Conservation Update
August 14 - August 27, 2014 
iaswcd logo
Top News

Two Counties Receive IASWCD District Showcase Award

Congratulations to our 2014 District Showcase award winners! Clay County and Vanderburgh County were selected this year for their projects in conservation and community outreach.

Clay County's Tree/Shrub Seedling Giveaway resulted in the planting of 1900 trees in their community. In addition to the trees planted, their project also created a ripple effect in the community by increasing interest in backyard conservation practices, in particular among local students. 

swcd logo Vanderburgh County's "Big Read" project focused on education, partnering with several organizations including the University of Southern Indiana, WNIN public broadcasting, the Evansville Public Library, and Evansville schools and senior centers. The project brought together students with farmers and other seniors who lived through the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, to read The Grapes of Wrath and participate in discussions about the importance of conservation in agriculture.

The District Showcase winners will be honored during the IASWCD Annual Conference, on January 12-13, 2015.


Learn to be a Leader in Watershed Management

If you're interested in water quality and watersheds, consider applying for the 2015 Indiana Watershed Leadership Academy. The Academy, organized by Purdue University with support from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and other Indiana conservation agencies and organizations, gives participants the chance to: 
  • Engage in basic and advanced level watershed topics covering leadership principles, watershed science, organization and communication, technology and GIS, stakeholder involvement techniques and policy skills 
  • Meet, learn from, and build a network of peers 
  • Interact with topic experts 
  • Gain strategies, skills, and resources for successful watershed management 
  • Earn a Professional Certificate in Watershed Management
2014 Watershed Leadership Academy participants.
2014 Watershed Leadership Academy participants.

Training includes three face-to-face group sessions and distance learning, online (approximately 3-4 hrs./week). The Academy runs from January to May, 2015. Specific workshop dates are January 14-15, March 25-26, and May 20, 2015.


For more information and to fill out the application, please contact Laura Esman or see the Academy's webpage.

 Enrollment deadline: November 3, 2014
 
CCSI News

"Livestock, Forages, and Cover Crops for Healthier Soils" Field Day September 15

The "Livestock, Forages, and Cover Crops for Healthier Soils" field day on September 15 in Connersville will offer livestock producers, those who harvest hay and silage, and anyone who pastures animals a day of learning about methods to improve their soil health. 

Hollen Family Farms raises grass-fed beef and uses cover crops as part of a transition from row-crop to permanent pasture. Photo credit: Chris Hollen
Hollen Family Farms raises grass-fed beef and uses cover crops as part of a transition from row-crop to permanent pasture. Photo credit: Chris Hollen

Fayette County SWCD Supervisor Terry Hillman remarked

on the importance of soil health: "Purchasing new farmland is not always an option for your operation, but improving your soil health is one for every farmer. If we can take care of the "livestock" underground, we can improve efficiency above the ground." 

 

Soil health topics to be addressed during the event include:

  • Cover Crops & Grazing
  • Soil Health Systems with Livestock and Cover Crops After Silage
  • Forage & Cover Crops
  • Aerial Seeding, Soil Pits, and Rain Simulator Demonstrations
See the event brochure for more details or visit the online registration site.

 

Keep updated with CCSI events on Facebook and Twitter, or sign up to join our mailing list! 
Other Conservation News
 
ICP Employees Participate in On Farm Network Training

 

The Indiana On Farm Network (OFN) held its first general staff training on August 18, 2014 at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis.  Thirty-four people attended representing all 24 2014 OFN groups.  Attendees spent a couple of hours getting briefed on the current status of OFN in Indiana and then played a geo-caching game to refresh their Garmin GPS skills, before collecting their supplies for this fall's Corn Stalk Nitrate Test (CSNT) sampling.

 

The team of Ashley Brucker, Pulaski Co. SWCD; Ben Reinhart, Clinton Co. SWCD; Candace Kindt, Delaware Co. SWCD, and Judy Buttice, Cass Co. SWCD, completed the geo-caching first and won Leatherman Multi Tools courtesy of Indiana Soybean Alliance and Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ISA/ICMC).

