|
Conservation INsight
August 31, 2022
| | |
|
September 16 Deadline
for Conservation Award*
and
Resolution** Submissions
|
Applications and guidelines for the State Conservation Awards can be found at the links below. | |
|
*Indiana Conservation Awards
Consider nominating someone as a Friend of Conservation, Conservation Farmer of the Year or Supervisor of the Year! Once the recipients for each of these awards are selected, they are invited to the Awards Luncheon during the 2023 Annual Conference of Indiana SWCDs in January in downtown Indianapolis.
| |
**SWCD Resolution Submission
Resolutions to be considered at the 2023 IASWCD Annual Business Meeting in Indianapolis at the Westin on January 10, 2023 must be submitted by emailing the form to Joe Schmees, or through the online form.
| |
|
Special THANKS to these 80 Indiana SWCDs
who have paid annual dues to IASWCD (as of 8-30-22)
| |
|
Adams
Allen
Benton
Boone
Brown
Carroll
Cass
Clark
Clay
Clinton
Crawford
Daviess
Dearborn
Decatur
DeKalb
Delaware
Dubois
Elkhart
Floyd
Franklin
Fulton
Gibson
Grant
Greene
Hamilton
Hancock
Harrison
| |
|
Hendricks
Henry
Howard
Huntington
Jackson
Jasper
Jay
Jennings
Johnson
Knox
Kosciusko
LaGrange
Lake
LaPorte
Lawrence
Madison
Marion
Marshall
Miami
Monroe
Montgomery
Morgan
Newton
Ohio
Orange
Owen
Parke
| |
|
Perry
Pike
Porter
Posey
Pulaski
Putnam
Randolph
Ripley
Rush
Shelby
St Joseph
Starke
Steuben
Switzerland
Tippecanoe
Tipton
Vanderburgh
Vermillion
Vigo
Wabash
Warren
Warrick
Washington
Wayne
Wells
White
| | |
|
|
e-Survey
for
CCSI 2022 Strategic Plan
You are invited to participate in a survey that will be used to help us revise the current Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative (CCSI).
(You can find the current CCSI Strategic Plan, along with our Mission, Vision, and Values Statements on our website CCSIN.org/about.)
When the plan was updated five years ago, over 375 individuals took part in the process - many by taking an e-Survey. That input was central to shaping our Strategic Plan. With that in mind, we are again asking individuals and organizations who utilize CCSI services, provide advice to CCSI, and/or partner with CCSI on events and projects to complete a survey. It should take about 15 minutes to complete.
| | |
Urban Soil Health Program News | | |
|
|
September 20
Produce Growers Workshop
urban / small farms – Adams County (Amish-oriented)
RSVP by Sept 13
| | |
|
Submit a Breakout Session Proposal for NACD's Annual Meeting
NACD is accepting breakout session proposals for the upcoming 2023 Annual Meeting - to be held in New Orleans, Louisiana on February 11-15, 2023. These informational breakout sessions focus on the work of conservation districts and their partners across the country. Sessions typically run 60-90 minutes long and often showcase several speakers.
| |
|
NACD Annual Prospectus
The NACD Annual Prospectus for the 2023 Fiscal Year is available to view here.
This guide has everything a potential partner needs to know about a variety of ways to engage with NACD. The prospectus covers our year-round programs, events like the Annual Meeting and Summer Conservation Forum, and other programmatic areas.
| |
|
2022 Indiana District Employee Association Conference
Oct. 25-27
Abe Martin Lodge, Nashville, IN
IDEA website Conference page
DEADLINE EXTENDED to September 16
NSE Region is compiling promotional material samples from Indiana SWCDS to share at the conference. Please send your files to swcd.examples@gmail.com
| |
IDEA Mission
To enhance local conservation programs through a network which provides leadership, support, and education for its members and other district employees.
| |
|
Department of Agriculture awarded $7.9 million for Kankakee watershed
INDIANA (Aug. 24, 2022) — USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Indiana announced that it is awarding $7.9 million for the Kankakee Watershed Initiative led by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and funded by the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). RCPP is a partner-driven program that leverages resources to advance innovative projects that address climate change, enhance water quality and address other critical challenges on agricultural and forest land.
