Conservation Spotlight: Attention Farmers and Landowners!
Do you have issues with erosion? Want to improve soil health? Do you lack enough water to meet your needs? Are your animals mucking up your pond? Are your farm paths in rough shape? Do you need help dealing with manure?
Apply now to receive cost share funding!
The Wake Soil and Water Conservation District has received its cost share allocation from the State to assist with nonpoint source pollution control from agricultural activities. These funds will assist producers installing conservation practices to reduce the amount of sediment, phosphorous, nitrogen and other pollutants entering surface and ground water resources in our state. Landowners and operators of existing agricultural operations may apply for cost share assistance to install conservation practices such as grassed waterways, cropland conversion, cover crop, livestock exclusion and many more.
The Wake SWCD has begun accepting applications for cost share assistance. Funds are being allocated quickly, so if you would like to be considered, please apply as soon as possible to ensure funding capacity for the 2023 fiscal year.
Resource Conservation Workshop Recap
A Day in the Life of a Soil and Water Conservationist
This summer a record number of 12 Wake County high school students were immersed in conservation at the week-long Resource Conservation Workshop at North Carolina State University. These 12 local students joined 80 others from across the state to learn the latest science and potential career paths for various natural resource management fields.
Why were the students so excited to be there? What did they do? Here’s a quick look at their Thursday schedule that let them experience firsthand a day in the life of a soil and water conservationist!
It’s 8:00 am on a hot and humid June morning. All 90 students arrive at the NCSU Lake Wheeler Research Farm where they are greeted by Wake District’s conservationists Emily Bateman, Caleb Lippard, and Mikayla Renn and Conservation Specialist Loren Hendrickson; as well as the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s technical staff Diana Irizarry, Gabi Velez Rodriguez and their student trainees Zuhad and Hannah.
Got sunscreen? Check! Got bug spray? Check! Got water? Check! After a brief introduction, the students “become” conservationists and rotate to three outdoor, hands-on stations.
Conservation Planning: Thinking like a conservationist, students practice their observational skills in a farmer’s field, looking for signs of erosion and overall soil health. Students also closely observe the health of crop plants with regard to pests, nutrients, and water availability. Students then recommend and explain which BMPs may best address the farm’s natural resource needs while meeting the farmer’s goals.
Surveying: Taking turns looking through a survey level and holding a rod, students determine the percent and length of slope on farm fields. Which fields are the steepest and longest? Where will water run downhill? Where is erosion most likely to occur? How can farmers shorten the length of slope, slow water runoff down to reduce its erosive power, and allow water to soak in to benefit thirsty crop roots?
Best Management Practices: What are the best soil and water conservation solutions available today based on science? Which practices have been proven effective and profitable in preventing erosion, increasing water holding capacity, building healthy soil structure, creating rich soil biodiversity, and enhancing overall soil ecosystem resilience that can withstand severe weather events? What are these BMPs? How do they work? How much do they cost? Why are they “best”?
After these morning exercises, the students visit two other areas on campus, the NCSU Dairy Barn and Williams Hall, finishing the workshop the following day with the RCW Exam.
NCSU Dairy Barn: How now brown cow? Most popular and how! Students were treated to a tour of the NCSU Dairy Barn, petted cows, and sampled NCSU Dairy’s infamous Howling Cow ice cream. What conservationist can compete with this?!
Student Conservation Plans: In the afternoon, students worked in groups to develop a conservation plan to address the resource needs of their given farm scenario. The groups then presented their plans and all RCW campers voted for the “best” of the bunch!
RCW Exam: On the last day of RCW, all students took a comprehensive exam to gauge their grasp of the week’s learning. The 90 students and their family guests were treated to a luncheon where the top exam scores were announced and college scholarships and cash prizes were awarded.
After this busy week at conservation camp, two students -- Amarion Singletary from Garner Magnet High School and Catherine Wen from Raleigh Charter High School, attended the Wake District Board meeting in person to thank the Supervisors for their $550 RCW scholarships and shared highlights from their week at conservation camp. Amarion was accompanied by his Agriculture Teacher Sarah Dinger who also personally thanked the Board for making this unique learning experience and introduction to conservation careers available to Wake County high school students. Other students sent cards and emails to the Wake District Supervisors or Friends of Wake SWCD for their $550 RCW scholarships.
North Carolina Team in Top 5 at 2022 Envirothon Nationals!
High fives were flying all around as five NC Envirothon State Champions from Enloe High School clinched a Top 5 finish at the 2022 NCF-Envirothon. Subchronic Exposure competed at North America’s largest environmental education competition July 24-30 at Miami University in Oxford, OH, taking home a $2,000 NCF-Envirothon scholarship and engraved plaque.
The five Enloe High School students competed with 40 of the best high school teams from 36 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces. They achieved high scores on five written exams that cover Aquatic Ecology, Forestry, Soils and Land Use, Wildlife, and Current Environmental Issues. Look at what they achieved against the competition:
- 2nd highest score overall in Aquatics!
