The 2022 National Conservation Foundation *NCF) Virtual/LIVE Auction is now open and available for bidding and preview at http://bidpal.net/ncf2022.

NCF will host their auction during the NACD Annual Meeting to support Envirothon, the Next Generation Leadership Institute, and other conservation education programs. The auction, hosted thanks to sponsorship from Prince George's Soil Conservation District, will be held live in-person and virtually on Monday, February 14 at 6:00 p.m.

The online auction is now open for virtual bidding and will run through 10:00 p.m. Eastern on February 14, 2022. All items will be up for bid virtually, and some items will also be auctioned live during the NCF Auction event. Live bidding on these items will open at the highest virtual bid and online bidders will be able to continue their bidding in real time during the live auction. 

If you would like to donate an item to the 2022 NCF Virtual/LIVE Auction, it isn’t too late! Contact Keith Owen, NACD Director of Education at keith-owen@nacdnet.org. Include a description, good photo, who is donating the item, and an estimated value. 

The NCF Virtual/LIVE Auction helps support and fund NCF's mission to identify and advance strategic programs and partnerships to deliver conservation solutions through locally-led conservation and to develop the next generation of conservation leaders.

Learn more about the auction here.

NACD's 76th Annual Meeting is only 11 days away! If you're registered, get excited for a week of educational and entertaining conservation opportunities. If you still want to join us, you can register on-site.

The meeting, hosted in partnership with the Association of Florida Conservation Districts, will be held in Orlando, Florida from February 12-16, 2022, at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista at Disney Springs Resort. The theme for this year's meeting is "Conservation Defined For All" and will be integrated into sessions and activities at the event!

Visit NACD’s Annual Meeting webpage to learn more, view the agenda, learn about our breakout sessions, read speaker bios, and more.

This year we are excited to roll out a new mobile meeting app! In the app you can see the full event schedule, session descriptions, speaker profiles, and more right from your phone. By setting up a profile, you will be able to create a personalized schedule and message and network with other attendees. Scan or click the QR code, or download the Sched app (Apple) (Android) and search "NACD" to join the event.

To make this in person event possible, this year’s Annual Meeting will have additional COVID-19 precautions and protocols in place for the well-being of attendees. In accordance with CDC guidelines, the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Resort requires all guests to wear a properly fitting mask or face covering in all public areas, which include our conference spaces. Hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, and face masks will be provided as additional precautionary measures throughout the event. More information regarding other COVID-19 precautions was sent to registrants last week. If you are registered and did not receive this email please let us know.

“Conservation is important no matter who you are or where you’re from. So, we want everyone involved. It’s important to the human race. Everybody has a voice.” – Millie Langley, Chair, NCF-Envirothon Operating Committee

Making environmental education accessible to all is a top priority of the NCF-Envirothon program. Through the Diversity Enhancement and Underserved Audience Grant (Diversity Grant) program, the NCF-Envirothon brings hands-on, outdoor natural resources education to students in minority and underrepresented groups across the United States and Canada. Diversity Enhancement projects aim to facilitate environmental education for minorities of all kinds, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, language, culture, religion, mental and physical ability, class, and immigration status. Underserved Audience projects seek to expand the reach of the Envirothon program to students who would not normally have access due to a variety of barriers, including but not limited to socioeconomic status, geographic location, limited educational opportunities, physical or mental disabilities, and learning differences. Projects should provide students with exposure to the Envirothon program and the five areas of Envirothon study: aquatic ecology, forestry, soils and land use, wildlife and current environmental issues.

Applications for $2,000-4,000 are being accepted to support projects that promote the delivery of conservation education and Envirothon in diverse or underserved student populations, including projects that serve urban and/or rural populations. Project initiatives may concentrate on increasing diversity of student participation in a single conservation district or may have a state-wide focus. All state Envirothon programs who are current on their Membership Dues are eligible to apply. Conservation districts are encouraged to work with their local state Envirothon program if they have a project idea.

See the full RFP online. Applications are due on February 4, 2022, by 11:59 p.m. Eastern.

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

Soil Health Champion Daniel Unruh grew up in South Dakota, farming with his father. His background was focused on beans, swine, sheep, and cattle, but in 2006, he moved to California and began farming with his father-in-law four years later. Together, they established a walnut orchard on a 190-acre ranch in Princeton, alongside the Sacramento River. While Unruh’s background was in conventional agriculture, using conventional, synthetic crop protection methods, today, he is known for his innovative inventions and regenerative agricultural practices.

When Unruh and his father-in-law planted the walnuts, they didn’t realize their orchard had an infestation of nematodes – microscopic worms that attack the plant’s root system, disrupting the intake of nutrients and water. It was too late to address the issue with fumigation, so Unruh began experimenting with cover crops to address problem. His goal was to mimic nature’s biodiversity by using a “cocktail” of several kinds of grasses, legumes, and forbs – letting each one work differently in the soil. His choice of brassica (mustard and radishes) specifically targeted his nematode problem, as studies have indicated when the plants decompose both above ground and below ground, they give off a natural fumigant. His nematode count in 2012 was more than 5,000, but today their numbers have been reduced below his threshold of concern. Now, his focus is to maintain his nematode count below this threshold.

In the beginning, Unruh shredded his cover crops to terminate them for the season. This produced excessive biomass or organic material on the orchard floor. This created a seal on the top of the biomass while rotting on the bottom of the biomass, and the results created a tremendous stench. To solve this problem, Unruh designed and built his roller crimper with chevron crimps. To terminate his cover crops now, his roller crimper rolls down the cover crop and crushes the stems of the plants. This creates a dimly lit, moist, and well-aerated environment which promotes healthy soil biology.

To learn more about Unruh and his operation, visit the NACD website for his Soil Health Champion profile and watch his interview as part of the Acres USA Barn2Door National Farm Innovator Series.

If you or someone you know would like more information on becoming an NACD Soil Health Champions, please contact Beth Mason at beth-mason@nacdnet.org or visit the NACD website.

NACD welcomed Colt Fossum as our new Executive Assistant and Office Coordinator on Monday, January 31.

Fossum comes to NACD from the United States Postal Service, where he has served as a Rural Carrier since March 2021. Prior to that, he served for nine years as an officer in the U.S. Army, working in various positions, including assistant operations officer at Fort Carson, CO; human resources officer at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA; and, most recently, Assistant Professor of Military Science at St. John’s University in Queens, NY.

Fossum holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from American University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from The Citadel. He enjoys spending time outside with his family, good food, reading, and writing.

Colt is based in the Washington, D.C. office and can be reached at colt-fossum@nacdnet.org.

The National Women Owning Woodlands (WOW) Network is hosting a Virtual Conference for women woodland owners, stewards, and enthusiasts on March 3-5, 2022.

To learn more and register, click here.

Projects must relate to grazing lands sustainability or Climate Smart Agriculture and include at least one of the following components: conservation planning, workshops, or conferences. All proposals must be submitted via webform by 5:00 p.m. CST on February 7, 2022.

To learn more, visit the NatGLC's website.

The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) is hiring an Assistant Director of Regional Operations. This position exists to lead, manage, supervise, and implement agency programs, policies, and services within the agency’s Regional Operations Division. It is responsible for assuring that local government conservation efforts with private landowners are successfully integrated with state, federal, and private organization initiatives to attain an effective and efficient natural resource conservation delivery system.

Learn more here.

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