TCDEA Fall workshop at Discovery Park

By Katherine Burse state public affairs officer

The 2022 Tennessee Conservation District Employees Association held its Fall workshop at Discovery Park of America in Union City, Tennessee, from September 26-28. Discovery Park of America offers a variety of programs, exhibits, and hands-on activities and is a state-of-the-art 100,000-square-foot museum, which is beautifully landscaped and well worth the visit.

NRCS Tennessee State Conservationist Sheldon Hightower, provided updates on NRCS programs and activities while Dre Funk, the Union City Field Office district conservationist, and Mike Hansborough, the area resource biologist in the Jackson Area Office, gave an overview and mini tour of the Pollinator Habitat that was funded through a partnership agreement between NRCS and Discovery Park.

Josh Richardson and Jeff Woodward, the assistant state conservationist for field operations and a soil scientist in the Jackson Area Office, respectively, demonstrated the agency’s soil health tunnel and rainfall simulator for the more than 25 participants.

The three-day workshop was filled with other partners, including Tennessee Farm Bureau, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, and the Tennessee Association of Conservation Districts. Rusty Grills, a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, representing District 77, was also in attendance.

Beth Cochran, the Union City Field Office secretary/technician, played an instrumental role in ensuring a successful event.