Past Trainings or Meetings with Recorded Links

VirTuesdays: Training for Indiana Soil & Water District Staff and Supervisors

Once each month, July through October, a series of four VirTuesdays were hosted by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and the Indiana Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts. Below are the links to each recording.

July 20 – District Insurance Needs and Liability – RECORDING

August 24 – Human Resource Management 101: Contract Employee vs. District Employee – RECORDING

September 21 – Records Retention – RECORDING

October 19 – Turning Data into Action – RECORDING

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ISDA-IASWCD Indiana District Leveraging Sheet Presentation
The ISDA District Support Specialists have a tool for districts that can aid in making the case to elected officials for support by demonstrating return on investment. Districts provide technical assistance and lead grants and programs that bring additional resources into the community, and the leveraging sheet can help define those resources. This webinar covers the basics of the district leveraging sheet, how to complete it with examples, and then concludes with a discussion on how to use the information when talking with elected officials. (Presenters: Joe Schmees, Executive Director, Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts and Laura Fribley, District Support Specialist, Indiana State Dept of Agriculture)

2021 IASWCD/ISDA REGION MEETINGS
with INDIANA DISTRICTS:

IASWCD and ISDA hosted the four state quadrant region meetings in June 2021. All four were recorded and include an Opening Welcome from your IASWCD Region Directors, Partner Updates, an Ice Breaker/Baby Photo game and a Local Project Highlight. Click on each meeting below to view the recording. A link to the Chat Box text has been included as contact information and additional resources were provided there during the meeting.

NORTHWEST – June 8 at 12 noon
Project Highlight: Pollinators/GLRI (Porter County)
Chat Box

SOUTHEAST – June 10 at 7 pm
Project Highlight: Transformation & Partnerships (Floyd County)
Chat Box

SOUTHWEST – June 15 at 12 noon
Project Highlight: Tree Program (Clay County)
Chat Box

NORTHEAST – June 17 at 7 pm
Project Highlight: Rallying Support (Grant County)
Chat Box

APRIL 2021 LUNCH ‘N LEARNS:

April 7 @ 12 noon: Video and Audio Editing RECORDING
An overview of free software options for editing videos to post on Facebook and YouTube.  From the basics of recording PowerPoint presentations, to removing background noise and adding text, music, and pictures to your videos.  Software featured will include Audacity, VSDC Video Editor, and PowerPoint.  Attendees will also learn about additional resources for utilizing these programs. 
Speaker: Emily Finch, Invasive Species Specialist, Dubois/Martin/Daviess County SWCD 
Handout for this session

April 14 @ 12 noon: Urban and Small-Scale Ag Considerations RECORDING
There is growing emphasis on reaching urban and small-scale agricultural producers among Indiana’s conservation agencies. While many Districts may not have many of these producers, their numbers are increasing. The IASWCD’s new state-wide Urban Soil Health program has been created to reach these growers, and help Districts better support them. We’ll share examples of urban and small farms, what they’re doing to implement soil health practices, and equipment these small-scale growers often use. We’ll touch on other considerations when working with urban growers – including soil contamination and Organic practices. Learn about some needs we’ve heard from urban and small farmers. We’ll wrap up with the goals of the Urban Soil Health program and how Districts can get involved. Speaker: Elli Blaine, Director, Urban Soil Health Program
Handout for this session (updated 4-15-21)
Slideshow

April 21 @ 12 noon: Indiana Envirothon RECORDING
Envirothon is an annual environmentally-themed academic competition for high school students. Competitions are held by region, state, nation and worldwide. It is designed to enhance interest in the environment and natural resources by testing the student’s knowledge of soils, forestry, wildlife, aquatic ecology and current environmental issues. Envirothon combines cooperative decision-making, team building, problem solving and leadership in a fun and educational competition where students are empowered to think beyond their own lives and encouraged to pursue careers in environmental fields. Come hear how Indiana’s Envirothon program is thriving and how your district can get involved! 
Speaker: Nicole Messacar, Education Coordinator, LaPorte County SWCD.

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LEGISLATIVE TRAINING FOR INDIANA DISTRICTS:

Legislative Wrap-Up (April 27, 2021) RECORDING

Midsession Legislative Update (February 26, 2021) RECORDING

The Legislative Process (December 9, 2020) RECORDING
 This training opportunity will provide an overview of the legislative process, and provide some updates on how things may look differently in 2021 due to COVID. Use this opportunity to be in the know on what’s going on, and prepare yourself to be an effective participant in the legislative process. The speaker will be IASWCD Lobbyist, Cresswell Hizer.

