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Conservation INsight
March 30, 2022
IASWCD News
LAST CALL! Abstracts for the 2023 Annual Conference of Indiana SWCDs
Due: April 1
The Annual SWCD Conference offers a unique learning and training opportunity for Indiana's Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors, Staff, and Conservation Partners. We anticipate over 350 attendees representing local/state/ regional/national organizations, public agencies, businesses and more. Oral presentations are invited to be considered on topics relating to three session tracks: On the Ground (conservation implementation/technical), District Management, and Outreach & Education.

2023 Indiana Soil and Water Conservation Districts Annual Conference
January 9-10, 2023
The Westin Indianapolis, 241 W Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46204

Abstracts for consideration should be submitted by April 1, 2022 via the link below.
IASWCD Website Provides Links to Upcoming and Past Trainings for SWCDs
Go to the IASWCD.org site and click on the "For Districts" tab to view links to past, recorded training sessions as well as upcoming training information.
The March 17 recording of "Public Access Law" with Luke Britt (Public Access Councilor) is now posted for viewing. This session provides an
overview of the Public Access Law, requirements for board and annual meetings, and how things have changed during the COVID pandemic, and how they are different now with the public health emergency ended.
River Friendly Farmer Award Nominations Now Open
Annually, each Indiana county Soil and Water Conservation District may nominate up to two farmers who do an outstanding job of protecting their rivers, lakes and streams through their every day conservation management practices on the farm. Nominations are open now through June 8. A link to the online nomination form and more information can be found on the IASWCD RFF Award webpage. (Note: a guidance page is provided in order to view the nomination form questions prior to filling out the online form.) Please contact Amy Work (amy-work@iaswcd.org) with any questions.
ICP Website
In case you missed it, the 2022 ICP Plan of Work and 2021 ICP Accomplishments report have been posted to the ICP website.
Prairie Booklet Designed by Hamilton County SWCD: Available for Other Districts
Creating and Maintaining a Prairie (booklet) was written and designed by the Hamilton County Soil & Water Conservation District with the intention of sharing it with other SWCDs who could adapt it for their use and save time and money in development of a quality print and online publication. This booklet is available for online viewing. Any district interested in receiving a copy of the digital files, please review the HCSWCD share guide and fill out the request form. 
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April Lunch 'n Learns
Training for Indiana Soil & Water
Conservation Districts
Four Wednesdays in April at 12 noon (EDT), these one-hour Zoom sessions will include a presentation and time for discussion and Q&A. 
Please register for each session individually to receive the Zoom link. (These sessions will be recorded and posted on the IASWCD website.)

April 6: Resources to Assist Small Farm & Urban Customers - Presenter: Elli Blaine, Urban Soil Health Program Director.

April 13: Work Smarter Not Harder: Planning & Prioritizing Invasive Management - Presenter: Emily Finch, SWCD Invasive Species Specialist, Dubois, Martin and Daviess.

April 20: Conservation 101 - Presenter: Chris Lee, Tech Team Leader, USDA-NRCS. 

