(From L to R) Kalee Seneff and Sarah Hughes

BRSWCD Awards Students

Kalee Seneff  (senior) and Sarah Hughes (junior), both from Franklin County High School were among approximately 100 students (grades 9-12) from across the state who attended the Virginia Association of Soil & Water Conservation District’s Youth Conservation Camp held at Virginia Tech.

Throughout the week, campers studied soil, forestry, wildlife, topography, water quality and aquatic habitats.  They learned about the environmental effects of agricultural and urban land uses as well as new technologies methods currently being utilized for protecting water quality and reducing soil erosion.

BRSWCD Partners with Franklin County Girl Scouts

When Judy Allen is not outside canoeing or spelunking, or even preparing taxes in her part-time, you can find her with the Franklin County Girl Scouts.

Allen has been a Girl Scout leader in Franklin County going on 10 years.  Her love for the Scouts and environmental education was the perfect formula for establishing a productive partnership with the Blue Ridge Soil and Water Conservation District.  The pairing will allow for a more effective outreach program that promotes the Virginia Envirothon as well as environmental issues in general.

The Virginia Envirothon is posted on the Girl Scout “e-program” promoting the establishment of Girl Scout participation with the BRSWCD Envirothon teams.

Judy is currently leading Troops #3078 (Cadettes) and # 3120 (Senior Level).

Judy Allen, Girl Scout Leader

Gov. Kaine Appoints Jamison to Serve on VASWC Board

Daphne W. Jamison was recently appointed by Governor Timothy Kaine to serve on the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board.  The Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board works with the Department of Conservation and Recreation to guide the delivery of soil and water conservation services to citizens of the Commonwealth.

The Board’s responsibilities include:  oversight and support of Virginia’s Soil & Water Conservation Districts; oversight and enforcement of nonpoint source pollution control programs, including storm water management, erosion and sediment control, and municipal separate storm sewers; oversight and enforcement of dam safety and floodplain management regulations and approval of loan criteria for loans from the Dam Safety, Flood Prevention and Protection Assistance Fund.

Mrs. Jamison also serves Franklin County as a member of the Blue Ridge Soil and Water Conservation Board.

BRSWCD and VASWC Board Member, Daphne Jamison

Local Artist Thinks Inside the Box -- A Square Actually

Suzy Bowman and her grandson, Dylan

Suzy Bowman: a local muralist/artist specializing in paint, pastel, sculpture and flower arranging, graciously designed and stitched this quilt square, representing the unique native habitats of Virginia for the Blue Ridge Soil & Water Conservation District. The habitat quilt block is designed as a canvas to highlight the unique aspects of each state’s native plants and/or animals.  Each state selects a quilter to design their quilt block. The 2010 NACD Stewardship theme is “Conservation Habits = Healthy Habitats”. 2010 celebrates the 55th anniversary of the NACD Stewardship program. The NACD Auxiliary 2010 quilt theme is “Native Habitat”. Proceeds from the annual quilt auction fund the poster and photo contest national winning entries. The NACD Auxiliary Quilt, is raffled off each year, with the winner announced at the NACD Annual Meeting held in February, 2010.  Tickets are available from NACD Auxiliary members in each state.  The raffle is the major fund raiser for conservation education projects sponsored by the NACD Auxiliary.  

For more information regarding the NACD Auxiliary visit: http://www.nacdnet.org/about/partners/auxiliary.phtml

NACD Stewardship & Education Program:

http://www.nacdnet.org/stewardship&education/

Bowman’s artistic handiwork shows brilliantly in this quilt square

Blue Ridge SWCD News

UPDATES:
- Rain Barrel Workshop Info
- 2009 Winter Newsletter

(click the links to download PDF)

2010 Youth Conservation Camp

2010 VASWCD Educational Foundation, Inc. Scholarship Award Program

2010 Envirothon

The Virginia Envirothon is a natural resources competition for high school students.  Students who participate learn stewardship and management concepts and work to solve real and hypothetical environmental problems.  The program is field oriented, community based and gives students an opportunity to work with natural resource professionals.

Students work in teams of five students.  Throughout the school year students prepare to compete at the local level, qualify to then compete at the area level, and the top three teams from the six areas in the state compete to be the State Winner.  These teams of high school students are tested on their knowledge of natural resources-soils, forestry, wildlife, aquatics and a current environmental issue.  Students visit five “in-the-field” test stations where written and hands-on problem solving is required along with an oral presentation formulating a strategy for addressing an environmental issues problem.  The event is competitive, but education is the bottom line.

Additional information can be found at http://www.vaswcd.org/envirothon.htm

If interested in joining or starting an Envirothon team within Franklin County, Henry County, Roanoke County and the City of Roanoke, contact Kathy Smith, Program Manager/Education Coordinator with the Blue Ridge Soil & Water Conservation District at (540) 483-5341 ext. 117.

Are you interested in making a difference regarding the future of our planet?  Do you want to get your hands dirty in learning more about our environment?  If you said “yes” to these, this scholarship could be for you.

This scholarship is used to promote the education of Virginia citizens in technical fields with natural resource conservation and environmental protection.

It is also set up to give financial support to students majoring in or showing a strong desire to major in a course curriculum related to natural resource conservation and/or environmental studies.

Click here to download the 2010 VASWCD Educational Foundation, Inc. Scholarship application.

For 33 years, the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts has sponsored a week long summer conservation camp for Virginia high school students (currently enrolled in grades 9-12) on the campus of Virginia Tech. The program brings together about 70 interested students for a week of learning about Virginia's natural resources from conservation professionals and faculty from Virginia Tech. Most of the instruction is hands-on and outdoors.

If you are interested, please click here for more information as well as an application.