UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Inspiration can strike in the most unexpected places, and for Cindy Pizziketti, it emerged during the cleanup of an illegal dump site in rural York County.

“The trash was so deep and concentrated,” she said. “We stood together, laughing about a huge quantity of Mrs. Butterworth’s syrup or creepy baby dolls or shouting for everyone to see the box turtle and salamanders we found,” Pizziketti said.

As a Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward volunteer, she said her most meaningful projects have involved collaboration.

“We knew that this amount of trash would quickly fill the 30-yard dumpster we had,” she continued. This led to the idea of removing 50,000 pounds of trash for the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act in 2022.

“That amount of trash seemed like an insurmountable goal, but we started talking to other like-minded organizations, such as the Watershed Alliance of York, Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association and the Conestoga River Club, and the dream became a reality,” she said. “It made cleanup activities more exciting as we watched the totals grow and worked with individuals from both York and Lancaster counties.”

Since joining the Master Watershed Steward program in 2017, Pizziketti has volunteered more than 2,400 hours, the highest in York County.

“Her time commitment and dedication to the Master Watershed Steward program and other conservation organizations in York County is astounding,” said Jodi Sulpizio, natural resources extension educator and Master Watershed Steward coordinator in York County.

“Our Master Watershed Steward program would not be where it is today without Cindy,” Sulpizio added. “She is a driving force in our group and can always be found lending a hand at projects or teaching at our education events.”

Pizziketti said the program drew her interest because it could benefit her work with youth. “I was especially interested in sharing the world of aquatic macroinvertebrates with children,” she said.

As a volunteer, Pizziketti has taught many programs for York County libraries, youth camps, schools and Envirothon — an environmental knowledge competition for children.

“I would say teaching youth is probably her greatest enjoyment as a volunteer,” Sulpizio said. “She is gifted and can present with such enthusiasm and contagious energy.”

Planting trees is another passion. “Every week, Cindy can be found out planting or maintaining a riparian forest buffer,” Sulpizio said, estimating that Pizziketti has planted thousands of trees.

“When I first started as a volunteer, I imagined that all my time would be spent in the water, but our land-based activities impact water quality so much that I spend much of my time planting trees and educating young people,” Pizziketti said.

She also made significant contributions to planting at the Horn Farm Center for Agricultural Education in York.

Pizziketti participates in many stream clean-ups as well. “She can always be found mucking around in the mud picking trash from in and around York County streams and the mighty Susquehanna River,” Sulpizio said.

As a member of the York County Stream Team, Pizziketti regularly tests stream water quality. Her monitoring has identified major pollution in York County streams and led to change and pollution reductions.

Pizziketti also helps coordinate Street 2 Creek, an annual contest in which artists paint environmentally themed murals around storm drains. The artwork is aimed at raising awareness about the harmful impacts of stormwater runoff on waterways.

“She has been instrumental in making that program a success,” Sulpizio said. “She coordinates the artist paint days and regularly seals and cleans the painted drains.”

Pizziketti said the program gave her an opportunity to meet like-minded people and made her feel less helpless about concerns such as climate change. “I can’t fix big issues, but I feel empowered to advocate and work to make small changes in my community,” she said.

“Cindy is one of the most dedicated and determined people I know,” Sulpizio said. “She has such a passion to make a difference in the conservation world. However, she is very humble and does not thrive on recognition. She is simply self-driven and committed to quietly do what she can to protect and restore our waterways."

The Penn State Master Watershed Steward program provides extensive training in watershed management to volunteers who, in return, educate the community about watershed stewardship based on university research and recommendations. The program was established to strengthen local capacity for management and protection of watersheds, streams and rivers by educating and empowering volunteers across the commonwealth.

Anyone interested in becoming a Master Watershed Steward can learn more about the program on the Penn State Extension website.