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For the Week of June 30-July 4, 2008
In This Week's Edition . . .
A Report from the Executive Director, Jennifer Boyle
SSCB Meeting July 8. The State Soil Conservation Board will meet on Tuesday, July 8, 2008, at 9 a.m. The meeting will be held at the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Conference Room B, 101 West Ohio Street, Suite 1200, Indianapolis, IN 46204. The agenda is in draft form and can be changed at any time. It also can be found on the SSCB Web site along with past minutes.
Leadership in Change Workshop August 1. Join SWCD supervisors and staff
August 1-2 at the
Holiday Inn Lakeview, Clarksville, for the Leadership in Change workshop. This workshop prepares supervisors for leadership in a rapidly changing environment through better leadership skills. I just attended this workshop presented for the North-Northwest Region at Purdue and it was excellent. I hope as many of you in Southern Indiana will take advantage of this great opportunity.
The Friday evening activity will include a dinner cruise along the scenic Ohio River on the Star of Louisville yacht.
For more information, visit the ISDA Web site. Registration is available by clicking here.
Hoos-Your Grazing Network Newsletter. Click here for the summer edition newsletter from the Hoos-Your Grazing Network. It includes information on the 2009 Heart of America Grazing Conference in Columbus, Ind., following our conference: January 21 and 22 . . . as well as other good information.
NRCS Flood Updates. NRCS flood updates are available from the Indiana NRCS Web site >> click here.
Office Closed. The office will be closed July 3 and 4 for the Independence Day holiday. We'll be back on Monday, July 7. Hope you have a safe holiday.
And finally, 2008 IASWCD Dues. Once again, we give a special thanks to the Districts that have supported the IASWCD with payment of their 2008 dues Adams, Allen, Bartholomew, Blackford, Benton, Brown, Cass, Clark, Crawford, Dearborn, Decatur, Delaware, DeKalb, Dubois, Elkhart, Fayette, Fountain, Franklin, Fulton, Gibson, Grant, Green, Hamilton, Harrison, Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Huntington, Jasper, Jay, Jennings, Kosciusko, Knox, LaGrange, Lake, LaPorte, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Martin, Miami, Montgomery, Morgan, Newton, Noble, Orange, Parke, Perry, Porter, Posey, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Ripley, Scott, Spencer, St. Joseph, Switzerland, Tipton, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren, Warrick, Washington, Wayne, White and Whitley. Please take the time to read over the important information in the dues brochure on how your dues support SWCD activities in the state.
Have a good week,
Jennifer
Uncovering the Real Dirt on No-till
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“A soil is not a pile of dirt. It is a transformer, a body that organizes raw materials into
tissues. These are the tissues that become the mother to all organic life"
~ William Bryant Logan, 1995
Editor's note: Dr. Clapperton will speak at the Vermillion Co No-till seminar on July 30 in Cayuga and also in Evansville on July 31 and Knox Co on Aug 1. Below is just an excerpt from Dr. Clapperton's article. Click here for the complete article.
When we are standing on the ground, we are really standing on the roof top of
another world. Living in the soil are plant roots, viruses, bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa,
mites, nematodes, worms, ants, maggots and other insects and insect larvae (grubs), and
larger animals. Indeed, the volume of living organisms below ground is often far greater
than that above ground. Together with climate, these organisms are responsible for the
decay of organic matter and cycling of both macro- and micro-nutrients back into forms
that plants can use.....
Soils after pasture phases and perennial crops are more structured and
biologically active, have higher organic matter content, and turnover nitrogen more
rapidly. Including a deep-rooted legume like alfalfa or lucerne can help increase the rate
of nitrogen cycling and reduce plow layer compaction. Mixed- and inter-cropping
systems increase aboveground diversity which in turn increases diversity in the below
ground community. Scientists and farmers alike speculate that a more diverse soil
community results in a more flexible soil. This means a soil that has the ability to
successfully grow a number of crops, and which is resilient in drought, low nutrient
conditions, and after disturbance.
