INAUGURAL COHORT OF WLCC KICKS OFF PROGRAM

The inaugural cohort of the Working Lands Climate Corps (WLCC) gathered virtually this month to receive guidance and encouragement as they embark on their journey into environmental service.

The WLCC is an initiative that is engaging 126 young leaders in states across the country, working with 28 different public and private organizations, including conservation districts, state associations, Pheasants Forever, Monarch Joint Venture, Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, and more. Young leaders will work with these organizations to address critical issues related to land management and climate change.

“This is a program designed for helping others and helping yourselves,” said Sandy Scott, Senior Advisor to the CEO at AmeriCorps.

Meeting organizers highlighted the roles of the cohort members and the organizations leading the WLCC: The Corps Network, American Climate Corps, Conservation Legacy, NRCS, and NACD. NACD is supporting the education of cohort members, providing a platform for community and education with special live speakers and training to prepare cohort members as they step into their careers.

The inaugural cohort of the WLCC stands at the threshold of a significant journey. With a commitment to collaboration, continuous learning, and active engagement in environmental stewardship, these young leaders are prepared to make a lasting mark on the landscape of conservation and climate action. The future is bright as they step forward to make a difference, one initiative at a time.

Read more about the WLCC orientation on NACD's blog.

REGISTER EARLY FOR NACD'S ANNUAL MEETING AND SAVE!

Have you heard the buzz? NACD wants you to join us at the 2025 Annual Meeting! Hosted in partnership with the Utah Association of Conservation Districts, next year's meeting will take place in Salt Lake City, UT, from February 8-12, 2025. Join us in the Beehive State to explore the theme "Bee the Change: Reaching New Summits in Conservation!"

Registration is now open! Don't let the opportunity fly by. Act now to get an early bird discounted rate.

Explore the new enhanced agenda, including opportunities to hear from an array of speakers and attend one of three unique tours around Salt Lake City!

Ready to book?

All the details on registration and exclusive hotel and travel discounts, including special discounted airfare with Delta Airlines, can be found on NACD's Annual Meeting webpage. If you have any questions or want to be a sponsor for the event, contact events@nacdnet.org. We can't wait to bee in SLC with you!

LEARN MORE ABOUT NACD PROGRAMS & PROJECTS WITH CONSERVATION COFFEES

If you are relatively new to NACD, you may want to learn more about our advocacy process, like how we collect information from districts and some recent successes in Washington, D.C. In NACD’s most recent Conservation Coffee, NACD’s Government Affairs Specialist provided a brief overview of how information flows from our state board members into our policy book and celebrated some recent efforts on behalf of our members. You can watch the recording on NACD’s YouTube and learn more about our federal policy initiatives online.

NACD offers the Conservation Coffees as quick, bi-monthly learning sessions about our activities and programs, as well as an opportunity to network and learn from members. Register here and join us on Zoom for the next coffee on December 12, 3:00 p.m. ET. NACD’s Outreach Subcommittee will share information on Heir’s Property, specifically, what the term means, why it matters in an agricultural and conservation context, and current efforts by the committee to bring awareness to the issue. Registration is free and open to anyone interested in joining, and the session will also be recorded and later added to our Conservation Coffees playlist on YouTube.

PULASKI DISTRICT ADVANCING FOOD SECURITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH URBAN AG

The Pulaski Conservation District in Arkansas, in collaboration with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), is leading a groundbreaking initiative aimed at tackling food insecurity in urban areas through community-driven urban agriculture. This program focuses on building partnerships, educating the community, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices to create lasting food security, particularly in areas identified as food deserts.

In addition to its work with UALR students, the Pulaski Conservation District has forged strong partnerships with local organizations like Children International and Apple Seeds to further their impact. Children’s International, which has a facility in the Oak Forest neighborhood, runs a summer camp each year for middle school-aged youth. As part of their health and nutrition segment, the conservation district teamed up with Apple Seeds, a nonprofit focused on local food systems and better nutrition through healthy eating, to host a special 3-day garden camp at the Oak Forest Community Garden.

This camp offered 48 children a unique, hands-on experience in gardening, where they learned about the vegetables growing in the garden and how those plants connect to nutrition and healthy eating. The kids participated in harvesting produce and then used it to make healthy snacks like smoothies and salsa. Apple Seeds’ program dovetailed perfectly with Children’s International’s educational focus, reinforcing the importance of nutrition in a fun and interactive way. This collaborative event not only promoted healthy eating but also deepened the community’s engagement with local food production, creating a tangible link between urban agriculture and health education.

The partnership between the Pulaski Conservation District and UALR extends far beyond food production, it serves as a critical learning platform for both students and the broader community. As part of this initiative, seven university students were hired to collaborate with district staff, board members, and local partners in managing several community gardens across Pulaski County. These gardens, situated in areas facing food insecurity, are central to the project’s mission of educating residents about sustainable farming practices while increasing access to fresh, nutritious food.

Food insecurity remains a pressing issue in Pulaski County, where 13% of households, or about 53,400 individuals, struggle to secure adequate nutrition. For the student ambassadors, interacting with food banks and food-insecure residents was an eye-opening experience. This firsthand exposure to the daily challenges faced by these communities not only deepened the students’ understanding of local hunger issues but also had a profound emotional impact, strengthening their commitment to making a meaningful difference. By working with these gardens, they help empower the community and contribute to the fight against food insecurity.

“After a year of working the ground, there are three things I realize that I didn’t before. One is the significant level of food insecurity in my own community; two is the challenges of growing my own food; and three is the sense of accomplishment it gave me,” said one student participant.

The ultimate vision of this initiative is to create a model that can be scaled statewide. The Pulaski Conservation District and its partners aim to demonstrate that urban agriculture can not only combat food insecurity but also promote environmental stewardship and community resilience. This initiative has already begun making waves, encouraging staff at UALR to begin the process of developing a certification program in urban agriculture, thus equipping future leaders with the skills and knowledge to expand this work across Arkansas. By combining education, conservation, and community involvement, this initiative is creating a future where food security is accessible to all and urban agriculture is seen as a powerful tool for positive change.

Read the full story on NACD's blog.