Third Annual EAC Fall Gathering is in the Books! – Technologist

Unless otherwise noted, photographs courtesy of Montgomery County Planning Commission. 

WeConservePA and our host, the Montgomery County Planning Commission, were pleased to present the third annual EAC Fall Gathering on Saturday, October 5^th in the Learning Center on the Temple University, Ambler campus. Before the main event began, Ambler Arboretum staff led early arrivals on a private tour of the arboretum and campus grounds.  The weather was clear and cool, allowing for a pleasant as well as informative walk and talk. Split into three groups, the tours focused on different aspects of arboretum’s work, including Sustainability, Resilience, and Native plantings and Invasives Management.

I really enjoyed the morning walk through the arboretum.  The staff members were very knowledgeable and helpful, and the grounds were lovely.  Hope to return soon to see more.

Back by popular demand, the main program kicked off with a Lightning Session, featuring short presentations by EAC representatives and municipal leaders, highlighting a range of projects, successes, and emerging issues.  These sessions, limited to ten minutes in length, are not designed to be a deep dive, rather they are intended to spark conversation and inspire attendees to consider new ideas.  Early evaluation results reveal that this continues to be a popular portion of the day’s activities, and one that folks want to see continue in future events.

All of the presentations in the lightning session were interesting and enjoyable, and the mix of presenters was good.

After lunch and networking, the program continued with six breakout sessions. We are grateful to a full roster of fantastic speakers who helped inform and educate EAC members and municipal staff on a range of topics, including Electrification for Communities, Parking Reform, Energy Audits, Protecting Groundwater Resources, Meadow Management, and Event Planning for EACs. Guidance on the agenda was provided by a planning committee encompassing members of the Lansdale Borough EAC, Upper Gwynedd Township EAC, Towamencin Township EAC, New Hanover Township EAC, Springfield Township EAC (Montco), and Upper Merion EAC.

It was great to learn about electrification options, issues, and examples. The presenters brought different perspectives than I’ve heard before, and the session increased my understanding and knowledge.

Statistics

Number of attendees: 85 (representing 47 unique organizations, including 28 EACs or EAC equivalent)
Number of speakers: 19 (across plenary and total of 6 breakout sessions)
Evaluation Results: Event 4.7 / Location 4.8 / Educational Sessions: 4.6

This is my third fall EAC conference- always well organized, informative and enjoyable.

Get Involved

If you would like to be a part of planning for the annual EAC Virtual Conference, or If your EAC would be interested in hosting the next Fall Gathering, reach out to Carol Grayshaw at [email protected].

Organizations Represented

Abington Township EAC
Ambler EAC
Burns Group
Center for Watershed Protection
Charlestown Township EAC
Chester County Planning Commission
Chester County Water Resources Authority
City of Allentown
City of Bethlehem EAC
City of Easton EAC
City of Reading
Delaware River Basin Commission
DVRPC
First Energy Corporation
Hatboro EAC
Jenkintown EAC
Lansdale Borough EAC
Lower Gwynedd Township
Lower Providence Township EAC
Lower Soucon Township EAC
Middletown Township
Montgomery County Planning Commission
New Britain Township EAC
New Hanover Township EAB
Newtown Township EAC
Northampton Community College
Palmer Township ESC
Philadelphia Solar Energy Association
Plymouth Township EAB
Radnor Township EAC
Schuylkill Township EAC
Spotts, Stevens and McCoy (Practical Energy Solutions)
Springfield (Montgomery County) EAC
Swarthmore EAC
Township of Lower Merion EAC
Tredyffrin Bird Town Pennsylvania
Upper Dublin Township EPAB
Upper Gwynedd Township EAC
Upper Merion Township EAC
WeConservePA
West Bradford Township Land Preservation & Sustainability Committee
West Hanover Township EAC
West Norriton Township EAC
West Pikeland Township
West Vincent EAC
Whitehall Township EAC
Whitpain Township EAC