NACD LAUNCHES
STEWARDSHIP WEEK WEBPAGE

Mark your calendars: NACD's Stewardship Week begins on Sunday, Apr. 28. NACD’s 64th Stewardship Week will celebrate the theme “Life in the Soil: Dig Deeper.”

Stewardship Week gives conservation districts the opportunity to extend the reach of their education programs and educate future leaders on the significance of natural resource conservation.

If your district is making plans for Stewardship Week, visit NACD’s new Stewardship Week webpage, stocked with resources and materials to help you host a successful event. There you’ll find a toolkit to help organize an exciting week of activities as well as templates for public service announcements, news releases, a proclamation and more.

In late 2018, the Soil Health Institute debuted a 60-minute documentary, Living Soil, that captures the history and significance of the soil health movement. NACD has provided resources to promote and host a film screening of the documentary, also available on NACD's Stewardship Week webpage.

Once your district has created plans for Stewardship Week, share them with NACD by emailing stewardship@nacdnet.org with event details and photos.

NCF-ENVIROTHON
SEASON IS UNDERWAY

Spring is a busy time for all conservation programs, including the NCF-Envirothon program, which kicks into high gear next week. From the last week in March to the third week of June, state Envirothon competitions will be happening across the U.S., where thousands of high school students will be testing their knowledge of natural resource management and conservation stewardship.

As you work with your local conservation districts and state associations in the coming months, keep these students in mind and check out a state competition. These events rely on the support of volunteers, often district staff and officials, and could use the help.

Northeast:

• Delaware – Apr. 11, Smyrna

• West Virginia – Apr. 17-18, Canaan Valley

• New Jersey - May 11, Waterford Works

• Connecticut - May 16, Tollard

• Massachusetts - May 17, Leominster

• Rhode Island - May 17, Kingston

• New Hampshire - May 21, NHTI Concord

• Pennsylvania - May 21-22, Johnstown

• New York - May 22-23, Geneva

• Vermont - May 22-23, Randolph

• Maine - May 31, Augusta

• Maryland - June 19-20, St Mary's

Southeast:

• Georgia – Mar. 27-28, Waycross

• Alabama – Apr. 4-6, Columbiana

• South Carolina - April 12, Columbia

• Mississippi – Apr. 26, Raymond

• Florida – Apr. 27-28, Live Oak

• North Carolina - May 3-4, Burlington

• Tennessee - May 7-8, Crossville

• Kentucky - May 15-16, Nancy

• Virginia - May 19-20, Fredericksburg

North Central:

• Michigan - May 13 - 15, Augusta

• Ohio – June 10-11, Steubenville

• Indiana – Apr. 24, Nobsville

• Iowa – Apr. 8, Granger

• Wisconsin – Apr. 12, Rosholt

• Illinois - May 1-2, Monticello

• Missouri - May 2, Jefferson City

• Minnesota - May 20, Elk River

South Central:

• Oklahoma – Mar. 29, Ardmore

• Texas – Apr. 13-15, 2019, Nacogdoches

• Louisiana - Apr. 13, Baton Rouge

• Arkansas – (Passed) Nov. 19, 2018

Northern Plains:

• Kansas – Apr. 24, Council Grove

• Nebraska – Apr. 24, Niobrara

• South Dakota – Apr. 29-30, Rapid City

• North Dakota - May 8-10, Medina

• Montana – Apr. 29-30, Lewistown

Southwest:

• Arizona – Mar. 23-24, Payson

• New Mexico – Apr. 12-14, Cloudcroft

• Colorado – Apr. 23-24, Aurora

• Utah – Apr. 26-27, Logan

Pacific:

• Idaho – Apr. 29-30, Challis

• Oregon - May 3, Silverton

• Washington - May 22-23, location TBA

• California – Mar. 30, Pomona

International competitions will be held in China - Apr. 4-6, Duke Kunshan University; New Brunswick, May 5-6, Saint John; Alberta - May 23-24, Hinton; Manitoba - May 23-25, Headingley; and Ontario’s competition in May is an online event. Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Yukon competitions are all in the works, with dates and locations to be announced in the near future. Prince Edward Island’s competition was held Oct. 27, 2018, in Charlottetown.

If you would like to volunteer at an event near you, please contact NCF-Envirothon Program Manager Jennifer Brooks. If your state isn’t listed above, please contact Jennifer Brooks about how your state can become involved. Stay tuned to future editions of eResource to learn about the winning teams.

INTERNATIONAL
DAY OF FORESTS

The International Day of Forests will be celebrated on Thursday, Mar. 21. Since being announced by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012, this global day of celebration has aimed to raise awareness of the importance of all type of trees and woodland. This year there is also a particular focus on making cities a greener, healthier, happier place to live.

The key messages of 2019, focusing on the benefits of forests and sustainable cities are:

• The role of trees in mitigating the impact of climate change

• The positive effects of trees on local climate

• Urban trees as air filters, removing pollutants and making cities healthier

• The role of trees in reducing noise pollution in urban areas

• The positive impact of urban green spaces

• Forests in and around urban areas contributing to water regulating and filtering

• How urban forests contribute to local economies through city beautification and tourism

• The provision of renewable energy

• How trees can provide a source of fruits, nuts and leaves to local populations

Many countries will be marking the day by organizing activities such as tree planting campaigns. A list of events can be found at www.fao.org/international-day-of-forests. Get involved on social media by using the hashtag #IntlForestDay.