-5713 (cell)

The August monthly report is out for mosquitoes and ticks in Beaver County! Check out the highlights below and visit our website to read the full report!

The Beaver County Vector-borne Disease Management Program is conducting a truck-mounted ULV (Ultra Low Volume) treatment to reduce mosquito populations on September 5, 2024, in the town of Monaca. Recent mosquito samples from surveillance in the area have tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV).
The program follows an Integrated Mosquito Management Plan (IMM) comprised of four steps: Public Outreach and Education; Surveillance of Larval and Adult Mosquito Populations; Larval Control & Habitat Source Reduction; and Adult Mosquito Control. Intervention with adult mosquito control using ULV truck applications is the last tier in the plan to control viral mosquitoes. Adult mosquito surveillance and disease testing is done to determine the level of WNV in the environment and evaluate the risk of transmission from mosquitoes to people in an area.
The pesticide being applied is Aquaduet and is designed to provide quick, effective control of adult mosquito populations. Aquaduet has a very low toxicity profile to mammals and has negligible impacts on non-target insects and the environment.
The equipment used to distribute the pesticide is calibrated to produce a droplet size of 10-20 microns in size (a micron is unit of length equal to one millionth of a meter). The droplet size is engineered to adhere to the body of mosquitoes to reduce the effects on non-target species. The pesticide is diluted with water and applied at a rate of 1 oz/ac. Bees are not affected by the application. Truck ULV spray events are scheduled for evening hours when bees have returned to their hives and are not active. Also, registered apiaries within the treatment area are contacted before an application occurs.
The spray event is monitored by an on-board live mapping system which follows the spray route, so an accurate spray distribution is followed and environmental factors such as wind direction and speed are constantly monitored throughout the spray.
West Nile virus is a flavivirus that can result in febrile illness or neurologic disease leading to meningitis, encephalitis, paralysis, and death. Conducting truck mounted ULV applications reduces infected populations of active adult mosquitoes and reduces risk to residents of the community.
For more information about West Nile Virus or the Beaver County Vector-borne Management Program, please visit www.beavercountyconservationdistrict.org

We will be at the Hookstown Fair this year! Come see us starting at 2:00 PM tomorrow and check out our booth. We will have a craft for the kids to take home their own native wildflower mix to feed the pollinators. We look forward to visiting with everyone.

The Beaver County Conservation District’s Mosquito-Borne Disease Control Program (BU 13579 ) will be conducting a truck-mounted, Ultra Low Volume (ULV) spray event on Thursday, August 15th,2024 between 8:15pm and 11 pm to decrease mosquito populations and reduce the risk of West Nile virus (WNV) transmission. In case of inclement weather, the rain date will be Monday, August 19th.

Areas of focus will be the town of West Aliquippa, portions of Downtown Aliquippa, Jefferson Street in Aliquippa and surrounding area, and the town of Ambridge. Recent mosquito samples from these locations have tested positive for WNV.

The pesticide being applied is Aqua Duet and is designed to provide quick, effective control of adult mosquito populations. Aquaduet has a very low toxicity profile to mammals and has negligible impact on non-target insects and the environment. It will be released at 1.33 ounces per acre. The SDS sheet and label for Aqua Duet are attached to this email along with the PEMA notification form.

Any questions, please call Phoebe Prince at the Beaver County Conservation District (724) 378-1071 ext. 222 or (724) 462-5713 (cell)

For your information:

The Beaver County Conservation District’s Mosquito-Borne Disease Control Program (BU 13579 ) will be conducting a truck-mounted, Ultra Low Volume (ULV) spray event on Thursday, August 8th,2024 between 8:30pm and 11 pm to decrease mosquito populations and reduce the risk of West Nile virus (WNV) transmission. In case of inclement weather, the rain date will be Monday, August 12th.

Areas of focus will be the town of Monaca and the surrounding area, portions of Beaver Borough near River Road, and Brighton Township near Dutch Ridge Road. Recent mosquito samples from these locations have tested positive for WNV.

The pesticide being applied is Aqua Duet and is designed to provide quick, effective control of adult mosquito populations. Aquaduet has a very low toxicity profile to mammals and has negligible impact on non-target insects and the environment. It will be released at 1.33 ounces per acre.
Any questions, please call Phoebe Prince at the Beaver County Conservation District (724) 378-1071 ext. 222 or (724) 462-5713 (cell)

The July report for mosquitoes and ticks in the county is up on our website! Check out the quick facts below and click the link to read the full report!!https://www.beavercountyconservationdistrict.org/_files/ugd/1d3493_2cfa5428f47d4401a69ffa93b5252a35.pdf

The Beaver County Conservation District would like to remind everyone of the ESM training through the Penn State Center for Dirt and Gravel Road studies that is scheduled for this coming Thursday and Friday July 31st and August 1st, 2024. Please visit the links for more information.