Districts Bring Soil Education to Classrooms Across the Country 04/28/2026
Across the country, conservation districts are taking soil education straight to the classroom. From teaching students about soil health to encouraging hands-on learning with soil projects to inspiring creativity through creating posters, district staff, educators, and conservation partners are helping students learn all about “Soil. Where it All Begins.” Missaukee Conservation District In Michigan, the…… Continue reading →
Regenerative Agriculture in Action: Dan and Tami Sanders’ Journey on the Yellowstone 01/13/2026
By Nicole Poitra, NACD Northern Plains Region Representative At the foot of Montana’s Crazy Mountains in Big Timber, Dan and Tami Sanders are transforming their leased 500-acre ranch along the Yellowstone River into a working model of regenerative agriculture. Guided by the wisdom of local ranchers and supported by modern soil-health practices, they’re blending tradition…… Continue reading →
Fourth Graders Paddle Down the Kankakee River and Gain a Boatload of Knowledge 11/12/2024
Photos and writing by Linda Schwab, LaPorte County Soil & Water Conservation District [caption id="attachment_57473" align="alignleft" width="483"] Canoeing on the Kankakee River[/caption] Recently, on the banks of the Kankakee River, busloads of local 4th graders came together to learn about the beauty and history of the river and the importance of watershed stewardship. Their final…… Continue reading →
Exploring Conservation Triumphs: Highlights from the South Central Region Meeting 08/22/2023
By Wesley Gibson, NACD South Central Region Representative In the heart of the South Central Region, soil and water conservation district officials gathered for a highly anticipated annual event that epitomizes the spirit of collaboration and sustainable land management. On August 13-15, 2023, the Association of Texas Soil and Water Conservation Districts (ATSWCD) hosted the…… Continue reading →
Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District Hosts First-Ever Earth Day Seedling Sale with Help of Friends of NACD District Grant 05/21/2021
By Sara Churgin, District Manager The Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District (ERICD), a 2020 Friends of NACD District Grants Program awardee, held its first-ever Earth Day Seedling Sale in April 2021. The sale helped educate community members about the benefits of planting trees and provided residents with an opportunity to purchase tree seedlings to plant…… Continue reading →
Friends of NACD District Grant Helps Richland SWCD Launch a Seed Sanctuary and Garner New Public Awareness 04/22/2021
By Mary Hannah Lindsay In 2020, the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District (RSWCD), located in Columbia, S.C, launched a Seed Sanctuary through the “Re-Seeding Richland” project. The project received funding support from the Friends of NACD District Grants Program. The Seed Sanctuary is a free seed share program. Residents of Richland County request small…… Continue reading →
Kentucky’s Henry County CD hits their stride with grant from NRCS 07/30/2020
By Candice Abinanti In Henry County, Ky., “tobacco paid the bills for a long time,” remarks Curtis Coombs (pictured left), a soil conservation technician covering Henry and Oldham Counties. Located northeast of Louisville and bordered on the east by the Kentucky River, Henry County’s primary crop used to be tobacco. Over the years, tobacco has…… Continue reading →
Busy as bees with pollinators in mind 04/21/2020
By Sunni Heikes-Knapton Pollinators don’t worry about pandemics. Stay-at-home orders and social isolation aren’t stopping the bees, butterflies, bats and moths from doing their important tasks in our landscape. Similarly, our nation’s conservation districts also continue their valuable work during a challenging time, even on efforts that help those same pollinators to keep working. For…… Continue reading →
Would we still have food if the pollinators disappear? 04/10/2020
By Diana Blackwood What do tomatoes, basil, coffee and alfalfa have in common? On the surface, it appears to be very little. However, there is one thing they do share: They all owe their existence to the service of pollinators. Grocery stores would be rather empty without the hard work of bees, birds, butterflies, bats…… Continue reading →
NACD offers educational pollinator field day guide 04/01/2020
Conservation districts now have a new tool in their toolkit for teaching the important topic of pollinators. NACD has released a free, first-of-its-kind curriculum, “A Guide to Conducting a Pollinator Conservation Field Day,” which is available for download through NACD’s new Conservation Education Hub. The guide was developed through support from the David Rockefeller Fund…… Continue reading →