- 2nd highest score overall in Soils!
- 2nd highest score overall in Current Environmental Issues!
- 3rd highest score overall in Wildlife!
- 3rd highest score overall in Oral Presentation!
- 5th highest score overall in Forestry!
In addition, the team was required to showcase their teamwork, problem solving and public speaking skills before a panel of judges. They presented a 20-minute oral presentation containing recommendations for solving an environmental problem related to the annual theme of “Waste-to-Resources.” This year’s challenge was to plan a new road for a municipal landfill by effectively incorporating best management practices that reduce environmental impacts, protect public health, safeguard American Indian mounds, address endangered bats and invasive species while keeping the landfill a viable, efficient operation within budget.
The team’s Envirothon journey began in the fall of 2021 as the start of the new school year. Enloe High School wasted no time in preparing for the Area IV Envirothon in March 2022 with 10 neighboring counties. Studying after school and on weekends paid off as they captured 1st Place, earning the privilege to advance to the 2022 NC Envirothon in April, and earning 1st Place again to advance to nationals as state champions.
To prepare for nationals, the Wake District reached out to resource professionals to share their expertise with the state champion team through study sessions, field trips, and practice tests. State experts included: NCDA&CS Forest Service, NCDA&CS Division of Soil and Water Conservation, NCDEQ Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service, NCDEQ Division of Solid Waste Management, NC Wildlife Resources Commission, as well as the NC Envirothon State Committee.
Other statewide and regional experts included: City of Raleigh Neuse River Recovery Facility, NC Farm Bureau, NCSU Lake Wheeler Field Lab, and Town of Chapel Hill-Stormwater Management. Wake County experts included: Wake Soil and Water Conservation District, Wake County Solid Waste Management, and We Are Wake Toastmasters.
Through the NCF-Envirothon program, over 25,000 high school students across the United States, Canada, and China advance their environmental literacy by learning to offer solutions to this critical question: How do we balance quality of life and the quality of the environment? The NCF-Envirothon is sponsored by the National Conservation Foundation that works to develop the next generation of conservation leaders.
Honk If You Love the Environment!
Fall is the time for wildlife migrations and for students to get moving and forming their Envirothon teams! Wake County students in grades 5-12 are encouraged to form 5-member teams with 1-2 alternates. Teams work together to answer test questions that challenge their knowledge of aquatic ecology, forestry, soils and land use, wildlife, and current environmental issues.
Teams prepare for these tests by studying the NC Envirothon resources manual. In mid-March 2023, Wake County teams will compete with teams from 10 neighboring counties at the Area 4 Envirothon at the Funny Girl Farm in Durham. The teams that score in the Top 7 advance to April’s North Carolina Envirothon at Cedarock Park in Burlington, NC for more prizes and recognition.
Each year over 3,000 students, 250 teachers and 300 schools participate in the North Carolina Envirothon, “the natural challenge.” Teams begin their Envirothon journey in their home county by registering with their local soil and water conservation district. State Sponsors of the North Carolina Envirothon and state champion team include the NC Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts, NCDA&CS Division of Soil & Water Conservation, and the NC Envirothon State Committee.
For more information, to sponsor teams, or to register Wake County Envirothon teams, contact District Educator Sheila Jones at 919-410-2676 or sbjones@wakegov.com
Fall 2022 Conservation Poster Contest
Pounding the Pavement -- Poster Contest to Capture the Urban Water Cycle
Wake County students in 4th and 5th grade are invited to get creative and learn about the effects of urbanization on our watersheds through the “Water: The Cycle of Life” poster contest sponsored by Wake Soil and Water Conservation District and Novozymes North America Inc.
This year’s theme will challenge elementary school students to study how development has altered the natural water cycle into an urban water cycle by covering the land with buildings, roads and parking lots. These hard surfaces are impervious, preventing rain from soaking into the porous soil. Because there’s less infiltration, the rain becomes excessive stormwater runoff that can become polluted as it picks up and delivers pollutants to nearby streams, lakes and rivers. Pollutants include fertilizers, pet waste, sediment, and all kinds of chemicals like cleaners, pesticides, and car fluids such as antifreeze, gas, and oil.
Students will research and illustrate innovative best management practices (BMPs) that harvest rain where it falls, or BMPs that use native trees and vegetation that act as nature’s sponge by slowing down stormwater runoff, spreading it out, and soaking it into the ground to be filtered clean and recharge groundwater. These BMPs are used across Wake County, North Carolina, and the world to ensure stormwater is a valuable resource rather than a polluted waste product.
Teachers are encouraged to register their 4th and 5th grade classrooms by Oct. 14th. Wake District provides participating teachers and students a study guide, rubric, and Google slide decks with science content and art tips. Posters are judged on 50% scientific content and 50% artistic originality by stormwater experts who appreciate children’s artwork.
