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Concerning Conservation Wake Soil and Water Conservation District ~ Summer 2023

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?

We can help you get conservation on the ground!

During fiscal year 2023, the Wake Soil and Water Conservation District encumbered over $60,000 in North Carolina Agriculture Cost Share Program (ACSP) assistance funding for projects in Wake County. This is in addition to funds from other state resources, such as the Agricultural Water Resources Assistance Program (AgWRAP), the Community Conservation Assistance Program (CCAP) and more.

With the new fiscal year upon us, the Wake Soil and Water Conservation District anticipates receiving a new cost share allocation from the State to assist with nonpoint source pollution control from agricultural activities. These funds are intended to 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.

Wake SWCD has begun accepting cost share applications. Due to the limited funding, we encourage landowners and producers to contact our office as soon as possible, so that we can ensure the strongest conservation needs are met.

Wake SWCD also works in partnership with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). NRCS provides financial and technical assistance to implement conservation practices through federally funded programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). To learn more about NRCS programs, contact Team 10 Supervisory Soil Conservationist, Olivia Plant, at Olivia.plant@usda.gov or 919-969-3363.

Conservation Spotlight

Stream Restorations

Wake SWCD assisted with two stream restoration projects this spring. The first project was located at a single family homesite within the Falls Lake Watershed. The unnamed tributary located behind the residential property experienced erosion over time leading to a loss of the resident’s yard. The previous conditions of the stream consisted of a deep meander bend with unstable 1:1 bank slope. It was estimated that 12 tons of sediment were eroding in this stream section each year. To prevent further erosion and improve water quality, a stream restoration project was conducted to stabilize the stream banks and re-establish a riparian buffer. The restoration design included reinforced toe protection, bank sloping, and dense vegetation plantings.

A time lapse camera was placed on site to capture the construction process. Photos are also included of before and after the stream restoration:

This project was made possible with cost share funding from the NC Division of Soil and Water Conservation through the Community Conservation Assistance Program (CCAP), Wake County Government Falls Lake Watershed IAIA Funding, and landowner match.

The second project involved a dam removal and stream restoration of an entire stream corridor within the Black Creek Watershed. Black Creek is currently on the state 303(d) list and is subject to intense flooding and sediment issues associated with surrounding development. The best management practices (BMPs) implemented during this project included the removal of 1 failing pond dam, restoration of approximately 2,000 linear feet of streams and 1.9 acres of wetlands. Load reductions associated with the implemented BMPs included 200 tons of sediment per year.

Before project construction, a biologist sweep for bugs showed this stream reach to be highly impaired. After project completion, numerous reptiles and amphibians were spotted along the stream. As part of this project, 25 acres on the property were placed into a permanent conservation easement.

For a compilation of before and after photos of this project, please see the video below.

This project was made possible with grant funding from NC Land and Water Fund, EPA 319, DWR Water Resources Development Grant and cost share funding through CCAP, and landowner match. Project partnerships also included Piedmont Conservation Council, NC State University, Black Creek Watershed Association, and Town of Cary.

Interested in learning more about the CCAP Program? Visit our website or contact Mikayla Renn at Mikayla.Renn@wake.gov or 919-250-1061.

Big Sweep

The Spring 2023 Wake County Big Sweep Season has once again outdone itself and achieved its largest numbers yet.

Wake County Big Sweep hosted 16 events this spring, with 549 dedicated volunteers making it possible to remove over 28,000 pounds of litter. The program added 4 new locations and created a Facebook Group with 100 members and counting.

Thank you to all the partners that support the Big Sweep program including: Wake Solid Waste Services, Wake Parks & Open Space, City of Raleigh, Town of Fuquay-Varina, Town of Garner, Town of Apex, Green for Life, Hanson Aggregates, Heidelberg Materials, Xylem, S&P Global, Friends of Wake SWCD, Cape Fear River Adventures, NC Wildlife Federation, NC DEQ, Neuse Riverkeepers, and Ocean Conservancy.

Report a littered area

Do you know of a site or area that needs some love? Let us know! Big Sweep is always looking for new zones. We would like to have a running list of areas throughout Wake County that we can target. This will allow us to send groups to these areas as we often get inquiries from businesses, community groups, and the public looking for sites.

Please e-mail Alex Heinemann with the following information: general address of the location, what kind of litter, how much litter, and any additional details. After receiving your inquiry, we will head to the site to investigate it further and hopefully it will join our many other sites throughout Wake County!

Stay connected with Big Sweep:

Wake County Captures State Championship... Again!

NC Envirothon 2023

WOO-HOO! Enloe High School’s Subchronic Exposure captures 1st Place at the 2023 North Carolina Envirothon!

