Helping Protect the Natural Resources of Wake County, NC

Category: Wake SWCD (Page 10 of 12)

Call-for-Volunteers + 2012 Spring Big Sweep Schedule

It’s Time to Delve into the 2012…
Spring Big Sweep!

Calling all volunteers who value clean water! Eleven sites are looking for
helping hands to clean creeks, streams, lakes and wetlands across Wake
County. Litter cleanups are scheduled for seven consecutive Saturdays in
seven different Wake County towns, beginning on March 17 through April 28.
There’s also a cleanup on Sunday afternoon, April 15th in New Hill. Continue reading

CONTESTS – design T-shirts

Here’s two contests to whet your creative juices for designing a T-shirt
about the wonderful work our volunteers do in cleaning up our watersheds!

1. NC BIG SWEEP DESIGN CONTEST (FALL 2012)

Create a design for the 2013 NC Big Sweep: a statewide cleanup for a
litter-free environment. Open to grades K-12.
Deadline is October 15, 2012 (plenty of time!)
Winning design wins $100 and is placed on T-shirts worn statewide, as well
as on brochures and posters. Desing contest flyer below

2. NEUSE RIVER CLEANUP (SPRING 2012)

Create a design to be unveiled at this spring’s Neuse River Cleanup on
April 7th..
Open to all ages.
Deadline is March 15, 2012. Continue reading

kudos to Keeping the Farm

from TREELINE, the NC Foresty Association newsletter – Jan/Feb 2012

North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler addressed landowners at the Saving the Farm Workshop. Troxler stressed the important role agriculture and farmers play in the state’s economy.

 

Keeping the farm workshop once again draws a large crowd

Under the direction of District Director Dale Threatt-Taylor, the Wake County Soil & Water Conservation District once again sponsored its popular “Keeping the Farm Workshop” in Raleigh.  The energetic Threatt-Taylor has been running this program for the past seven years. She draws in the various civil servants who serve the farming community as well as experts from North Carolina State University. Topics included cost-share programs, the present-use tax program, a legislative update and an update on estate taxes.  The NCFA has been a sponsor of this program since its origin and participates by displaying at the event.

Wake SWCD receives award

Congratulations to Wake Soil and Water Conservation District. In January it received the Unit of Government Award for 2011, given by The Hugh Hammond Bennett Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society of America. The District was honored for its long history (48 years) of participating in the NC Resource Conservation Workshop with NCSU, US Army COE, NC Forest Service, Clemmons Educational State Forest, NC Wildlife Resources Commission, NC Division of Soil and Water Conservation and NRCS. The workshop provides a week-long active, outdoor learning experience focused on conservation of natural resources. This year’s workshop will take place in June.

Photo by Bill Sandifer

75 years of Conservation

Soil and Water Conservation takes front page news in this months Agriculture Review.  Check it out on line:  http://www.ncagr.gov/paffairs/AgReview/pdf/Jan12AgReview.pdf

and, Commissioner Troxler sits down with the Southern Farm Network to talk about 75 years of Conservation.  It is a great recorded interview that is just 3 1/2 minutes long.

cool NC fact:  The work of Anson County native Hugh Hammond Bennett led to the formation of the federal government’s Soil Erosion Service in 1933.

Keeping the Farm – Wed 1/25

7th Annual Keeping the Farm Workshop

There is still time for you to attend.

How do the latest changes in legislation and rules affect you and your land?

7th Annual Keeping the Farm Workshop
for Wake County Landowners and Operators

Topics include:
New cost share programs for your farm and forest, land use tax value,
legislative updates (ETJ, bona fide farm definition, etc.),
forestry rules, estate tax update
Question and Answer sessions with agency staff and more!

January 25, 2012
8:30 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.
Wake County Office Park – Commons Building
4011 Carya Drive, Raleigh, NC

To register call 919-250-1050 or email keepfarm2012

keeping the farm workshop.pdf

46 Annual Conservation Awards Banquet

On December 8, 2011, the Friends of Wake SWCD and the Wake Soil and Water Conservation District presented the 46th Annual Conservation Awards.

  • Environmental Stewardship Award: John Ann Shearer
  • Dan Wilkinson WRAL Conservation Communication Award: Stephen A Whitfield / NCWoodlands
  • Conservation Poster Winners: Top Ten Students
  • Community Conservation Partnership Award: Falcon Engineering
  • Envirothon Mentor of the Year Award: Dr. John Meyer
  • Big Sweep Excellence Award: Wake County Parks and Open Space
  • Conservation Farm Family Award: Danny Glenn Perry and Larry Perry
  • Lifetime Achievement Award: John Y. Phelps, Jr.
  • Friend of the District Award: Dr. B.C. Raynor, DDS

Congratulations and Thank You to all our winners for their work in conservation in Wake County.

If you would like to help sponsor the Annual Conservation Awards please contact us at: friendsofwakeswcd@gmail.com

To support the work of the Wake Soil and Water Conservation District, please consider joining the Friends by clicking here.

2011 banquet program

Sir Walter Raleigh Award

The AB Combs Elementary School rain garden was recognized with a 2011 Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Community Appearance, Raleigh’s annual celebration of the best in community design and conservation.  The award is shared among its many partners, including Wake SWCD Staff, as well as  District Conservation Award recipients John Ann Shearer and Falcon Engineering.

http://www.raleighnc.gov/home/content/PubAffairs/Articles/2011SirWalterAwards.html

SOIL AND WATER TO RECEIVE NATIONAL AWARD

SOIL AND WATER TO RECEIVE NATIONAL AWARD
The Soil and Water Conservation Department will receive the 2011 Earth Team
Award, from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS), during the N.C. Association of Soil and Water Conservation
Districts’ annual meeting, January 8-10, 2012, in Greensboro. The award
recognizes the best volunteer programs in NRCS offices nationwide.

Receiving more volunteer hours than any other conservation district in the
state, Wake Soil and Water Conservation engaged skilled volunteers to
assist with technical and administrative duties throughout the year. This
volunteer support helped the department, as an interim measure, meet the
increasing demand from residents for agricultural and natural resources
conservation services.  Staff Contact: Dale Threatt-Taylor, Soil and Water
Conservation Department, 919-250-1068

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