“Our partners are experts in their fields and understand the challenges in their own backyards,” Indiana NRCS State Conservationist Jerry Raynor said.
| |
2022 Indiana Agriculture Photo Contest Winners Announced | District Support Specialist (DSS) Update | |
|
Hoosier Riverwatch Workshops
Interested in learning about water quality and protecting Indiana's waterways? The Indiana Department of Environmental Management staff can arrange an educational workshop for your group!
| |
Riffles & Pools
newsletter
| |
|
|
Hoosier Headlines
Indiana NRCS newsletter
| |
New Resources for Agriculture Easements
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) works in partnership with the American Farmland Trust’s (AFT) Farmland Information Center to develop resources that helps landowners and entities through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Programs (ACEP) agricultural land easement (ALE) option. These resources build on earlier materials that introduced NRCS, conservation easements and ACEP. The new resources include two new factsheets that explain the NRCS Minimum Deed Terms:
|
USDA Awards Farmers Helping Hellbenders Project $2.7 Million in Funding
Story by Wendy Mayer
August 15, 2022
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is awarding $197 million for 41 locally led conservation projects through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). RCPP is a partner-driven program that leverages partner resources to advance innovative projects that address climate change, enhance water quality, and address other critical challenges on agricultural land.
| |
|
August 24, 2022 - USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Indiana announced that it is awarding $7.9 million for the Kankakee Watershed Initiative led by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and funded by the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). RCPP is a partner-driven program that leverages resources to advance innovative projects that address climate change, enhance water quality and address other critical challenges on agricultural and forest land.
| |
National FFA Volunteer Opportunity
The FFA National Convention and Expo will be returning to Indianapolis this year and will run from October 26-28. As in years past, NRCS will be supporting the Natural Resources and Environment Judging event and we are asking for volunteer assistance from partnership staff. This event will take place on Thursday, October 27 from 11AM-2PM at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Judges are separated into two categories:
- Verbal Judging: Students will be provided a scenario that addresses an environmental/natural resource problem from soils, water, ecosystems and waste management. Teams are required to develop a statement that addresses the questions in the scenario and give an oral presentation justifying the decisions made by the team. Each team will have eight minutes to make their presentation. There will be an additional five minutes given to each team to address questions from the judges.
-
Teamwork Judging: While the students are preparing their oral presentations, a group of judges will evaluate how well the team members work together to develop their statement and presentation. If you would like to volunteer for one of these events, please contact Kris Vance at: kris.vance@usda.gov
| |
|
Indiana Watershed Leadership Program:
Learn to be a Leader in Conservation and Watershed Management
Sign up now to improve your engagement and management skills!
If you are interested in water quality, soil health, education, outreach, conservation and/or watersheds, consider applying for the 2023 Indiana Watershed Leadership Academy. The 17th Annual Academy will include both virtual and in-person workshops to learn watershed and leadership skills. This format will include in two in person, two-day sessions January 4-5 and March 29- 30 followed by a one-day graduation session on May 24, 2023. Additionally, six virtual one-hour sessions will occur from January to May 2023 allow you to take advantage of Indiana’s watershed experts from the comfort of your home or office. Enrollment deadline: Nov 4.
| |
|
Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing Workshop
The Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing Workshop teaches grant writers of all skill levels how to prepare and submit a professional proposal. Lunch and materials are provided on both days of this two-day interactive workshop. Cost: $195.
| |
|
“The Nature of Oaks”
Webinar with author Doug Tallamy
September 13 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Join IFWOA on this Zoom webinar as we learn from Dr. Doug Tallamy about our amazing oaks and their ecological contributions.
Free for IFWOA members, $5 for nonmembers, registration is required to receive the Zoom link.
