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Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts
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August 31, 2016 |
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August 18 - August 31, 2016
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IASWCD News
Conservation Award applications due September 9
Recognizes individuals or entities who have made an outstanding contribution to soil and water conservation in Indiana. Categories for the Friend of Conservation Award are: Corporate, Individual, and Nonprofit/Government. One winner from each category will be recognized. The winners will be recognized at the Annual Conference of Indiana SWCDs' Conservation Award Banquet.
Honors Hoosier farmers who actively incorporate and practice conservation on the land. One Indiana farmer will be honored as the top conservation-minded producer in the Hoosier state. The winner will be recognized at the Annual Conference of Indiana SWCDs' Conservation Award Banquet.
Honors Soil and Water Conservation District leaders "supervisors" for their outstanding and exemplary achievements and leadership in the protection and enhancement of Indiana's soil and water resources. An overall state winner will be recognized at the Annual Conference of Indiana SWCDs' Conservation Award Banquet.
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NACD News
Indiana Envirothon - District Information Needed
Please email Luanne Holeva (
[email protected]) with any updates to district mailing addresses that have changed over the last year. She needs current:
- District mailing address
- Local high school addresses and person(s) to contact
- Local Extension office mailing address
- Other contacts that might be interested in participating (high school age only)
Survey for District Board Members
The National Association of Conservation Districts, as part of the National Conservation Planning Partnership, is working with NRCS, NASCA, NARC&DC, and NCDEA to request feedback on how they can improve the delivery of conservation planning assistance to farmers and ranchers. They are seeking informed opinions from each of the district board members on their views and experiences regarding the conservation planning process.Elected and appointed district officials can be part of this effort by individually taking a brief online survey. They will not be identified as individuals, and the data will be compiled from all district officials who respond to the survey. The survey is fairly short and can be completed in 8-10 minutes. A few (258) district officials responded to a more limited pilot mailing they did in May. If they responded then, they do not need to respond a second time.
Please have district board members respond
by Tuesday, September 27, 2016.
Access the survey by
clicking here
.
The Resource - NACD's quarterly publication
The summer edition of The Resource
can be
viewed online here.
In this issue of The Resource, there is an in-depth update on what transpired at July's summer meeting in Minneapolis, learn how NACD is partnering for success, and how NACD has been working hard on your behalf representing the interests of conservation districts on and off Capitol Hill. Throughout this edition, you'll find hyperlinks that will redirect you to specific pages on their new and improved website.
If you have any questions about this issue or story ideas for the fall edition, don't hesitate to contact Whitney Forman-Cook, NACD Director of Communications at
[email protected]
.
2017 Stewardship Theme
The NACD Stewardship and Education Committee is pleased to announce the Stewardship Theme for 2017: "Healthy Soils Are Full of Life." Productive soils are the foundation of any healthy ecosystem. As the world's population grows and demand for food production increases, it's essential that we work together to protect and enhance our soils. Find the rules, entry forms, and other resources for the
2017 NACD Poster Contest and the
2016 Photo Contest by clinking on those hyperlinks. Stewardship Week will take place April 30 to May 7, 2017. For more information, visit their
Stewardship Program webpage.
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NRCS News
Science and Technology Training Library: Webinar Portal
Through this webinar portal you can stay up-to-date with the latest research and industry practices in forestry, conservation, bioenergy, climate change and natural resources. These user-friendly webinars provide the opportunity to accrue continuing education credits, from professional accrediting organizations such as Society of American Foresters, International Society of Arboriculture, The Wildlife Society, Certified Crop Advisors, and others. You can receive continuing education credits for select live and on-demand webinars, which makes refreshing your knowledge on natural resource topics from your desktop fast, economical, and easy.
This webinar portal is a service of the
Southern Regional Extension Forestry
Office,
North Carolina State University's Extension Forest Resources
,
Texas AgriLife Extension Service
, other participating land-grant universities, the
USDA
, the
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
, the
USDA Forest Service
, and the
USDA Northeast Climate Hub
.
Below is a list of upcoming webinars. See a complete list of upcoming, planned and recently posted webinars here.
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Partner News
Purdue University
Indiana Watershed Leadership Academy
If you are interested in water quality and watersheds, consider applying for the 2017 Indiana Watershed Leadership Academy. Learn to be a Leader in Watershed Management.
Enroll now to improve your watershed management skills.
