“Conservation districts are the boots on the ground across the country, making connections and implementing projects that bolster conservation practices,” said NACD President Michael Crowder. “The Urban Agriculture Conservation Grants provide the funding to make these things happen and give a pathway to new and innovative conservation practices and programs.”

New this year, the program opened to tribes and tribal conservation districts, providing additional pathways for NACD and NRCS to increase equity related to conservation technical assistance. Muscogee (Creek) Nation Conservation District in Oklahoma is among the successful 2022 applicants. The tribal district will identify citizens of the Nation who have an interest or need in expanding urban agriculture, while supporting the passage of traditional ecological knowledge and the adoption of conservation practices.

Learn more about the program outcomes and past grantees on NACD’s Urban and Community Webpage. Read the full announcement here.

Registration for the 2022 NACD Summer Conservation Forum and Tour is open through June 24, 2022! Hosted in partnership with the Puerto Rico Association of Soil Conservation Districts, this year's meeting will take place in San Juan, Puerto Rico from July 16-19 at the Caribe Hilton Hotel.

The Summer Meeting agenda includes a full NACD board meeting and is packed with opportunities for attendees to network and hear from a variety of conservation speakers, including experts from the Caribbean area. With attendance, you will also have the chance to explore the beautiful island of Puerto Rico through a selection of group tours, including the El Yunque National Forest, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest Service.

Take advantage of visiting one of the country's tropical island territories and reserve your spot for the Summer Meeting today. You don't even need a passport!

Information about registration, accommodations, travel, and more can be found on NACD's website.

Celebrate spring by joining The National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) for this year's Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz campaign to promote the important role pollinators play! 

Please visit the Parks for Pollinators website to sign up and receive updated toolkits to assist in creating projects, providing messaging, and communication resources. This year, NRPA added more social posts and improved flyers! Read more about the results of last year's campaign here. 

Technical assistance and outreach work are always a time consuming and logistical challenge, even in the best of circumstances. Given the complexities of COVID restrictions and a shifting landscape of public engagement, Allegheny County Conservation District (ACCD) is very proud of their urban soils and agriculture accomplishments, and none of this would be possible without the support of the joint NRCS and NACD Urban Agriculture Conservation Initiative grant awarded in 2020.

With their grant, ACCD managed to reach over 500 individuals through technical assistance and digital events, and most of these individuals were able to directly use the information provided to address resource challenges in their yards, communities, and city during a time when the stark realities of food security were on the news every night.

The assistance by ACCD helped people understand how to grow food for themselves safely. Their field assessments and free soil testing helped identify safe growing sites for a dozen new community gardens and urban farms. The district was also able to shift their educational training and annual symposium to a digital (and free) format, which allowed them to reach 2 times the number of stakeholders they have in years past.

ACCD also worked with university, non-profit, and community partners to assess 42 potential sites for urban agriculture and green infrastructure in the Larimer Community of Pittsburgh, and that report will was released in the fall of 2021. This detailed mapping of lead, arsenic, organic matter, pH, N/P/K, and CEC will help community leaders understand the hidden costs and risks of developing vacant sites for beneficial purposes.

Currently, ACCD and their partners are in talks with the National Cooperative Soil Survey to collaborate on a City-wide update of urban soil maps, including information that will be key in guiding urban agriculture, green infrastructure and parks development in the years to come. They are also locking in the final details of their fourth annual Three Rivers Urban Soil Symposium, alongside a growing list of collaborators. Lastly, ACCD continues to find efficient ways to provide direct technical assistance to communities and growers across their county.

“ACCD is proud to be a leader and collaborator in our region on the key issues of urban soil health and agriculture,” said Heather Manzo, Executive Director, ACCD. “None of this would be possible without our hardworking staff, the seed funding from NACD, the ongoing support of our District Board, and the contributions of a host of partners from across the region and State.”

Read more about all grantees through the UAC program on NACD’s urban and community conservation webpage.

As the school year winds down, middle school and high school Envirothon teams have been gearing up for state competitions. These competitions encourage youth to become involved in natural resources conservation education and leadership activities in order to generate qualified conservation professionals and fulfill natural resources conservation roles within both the public and private sectors into the future. Top teams from local competitions proceed to the state event where they are tested on their knowledge and skills in wildlife, aquatics, ecology, soils, land use, water quality, and forestry.

In Kansas, the Envirothon committee was excited to host their 30th annual competition in-person. Cancelled in 2020 and virtual in 2021, it was a joyous occasion to have all the teams, presenters, and judges back together for the event at Camp Wood YMCA in Elmdale, KS. Kansas has also added a rangeland section to the state level Envirothon given its importance as a resource in the state. After a full morning and afternoon of testing and presenting, the Manhattan High School team took first place!

Also returning after a two year break in face-to-face competitions, the North Carolina Envirothon welcomed more than 400 students to the historic Cedarock Park in Burlington, NC. The two-day event tested the natural resource conservation prowess of the students, and is one of the largest events of its kind in the country. Enloe High School's team, "Subchronic Exposure," placed first in the high school division and Davidson County Homeschool's "High Rock FFA Brookies" team won first in the middle school division.

Both first place high school teams will represent their states at the NCF-Envirothon at Miami University in Oxford, OH from July 24- 30, 2022. During this event teams from across the United States, Canada, and China will compete for $100,000 in scholarships and prizes.

To learn more about Envirothon and register for the national competition, visit envirothon.org.

NACD President Michael Crowder will host his next "Coffee with Crowder" on May 18 at 5pm ET.

Click here to join next week!

The Washington State Fire Adapted Communities (WAFAC) Learning Network, in partnership with other community organizations, including the Cascadia Conservation District, created a series of five toolkits to help communities begin their fire adaptation journey.

Check out her latest performance 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!