New Field Guide Looks at Aquatic Plants

Duckweed or Pennywort? If you’re unsure about aquatic plants, a new pocket-size guide can help.

“A Field Guide to Common Aquatic Plants of Pennsylvania” details more than 40 common plants found in ponds and waterways, offering a written description, drawing, and photograph for each.

It flags invasive as well as endangered species and cautions that trying to mechanically control some plants can actually make them become more of a problem if they reproduce quickly when broken apart.

View a PDF here, or purchase a hard copy through the Penn State Cooperative Extension Westmoreland County, 214 Donohoe Road, Suite E, Greensburg, PA 15601. Copies are $11; mail orders, add $2.00 shipping.

Conservation Resource Library

Located In the Westmoreland Conservation District headquarters

Free and Open to the Public

Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Closed weekends and holidays.

You’re welcome to visit, browse, and borrow from The Westmoreland Conservation District’s Conservation Resource Library.

The library has hundreds of conservation-related books, videos, and magazines on a wide range of subjects – from plant science to green building, from no-till farming to forestry – and they’re all available for borrowing free-of-charge.

Christie Sebek, District secretary, is available to help locate items or explain the library’s procedures. Resources can be signed out for up to two weeks. There is no charge to use the library, but overdue and replacement fees will be charged to ensure that resources are returned.

Resources are available on these subjects

Agriculture

Conservation District

Dirt and Gravel Roads

Erosion Control

Education

Environmental Awareness

Energy

Forestry

Government-Environment

Green Living

Heritage

Land Use

Plant Science

Pollution

Recycling

Reference and Directories

Science/Biology

Soil

Water Issue

New titles

Here are some of the most recent additions to the library.

Power with Nature-Solar and Wind Energy Demystified by Rex A. Ewing

Positive Impact Forestry by Thom E. McEvoy

Lake and Pond Management Guidebook by Steve McComas

Managing Cover Crops Profitability by the Sustainable Agriculture Network

Concise Encyclopedia of Environmental Science

Earth by James E. Fulmer

The Solar Electric House by Steven J. Strong and William G. Scheller

Solar Living Source Book-Your Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Technologies and Sustainable Living by John Schaeffer

Wind Energy Basics-A Guide to Small and Micro Wind Systems by Paul Gipe

Nature Friendly Communities-Habitat Protection and Land Use Planning by Christopher Duerksen and Cara Snyder

The New Ecological Home-A Complete Guide to Green Building Options by Daniel D. Chiras

Forests in Peril by Hazel D. Delcourt

Common Sense Forestry by Hans Morsbach

Insects by Donald J. Borror and Richard E. White

Mammals by William Henry Burt and Richard Philip Grossenheider

Donors

Thank you! to everyone who donated resource materials to the library.

Chris & Heather Droste

Wes Gordon

In memory of Paul Heyworth

Roy and Thelma Kemerer

Rob Knight

Bill & Dorothy Kotsenas

Arthur M. Kromel

Greg Phillips

Betty Reefer, Westmoreland County Agricultural Land Preservation Program

Jim Resh, Indiana Conservation District

William Slosky

The Botanical Society of Westmoreland County

The Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County

Westmoreland Conservation District technical staff