Clean Water Conversations

31 Episodes
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By: Lancaster Clean Water Partners

Brought to you by Lancaster Clean Water Partners, Clean Water Conversations is a lively series of discussions with leaders, volunteers and difference-makers in our shared goal of clean and clear waterways by 2040.  Join our hosts Allyson Gibson and Kenn Bennett as they talk with guests about clean water work being done in Lancaster County and have a little fun along the way.Season 3 is sponsored by Chesapeake ConservancyFor questions or episode suggestions, contact us at info@LancasterCleanWaterPartners.com__________________________________Music credits:Intro: "Let Good Times Roll" by RA, copyright 2025, MusicVine"Price is Right Losing Horn", Sheila Cole, Fremantle  in association with CB...

Episode 29 - Scott Peiffer
#29
Today at 1:00 PM

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In this episode, we talk with Scott Peiifer, the recently retired Manager of Quarryville Borough, hiker, gardener, and surfer.  He is truly a Renaissance man with a passion for his community, helping the next generation, and going above and beyond expectations.

This episode is brought to you, in part, by our Contributing Sponsor, Native Nook Nursery and Nature Shop.


Episode 28 - Emily Broich
#28
08/28/2025

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 We are back with season 4 of the Clean Water Conversations podcast.  In the latest episode, we talk with Emily Broich.  Emily serves as the Green Infrastructures & Forest Projects Coordinator at the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay.  We discuss her past at the Conservation District and US Fish & Wildlife Service, green infrastructure, and birds.  We also play a wild round of trivia!  


The copyright for the song "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)" as performed by The Byrds resides with Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music...


Episode 27 - Season 3 Finale
#27
06/12/2025

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We are wrapping up season 3 from the NFWF Crescendo in Collaboration celebration at Ascension Lutheran Church.  We give some of the highlights from season 3, talk with Ryan Hill from Chesapeake Conservancy, and give a little sneak peak into what you can expect for season 4.

Thank you to Chesapeake Conservancy for sponsoring this season and most of all, thank you to you, the listeners, for joining us for this exciting adventure towards clean and clean water here in Lancaster by 2040.


Episode 26 - Ryan Foltz and Sam Son
#26
05/22/2025

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In this episode, we talk with Ryan Foltz and Sam Son, two of the owners of Pur Man's Brewing and St. Boniface Brewing.  We hear about how they got their start, the importance of clean water to brewing and all about their special Water Week Beer, Ripple Effect along with Our Town Brewing.

Head to Our Town Brewery or Pour Man's Brewing Company to get a Ripple Effect pale ale today, or look for it at your local beer distributor. And join us for over 60 events during L...


Episode 25 - Diana Martin
#25
05/01/2025

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In this episode, we speak with Director of High Impact for the High Foundation and Executive Director of the Partners for Environmental Stewardship, Diana Martin.  World traveler, adventurer, organic farming enthusiast and Lancaster City advocate, Diana tells compelling stories and shares exciting plans for the Sunnyside project!

The logo for Partnership for Environmental Stewardship


Thank you, as always, to our podcast sponsor: Chesapeake Conservancy


Episode 24 - Natalie Johnson and Mike Hudson
#24
04/10/2025

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In this episode we are talking with Natalie Johnson and Mike Hudson from Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake.  We discuss the amazing work being done by local congregations, growth within the organization under the leadership of the new Executive Director, the power of collaboration and we play a trivia around called For the Birds, For the Beach.

To find IPC's list of upcoming events, go to: https://www.interfaithchesapeake.org/events

Thank you, as always, to our podcast sponsior: Chesapeake Conservancy


Episode 23 -Emily Landis
#23
03/20/2025

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In this episode, we are talking about the Blue-Green Connector project, Lancaster Science Factory and learning through the Covid years with the Director of Education & Environmental Strategy at the Little Conestoga Creek Foundation through the Steinman Foundation, Emily Landis.  She is a fun guest, an excellent storyteller and plays a mean game of mixed-bag trivia.

The logo discussed for the Blue-Green Connector can be seen at https://lancastercleanwaterpartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/BGC_Secondary_FullColor_GDC_24.jpg

The new, updaterd website for the Blue-Green Connector is here!



Episode 22 - Funding Freeze
#22
03/14/2025

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On January 28, 2025, a memorandum was released from the White House Office of Management and Budget that,“Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to the disbursement of Federal financial assistance.” Although that edict was rescinded, some funding sources remain unavailable.

In this episode, Allyson and Kenn discuss the ripple effect of this decision, how it affects our partners and how we, as a collaborative network, can lean on each other for support, wisdom and encouragement to keep pushing toward our shared goal of clean and clear by 2040.

Re...


Episode 21 with Brian Gish
#21
02/06/2025

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In this episode, we are chatting with Brian Gish, the Senior Watershed Planner at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF).  He discusses CBF's focus on local waterways, tells some great personal stories,  avoids acronym buzzers like he's walking through a minefield and tells us about the local legend of the Albatwitch.

