Registration for The National Association of Conservation Districts' (NACD) 77th Annual Meeting is now open! Hosted in partnership with the Louisiana Association of Conservation Districts, the 2023 Annual Meeting will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana from February 11-15 at the New Orleans Marriott. Early bird registration for the discounted price of $575 will be open through December 23, 2022.

NACD's Annual Meeting is the biggest event of the year and brings hundreds of conservation leaders from across the nation together. The Annual 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. 

Attendees may also elect to purchase additional dinner and tour options. This year, the Louisiana Association of Conservation Districts will host a Mississippi River dinner jazz cruise on The Creole Queen. Experience an evening of Louisiana cuisine and entertainment on this Victorian era paddle-wheeler! Dinner cruise tickets are $120 per person. 

We will also offer two tour options. Participants can learn more about conservation efforts at the Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion or the Partnership Potpourri-Conservation in the St. Bernard Parish Central Wetlands. Participants will learn about the ecosystem of the local wetlands, and will see the impact of ongoing vegetation and infrastructure restoration projects. Tours are priced at $30 per person.

The group hotel room rate at the New Orleans Marriot is $236 per night plus tax. To reserve your room, click here. The deadline to reserve rooms is Friday, January 20, 2023. More details, including hotel and tour information, can be found here.

NGLI COHORT VISITS WASHINGTON, DC

From September 18-21, the 2022 cohort of the National Conservation Foundation's (NCF) Next Generation Leadership Institute (NGLI), with representatives from the 2020 cohort, convened in Washington, DC.

These future leaders completed session objectives that included:

• Member understanding of policy advocacy and the importance of grassroots leadership, legislative relations, and engagement with elected officials;
• Cohort connections through discussion of natural resource policy development, current policy, and program issues and needs;
• Opportunities to observe leadership in action, visits with members of Congress, information from Congressional staff, and natural resource agency leaders;
• Opportunities to see historic sites in the Washington, D.C. area.

The cohort members also had the opportunity to witness NACD President Michael Crowder give his testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation in person from the Longworth House building. This was a fantastic chance for the cohort members to learn firsthand how grassroots ideas get taken up to Congress and shaped into policy and programs. The 2022 cohort will continue their leadership journey with their next session on Partnerships next month in Oklahoma.

If you have been following our NGLI journey and thought to yourself “I could do that," apply for the 2023 cohort! Applications are open until this Friday, September 30. Learn more and submit an application online here. Direct any questions you may have to Program Manager Aubrey Evans at aubrey-evans@nacdnet.org.

LAST CALL: PROPOSE BREAKOUT SESSIONS FOR NACD'S ANNUAL MEETING

NACD is accepting breakout session proposals for the upcoming 2023 Annual Meeting through this Friday. These informational breakout sessions focus on the work of conservation districts and their partners across the country. Sessions typically run 60-90 minutes long and often showcase several speakers. Session proposals are only being accepted through Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, so submit yours now! 

This year NACD is seeking proposals that fit into one of four themes:

• Natural Resource Management & Climate Resilience
• District Operations & Developing Next-Gen Conservationists
• Equity, Access, & Outreach
• Conservation Planning & Customer Service Training

NACD's breakout sessions are some of the most popular activities among meeting attendees. Spread the word about this opportunity and consider submitting a proposal!  

PLACER RCD DESIGNS IMPROVED ACCESSIBLE RAISED GARDEN BED

The Placer Resource Conservation District (RCD) has completed and released design and construction plans for an improved version of an accessible raised garden bed. This garden bed is designed to be longer lasting, improve the reach for those who use chairs, and is capable of recycling water and nutrients!

Garden beds, whether on the ground or slightly raised, are important and symbolic elements of a traditional garden site. Seniors and persons with disabilities, who otherwise find it difficult to garden within a grounded or raised bed, require a special kind of raised bed that better meets their needs. Many accessible raised beds, though helpful, often compromise accessibility for longevity or longevity for accessibility. Thanks to an Urban Agriculture Conservation Grant made available by the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) and the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), the Placer RCD (and Hamilton County SWCD) took up the challenge of creating a bed that is longer lasting and more accessible for seniors, those who use wheelchairs, or those who generally prefer standing to kneeling.

Learn more about the project here and more about NACD's Urban Agriculture Conservation Grant Initiative here.