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Conservation Coffees and Webinars

Throughout the year NACD, hosts a variety of virtual learning and networking events. Regularly check NACD’s Events Calendar for the latest opportunities to connect with other members. We also post most of the recorded sessions on YouTube if you miss them.

Check this page often for updates for our regular sessions, and see more information, below. If you have any questions, or would like to present on a future Conservation Coffee or webinar, please reach out to membership[at]nacdnet.org.

Conservation Coffees

In 2023, NACD’s District and Partner Relations Committee started these short networking sessions to help bring members together and provide updates on key programs or partnership opportunities.

The sessions are held bi-monthly, at 3:00 p.m. ET on the second Thursday of every month. See information and registration links below for the upcoming sessions (you’ll receive a zoom link after registering).

Next Conservation Coffee

April 10, 3:00 p.m. ET – Partnerships for Biodiversity: Habitat Mixes with Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever

Speaker: Michael Retterer, National Rights-of-Way and Energy Coordinator, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever

Join Michael Retterer of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever (PF/QF) to learn more about the PF/QF Nationwide Habitat Program for Rights-of-Way and the PF/QF seed program. The seed program provides affordable, high-quality habitat mixes that meet and exceed USDA conservation standards and specifications. Through a partner program, conservation districts can serve as points-of-sale for these products and earn 10% unrestricted revenue in the process.

Register online for free here.

Save the Dates for Upcoming Conservation Coffees

  • June 12 – TBD
  • August 14 – TBD
  • October 9 – TBD
  • December 11 – TBD

Registration is free and available online for all sessions; please reach out to Dr. Ariel Rivers at any time with any questions or to present on a future Conservation Coffee!

All past sessions are recorded and available on NACD’s YouTube, along with multiple other learning resources!

NACD Urban and Community Conservation Webinars

The Scotts Miracle Gro FoundationNACD’s Urban and Community Conservation webinar series, sponsored by The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation, highlights programs related to urban and community conservation, outreach to underrepresented clients, small-scale natural resource concerns, stormwater management, and other related themes.

The full list of webinars is available below, with some videos available on NACD’s YouTube page. Please note that we are transitioning the full archive of videos to YouTube, so some links below may not be available.

MONTH TOPIC PRESENTER(s)
March 19, 2025 Creating a Community-Centered Food and Native Plant System Chad Simpson, Monte Osterman, and Kristine Heuser from Racine County Land & Water Conservation in Wisconsin

MONTH TOPIC PRESENTER(s)
October 21, 2021 USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Joseph Heller, USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production
November 18, 2021 Restore Americas Estuaries Daniel Hayden, President and CEO, Restore Americas Estuaries
December 16, 2021 Collaborative Invasive Species Management Claire Lane, Hamilton County SWCD
Dawn Slack, Indiana Invasives Initiatives
Stephanie Schuck, Southern Indiana Cooperative Invasive Management
January 20, 2022 Solar Pollinator Habitat Discovery Trail Shannon Russel Pennington,
Warren County Park District, Ohio
Melissa Proffitt, Warren County SWCD
February 17, 2022 “Soil Your Undies” Soil Health Exploration Series Chaneen Haler, Greenville County SWCD
March 17, 2022 District Opportunities through the Coastal Resource Resiliency Fund Joann Throwe & Kyle Gray, NCRF Field Liaisons, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
April 21, 2022 Managing Runoff at Home and Beyond Jeffrey D. Miller, Cass County SCD
Caitlin Stewart, Hamilton County SWCD
May 19, 2022 Urban Soil Health Join Erin Kilcullen, Deschutes SWCD
Elli Blaine, Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts
June 16, 2022 Community Projects in Wyoming Carlin Girard, Teton CD
Orion Bellorado, Farmstead Cider
July 21, 2022 Conservation with Tribal Youth Delane Atcitty, The Indian Nations Conservation Alliance
August 18, 2022 Growing Urban Agriculture Partnerships Amy DePierre, Jefferson CD
September 15, 2022 UAC Grant Projects Jefferson County CD
Prince George’s County CD







