September 2020 Newsletter - Visit www.vcrcd.org for more information!

If you are interested in spending some time outdoors, getting your hands dirty, learning a thing or two, socially distant of course, and want to make an impact on your community contact the District Conservation Specialist Andy Spyrka at andyspyrka.vcrcd@gmail.com to sign-up and ask additional questions.

REMINDER! Fire Recovery Funding Available! VCRCD is looking for landowners impacted by the 2018 (including Thomas Fire) , 2019, and 2020 wildfires. If your property was burned during one of these wildfires and has resulted in environmental degradation, please visit this announcement *Clickable Link* and fill out the application, submit the app to the District Resource Conservation Specialist Andy Spyrka at andyspyrka.vcrcd@gmail.com. We may have funding to assist with restoration efforts.

Monarch butterflies, pollinators, and other beneficial insects need your help! VCRCD has received funding from the State to implement restoration of Monarch Overwintering Habitat. If you know of a site locally in Ventura or Santa Barbara County please reach out to the District Resource Conservation Specialist Andy Spyrka at andyspyrka.vcrcd@gmail.com

If you're farming in the lower Calleguas Creek Watershed and need help with irrigation, nutrient, and sediment management, VCRCD has funding to help you! For more information, visit the CCWAMMP program page or contact Jamie Whiteford at jamiewhiteford.vcrcd@gmail.com or 805-764-5132.

Just a reminder, VCRCD is still looking for growers in the Somis Valley to participate in an atmometer study. If you'd like to track your crop's evapotranspiration rate, this study is for you! For more information, visit the project webpage or contact andyspyrka.vcrcd@gmail.com.

The IIMRLN (Interactive Irrigation Management to Reduce the Leaching of Nitrogen) project will start accepting applications soon! This grant will provide funds to assist growers with soil moisture monitoring and nitrogen management. If you'd like to participate, contact Jamie Whiteford at 805-764-5132 or jamiewhiteford.vcrcd@gmail.com.

NEW! VCRCD will be working in partnership with the Natural Resource Conservation Service and Farm Bureau to develop a watershed assessment for the Calleguas Creek watershed. Funded by the USDA National Water Quality Initiative, the goal of the assessment is to identify resource concerns, establish goals and metrics, and prioritize the type and location of practices that can improve water quality and strengthen agricultural productivity.

NEW! VCRCD will be conducting a pilot program to battle the Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) which is a vector for Huanglongbing, a devastating disease of citrus trees. This bacterial disease is transmitted to healthy trees by the psyllid after it feeds on infected plant tissue. VCRCD is committed to reducing the threat to our local Citrus industry through treatment of residential citrus trees that surround at-risk Citrus farms. If you are a resident (or know someone) who owns a citrus tree near a farm and are interested in exploring its removal and possible replacement please reach out to the District Resource Conservation Specialist Andy Spyrka at andyspyrka.vcrcd@gmail.com. We have funding to remove the tree and possibly offer a replacement.

NEW! VCRCD received funding to continue construction on the fire-wise native garden at our office in Somis. Once completed in 2021, the garden will be open to the public and guide local landowners on the correct paths to safely implement defensible space around your home and actively prevent wildfires! The program will also entail local homeowner evaluations with respect to defensible space effectiveness, announcements for signing up will occur next year.

Do you like to garden, conduct research or just want to help our local environment? The VCRCD is always looking for enthusiastic and passionate volunteers to join our team and assist in our wide-range of projects. Most notably the new fire-wise garden, we'd love some extra hands! Please sign-up here if you are interested in volunteering.

Would you like a FREE NRCS Conservation Plan or Nutrient Management Plan? Of course you would! Contact Dawn Afman, NRCS District Conservationist, at 805-984-2358, ext. 101, to get your plan.

Please consider donating to VCRCD! Your tax deductible donation will be greatly appreciated! Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for our easy donation link. You can also donate via Amazon! We can accept donations through AmazonSmile under Fund for Resource Conservation. Be sure to shop via the link smile.amazon.com to make a donation.

The next Ventura River Watershed Council General Membership meetings are planned to be held virtually via webinar software until further notice. The next meeting is tentatively planned for Thursday, October 1st from 9 am - 12 pm. Agendas will be sent out one week prior to the meetings, please contact Andy Spyrka at andyspyrka.vcrcd@gmail.com to be added to those announcements.

The next VCRCD Board of Directors' meeting will occur on September 16, 2020. Currently meetings are held remotely. Agendas and the website will provide information on accessing the meetings via an application or on your telephone. Check www.vcrcd.org for more information.

Did you know VCRCD operates on grants and donations? Supporting VCRCD means supporting your local community and helping conserve soil, water, and wildlife.