1st Place! Enloe Magnet High School’s Subchronic Exposure defended their state champion title at the 2023 NC Envirothon held April 28-29, 2023. The 5-member team won an engraved plaque, a $500 scholarship for each team member, a $200 cash prize, and a set of three high score medallions for Aquatics and two tied perfect scores in Soils and Current Environmental Issues. The team also earned the highest score of the Top 3 Oral Presentations. The state champions will now represent North Carolina and compete for college scholarships at the national 2023 NCF-Envirothon.

2nd Place! Scoring only 5.7 points behind, the Mean Green Beans from Panther Creek High School won an engraved plaque, $150, a set of two high score medallions in Wildlife and Current Environmental Issues, and earned a high score for the Oral Presentation.

Enloe’s second team Flaming Drip Torches placed 13th out of a field of 44 high school teams across the state. Two Martin Magnet Middle School teams, Mustang FFA and Thundering Herd placed 6th and 8th respectively.

Wake District is so very proud of all our teams!

Team Advisor and Assistant Principal Crystal Locus smiles with Panther Creek High School’s Mean Green Beans that earned a fantastic 2nd Place finish at the 2023 North Carolina Envirothon.

State Champions Take On Nationals

NCF-Envirothon (Nationals) was held July 23-29, 2023 in New Brunswick, Canada.

Subchronic Exposure’s first assignment was to get passports and make all the arrangements for their exciting trip to the 2023 NCF-Envirothon at Mount Allison University in Tantramar, New Brunswick, Canada. Next, they created a master calendar to schedule all team sessions with Envirothon Advisor Chad Ogren. Even before school was out, the five team members and two alternates began attending study sessions with natural resource professionals and taking turns hosting Friday night meetings at each other’s homes.

Once school let out for the summer, the team worked closely with experts who implement adaptive and mitigative strategies to build climate resilience in NC communities and the world over. Subchronic Exposure was dedicated to making every minute count!

Rich Hayes training the team on soil profiles, soil textures, soil series, slopes, clinometers, and more.
Here’s the five NC Envirothon State Champions from Enloe Magnet High School aiming for top scores at the 2023 international NCF-Envirothon in New Brunswick, Canada! From left: Advisor Chad Ogren, Disha Hosapattana, Team Captain Felicia Yan, Veronica Cheaz, Feehan Tuttle, and Jackson Steene. Chad Ogren is a veteran Enloe science teacher who’s been inducted in the NC Envirothon Hall of Fame for leading his team to nationals six times, the most of any high school in North Carolina and with impressive high scores!

In what was surely a a memorable journey, Subchronic Exposure placed 6th overall in competition against the best high school teams from 50 states, 8 Canadian provinces, Singapore, and China. Wake District is so very proud of our NC Envirothon Team!

The journey back home had its ups and downs. After an unforgettable celebration in Canada, a few flight delays and an overnighter in the Columbus, OH airport, the team arrived home after about 25 hours on the road. Join us in giving these eagles a warm welcome home!

Six Super Students From Wake County Attend RCW!

Thank you Wake District Supervisors and Friends of Wake SWCD for sponsoring six Wake County high school students to attend the 2023 Resource Conservation Workshop (RCW):

  • Noah Brinchek, Junior, Millbrook Magnet High School
  • Bella Loflin-Van Dorn, Junior, Athens Drive Magnet High School
  • Isabelle Torres, Junior, Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy
  • Ethan Butlin, Senior, Holly Springs High School
  • Max Howell, Senior, Holly Springs High School
  • Freya White, Senior, Holly Springs High School

RCW is a weeklong workshop and involves study and hands on participation in a wide range of conservation topics. The students learned hands-on lessons from natural resource professionals and experienced college life participating in labs and staying overnight at NC State University. High scores on a final exam gave students an opportunity to win college scholarships and cash prizes. Our very own Freya White from Holly Springs High School was awarded the $500 S. Grady Lane Scholarship and $100 cash for high scores on her final exam! We couldn’t be more hopeful and impressed with these future conservationists!

The Resource Conservation Workshop is sponsored by Wake SWCD, North Carolina Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts in conjunction with the N.C. Division of Soil and Water Conservation, NC State University - Department of Crop & Soil Sciences, the Hugh Hammond Bennett Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society and NC Soil and Water Conservation Commission.

Interested in applying to RCW in 2024? Check out our webpage:

Wake County 5th Grader Wins Big at State Poster Contest

“Water: The Cycle of Life,” was this year’s theme for the NC Conservation Poster Contest, sponsored by the NC Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts.

Both Wake County’s first-place 4th grade and 5th grade posters beat out 10 other counties at the regional Area IV Conservation Poster Contest. Atri Mandal from Poe Magnet Elementary and Medha Balaji from Green Hope Elementary each won a $100 prize check, a certificate, and an opportunity to compete at the State-level!

