Watershed Stewards of Twin Lakes

What started out as a grass roots group of concerned citizens of Twin Lakes in 2024 has now become a model movement for keeping lake waters pristine.

Jeff McQuaid, co-founder of the group along with John Galanti, is passionately involved in protecting and preserving not only Twin Lakes, but also watersheds across the larger community of Pike County.

What’s the biggest threat to Pennsylvania lakes?

“Your neighbor!” McQuaid said.

He added that the difference between management and stewardship is that while management is taking action, stewardship is changing behavior. Thus, the group’s effort is to educate the 500 homeowners of Twin Lakes as well as the larger community about reduced runoff, invasive species like the Curly-leaf Pondweed, E.coli, septic failure, and more.

Working hand-in-hand with organizations such as the Pike County Conservation District, the Penn State Master Watershed Steward program, and other leading environmental organizations, this 501(c) (3) has made tangible improvements to water quality, community engagement, and lake stewardship. All members of their Board of Directors have gone through the Penn State Extension stewardship program and have become certified Master Watershed Stewards.

Efforts of the group to educate the younger population began with a pilot program at Shohola Elementary School, which included a curriculum based on conservation materials, a teacher’s guide, a Power Point presentation, and a book called, “The Rain Barrel Rangers.”

The book is the story of Shohola Lola and Lackawaxen Jackson and how they discover rain barrels which collect rain from the roofs of houses, so it doesn’t flow into a creek. They learn from Lola’s mom that rain barrels help to prevent soil erosion.

The characters were created by David Borchart, an illustrator from The New Yorker magazine. Borchart designed the book and brought in Susanna Pinchot as the illustrator. Pinchot is the great-granddaughter of conservationist Gifford Pinchot, and she was delighted to be able to combine her own background in conservation and the environment with her love of drawing. The story was written by Jeff McQuaid.

“It’s really important to be able to help kids understand storm water and conservation in fun, tangible ways,” McQuaid said.

The Watershed Stewards left a rain barrel at the school. McQuaid is passionate about the impact of this local program to serve as a model for other schools and conservation districts and to inspire kids to care for their environment. He is very open and welcoming to have people join the efforts of this Watershed program and has made efforts to share the knowledge and replicable programs to other lake communities within Pike County. They are always welcoming people to learn, and volunteer.

On the website www.stewardsoftwinlakes.org, there is information about a Curly-Leaf Pondweed Webinar on Aug. 13 from 6-6:45 p.m. There will be speakers from Pennsylvania Sea-Grant, a national program established by Congress to enhance the conservation of natural resources for a more healthy environment.

For more information about the webinar or the program, email info@stewardsoftwinlakes.org.