MONTH TOPIC PRESENTER(s)
October 16, 2014 Urban and Community Conservation Funding WA State Conservation Commission
Westmoreland CD, Pa.
November 20, 2014 Engaging Mentors for Urban and Community Conservation West Multnomah SWCD, Ore.
Montgomery and Northampton SWCDs, Pa.
December 18, 2014 Reaching Urban and Community Audiences Greenville County SWCD, S.C.
Hamilton County SWCD, Ohio
January 25, 2015 Soil Health Initiatives on Suburban Lands
(recording unavailable)
Ocean County SCD, N.J.
USDA NRCS, N.J.
February 19, 2015 Extending Urban Growing Seasons
(recording unavailable)
Jefferson CD, Colo.
NRCS, Ohio
March 19, 2015 Districts Working with Community Gardens
(recording unavailable)
Highlands SWCD, Fla.
RCD of San Diego, Calif.
 April, 16, 2015 More Urban and Community Conservation Funding
(recording unavailable)
Steuben SWCD, Ind.
Dept of Natural Resources, Iowa
Dept of Ag Conservation Div, Iowa
June 18, 2015 Partnering with Golf Courses
(recording unavailable)
First Green Foundation, Wash.
July 16, 2015 Finding an Urban and Community Conservation Niche
(recording unavailable)
Allegheny CD, Pa.
Whidbey Island CD, Wash.
August 20, 2015 Engaging Communities in Urban Conservation Greenville SWCD, S.C.
Tulsa County CD, Okla.
September 17, 2015 Building Green Infrastructure for Water Quality Nevada-Tahoe CD, Nev.
New York City SWCD, N.Y.


MONTH TOPIC PRESENTER(s)
September 20, 2012 Locally Led in Developing Areas
(recording unavailable)
Ada CD, Idaho
Westmoreland CD, Pa.
October 18, 2012 Lawn and the Environment
(recording unavailable)
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company
Ohio Federation of SWCD, Ohio
November 15, 2012 NPDES Phase II Requirements – Outreach
(recording unavailable)
EPA Office of Water, Washington, D.C.
Dutchess SWCD, N.Y.
December 20, 2012 NPDES Phase II Requirements – Implementation
(recording unavailable)
EPA Office of Water, Washington, D.C.
Elkhart SWCD, Ind.
January 17, 2013 Clean Water State Revolving Fund and NonPoint Source Pollution
(recording unavailable)
EPA Office of Wastewater Mgt, Washington, D.C.
Spokane CD, Wash.
February 21, 2013 Districts’ Role in Urban Farming
(recording unavailable)
Pierce CD, Wash.
March 21, 2013 Illinois Urban Manual: A Model for Technical Standards
(recording unavailable)
Association of Illinois SWCD, Ill.
North Cook, Kane-DuPage, and Kendall SWCDs, Ill.
April 18, 2013 Land Evaluation Site Assessment (LESA)
(recording unavailable)
NRCS National Soil Survey Center, Neb.
Dutchess SWCD, N.Y.
May 16, 2013 Statewide Community Conservation Program
(recording unavailable)
North Carolina Dept of Ag Conserv Div
Iowa Dept of Ag Conservation Div Conservation Districts of Iowa
July 18, 2013 Low Impact Development
(recording unavailable)
Washington CD, Minn.
Snohomish CD, Wash.
August 15, 2013 Infiltration of Rain Gardens
(recording unavailable)
Kitsap CD, Wash.
Cass County SCD, N.D.
September 19, 2013 Green Infrastructure at the Local Level
(recording unavailable)
The Conservation Fund
Whatcom CD, Wash.

JFT Webinars

The Joint Forestry Team (JFT) hosts a webinar series on how state-level forestry memorandums of understanding (MOUs) can be used to achieve on-the-ground results across all-lands. The primary purpose of the webinars is to better inform coordinated, interagency delivery of forestry and conservation assistance. The Joint Forestry Team is made up of the U.S. Forest Service, NRCS, the National Association of State Foresters and NACD.