Participants of the August 18 On Farm Network training at Eagle Creek Park.
Participants of the August 18 On Farm Network training at Eagle Creek Park.

 

Corn Stalk Nitrate Test samples are collected during the narrow window between the corn field reaching black layer (crop maturity) and before it is harvested.  Sampling crew members are drawn from many different parts of the Indiana Conservation Partnership.  Participating growers will receive reports on each field enrolled in the program at Winter Meetings.  The reports include the CSNT results and aerial images of each field.

 

The Indiana On Farm Network is coordinated through ISDA- Division of Soil Conservation.  Contact Meg Leader, mleader@isda.in.gov or 317-460-6158 for more information. 


NACD Awards Application Deadlines

NACD has upcoming deadlines for national awards for conservation work. Click the link to read more details about each award and download nomination forms:
Nomination deadline: August 31, 2014

 
Free Conservation Webinars
 
Agren, Inc. Offers Free Webinars on Engaging Non-Operator Landowners in Conservation

Whether your target audience is absentee landowners or more traditional landowners, like farmers and ranchers, the practices explained in this webinar series will help you develop an outreach effort that gets results. In Part 1, we will review our survey work with non-operator landowners and learn why it is essential to engage this important audience in conservation. Part 2 will highlight lessons learned through pilot projects across the United States and present tips to improve your landowner outreach efforts. 

 

Part 1: Non-Operator Landowners: A Crucial Piece to Natural Resource Conservation?

September 4, 10-11:00 AM or  2014 2-3:00 PM CDT 

 

Part 2: Best Practices for Engaging Non-Operator Landowners 

September 11 10-11:00 AM or   2-3:00 PM CDT 

 

Register to attend any of the sessions here. 

 

 

Urban Forest Connections Webinar Series

  

The USDA Forest Service is launching a new monthly webinar series! Urban Forest Connections webinars will bring experts together to discuss the latest science, practice, and policy on urban forestry and the environment.

 

Whether you work for a state forestry agency, non-profit organization, municipality, university, private industry, public works, or public health and safety, this webinar has something for you! Each month will address a different topic. Presenters will discuss key issues, share the latest research and technologies, and showcase successful projects and partnerships that are putting science into practice.

 

The series will kick off on September 10th with a presentation on Urban Forests for Human Health and Wellness by the University of Washington's Kathleen Wolf and Legacy Health's Teresia M. Hazen. A new webinar will occur on the second Wednesday of each month from 1-2 pm EST. 
Reminders
 
IASWCD Needs Your Historical Photos!

Thank you to everyone who has sent in photos from SWCD history for use at the 2015 Annual Conference. These will be a great part of the 75th anniversary celebration for Indiana SWCDs.

SWCD tree planting. Photo courtesy of Rose Morgan, Newton Co. SWCD.
SWCD tree planting. Photo courtesy of Rose Morgan, Newton Co. SWCD.

 

If you haven't yet, please send us your historical SWCD photos, documents, or anything else. We'll be using these materials for conference publications, a special event, and more and would love to have each and every District represented!

 

Materials can be scanned and emailed to pictures@iaswcd.org. Please make sure each item you send includes a caption or explanation.
Contact Us

 
Upcoming Deadlines

Supervisor Scholarship Application Now Available

November 3:
- Supervisor Scholarship for Annual Conference Applications Due (scroll to the bottom of the page at link for form and instructions)

Annual Awards & Resolutions Due Soon

 

Deadlines are quickly approaching for awards and proposed resolutions. Please see below for links to the necessary forms and instructions. Feel free to contact us with questions at info@iaswcd.org. 

 

September 5:
- Friend of Conservation Award applications due
- Supervisor of the Year Award applications due
 
September 19:
- Proposed Resolutions due (scroll to the bottom of page at link for past resolutions and forms)
 Upcoming Events

Look! These and many, many more events are listed on our statewide events calendar.

Planning an Event? Get it on our calendar using this form!

September 5-6:

September 26-28:
CCSI Events

September 15
Wollyung Farm, Connersville
GrantStation & Current Funding Opportunities

Grantstation
View the latest GrantStation on the IASWCD website. Several other current grants are also posted there.