In conclusion ………Creating a soil habitat is the first step to managing soil biological properties for
long-term soil quality and productivity. This means using soil management practices
that reduce soil disturbance, managing weeds and disease with crop rotation, mixed
cropping, and underseeding, and using high quality compost and composted manure. For
instance, unstructured soils with low organic matter content that have fine aggregates or
clay within the plow layer will take between 3-5 years to build the soil biological
properties necessary to improve soil structure and stability depending on climate and
previous soil management. It is better to start the transition to a conservation tillage
system after a perennial crop or pasture phase of 2-5 years. As an added bonus,
conservation tillage and having pasture and perennial crops phases in the rotation uses
less fossil fuel, and with less time on the tractor, producers have more time to consider
farm management details that will improve the biological activity of soil. It is generally
understood that the soil biological community benefits soil productivity, yet we know so
little about the organisms that live in the soil and the functioning of the soil ecosystem.
Continued research aimed at understanding the interactions between soil management
practices and the soil biological, chemical and physical properties of soil will be the key
to sustaining the soil, environment and our future generations. >> Click here for the complete article
Funds available to build capacity of Indiana's lakes leaders
Can you or someone you know answer yes to the three following questions? If so, read on for a great opportunity provided by the Indiana Lakes Management Society.
- Are you interested in attending the North American Lakes Management Society’s Annual Conference in beautiful Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada?
- Does ‘Lake Management in an Ever-Changing Environment’ apply to your lake and management of its water quality?
- Can you use supplemental funding to make attending this once in a lifetime conference possible?
The Indiana Lake Management Society is providing funds for need-based scholarships to assist in building the capacity of Indiana’s lake leaders. This effort is designed to allow individuals to learn about non-point source pollution, gather methods to protect Indiana’s valuable water resources, and inspire our leaders to work towards better water quality for Indiana’s lakes. The Lake Leaders Scholarship is intended to supplement the cost of registration, meals and lodging for attendance at the 28th Annual International Symposium of the NALMS November 11-14 at Chateau Lake Louise, Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. Visit http://www.nalms.org/Conferences/2008LakeLouise/ for more information on this exciting opportunity.
Two scholarships will be awarded to staff, board members and/or active volunteers of lake-associated, non-for-profit groups who hold a leadership role. Other ILMS members can also apply; however, preference will be given to those individuals that meet the primary criteria. The ILMS cannot fund your entire conference, travel, or hotel stay. Scholarships will be provided to those best-qualified applicants who are in need of cost assistance to enable their attendance. Preference will be given to those individuals whom demonstrate a strong desire to attend and can provide additional funding to supplement this grant.
Those meeting the criteria and selected will receive registration, travel and/or lodging reimbursement to attend the NALMS Symposium. Registration within 15 days of scholarship receipt is required for those selected to receive the reimbursement scholarship to attend. If proof of registration is not provided to ILMS within this 15-day period, the scholarship will be revoked and provided to another eligible attendee. Any additional hotel fee or other reimbursement will be provided within 15 days of conference end and provision of proof of attendance provision. In total, the scholarship will not exceed $500 per person.
Those interested in receiving a scholarship must:
- Be affiliated with a lake association organization
- Commit to attend the entire conferences
- Pay for their own costs above and beyond what is reimbursed ($500)
Other candidates can apply; however, preference will be given to those that meet the above listed criteria.
If you are interested, click here to download the scholarship form and turn it in by August 1, 2008 and submit to: Sara Peel, ILMS Secretary c/o JFNew 708 Roosevelt Road Walkerton, Indiana 46574. Contact Sara at (574) 586-3400 or speel@jfnew.com if you have questions. Awards will be announced by August 29.
Subscribe to NACD's Redesigned eNewsletter eNotes
NACD has exciting news for subscribers to eNotes. As of July 8 the weekly electronic newsletter eNotes will be given a new look.