Oaks sustain a complex and fascinating web of wildlife. The Nature of Oaks reveals what is going on in oak trees month by month, highlighting the seasonal cycles of life, death, and renewal. From woodpeckers who collect and store hundreds of acorns for sustenance to the beauty of jewel caterpillars, Tallamy illuminates and celebrates the wonders that occur right in our own yards and restorations. He also shares practical advice about how to plant and care for an oak, along with information about the best oak species for your area. The Nature of Oaks will inspire you to treasure these trees and to act to nurture and protect them.
| |
INPS Biodiversity Grants
Indiana Native Plant Society supports well-conceived grant projects that are in line with our mission: To promote the appreciation, preservation, scientific study, and use of plants native to Indiana. To teach people about their beauty, diversity, and importance to our environment.
INPS Biodiversity Grants are awarded in three categories:
- Research
- Demonstration Garden
- Land Management and Conservation
Grants must be submitted September 1, 2022 through October 1, 2022 for project completion in 2023.
| |
|
Grant Funds for Forestry Education
The Indiana Forestry Educational Foundation (IFEF) is pleased to announce the availability of competitive grant funds to help educate and inform woodland owners and/or the public about forestry, woodland management and other Indiana forestry related topics.
If you have an idea for an education product or event for 2023, please consider submitting an application. The opportunity for award of IFEF grants, which are available up to $500.00 grant awards, and up to $1000 awards for special projects, are available for application through September 18. Awards will be announced in November.
| |
Indiana Water Summit
(Registration closes Sept 2)
Sept 7 & 8
The Athenaeum, Downtown Indy
9:00-3:30 each day
- Learning opportunities
- Networking opportunities
- Collaboration opportunities
Be part of these important conversations about our most critical shared resource, WATER!
| |
|
Save the Date!
New Discussion Leader Training
October 20
9am-3pm
Hendricks Co Fairgrounds
1900 E. Main, Danville, IN 46122
| |
Native Seed Grant Applications Now Open!
Apply by October 1, 2022
We're thrilled to share that Pollinator Partnership (P2), in collaboration with Toyota Motor North America, is once again offering a native wildflower seed grant program!
Through this program, P2 seeks to provide FREE supplemental native wildflower seed to assist large-scale habitat projects and further the impact of their current efforts. Our goal is to help enhance 4,000 acres of pollinator habitat by May 2023.
| |
|
Wetland Restoration Workshop
Date: October 1-2, 2022
Time: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Location: Located at Cooper Farm, part of the Ball State University Field Station and Environmental Education Center in Muncie, Indiana.
Cost: Student = $150;
Professional = $350
Registration: Register here by Wednesday, September 26, 2022
Contact: John Taylor at jetaylor@bsu.edu or 765-285-2641
Who should attend: Students, biologists, foresters, hydrologists, engineers, forest planners, and technicians. You do not need wetland experience to attend.
|
|
|
Job Postings :
Current list of Conservation Job Opportunities now posted on the IASWCD website.
Note: Job Postings can be submitted to Amy Work at: amy-work@iaswcd.org . Please include job description and deadline to apply in a single PDF file or with a link.
| |
|
Upcoming Conservation Events:
August 31 - Summer District Meeting, Huntington
Sept 1 - Soil Health Field Day, Clay Co
Sept 7 - New Cover Crops & Old Eqpmnt, Porter Co
Sept 7-8 - Indiana Water Summit
Sept 9 -Conservation Connection Field Day, Monroe Co
Sept 13 - "The Nature of Oaks" Webinar
Sept 16 - Deadline: Resolutions & Conservation Awards
Sept 20 - Urban and Small Farms, Adams Co
Oct 1-2 - Wetland Restoration Workshop, Ball State
Oct 20 - New Discussion Leader Training, W4L
*As events sometimes have to pivot from in-person to virtual, we encourage you to please check the individual hosting organization's website and/or Facebook page for the latest information on locations, guidelines and details. Thank you.
| | | | | |