April 27: Optimizing Field Day Impact and Attendee Experience - Presenters: Leslie Fisher, Resource Conservation Specialist, Benton County SWCD and Seth Harden, Upper Wabash River Project Director, TNC.
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Indiana Districts - Tell Us Your Stories!
So many Indiana Districts are doing Great Work and sharing it with others is important!
It's early springtime and a good time to prepare and think about applying for the Indiana District Showcase Award. This award gives Districts the opportunity to share project ideas and ways to design and implement existing conservation programs. Please consider applying for this award and prepare now with photos of your projects. Deadline to apply is July 29.
For SWCD Supervisors:
SUPERVISOR TRAINING NEEDS SURVEY*
The Indiana State Department of Agriculture and the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts are evaluating training content and delivery methods to provide a better experience for SWCDs. The responses to this survey will help to inform future training opportunities for Supervisors. Supervisor Survey responses needed by March 31.
Thank you to the 64 county SWCDs listed below who have had at least one Supervisor participate in the *Supervisor Training Needs Survey:
Allen
Bartholomew
Brown
Clark
Clay
Clinton
Crawford
Dearborn
Decatur
DeKalb
Delaware
Dubois
Fayette
Floyd
Franklin
Fulton
Gibson
Grant
Hamilton
Hancock
Harrison
Hendricks
Henry
Howard
Jackson
Jasper
Jay
Jefferson
Jennings
Johnson
Knox
Kosciusko
Lake
Lawrence
LaGrange
LaPorte
Marshall
Martin
Miami
Monroe
Montgomery
Morgan
Newton
Orange
Owen
Perry
Pike
Porter
Posey
Pulaski
Putnam
Randolph
Scott
St. Joseph
Starke
Steuben
Vermillion
Wabash
Warren
Warrick
Washington
Wayne
White
Whitley
CCSI News
Recordings and Training Resources
Recordings and a collection of resources are now available for the recent CCSI-SARE Continuing Soil Health Training: BMPs for Herbicide Application and Cover Crop Termination
Training resources:  https://ccsin.info/Herb-Resources 
Urban Soil Health Program News
Urban Updates – Monthly virtual call
April 12th   – Tuesday
9-10:30am Eastern
Past recordings & slides found here: https://ccsin.box.com/s/sn5km293xyin7hcihfntntq32rqu35rm
Save the Date: Get the Dirt
Soil Health in High Tunnels – Series
9-10 am Eastern
April 1st (virtual) - Farmer roundtable, on-the-ground conversation
  • Dan Perkins – Perkins’ Good Earth Farm (Jasper County)
  • Chris Adair – Purdue Student Farm Manager (Tippecanoe County)
  • Sara Creech – Blue Yonder Organic Farm (Hendricks County)
  • Ann Merritt - Joseph Decuis Farm (Huntington County)
  • Amber and Justin Miller- BroxonBerry Farm (Huntington County)
April - Earth Week - regional in-person sessions to learn from growers in the field. These are geared towards conservation professionals, and are open to growers. See capacity limits and details at link below.
NACD News
Stewardship Week
NACD Stewardship Week is one of the largest national programs to promote natural resource conservation. This week reminds us of our individual responsibilities to care for natural resources. NACD’s 67th Stewardship Week will be held April 24 – May 1, 2022 with the theme “Healthy Soil: Healthy Life.”
ISDA News
ISDA Seeks to Elevate
the Local Successes
of SWCDs
Does your SWCD have a cost share program that is not funded through currently reported state and federal programs?
If your SWCD has a local cost share program, that was funded through a source other than those currently reported, we want to hear from you. Please fill out this survey (link below) about any locally funded cost share programs that were active in 2021.
This survey aims to establish a baseline of the SWCD programs that exist to better show the impact of conservation throughout the state. You can see the list of programs that ISDA currently collects data for in the ICP Funding Dashboard.
Grant & Funding Opportunities for SWCDs
A virtual grant and funding training series geared towards SWCDs
Thursdays at 12PM EDT
April 14 – May 5
Highlighted programs include:
  • April 14: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)- Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative, National Water Quality Initiative, Regional Conservation Partnership Program, & Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
  • April 21: National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD)- Grants & Resources From NACD
  • April 28: Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM)- 319 & 205j Nonpoint Source Grants
  • May 5: Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)- Lake & River Enhancement Program
Recordings will be posted on ISDA’s Conservation Link. Links to join each meeting are located on the flyer (see below).
USDA-NRCS News
Op-Ed: Celebrate National Ag Day by committing to combating climate change
by Jerry Raynor, State Conservationist
(Tuesday, March 22, 2022)
Climate change is happening, and we are already feeling its adverse effects through changing weather patterns and increased extreme weather events. All of us at USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, in Indiana and throughout the country, as well as our partners with the Indiana Conservation Partnership have been called to work on the frontlines to reduce the long-term impacts.
Purdue Extension News
Women in Agriculture:
Know your Numbers, Know Your Options
Using Financial records for Farm Women
Virtual Program
April 26th, May 3rd, 10th & 17th 
10:00 – 12:00 pm Eastern
Cost is $20
Space is limited, so register today at https://cvent.me/KR0r5B 
Beginner's Guide to Grant Writing
Participants of this two-day Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing program learn how to write effective grant proposals and navigate the grant process. Both beginners and experienced grant writers learn to develop ideas into winning proposals, identify potential funders and understand the full proposal development, submission and review process.
Past participants have included staff and volunteers from local governments, nonprofits and educational organizations as well as members of community groups, clubs and concerned citizens who see a need in their communities that they want to help address.
April 13 and May 11 at 1202 East 38th Street, Discovery Hall, Suite 201, Indianapolis
IDNR News
IDNR - Division of Fish and Wildlife
Nongame Wildlife Fund News
Other News
One Good Idea is Seeking Farmers to Join their Content Review Team
One Good Idea a collaborative effort between farmers and university Extension specialists to help all farmers make a difference for their operations, their communities, and the world. They are seeking farmers to join their content review team to help ensure One Good Idea provides ideas that farmers can trust. This team consists of Extension professionals with relevant expertise and farmers who have experience with soil and water stewardship practices.
If you’re a farmer who is doing cover crops, no-till, rotational grazing, or other conservation practices, we invite you to apply to join our content review team. You’ll help review new videos and podcasts submitted to the clearinghouse to make sure they fit our criteria.
The position is voluntary, and the commitment will be small. We anticipate each reviewer will evaluate four to five videos and/or podcasts total per year. We will conduct a short orientation virtually to get our reviewers started. The initial commitment is for one year.
This is an opportunity to pay it forward and help protect America’s farming legacy.
Featured Pledge:
Pet Poo
Just like you are the secret tooth fairy, you are also the secret dog poo fairy! If you don't pick it up, someone else has to, or it'll end up in our rivers and streams. Why is this a problem? There is bacteria in your dogs' poo that can cause viruses, diseases, and other illnesses to people who come in contact with it. Additionally, when it rains, the poo is washed into waterways and causing algae to build up, making it unsafe to play in. Take the action pledge below to make a commitment to pick up your pet's poo and keep it out of our waterways!
Xerces Newsletter
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Job Postings :
Current list of Conservation Job Opportunities now posted on the IASWCD website.
Note: Job Postings can be submitted to Amy Work at: amy-work@iaswcd.org . Please include job description and deadline to apply in a single PDF file or with a link.
Upcoming Conservation Events:
March 31 - SWCD Supervisor Surveys due
April 1 - Soil Health in High Tunnels Workshop
April 1 - Conference Abstracts due
April 6 - IASWCD Lunch 'n Learn
April 13 - IASWCD Lunch 'n Learn
April 14 - Grant Opportunities for Districts
April 20 - IASWCD Lunch 'n Learn
April 21 - Grant Opportunities for Districts
April 22 - Earth Day
April 24 to May 1 - NACD Stewardship Week
April 27 - IASWCD Lunch 'n Learn
April 28 - Grant Opportunities for Districts
May 5 - Grant Opportunities for Districts
May 30 - Memorial Day
June 2 - Get the Dirt: Soil Conference
June 9 - RFF Nominations due
July 29 - District Showcase Award applications due
For a complete list of upcoming conservation events, go to the Events Calendar on the IASWCD website.*
*As more events begin to take place in person, please check the individual hosting organization's website and/or Facebook page for the latest information on locations, guidelines and details. Thank you.