Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts

An underserved community in the urban core of Jacksonville, Florida (the other Jacksonville) was under decades of retreat from increased flooding, water pollution and contaminated soils along its primary drainage ditch, McCoys Creek. Conventional plans for flood reduction with a bigger ditch languished for many years, until they were revised to invoke the multiple benefits of nature-based design via stream restoration. Watch this webinar from CHICAGO WILDERNESS ALLIANCE to see how the community came together to reconnect with nature and make the environment safer for their children and grandchildren. The project created fisheries and recreational benefits, eliminated a hazardous channel, created park space and remediated ash from an old incinerator. And the new natural aesthetics of stream restoration captured hearts, minds and funding from multiple critical stakeholders and sponsors in ways a bigger ditch simply did not. Watch a webinar recording at https://lnkd.in/g6TnKR9N

The removal of the Carpentersville Dam has begun - the result will be a 10.2-mile unimpeded flow of the Fox River – the longest free-flowing stretch through Kane County. Work done by Forest Preserve District of Kane County, Geneva, IL, with permitting from Kane-DuPage Soil and Water Conservation District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Kane County Water Resources. The Army Corps of Engineers recommended removing all nine dams in Kane County, including those in Elgin, South Elgin, Aurora and St. Charles. Project https://lnkd.in/gcZ_2kAH Shaw Local News story https://lnkd.in/gbnpKHGk Chicago Tribune story https://lnkd.in/gv22qbYE Forest Preserve District of Kane County video playlist https://lnkd.in/gCiztyqs https://lnkd.in/gbnpKHGk Friends Of The Fox River

The AISWCD seeks an experienced, dynamic, and mission-focused individual to serve as our next executive director. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so please check the details on our website and apply forthwith.  https://lnkd.in/g9sYJuWM

A side note, check out this recipe for Vegan Black Bean & Zucchini Brownie from Body Fuel by Dana Renee. She provided the catering at Rosewood Farm for Kane-DuPage Soil and Water Conservation District's Women in Ag event last week. She also runs Forest Edge Farmstead and exemplifies agricultural entrepreneurship. https://lnkd.in/gPRfWhW7 Take a look at the event story at https://lnkd.in/guvXQTTc and contact Kane-DuPage SWCD to register for future gatherings (next one is end of October/beginning of November).

The Kane-DuPage Soil and Water Conservation District, with sponsorship from American Farmland Trust and Kane County Government Illinois, put on an introductory gathering for Women in Ag: Farm Conservation Community Series last Thursday at Rosewood Farm near Sugar Grove. The event featured Dr. Stacy Zuber, research data scientist on the agronomy team at the Illinois Soybean Association, who gave an introduction to soil health practices. But the main attraction for attendees was to be in a space reserved for women. An opportunity to connect with others in agriculture, ask questions, find mentors, share expertise, and discover new tools. Kat Gerdts, administrative coordinator for the Kane-DuPage SWCD, said the talks are for people thinking about starting a farm-based business, newly launched enterprises, or experienced farmers. Read more and see more photos at https://lnkd.in/guvXQTTc Contact https://lnkd.in/gYcGHMXz to attend future meetings. #conservation #illinoisagriculture #sustainablefarming #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativefarming #regenerativefarm #agvocacy #agriculture #farmer #farmersofillinois #sustainability #covercrops #soilhealth #farming #farm #agriculturelife #conservationchampions

The board of the Association of Illinois Soil & Water Conservation Districts named Rudy Rice of Perry County Soil and Water Conservation District as 2024 SWCD Director of the Year. For the past 50 years, Rudy has been a dedicated director of the Perry County SWCD, holding various offices and demonstrating unwavering commitment to soil and water stewardship. His leadership has extended to serving as State President of the AISWCD and National President of the National Association of Conservation Districts. In these roles, Rudy has traveled extensively across the United States and the globe, advocating for and promoting sustainable stewardship practices that enhance and preserve our vital soil and water resources. See the details as well as SWCD directors honored for their service to healthy soil and clean water at https://lnkd.in/gK4SeXag

Please sign and share our petition, and help our cause go viral. At the AISWCD annual meeting, the SWCD directors passed a resolution to establish a petition to restore the SWCD Operations funding. We are seeking to get at least 100 signatures from each of our 97 districts around the state. Signed petitions will be presented to state legislators, the governor's office, and state officials to show the deep support of the work of SWCD employees. Contact AISWCD President Dale Shumaker or our staff with any questions. <<We want clean water, and healthy soil - restore state funding to Soil & Water Conservation Districts Illinois’ 97 Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) experienced a substantial funding shortfall in the FY 2025 state budget. SWCD operations funding was reduced by $4 million from $8.5 million in FY 24 to $4.5 million in FY 25. The shortfall will lead to the loss of trained and qualified Soil and Water Conservation District employees which will take years of training to replace. Without sufficient funding, employees, much like unprotected soil, will erode away. We the undersigned residents of Illinois’ 97 local Soil and Water Conservation Districts from across the State of Illinois do respectfully request FY 25 SWCD operations funding be returned to level funding based on FY 24 funded appropriations.>> #conservation #illinoisagriculture #sustainablefarming #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativefarming #regenerativefarm #agvocacy #agriculture #farmer #farmersofillinois #sustainability #covercrops #soilhealth #farming #farm #agriculturelife #conservationchampions https://lnkd.in/gH5cTVAj

The AISWCD and Conservation Legacy Conservation Legacy are seeking to hire a dynamic Director to head up our new COVER Corps (Conservation Outreach Volunteers Engaging Resilience). Position details can be found at: https://lnkd.in/ek3D73HB Funding for this new initiative has been secured from the new USDA/NRCS/NACD/AmeriCorps Working Land Climate Corps program https://lnkd.in/equg4QQ4 This is a grant funded project. While we have one year of funding secured, we are looking to create a program that is ongoing for years to come. The new director will be pivotal in elevating this initiative and supervision of 8 COVER Corps (AmeriCorps) members that will work across the state. Position will be based out of Springfield/Jacksonville area, with some statewide travel as needed. Direct questions to AISWCD Executive Director Michael Woods. APPLY NOW - application reviews begin July 12. https://lnkd.in/ek3D73HB #conservation #illinoisagriculture #sustainablefarming #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativefarming #regenerativefarm #agvocacy #agriculture #farmer #farmersofillinois #sustainability #covercrops #soilhealth #farming #farm #agriculturelife #conservationchampions

The latest AISWCD newsletter includes the lineup for the upcoming MAGIC of Conservation Annual Meeting & Summer Training Conference July 14-16 in Springfield. Also includes a list of training opportunities, career openings, and agricultural conservation in the news. https://lnkd.in/gnEkXSbE

Get someplace cool and listen in on a 500-level course on soil health. Rick Clark, a fifth-generation farmer who has pioneered a systematic approach to regenerative farming, talks with Dr. Chrstine Jones of Amazing Carbon and John Kempf of Advancing Eco Agriculture. https://lnkd.in/gAjaUVqX Episode 122: Exploring Tillage, Aggregation, and Biological Innovation with Rick Clark Regenerative Agriculture on Apple Podcasts More links Rick Clark at https://lnkd.in/grkaCmZx  Dr. Chrstine Jones at https://lnkd.in/gQ6nnYex  John Kempf at https://lnkd.in/gp9wY3C7