Registration for the 2022 NACD Summer Conservation Forum and Tours closes this Friday, June 24! Now is your last chance to sign up to join us in San Juan! Hosted in partnership with the Puerto Rico Association of Soil Conservation Districts, this year's meeting will take place from July 16-19 at the Caribe Hilton Hotel.

You don't want to miss this jam-packed agenda! You will have the opportunity to hear from our speakers from across the Caribbean, Southeast Region, and U.S. in panels, keynote addresses, and breakout sessions; network with other conservation leaders; and join in on one of the tours of the island.

Hotel rooms are still available but filling fast. Rooms must be reserved at the Caribe Hilton by June 26 or at the Hyatt Place San Juan by June 27. More information about registration, accommodations, travel, and more can be found on NACD's website.

The CDs on these islands face many of the same issues as our conservation districts on the continental U.S., specifically, how to address locally relevant resource concerns in the face of a changing climate and with limited funding. Additionally, many of the island districts are extremely isolated and several time zones away from their nearest neighbors, which may limit some of the opportunities for peer-to-peer networking that many districts gain from their membership with NACD.

NACD and NRCS have been working together with the CDs across PIA to encourage more engagement between island districts in the Pacific, as well as across the Pacific Region as a whole. For the past several years Michael Aguon, Pacific Region Chair and President of the Guam Association of Conservation Districts (GACD), Kathrina Reyes Vice President of GACD, and Erica Pangelinan the GACD Project Director have been instrumental in connecting districts on other islands with NACD, while also working closely with NACD Staff, including Dr. Ariel Rivers, Pacific Region Representative, and NRCS Staff to address the specific challenges related to accessing farm bill programs and implementing conservation on the ground in their unique island contexts.

This work is now culminating in a 2-week trip to PIA by NACD President Michael Crowder, NACD Chief Programs Officer Jen Nelligan, and Dr. Rivers. The NACD team is joined by the NRCS Regional Conservationist - West Astor Boozer and NRCS Acting PIA Director J.B. Martin, as well as partners from the Department of Defense, the National Fish and Wildlife Federation, the U.S. Forest Service, and many other partner conservation organizations. The delegation just completed the first portion of the trip in Guam, which featured field tours and partner meetings with both districts on the island, as well as the Governor.

"I really loved meeting the farmers to learn more about their unique agroecosystems and the way they engage with farm bill programs," said President Crowder about the site visits in Guam. "The CD's on the island are well positioned to work with their fantastic partners, and we look forward to supporting them in these efforts." 

The group will continue their visit in Palau this week, with additional opportunities to learn and network with districts and their partners. 

As a program of the National Conservation Foundation (NCF), Envirothon encourages students to expand their knowledge of the environment and natural resources. Each year over 25,000 high school students in the U.S., Canada, and China engage in Envirothon programming and academic competitions. Envirothon participation is currently available to students in 46 U.S. states and in an effort to expand participation to students in all U.S. states and territories, NCF is offering a pilot initiative specifically aimed at creating new Envirothon programs in new locations. 

For years, NCF has partnered with the U.S. Forest Service to offer the NCF-Envirothon Diversity Grant program for existing Envirothon programs with the goal of providing greater equity and inclusion among student access to and participation in Envirothon. Expanding on that goal, the NCF is pleased to announce the New Envirothon Programs Grant Project. This pilot initiative, sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service, will aid U.S. states and territories currently without an existing Envirothon program establish a state- or territory-wide Envirothon educational program and academic competition. If selected, the grant funding can be used to provide seed funding, or start-up capital, to establish a Envirothon educational program and competition, with the ultimate goal of an ongoing, self-sustainable Envirothon program in that U.S. state or territory.

Priority in funding will be given to U.S. states or territories that have never had any type of Envirothon program in the past. States or territories with a history of Envirothon programs and activities can apply provided it has not had any type of Envirothon program or activity (i.e., committees, teams, competitions, etc.) within the last 5 years. Groups from the following states and/or territories are eligible to apply: American Samoa, Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Northern Mariana Islands, Nevada, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Wyoming, as well as the Republic of Palau.

Applications for up to $8,500.00 are being accepted from groups in the eligible locations interested in starting an Envirothon program. See the full Request for Proposals here. Applications are due August 31, 2022, by 11:59 p.m. ET.

Learn more about the NCF-Envirothon at www.envirothon.org or by following us social media; Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

On June 2-3, 2022 in Lafayette, Louisiana, on the campus of St Thomas More Catholic High School, the program, "Digging Deep!," was held to educate teachers on soil health and its importance.

"Although there are many workshops available there wasn’t one for teachers specifically on soil," said John Dupuis, a high school educator and conservationist involved in organizing the event. "None existed, so this was our opportunity to fill a void and spread the word to educators on the complex and important topics in soil science.”

Nine teachers participated in the professional development workshop about soil health. Presentations were given by NRCS Soil Research Scientists Rachel Stout Evans and Brandon Waltman on soil basics, soil health and sustainability, and soil interpretations. University of Louisiana-Lafayette (ULL) Environmental Science faculty member Dr. Anna Paltseva also spoke about urban soils.

On the second day the class spent most of their time in the field. Participants went to the ULL Experimental Farm in Cade, LA where they learned how to do soil interpretations in two soil pits, each representing a different soil series. Soil interpretations are crucial because they help in the development of reasonable and effective alternatives for the use and management of soil, water, air, plant, and animal resources.

The program aimed to leave teachers with knowledge and passion about soil health to share within their classrooms.

Last week NACD announced the release of an updated Wildfire Desk Guide. Created in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, the Wildfire Desk Guide is a resource for conservation districts and organizations to advance the goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy.

For more information on the Wildfire Desk Guide, please visit the NACD website.

Director of Communications: NACD seeks a full-time Director of Communications to oversee both internal and external communications and work closely across NACD’s policy, education, and member services teams on strategic communications priorities to ensure successful delivery of NACD’s style, brand, and marketing. This position manages project portfolio and grants deliverables with dynamic team of staff and contractors. Apply by June 24 to receive priority consideration.

Finance and Administration Specialist: NACD is seeking a full-time Finance and Administration Specialist that will be responsible for managing general ledger accounting, financial reporting, grants management, auditing, and payroll. Apply by June 24 to receive priority consideration.

Graphic Designer: NACD seeks a contract with a graphic designer who can take direction from written or spoken ideas and convert them seamlessly into images, layouts and other designs. More specifically, we’re looking for someone who will be able to create and design specific conservation elements and images for grade specific curriculum guides that are currently under development. Proposals must be submitted to the project contacts by June 24.

Director of Development: The National Conservation Foundation (NCF) is requesting proposals for a part-time Director of Development to lead NCF in implementing a fundraising plan for the foundation. Submittals must be received by 5:00 p.m. ET on July 1.

For the 2021 crop year, 472 participants utilized the STAR tool on 85,579 acres over 1,579 fields. In Illinois, 69 Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) locally administered the program, providing one-on-one technical assistance to farmers and landowners interested in improving their STAR Rating. Additionally, Colorado Department of Agriculture and the Conservation Districts of Iowa implemented Colorado STAR and Iowa STAR, respectively, for the first time in 2021.  

To read the full report and learn more about the practices supported by STAR, visit see here. On July 1, the 2022 field form will be available through the STAR web app or through a SWCD near you.

Promote your conservation district or state association's tree sale, annual meeting, webinar, field day, or other events on NACD's Calendar of Events!