You may wonder why we’re spoiling the surprise. Along with the new design, NACD has recently adopted a new opt-in policy for our distribution list, and our subscribers and anyone else wishing to receive eNotes need to sign up for this new opt-in list. This new opt-in list format benefits you, our readers, by providing better protection of your privacy and the ability for you to subscribe and unsubscribe instantly.
Our newly designed eNotes will only be sent to this new permission-based list, starting July 8, 2008. We don’t want any of our districts or fellow friends of conservation to miss out on these weekly news briefs, so we need you to re-subscribe as soon as possible. If you decide not to act, you will no longer receive eNotes; as of next week, the old mailing list will no longer be used.
So please, subscribe now to receive NACD’s redesigned eNotes newsletter. It’s quick, simple and instantaneous. Click here to re-subscribe to receive eNotes. And keep your eyes peeled next Tuesday for the newly redesigned eNotes. Questions? Contact NACD Communications Director and eNotes Editor Lisa Lerwick at lisa-lerwick@nacdnet.org.
Monarchs, monitoring, milkweed and migration!
Five hands-on training sessions are available for anyone interested in monarch butterflies or monarch monitoring projects for home, schools or parks. Learn about the life cycle of an individual monarch traveling from Indiana to the mountains of Mexico and back to the United States, highlighting the threats to this migration phenomenon. Using live monarch eggs, larvae and adults, identify all stages of a monarch's life cycle and tag adult butterflies. Develop strategies for creating Monarch waystations and experiment with monarch curriculum for grades K-8.
The workshops will be conducted by Ann Richardson and Robert Richardson, regional trainers for the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project, a citizen science project developed at the University of Minnesota. The workshops are sponsored by Indiana Project WILD, Indiana Department of Natural Resources. For more information, contact Mary Hayes, Indiana Project WILD at 317-549-0348 or at projectwild@dnr.in.gov.
To register for any of these workshops, contact Marie at the Natural Resources Education Center at (317) 562-1338 or at nrec@dnr.in.gov.
- Wednesday, July 16: Avon Outdoor Learning Center, Avon. 9 a.m.— 4 p.m. Free. Registration deadline: Monday, July 7.
- Saturday, July 19: Mounds State Park, Anderson. 9 a.m.— 4 p.m. Free. Registration deadline: Monday, July 11.
- Tuesday, July 22: Ft. Harrison State Park, Indianapolis. 9 a.m.— 4 p.m. Free. Registration deadline: Monday, July 14.
- Friday, July 25: Indiana Dunes State Park, Chesterton. 9 a.m.— 4 p.m. Free. Registration deadline: Monday, July 18.
- Wednesday, July 30: Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area, Linton. 9 a.m.— 4 p.m. Free. Registration deadline: Monday, July 21.
INDIANA ASSOCIATION OF SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION Districts
OFFICERS:
 President: Jim Droege, Posey Co.
Vice President: Paula Baldwin, Marion Co.
Secretary: Ray McCormick: Knox Co.
Treasurer: Jeff Meinders, Ripley Co.
REGION DIRECTORS:
Board Roster / Region Map
North-Northwest: Larry Strole, Newton Co.
South-Northwest: Kenny Cain, Montgomery Co.
North-Northeast: Tom Crowe, Allen Co.
South-Northeast: Bobby Hettmansperger, Wabash Co.
North-Southwest: Bob Weaver, Johnson Co.
South-Southwest: Ray Chattin, Knox Co.
North-Southeast: Brad Dawson, Dearborn Co.
South-Southeast: Brad Ponsler, Jennings Co.
IASWCD STAFF:
Executive Director: Jennifer Boyle, 317.692.7519
Watershed Information Specialist: Elizabeth Trybula, 317.692.7514
Communications Manager: DeeDee Sigler, 317.692.7374
Project Assistant: Jaclyn Casale, 317.692.7325 |
