Transcript Programs Offered by Local, State and National Associations

PROGRAMMING
THROUGH
PARTNERSHIPS
THE IMPORTANCE OF PARTNERSHIPS
Districts are most effective when working with
the many partnerships available.
 Partnerships are what enable Districts to deliver
educational programs to their Officers and
communities.
 Partnerships also allow for a wider variety of
ideas and opportunities.
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UTILIZING PROGRAMS
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A great way to build a relationship with the community
in your district is to implement and/or spread awareness
of programs offered by our partnerships.
In this slide show, programs offered by a few partners
are reviewed.
Note that there are programs offered by almost all of our
partnerships! (all listed in the acronym document)
Using these programs will also strengthen relationships
with our partners.
The purpose of this presentation is not to make you
memorize all the programs, but to be aware of the
different programs available.
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Your district may even be using programs listed here already!
NACD
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Stewardship Program
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In 1955, the National Association of Conservation Districts
began a national program to encourage Americans to focus on
stewardship.
Stewardship Week is officially celebrated from the last
Sunday in April to the first Sunday in May.
The program relies on locally-led conservation districts
sharing and promoting stewardship and conservation
activities.
Districts provide conservation and stewardship field days,
programs, workshops and additional outreach efforts
throughout their community to educate citizens about the
need to care for our resources.
The Stewardship concept involves personal and social
responsibility, including a duty to learn about and improve
natural resources as we use them wisely, leaving a rich legacy
for future generations.
Stewardship Week helps to remind us all of the power each
person has to conserve natural resources and improve the
world.
NACD
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Contests
Contests provide an excellent opportunity for students to enjoy
healthy competition while learning about conservation. NACD
and the NACD Auxiliary annually partner to host the National
Poster Contest and the Photo Contest. NACD also serves as a
sponsor and judge for the annual Canon Envirothon contest.
 National Poster Contest
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The annual National Conservation Poster Contest provides kindergarten
through twelfth grade students an opportunity to convey their thoughts
about soil, water and related natural resource issues through art.
It also highlights the educational outreach efforts of conservation districts
and their state conservation associations, auxiliaries and agencies.
The poster contest theme follows the annual Stewardship theme and is cosponsored by the National Association of Conservation Districts and the
NACD Auxiliary.
Each year, the poster contest starts at the district level.
District winners advance to the state level.
National winners are recognized each year at the NACD Annual Meeting.
NACD
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Contests
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Photo Contest
A picture can be worth even more than a thousand words.
 Good photographs can lend a helping hand to numerous
projects: they strengthen publicity for a fund-raiser, make a
newsletter more appealing and reveal the beauty of
wetlands to elementary students.
 To recognize individuals who use this tool effectively and
creatively, NACD and the NACD Auxiliary join forces to
host an annual Photo Contest.
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NACD
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Contests
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Canon Envirothon
Each year, Envirothon provides more and more students
with a chance to get "up-close and personal" with North
America's natural resources.
 Envirothon offers both in-class curriculum and hands-on
field experiences focused around ecology, natural resource
management and current environmental issues.
 This unique combination of learning experiences and
breadth of study is part of what has made the Envirothon a
huge success with students and educators across the United
States and Canada.
 It is sponsored by Canon U.S.A., Inc.
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VASWCD
The VASWCD (AND YOU!) plays a major role in
making the programs provided by the NACD
happen on the local and state level.
 Envirothon
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The VASWCD coordinates both Area (of which there
are 6) and State Envirothon competitions
Poster and Photo Contests
Districts are responsible for submitting posters and
photos to the VASWCD
 VASWCD judges the submissions and sends winners
to the national level
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VASWCD
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VASWCD Educational Foundation, Inc.
Scholarship Awards Program
Purpose: To promote the education of Virginia citizens in
technical fields with natural resource conservation and
environmental protection. To give financial support to
students majoring in or showing a strong desire to major in
a course curriculum related to natural resource
conservation and/or environmental studies.
 Two Educational Foundation, Inc. scholarships will be
awarded annually on behalf of the Virginia Chapter of the
Soil and Water Conservation Society. One will be awarded
annually on behalf of the VASWCD and one will be
awarded annually on behalf of the VASWCD Auxiliary to
an eligible individual nominated by Virginia’s SWCDs.
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VASWCD
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Youth Conservation Camp (YCC)
For 34 years, the Virginia Association of Soil and Water
Conservation Districts has sponsored a week long
summer conservation camp for Virginia high school
students (currently enrolled in grades 9-12) on the
campus of Virginia Tech.
 The program brings together about 70 interested
students for a week of learning about Virginia's natural
resources from conservation professionals and faculty
from Virginia Tech.
 Most of the instruction is hands-on and outdoors.
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VASWCD
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Not only does the VASWCD provide programs for
students, but also provides programs for Officers,
teachers, and interested individuals:
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Field Days
Statewide training
Employee training
Director training
Coaching and workshops for educators
MWEE curriculum
Watershed instruction plus other workshops
DCR
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Virginia Agricultural BMP Cost-Share Program
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The cost-share program supports using various practices in
conservation planning to treat animal waste, cropland,
pastureland and forested land.
Some are paid for at a straight per-acre rate.
Others are cost-shared on a percentage basis up to 75 percent.
In some cases, USDA also pays a percentage.
The cost-share program's practices can often be funded by a
combination of state and federal funds, reducing the landowner
s expense to less than 30 percent of the total cost.
Because demand for cost-share assistance is great, districts
support the implementation of only those plans which meet
local water quality guidelines.
Since all requests can't be satisfied, priority ranking of
practices must be used to make sure money is distributed and
spent wisely.
DCR
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Cost-Share Program
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The most an individual may receive is $50,000.
Cost-share funds are also available for approved
innovative BMP demonstration projects intended to
improve water quality.
All practices in the program have been included because
of their ability to improve or protect water quality.
Virginia BMP Tax Credit Program
The program supports voluntary installation of BMPs
that will address Virginia's nonpoint source pollution
water quality objectives.
 Agricultural producers with an approved conservation
plan can take a credit against state income tax of 25
percent of the first $70,000 spent on agricultural BMPs.
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DCR
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Virginia Adopt-A-Stream Program
The waterway cleanups supported by this anti-litter
campaign provide a chance for local businesses, civic
groups, watershed associations, churches, schools,
environmental concerns and scouts to work together
or separately to do their part.
 The statewide program aims to reduce litter while
advancing citizen stewardship and understanding of
the commonwealth's precious waterways.
 Adopt-A-Stream promotes education, public outreach,
citizen involvement, partnership and community
capacity-building through Virginia's diverse
constituencies.
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LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS
Local partnerships, of course, will vary depending
on the District
 Here are some examples of local groups good to
partner with that apply to various Districts:
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JRA- James River Association
 TVA- Tennessee Valley Authority
 CC- Chesapeake Club
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