Talking with Legislators (December 16, 2020) RECORDING
This training opportunity will provide tips and tricks for communicating with legislators and other elected officials. Wondering where to start? This is the opportunity for you to learn new skills, and begin to piece together a game plan for how you can communicate with your elected officials this year. The speaker will be IASWCD Executive Director, Joe Schmees, with help from IASWCD Lobbyist Cresswell Hizer.

IASWCD OCTOBER LUNCH ‘N LEARN RECORDINGS:

October 6 Lunch ‘n Learn: Stormwater Protection in Indiana (presented by Katie Jamriska, American Water) recording.

October 13 Lunch ‘n Learn: Rule 5 Updates (presented by Randy Braun and Rob Beck, IDEM) – recording.

October 20 Lunch ‘n Learn: Using the Hoosier Resilience Index and FutureWater to Communicate Floodplain Preparedness Needs to Local Governments (presented by Janet McCabe, Director, Environment Resilience Institute, Professor of Practice, McKinney School of Law) – recording.

October 27 Lunch ‘n Learn: IDEM Wetland Permitting Tool (Presented by IDEM’s: Erin Lish, Heather Parson, J. Turner; and, IDNR’s: Bryan Denman) – recording.

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Coronavirus Information and Updates for Indiana Districts

Your District Dues At Work

VirTuesday Training Series

VirTuesday Training: Succession Planning  for Districts presented by Tara Wesseler-Henry and Jennifer Thum, ISDA and hosted by IASWCD staff, Joe Schmees and Amy Work on August 25, 2020.
(View Chat box comments and questions.)
PowerPoint presentation as a pdf – posted on the ISDA Conservation Link

VirTuesday Training: Effective Board Meetings presented by Joe Schmees, IASWCD and hosted by ISDA and IASWCD staff on September 1, 2020.
(View Chat box comments and questions.)
PowerPoint presentation as a pdf:
PowerPoint presentation as a pdf

VirTuesday Training: Roles & Responsibilities of District Staff and Supervisors –  presented by Geneva Tyler and Laura Fribley (both ISDA) with opening keynote by Brad Dawson (State Soil Conservation Board Chairman) on September 8, 2020.  (View Chat box comments and questions.)
PowerPoint presentation as a pdf

Other Trainings:

YOUR Association: Not Your Ordinary Association – Joe Schmees’ presentation at the August 2019 District Summer Trainings in Fulton, Orange, Delaware and Putnam Counties.

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If you need immediate assistance or can’t find what you’re looking for, please contact Joe Schmees or Amy Work at 317-692-7374.
Recent:

• Indiana Watershed Group Finder – a companion site to the Indiana HUC Finder, both developed through the Indiana Watershed Leadership Program in collaboration with the IDEM and IASWCD. The Finder is a Google Map based tool that makes it easy to find active watershed or watershed-focused groups throughout Indiana.

Government Shutdown Plans and Procedures:

• Shutdown Procedures  (PDF) from the National Conservation District Employees Association.
• USDA Agencies procedures and contingency plans developed for use in the event of a lapse in funding (government shutdown).

Unique Opportunites for Districts

• Rent Green Fire: Aldo Leopold & A Land Ethic for our Time from IASWCD
• Download the loan agreement. Sign and send it to us at info@iaswcd.org
• Customizable District brochure
  • Available as a PDF (High quality, but text and photos cannot be changed; consider affixing a label to it.)
  • Available as a Publisher file (Fully customizable, but not as high-quality.)
• Conservation Development Resources: IASWCD’s listing of funding and training opportunities
• Google Apps for Districts: An “Apps” account comes with useful tools like Google Calendar, Drive, Sites, etc. Contact us to request one of these free accounts.
• IASWCD Awards, such as Conservation Farmer of the Year, Supervisor of the Year, River Friendly Farmer, etc.
• Put Planning First: A guide from NRCS to help local SWCDs put together a conservation plan tailored for farmer customers.
• Envirothon is a competitive learning event for high school-aged students that tests the students’ knowledge of resources including soils, forestry, wildlife and current environmental issues.
• NACD Poster &Photo Contests for young students
• Easy Steps Marketing Plan for Districts (PDF)
• Blueprint for Locally-Led Conservation – A Strategy for District Success and Sustainability (NACD, July 2016)
• What Should a Funding Plan Include? Recommendations for Districts
• Advocating for Conservation Before the County Board (article dated 1-2-18)

Publications & Information to Share with the Public

• What are SWCDs? General information and quick facts about Districts’ roles, governance, and funding.
• Pathway to Water Quality, coordinated by the Indiana Conservation Partnership, is a permanent exhibit at the State Fair that teaches home and farm conservation.
• Resources for common conservation practices for home and farm use, from the Hoosier Heartland RC&D.
• The Water Cycle: Nature’s Recycling System is a poster produced by NRCS. It is available for purchase.

IASWCD Organizational Information
Budgets, Board minutes, and more area all available in our Board Page.