Medha Balaji soared to new heights and captured 2nd Place at the State Conservation Poster Contest! Medha will receive a $100 check and certificate, bringing her winnings to a grand total of $250 for being a phenomenal 3-time winner!

We are so proud of these incredible young artists and their terrific achievements!

Congratulations Medha and Atri!

Atri proudly holds his winning “Water: The Cycle of Life” poster and is congratulated by Spencer Johnson with Novozymes North America Inc., WCPSS Elementary Science Administrator Trevor Roberts, Wake Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor Scott Lassiter, Wake District Environmental Educator Sheila Jones, and teacher Kristen Anderson.
Medha is all smiles while holding her winning “Water: The Cycle of Life” poster and being congratulated by her 5th grade teacher Suzanne D’Amico, Wake Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor Scott Lassiter, and poster contest co-sponsor Spencer Johnson with Novozymes North America Inc.

Careers in Conservation Scholarships

Q: Who are the conservationists of tomorrow?

A: Today’s conservation students, of course!

At the beginning of each year, Wake County high school seniors and college students apply for Careers in Conservation (CIC) Scholarships to help fund their higher education. These scholarships are awarded by the NC Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation and made possible by generous donations from the Bowman Family. To be eligible, students must declare a major in agronomy, agricultural engineering, agriculture sustainability, agriculture education, animal science, forestry, natural resource conservation or management, plant science, soil science, water management, water quality, wildlife management or other closely related degree programs. As their local district, Wake Soil and Water Conservation District writes letters of support to strengthen students’ CIC Scholarship applications. Many of the students have participated in the Wake District’s education programs such as the Envirothon and/or Resource Conservation Workshop.

We are proud to announce that out of the Foundation’s 11 recipients of $500-$1,000 CIC scholarships for 2023-2024, two are Wake County high school seniors. Both are deserving scholarship recipients and will make the most of the Foundation’s investment in their conservation future!

Nick Reston

Nick Reston is a newly graduated senior from Millbrook Magnet High School in Raleigh. Besides maintaining a 4.58 GPA and a rigorous schedule of several challenging Advanced Placement courses, Nick served as his school’s Latin Club Secretary, Writing Club Peer Editing Chair, and active FFA member and competitor in state and national competitions.

Recently on the CBS evening news, Nick was interviewed during the FFA Agricultural Science Fair at the Raleigh Convention Center. Nick expressed his devoted interest in environmental education, animals, and pursuing a career in that area.

Last summer Nick attended the 2022 Resource Conservation Workshop (RCW) at North Carolina State University thanks to a scholarship from the Friends of Wake SWCD. The week-long conservation camp introduced Nick to a broad range of career opportunities in various conservation fields, affording him the valuable opportunity to meet resource professionals from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission as well as Educational State Forest Park Rangers. Nick attributes this experience for solidifying his commitment to join NCSU’s Wolfpack this fall to major in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology.

From a young age, Nick has hiked, camped, caught bugs, and spent much time in the outdoors. “It is my goal to someday be able to do field work and go places that I’ve never seen before and discover species I’ve never seen.” On the artistic side, Nick shares his appreciation and passion for wildlife by painting wildlife murals along the Neuse River greenway. This summer Nick will visit Yellowstone National Park with his family and looks forward to a lot of birdwatching! Congratulations Nick!

Dae Borg

Dae Borg has just graduated from Enloe Magnet High School in Raleigh where she earned mostly ‘A’s. Outside of her academic classes, Dae honed her leadership skills as president of her school’s Marine Conservation Club (MCC) since 2019. Through MCC, she engaged members in stream cleanups, recycle bin sorting, and led Tuesday meetings to discuss human impacts on climate change and effective actions the club can take to make a positive impact locally and globally.

As Executive Editor for Enloe’s student newspaper The Eagle's Eye, Dae researched and wrote articles to educate her peers and the general public about human impacts on the environment and specific environmental issues.

Her keen passion for environmental issues and solutions has guided Dae to study both Environmental Science and Journalism this fall at Appalachian State University. Before moving to Boone, she hopes to secure an internship or job that relates to environmental science to gain hands-on experience. Then Dae’s final to-do list includes exploring Raleigh’s unfamiliar natural areas with her mother and making the most of summertime before heading off to college. Congratulations Dae!

Horticultural Science Summer Institute

Another Wake County Resource Conservation Workshop alumnus is headed to another camp this summer thanks to a letter of recommendation from his local Wake Soil and Water Conservation District.

Vincent Shen is a rising junior at Green Level High School in Cary. After participating in the 2022 RCW and touring NCSU’s newly-built Plant Sciences Building last summer, Vincent exclaimed “My passion for agricultural science was solidified!” He then applied for NCSU’s Horticulture Science Summer Institute (HSSI) and was awarded a full scholarship to attend this summer’s camp with a specific focus on plant and horticultural science.