The top ten winners will be recognized at the Annual Conservation Awards Celebration sponsored by the Friends of Wake SWCD where they receive framed certificates and a chance to win the top three cash awards of $100, $50, and $25 sponsored by Novozymes North America Inc. The 1st Place 4th and 5th grade posters advance to regional competition and possible state competition with the opportunity to win additional cash prizes.
Last year’s 1st Place 5th grade poster artist, Alice Lee from Poe Magnet Elementary in Raleigh, won a total of $400 for her colorful “Soil and Water – Yours For Life” poster that caught the eye of the judges at all three levels of competition.
For more information, to sponsor or to register for the “Water: The Cycle of Life” poster contest, contact District Educator Sheila Jones at 919-410-2676 or sbjones@wakegov.com.
Wake County Big Sweep
Wake County Big Sweep has embarked on a new campaign of cleanups for the fall season. Under the leadership of Big Sweep Coordinator Alex Heinemann, numerous volunteer groups have removed thousands of pounds of trash from sites across the county, improving water quality and enhancing the quality of these valuable natural places. Keep reading for highlights from a few different Big Sweep cleanups over the past months.
Big Sweep is on a roll even in the heat of summer! Brave and ambitious volunteers from S & P Global tackled two severely littered areas on one of our Wake County Open Space acquired land that will soon be a Preserve. This beautiful piece of property was owned by Bob Kellam and Susan Wyatt before it came under Wake County's ownership. Both Bob and Susan worked for the Environmental Protection Agency, where they met, and started the farm in retirement. When Bob passed away in 2016, Susan wanted the lush woods and quiet ponds to be shared for generations and instill the same values of environmental protection and sustainable agriculture for future visitors, and so the land was donated to Wake County Open Space. Volunteers overcame several challenges during this sweep. They cleaned two locations on the property that had scrap metal, old building material, appliances, and even an old plow embedded into the wooded understory! Some odd finds were various sizes of tires, a baby doll head, an old dress, shoes, and several antique glass bottles. Thanks to our partners with Green For Life (GFL) we were able to load up roll-off dumpsters with all of this trash and recycling. Overall, 2,620 pounds were removed in scrap metal alone! The grand total removed was over 4,000 pounds.
Franklin Academy of Raleigh was looking for an opportunity for their students to give back and conducted a Big Sweep at Marsh Creek Park! Big Sweep partnered with North Carolina Wildlife Federation and City of Raleigh Stormwater to get these kiddos out into nature and protect our watersheds! They were excited and ambitious while cleaning the park- finding an old goal and several bottles, cans, and other trash in this community area! GO TEAM!
The recent Raleigh Blvd cleanup was a whole year in the making. Volunteers Margaret and Jonny had been walking the greenway near their house for years, and over that time they stared at all the tires, trash, and other crazy items in the creek! Last Fall, they made the call to Big Sweep and have worked tirelessly since to make their dream a reality - getting into the creek and getting the trash OUT. Thanks to amazing donors like Hey, OK! Pictures, Pine State Coffee, and Local's Seafood, Big Sweep was able to rent kayaks and canoes from Cape Fear River Adventures. Over 3 hours, 17 volunteers meandered down the creek and removed 25 tires, a shopping cart, a cassette boombox, and more, totaling 2,543 LBS! Be sure to keep this one on your radar as they'll be launching again in spring!
They're back at it again! S & P Global joined Big Sweep to tackle a new site, this time on the water! Thanks to our partners over at Forest Ridge Park, we were able to launch over 10 kayaks from the shores of Falls Lake - a drinking water resource. From there, this gung-ho group paddled their way along the shorelines, stopping for trash piles in otherwise unreachable areas. We found a mix of trash both from long ago and recent. It's not uncommon for vintage items to circulate in waters and end up washing ashore here. It was obvious that recreationalists such as anglers would leave their debris behind after a day by the lake. Thankfully, we were able to haul out 300 lbs. of that litter! Among the pile were your normal items, bottles, cans, a tire, but unusual finds were a rug, Styrofoam bait containers, and a diaper - yikes!
Report a littered area
If you know of an area in Wake County that has trash deposits and could use a dedicated team to clean it, then please reach out to Big Sweep Coordinator Alex Heinemann at alexandra.heinemann@wakegov.com.
Staff Updates
Wake County Soil and Water Conservation Welcomes a New Farmland Preservation Coordinator!
With support from the Wake County Manager's office, as well as the Wake County Board of Commissioners, the Wake SWCD was awarded funding for a new Farmland Preservation Coordinator in FY2023 and have hired Loren Hendrickson, former Conservation Specialist, to fill this role. Loren has spent the past year working for the farmers and landowners in Wake County as Conservation Specialist and looks to continue pursuing farmland preservation in his new role. This new position allows the Wake District to add an Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District (EVAD) and permanent conservation easement programs, as well as providing greater support to the Wake County Agricultural Advisory Board.
Mark Your Calendars!
If you have any questions or need assistance, don't hesitate to email us at swcd@wakegov.com or call 919-250-1051.
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