This episode is sponsored by Chesapeake Conservancy.


Episode 20 with Jenna Mitchell Beckett
#20
01/16/2025

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Season 3 kicks off with a chat with Jenna Mitchell Beckett, Pennsylvania State Director and Agriculture Program Director at the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and is also the current Chair of the Lancaster Clean Water Partners Board of Trustees.  She discusses her beginnings at Lancaster County Conservation District and her work in collaboration with some pretty conservation-minded corporations and plays a "mother" of a round of trivia.

We are also delighted to welcome our first sponsor; Chesapeake Conservancy, working to conserve and restore the natural and cultural resources of the Chesapeake B...


Episode 19 - Year 1 and Season 2 Finale
#19
01/02/2025

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Thank you for a great first year!  
In this finale of both season 2 and our first year, Allyson and Kenn talk about their list of awesomeness for the year of the show, play highlights, give updates have a little fun and, of course, dodge acronyms.   


Episode 18 with Mike Lasala
#18
12/19/2024

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This week, we talk with Mike Lasala, the CAP Coordinator Team lead.  He is also a Specialist/Analyst and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Program Manager from LandStudies, Inc.  He discusses the Countywide Action Plan, the team's purpose, steps beyond 2025...and darn near breaks our acronym buzzer!


Episode 17 with Hilary Harp Falk
#17
11/29/2024

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In this episode, we talk with Hilary Harp Falk, the President and CEO of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) about the Bay, network building, Lancaster's reputation and spaghetti pizza.  This is an amazing opportunity to learn a few things from the founder of Choose Clean Water Coalition.  If you're not careful, you may learn a thing or two.


Episode 16 with Dave Koser and Kim Shorter
#16
11/14/2024

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In This episode talk with Dave Koser and Kim Shorter from Lancaster County Community Foundation about the ExtraGive to be held on November 22.  It is an informative, entertaining, laughter-filled, acronym buzz-fest!  

A 24-hour opportunity of giving to benefit organizations (CBOs) that enhance our lives in Lancaster County, the ExtraGive is a community celebration of giving inspiring thousands of individual donations and shining a light on the work of our community benefit sector. Since they launched the first Extraordinary Give in 2012, our community has raised more than $100 Million for regional organizations.


Episode 15 with Jill Whitcomb
#15
10/31/2024

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On this episode, we chat with Acting Deputy Secretary, Office of Water Programs at Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Jill Whitcomb.  This was a really fun episode as we discuss the successes of the collaborative network, her past at the Lancaster County Conservation District and her hometown that was named after a bar.


Episode 14 with the backbone organization (our team)
#14
10/17/2024

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We are doing something a little different to celebrate the middle of season 2.  This is a short but sweet episode. We are introducing the backbone organization aka, our awesome internal team here at Lancaster Clean Water Partners!  


Episode 13 with Justin Sauder and Terry Kauffman
#13
10/03/2024

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We sat down with Terry Kauffman and Justin Sauder, two of the partner leads in East Earl Township.  What a great story about collaboration with landowners, foresight by leadership and a municipality making a difference!  We also played the most mixed-bag round of trivia.

For information about the Clean Water Fund Awardees, go to https://lancastercleanwaterpartners.com/clear-water-fund-small-implementation-grantees-announced/

For more information about the work East Earl Township is doing, go to https://www.eastearltwp.org/


Episode 12 with Matt Royer and Cathleen Anthony
#12
09/19/2024

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In this episode, we're talking about Lancaster Watershed Leadership Academy with Matt Royer, Associate Director of Partnerships & Engagement at Penn State, a        member of the Board of Trustees for Lancaster Clean Water Partners and co-founder of Lancaster Watershed Leadership Academy and Cathleen Anthony, Pennsylvania Projects Associate, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and a graduate of the 2023 Lancaster Watershed Leadership Academy class.

To apply, nominate a potential scholar or to learn more about Lancaster Watershed Leadership Academy, click here. 






Episode 11 with Lauren Beal
#11
09/05/2024

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We are back and kicking off season 2 with a doozie!
Lauren Beal is the Executive Director of the Lancaster STEM Alliance, the Associate Director of Educational Partnerships at IU13 and a member of the Board of Trustees at Lancaster Clean Water Partners.  She talks about the amazing programs available to students through Lancaster STEM Alliance and IU13, tells us who she would add to Mount Rushmore and celebrates getting an acronym buzz!

Links to programs and events mentioned in the episode:
Workforce 2030 Summit: https://www.lancasterstem.org/w...


