A36-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 5, 2003
Lancaster Banquet Honors ‘Conservation Ethic 9
MICHELLE KUNJAPPU
Lancaster Farming Staff
NEW HOLLAND (Lancaster
Co.) Approximately 170 people
gathered recently to “recognize
those who epitomize the conser
vation ethic” in Lancaster Coun
ty, according to Don Robinson,
administrator, Lancaster County
Conservation District.
The conservation district’s
52nd annual banquet, conducted
at Yoder’s Country Restaurant,
New Holland, honored both indi
viduals and businesses with
awards highlighting conservation
activities in agriculture, construc
tion, community and public serv
ice, and youth education.
During the evening, Robinson
recognized Warren Archibald, re
tiring district conservationist
with 41 years of service to conser
vation. Archibald, who came to
the Lancaster field office in 1974,
has worked as a “behind-the
scenes conservation professional
for 28 years,” said Robinson.
Archibald “encouraged us al
ways to do whatever we had to
do to get conservation on the
land,” said Robinson.
The Outstanding Cooperator
of the Year was given to Earl G.
and Grace Martin, Ephrata. Over
the years Martin has worked to
convince 11 different landowners
on 17 parcels of land to install
conservation practices such as
waterways and/or terraces on
their property.
His conservation efforts go
back 30 years. He has installed
thousands of feet of waterways
and terraces, besides planting
cover crops or working to get a
stormwater basin and pipe in
stalled.
The 2003 Soil Stewardship
Award went to he John David
Martin family, Churchtown.
Martin’s father, Paul Martin,
began working with the Soil Con
servation District in 1958 by in
stalling contour strips.
John David has added further
improvements such as waterways
and an “Archie basin,” a small
stormwater basin and pipe to
take low water flows. The farm
has also been preserved through
the county agriculture preserva
tion board.
Barbara Rathbone Frank, a bi
ology teacher from Penn Manor
School District, received the En
vironmental Educator Award.
Her curriculum includes such
projects as a reading program for
students to leant about the Ches
apeake Bay watershed. Frank’s
students have also completed
water quality projects on the
Conestoga River and have anal
yzed a nearby construction site.
In addition Jereme Dippner,
Jacob Ault, and Steve Witmer
were recognized for their volun
teer work at the Lancaster Coun
ty Youth Conservation School.
The following people gathered to receive the 2003 Watershed Award:
Jinnen Boyle, Pennsylvania DEP; Roy Baldwin, state representative;
Michelle Spitko, president, Little Conestoga Watershed Alliance; Dan
Synoracki, on the board of directors; and Matt Kofroth, watershed spe
cialist at the conservation district.
The following people received the Conservation of Natural Resources Award for the
Lake Placida project: Jim Baney, Landstudies project manager; Brad Clubb, president,
Flyway Excavating; Dan Errett, Lake, Boeder, Hillard and Associates; Larry Bekelja, Eliz
abthtown College; and James Wenger, Derek and Edson Associates.
Dippner, Ault, and Witmer, for
mer conservation school students,
returned to the school to serve as
counselors.
Kauffman’s Fruit Farm, Bird-
In-Hand, was the recipient of the
Lancaster County Youth Conser
vation School Service Award. For
several years the business has
supported the conservation
school’s food preparation.
Several organizations were in
volved in an effort to restore
beauty and water quality to Eliz
abethtown College’s Lake Plac
ida.
The college received one of two
Building Industry Conservation
Awards, the Conservation of
Natural Resources Award.
The designing, landscaping.
Barbara Rathbone Frank, a biology
teacher from Penn Manor School District,
received the Environmental Educator
Award. She is joined by Sadie Gregory, ed
ucation coordinator for the conservation
district.
engineering, and construction ef
forts help to manage storm water,
in addition to efforts such as
planting flowers, controlling the
waterfowl population, removing
sediment, and slow erosion along
the water’s edge.
Involved with the project were
Derek and Edson Associates, Fly
way Excavating, Inc., Landstu
dies, and Lake Roeder, Hillard
and Associates.
Jake King, Ja-Lyn Developers,
received the Conservation of Nat
ural Resources Award during the
banquet. The award recognized
his work for the past 10 years de
veloping the Rockwoods project
in Mount Joy Township.
Also honored for their part in
the project were Abel Construc
The 2003 Soil Stewardship Award went
to John David Martin and his wife Mary.
Jake King, left, Ja-Lyn Developers, also received the Conservation of
Natural Resources Award. Also receiving awards as part of the project
were Tony Kreider, Abel Construction Company; Blaine Miller, Mount Joy
Township; and Kim Graybill, Rettew Associates.
tion for site work, Rettew Associ
ates for plan design, and Mount
Joy Township.
The project included land
which was not prime farmland,
significant woodland, or land ad
jacent to wetlands. The award
recognized the project’s erosion
control methods, topsoil conser
vation, and water system upgrad
ing.
The Watershed Excellence
Award went to the Little Cones
toga Watershed Alliance
(LCWA), an organization that
has worked for the past three
years on restoring portions of the
Little Conestoga Creek water
shed. i f
Restoration efforts Included re
storing a tributary stream and
The Youth Conservation
School Counselor Award
went to Jereme Dippner,
with more than three years
of service to the school. He
is joined by his wife Julie.
Warren Archibald, retir
ing district conservationist,
holds a picture of the
James Kreider farm, where
he helped to install conser
vation practices when he
came to the Lancaster field
dfffceln 1974.
helping landowners establish for
ested riparian buffers. The group
has also worked to educate local
residents about watershed issues
by conducting municipal officials
meetings, educational workshops,
and native landscaping pro
grams.
Additionally, Katie Nickles
and Mark Rineer Jr. were recog
nized as recipients of the Lancas
ter County Conservation District
Ann Brow Memorial Scholarship
for 2002.
Nickles is attending Penn State
and studying environmental re
source management. Rineer is at
tending Virginia Polytechnic In
stitute and majoring in fisheries
science.
The Lancaster County Conser
vation District accepts applica
tions from graduating seniors
planning to pursue a major that
focuses on resources or conserva
tion.