Like a germinating seed, Vincent’s interest in plants has taken root and grown. He pioneered the creation of a school garden on his campus to supply freshly-grown produce to those without access to nutritious food. Vincent uses his leadership skills to direct his school committee’s focus on addressing the elimination of food deserts and food insecurity in their local community.

During the Covid lockdown, Vincent cultivated native wildflowers at home to sustain pollinator populations so they can ensure future crop yields and environmental balance. He also experimented with various strategies to fend off deer that were devouring his Black-Eyed Susans. Currently, he works at a garden nursery to gain valuable experience in plant maintenance, propagation, and garden center management.

Vincent is curious about anything and everything to do with plants and has delved deep into plant tissue culture under the supervision of Professor Hsuan Chen at NCSU’s Horticultural Sciences Department.

He frequently visits farmers markets, gardens, and nurseries to learn more about plant science and cultivation, as well as to obtain plant plugs to grow at home. Vincent is especially interested in sustainable production and design practices that can significantly reduce the environmental impact of horticulture and agriculture.

Upon writing Vincent’s letter of recommendation, District Director Teresa Furr commented “I honestly can’t imagine a high school student that’s more geeked about horticulture than Vincent and who seems to have chlorophyll surging in his veins!” Congratulations Vincent!

Farmland Preservation Program is Recognized with National Achievement Award

Wake County’s Farmland Preservation Program is being honored with the 2023 Achievement Award for County Resiliency from the National Association of Counties (NACo). The organization works to advance excellence in public service with this competitive awards program, pitting Wake County against more than 3,000 counties across the nation.

With almost 23,000 acres of farmland lost in the past nine years in Wake County, this program sets out to preserve existing farmland by strengthening protections and incentivizing owners to preserve their land for agriculture and open space, instead of development. The Farmland Preservation Program improves the existing Voluntary Agricultural District program and adds two additional programs, the Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District and Agricultural Conservation Easement programs. These programs offer new and robust options for landowners looking to preserve their agricultural land. The program is managed by the Soil and Water Conservation District, who added a full-time staff position to manage the increased workload. The new programs have already proven to be in demand from landowners who desire stronger protections for agricultural land as interest has soared since the program’s inception on January 31, 2023.

To learn more about the Farmland Preservation Program, visit our website or contact Loren Hendrickson at loren.hendrickson@wake.gov or 919-250-1068.

Staff Updates

Welcome, Olivia Plant!

During the spring, the Wake Soil and Water Conservation District had the pleasure of welcoming Olivia Plant to the office as the NRCS Supervisory Soil Conservationist for Team 10! Olivia joins the team with over 6 years of experience at NRCS and previously earned her bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech University in Natural Resources Management. Olivia is a passionate resource professional, and she is excited to join the team where she will make a difference protecting our great natural resources.

Email: olivia.plant@usda.gov | Phone: 919-969-3363

Farewell, Sheila Jones!

Sheila B. Jones began her Wake County career in 1988 as the Environmental Education Specialist for Wake Soil and Water Conservation District. In this position she taught students hands-on lessons about environmental science, trained classroom teachers and taught a course on the art of teaching and best education practices.

In addition, she served as a Volunteer Coordinator for 17 years where she coordinated Big Sweep litter cleanups of Wake County’s streams, rivers, lakes and wetlands. She also led volunteers in environmental stewardship opportunities such as removing invasive plants, weeding and mulching elementary school gardens and marking storm drains to prevent illegal dumping and water contamination.

One of her latest endeavors was the Wake Green Schools Partnership, collaborating with Wake County Public School System, teachers, parents, informal environmental educators and many community partners to engage schools in embracing school sustainability and environmental literacy indoors and out.

She holds one of the first Environmental Education degrees in the country from the University of Idaho and was one of the first to earn North Carolina Environmental Education Certification. Throughout her career, she strived for excellence in environmental education, while advancing environmental literacy and stewardship to empower people in improving their environment and their lives.

In her retirement she plans to spend time with family and continue volunteering in the community.

Congratulations on your retirement Sheila and thank you for your 35 years of dedicated service! Your Wake District family will miss you so much!

Mark Your Calendars!

Meetings and Closures:

August 16, 2023 – Wake SWCD Board Meeting

September 4, 2022 – Labor Day (Office Closed)

September 13, 2022 – Wake SWCD Board Meeting

September 18-21, 2023 – Conservation Employee Training

October 11, 2023 - Wake SWCD Board Meeting

If you have any questions or need assistance, don't hesitate to email us at swcd@wake.gov or call 919-250-1051.

Agricultural Services Building, 4001-D Carya Drive, Raleigh, NC 27610

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