Applications now being accepted online for the academy
.
The Indiana Watershed Leadership 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
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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
Enrollment deadline: November 4, 2016
Academy Fee: $700, due on December 16, 2016 (includes lodging and food for overnight and one-day workshops, plus all course materials).
Training includes three face-to-face group sessions and distance learning, online (approximately 3-4 hrs/week). The Academy runs from January to May, 2017. Specific workshop dates are January 18-19, April 5-6, and May 24, 2017.
Participants who complete all requirements earn a Purdue University Professional Certificate in Watershed Management. Purdue Continuing Education Units are also available for an additional $15 fee.
For more information and to fill out the application, please contact Sara Peel,
[email protected]
or see the
Academy Web Page.
IN District Employee Association (IDEA)
2016 Fall Conference - Register Now!
Register for the IDEA Fall Conference scheduled for
October 5-7, 2016
using this
Eventbrite link
. Also, fill out the
registration form
and mail along with a check to Cindy
N
ewkirk, IDEA Treasurer (address on the form).
The agenda
can be viewed
here.
If you would like to participate in the two hour Conservation Tour, please indicate that in the appropriate spot on the registration form as space is limited on this tour.
The confer
ence will be held at the Oakwood Resort in Syracuse, IN. When reserving your room, please inform the resort that you are attending the IDEA conference. Cost: $119/night.
The Indiana Forestry Educational Foundation
IFEF is pleased to announce the availability of competitive grant funds to help educate and inform the public about forestry and Indiana forestry related topics. The opportunity for the awarding of IFEF grants, which are available as $500.00 awards, is available for consideration to those organizations/groups meeting the criteria outlined
here. Completed online grant applications should be submitted no later than 12 am (Midnight) on Saturday, October 1, 2016. IFEF will make grant award announcements in December 2016.
INDIANA, NATURALLY: CHILDREN'S DIVISION
A Nature Photography Contest
The Arts Council of Indianapolis and The Nature Conservancy/Indiana invite children ages 5-12 from across Indiana to submit photographs highlighting the natural beauty of Indiana, to be selected for display at the Indianapolis Artsgarden in January 2017. For more information go to
The Nature Conservancy website. Deadline for submission: September 16.
Indiana Conservation Alliance (INCA)
INCA's Conservation Congress
Cost: $25 per person
When: Friday, September 30th
Where: Abe Martin Lodge, Brown County State Park
Why: Indiana's Future Depends on It
The Indiana Conservation Alliance (INCA) was formed in 2003 to attract increased and permanent funding for land, water, and wildlife conservation in Indiana.
INCA co-chair John Ulmer of Zionsville said, "We have over two dozen organizations in Indiana that support this initiative and will be participating in the Congress; we hope it will attract more individuals and organizations that share the same goals." The Alliance meets before every session of the Indiana General Assembly to set its legislative priorities for conservation.
Tentative speakers include noted Indiana conservationist Bill McCoy of Patoka Wildlife Refuge and Steve Byers and Nancy Williamson of the Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge in Illinois on how to build an effective coalition. DNR Director Cameron Clark has been invited to speak and the Congress will include break out and plenary sessions and feature recent conservation initiatives around the state.
Seating is limited.
CLICK HERE t
o register for the Congress now.
Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Partners in Community Forestry Conference
November 16-17
Indianapolis Marriott Downtown
Conference details including the agenda,
click here
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Other News
Farmers Needed! Seeking Indiana farmers to be part of a study of the economic costs and benefits of cover crops. Farm Foundation and Purdue University are collaborating on this three-year study, which is targeting farms in 37 counties of Indiana.
"Farmers tell us that one of the biggest reasons why they don't adopt conservation practices is the lack of credible information about the economics of these practices," states Purdue University Economist Wally Tyner, who is leading the three-year project. "We are seeking farmers to help us gather the data needed so we can compare economics of systems with and without cover crops," he adds.
To participate, a farming operation must be in one of the following 37 Central or Northeast Indiana counties: Adams, Allen (western), Benton, Blackford, Boone, Carroll, Clinton, Decatur, DeKalb, Delaware, Fayette, Grant, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Huntington, Jay, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Miami, Montgomery, Morgan, Noble, Putnam, Randolph, Rush, Shelby, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Union, Wabash, Wayne, Wells, and Whitley.
For more details and contact information,
click here.
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