Episode 10 - LiveSTREAM
#10
06/13/2024

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This season finale is a celebration of the stories, the guests and the fun of our first season.  This episode was recorded live on Facebook from Stauffer Run in Lancaster, PA, so the audio is not as clear as it normally is.  To see the video, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzPBBWdoq2A.  Special thanks to Christina Martin, who served as our technical director during the live recording.
Thank you to everyone who made season 1 a success.  We will be back in September with season 2!


Episode 9 with Carly Dean
#9
05/30/2024

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In this episode, we talk with Carly Dean, the Director of Chesapeake Tributary Initiatives for Chesapeake Conservancy.  We hear from Carly about the Chesapeake view of the work being done in Lancaster County, the Conservancy's work with GIS (Geographic Information Systems) mapping and her favorite Halloween costume .  You can see the character on which it was based at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15YNpxpP0DgJV7a1RwHUgcGkFmxQV5es1. 
It was a blast having Carly on the show!


Episode 8 - Water Week with Kelly Snavely and Keith Williams, part 2
#8
05/16/2024

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We are back with part 2 of our Lancaster Water Week conversation with Kelly Snavely and Keith Williams of Lancaster Conservancy.  
The 8th Annual Lancaster Water Week will be held June 7-15, 2024!
Special thanks to the event sponsor, High Foundation.

For more information and event schedules, go to LancasterWaterWeek.org


Episode 7 - Water Week with Kelly Snavely and Keith Williams part 1
#7
05/02/2024

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Lancaster Water Week is June 7 - 15, 2024

In part 1 of 2, we are talking with Kelly Snavely and Keith Williams from Lancaster Conservancy.  Along with a team of volunteers, they are planning this year's celebration, which boasts over 60 events all across Lancaster County.  We find out more details about Lancaster Water Week, find out the titles of Kelly and Keith's autobiographies and play half a round of trivia.

Thank you to Lancaster Water Week presenting sponsor the High Foundation, and all other sponsors and partners for making this celebration of our st...


Episode 6 with Adam Ortiz
04/18/2024

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We hit the big time with this episode's guest!  Adam Ortiz is the Regional Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency!  He talks about collaboration, the work being done in PA and tests the limits of the acronym rule.  He also "phones a friend" during trivia (that's new)!  What a treat to have him on the show!

Don't forget to tell us what you like most about spring.  We will pick a random response and give the sender a prize!  info@lancastercleanwaterpartners.com


Episode 5 with Steve Campbell
#5
04/04/2024

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In this episode, we talk with Steve Campbell, the Director of Public Works for the City of Lancaster and a member of the Board of Trustees for Lancaster Clean Water Partners.  We hear from Steve about the Combined Sewer Overflow, green infrastructure and his very interesting backstory.  Kenn gets buzzed for using an acronym and Allyson is rendered speechless by Steve's icebreaker answer.


Episode 4 with Molly Deger
#4
03/21/2024

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In this episode, we talk with Molly Deger, the Deputy Director of Public Works in the Sustainability & Environment Division for the City of Lancaster.  We discuss the City's combined sewer overflow, neighborhood engagement and the Climate Action Plan.  We even have a debate over the number of sleeping bag shapes!  If you know the correct answer, please let us know at info@lancastercleanwaterpartners.com.


Episode 3 with Sally Reynolds
#3
03/07/2024

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In this episode, we talk with Digital Operations Marketing Director for LNP Media Group and 2023 Lancaster Watershed Leadership Academy graduate, Sally Reynolds. We learn about her take on news coverage of clean water, her involvement with Lower Susquehanna Riverkeepers and what a bubblegum welder is.  And, of course, we play a round of trivia.


Episode 2 with Lamonte Garber
#2
02/22/2024

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The train keeps a' rollin'!
In this episode, we chat with Lamonte Garber; Watershed Restoration Coordinator at Stroud Water Research Center, conservation rock star, and Good Natured Pennsylvanian!  We talk about streamside buffers, what makes Pennsylvania special in the water world and how a Swiss army knife differs from a jogging light.
And we play a tricky round of conservation lightning round trivia!

Picture of Swiss Army Knife and running light

For more information about Stroud Water Research Center, click here.



Episode 1 with Monique Dykman
#1
02/08/2024

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In this episode, we chat with Monique Dykman, the MS4 Environmental Specialist at Londonderry Township (and yes, she explains what MS4 is).  We discuss the Conewago Floodplain Restoration Project, how Allyson and Monique met...and Kenn's love of a good meadow.  And, of course, we play another round of lightning round conservation trivia! 

For more information about the Conewago Creek Restoration Projects, go to https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c3a1e7e257f54ad59b237e1d40417fa9


Origins with Chris Thompson
#1
01/22/2024

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In our premiere episode, we talk with Chris Thompson, the District Manager of Lancaster County Conservation District, about the origins of Lancaster Clean Water Partners.

If your organization would like to become a partner, please go to https://lancastercleanwaterpartners.com/partner-sign-up/


Promo
12/06/2023

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