MONTH TOPIC
October 19, 2016 An Overview of America’s Forestry MOUs
November 16, 2016 State Forestry Action Plans

Additional Webinars

Farm Finance and Conservation, Does it Pay?

Alan Grafton, principal of K·Coe Isom, hosts this webinar, where three growers let us dig into their books.  We will take a look at several aspects of conservation, and how they can impact the bottom line. These practices not only involve the grower, but some of their key partners in the value chain. This study resulted in a report released Sept. 2018, entitled “How on-farm conservation can generate financial value”.

Nutrient Cycling and Soil Health

This presentation reviews nutrient cycling and discusses how soil health is carbon-centric. This webinar covers the carbon cycle and carbon nitrogen ratios. Tennessee Association of Conservation Districts Soil Health Specialist Mike Hubbs covers Haney and PLFA tests as tools to assess soil health. Hubbs also explains why soil test factors are important to functioning soils.

Integrating Sociology with Soil Health Management: How to improve farmer outreach

Changing behavior is hard. Unfortunately, it is not as simple as relaying data and facts. Good news is there are simple tactics you can use to reach beyond innovators and “the choir”. This presentation will provide strategies based on real world examples and how to relate them to your work.

Speaker: Jessica Espenshade, coordinator for the National Agriculture Program at the National Wildlife Federation (NWF)

Using Soil Health Principles to Improve Lake Erie Water Quality
James J. Hoorman, NRCS Soil Health Specialist

Agricultural tillage has contributed to a broken Carbon-Nitrogen-Phosphorus (C-N-P) cycle and a damaged water cycle. Tillage is a destructive practice that burns up SOM, decreases effective nutrient recycling, and reduces aggregate stability and water infiltration. The NRCS Soil Health Division is promoting four major core soil health principles: 1) Maximize surface cover 2) Minimize soil disturbance, 3) Maximize live roots, and 4) Increase Biodiversity. As an example, the four core soil health principles will be used to address the Lake Erie P issue to demonstrate how to restore the C-N-P and water cycles, restore our soils, and improve Lake Erie water quality.

Jim Hoorman is the new NRCS Soil Health Specialist for Ohio and Michigan. Jim was an assistant professor and extension educator for Ohio State University Extension for 25 years specializing in soil health, cover crops, nutrient recycling and water quality. Jim has worked with cover crops and no-till for over 15 years promoting soil health principles throughout the USA and the world.

Understanding Soil Health in Organic Production Systems
Dr. Erin Silva from the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Soil health and soil stewardship have comprised the foundation of organic agriculture since its inception. While some aspects of organic management create challenges in the maintenance of soil health, other management principles integrated into the National Organic Standards help to create an environment optimizing the physical, chemical and biological health of the soil. This presentation will summarize an overview of the data related to soil health indicators in organic systems, as well as identify practices that help build soil health while farming organically.

#WEDIGHEALTHYSOILS: Putting on Successful Soil Health Events in Your District

Learn how the Sussex Conservation District (SCD) spearheaded the formation of the Delaware Soil Health Partnership, a collaborative effort to offer workshops and field days throughout the year to help farmers develop their own farm-specific strategies. SCD shares what has worked for their district and their farmers, including event logistics, choosing topics and speakers, finding funding, and working with multiple organizations. As a result of these efforts, 85 percent of farmers surveyed at recent soil health outreach events in Delaware say that they have made management changes to improve their soil health! Want a preview? Look for the hashtag #wedighealthysoils on Facebook. View this document to review the Delaware Soil Health Checklist and this document to review the Delaware Soil Health Evaluation Form.

Grazing Cover Crops

Noble Research Institute Soils and Crops Consultant Jim Johnson discusses definitions of cover crops, keys to using cover crops for grazing, and how to create a cover crop mix for grazing. Johnson also shares some experiences of producers who have been grazing cover crops in the Southern Great Plains and how many of their principles can be applied universally.

“Carbonomics” – The Wonderful Economy Under Our Feet

Learn from Green Cover Seed Founder and Soil Health Champion from Nebraska Keith Berns about the wonderfully complex economy that plants, soils and biology engage in every day. Utilizing carbon as the currency, learn how plants interact with soil microorganisms to “buy” and “sell” services and nutrients and learn how to wean your farm off of agricultural welfare!

Linking Soil Biology to Soil Health

Presented by USDA NRCS West Regional Soil Health Team Leader Jennifer Moore-Kucera. Soil microbes play a direct role in driving multiple soil chemical and physical processes important for overall ecosystem function, but also have direct and indirect effects on plant productivity and quality.  Thus, soil conservation and regeneration should focus not only plant nutrient status and erosion control but also on the status of the soil biological community, its function and overall soil health. The goals of this presentation are: 1) to highlight how soil organisms are involved in all aspects of soil function important for agriculture; 2) introduce biological ‘hot spots’ where soil life is active and the key players associated with these hot spots; and 3) how to maximize these biological hot spots through management practices that follow the four soil health principles. By shifting our view of soils from an inert growing material to a biologically diverse and active ecosystem, we can help create more sustainable farms, ranches and forests to provide the food and fiber for our rapidly growing population while protecting land, air and water resources for future generations.

Connecting Soil Health and Beneficial Invertebrates Beneath the Soil

Join the Xerces Society to learn about the diversity of invertebrate organisms that live beneath the soil surface and the important roles these organisms play in soil health. They will also overview farm and land management practices (e.g. reduced tillage, cover cropping, beetle banks, permanent plantings, etc.) that support these important invertebrates.

Soil Health in Rangeland and Perennial Pasture Systems

Presented by Jeff Goodwin, Pasture and Range Consultant for the Noble Research Institute.

Beneficial Insects and Soil Health: Promoting Beneficial Insects for Pest Management

Presented by Thelma Heidel-Baker, Ph.D, the Conservation Biocontrol Specialist for the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and Mace Vaughan, Pollinator Conservation Program Co-Director for the Xerces Society; a Partner Biologist and Pollinator Conservation Specialist with the USDA NRCS West National Technology Support Center in Portland, Oregon.

This webinar gives an overview of how practices that benefit soil health (e.g. cover cropping, field borders and other permanent plantings, reduced tillage, etc.) also benefit the insect/invertebrates that provide pest management services.

Soil Health Research Webinar

On-farm case studies conducted by NACD and Datu Research have found corn and soybean farmers who use cover crops and/or no-till can improve their bottom lines by over $100 per acre. You can read about the economic and soil health benefits of using these conservation practices by clicking here, or click here to read more of the report overview. To request a copy of the parent report, contact Director of Communications Stephanie Addison. NACD hosted a webinar in September with Datu Research’s CEO Marcy Lowe and case study participant Michael Willis reviewing the research conclusions; you can access a recording of the webinar at the title link above.

Resource Stewardship Evaluation Tool (RSET)

Through RSET, NRCS has integrated the best attributes of many of its resource evaluation tools into one modern way of planning. RSET gives producers a holistic look at their agricultural operation’s current management and conservation activities by comparing an operation’s attributes and activities to stewardship benchmarks for five natural resource concerns: soil management, water quality, water quantity, air quality and wildlife habitat. Then, RSET provides the results of the evaluation in an easy-to-read bar graph that shows how a producer’s management decisions affect the natural resources under his or her care. Click here to access a special edition of the Soil Health Champions Network bulletin on RSET.

 

Forestry and Fire Education

NACD has participated in- and led a variety of webinars related to forest health and fire preparedness. For example, we have a webinar on Developing a Successful Community Wildfire Preparedness Program. This webinar explores the fire season, resources available for natural resource professionals, district activities in Washington state, and will include a conversation between two districts that participated in the revision process of their Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

Additional learning opportunities are available on NACD’s YouTube. If you have additional questions about our forestry programming, reach out to Annica McGuirk, NACD’s Forestry Program Manager.

American Society of Agronomy: Cover Crops Webinar Series

NACD/EPA: CW 319 Nonpoint Source Program: New Rules and Guidelines, Renewed Focus on Results RCPP Webinar for Conservation Districts

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