January 2019

Training Calendar

Please visit our website for more training opportunities: http://www.wactd.org/training.

Happy New Year!

The Center for Technical Development (CTD) has had a busy year! We have been working on better coordinating planner certifications and trainings with our partners at NRCS, started a training scholarship opportunity, revamped and released our planner certification program, and updated our website to be easier to use. We connected with you at the WADE and WACD conferences, not to mention at training events and meetings around the State. We are looking forward to a bright and busy 2019 with new training events, special modules at WADE 2019, more certified planners, a fresh mentorship program, unique new employee integration content, and so much more! Thank you for your continued support and involvement with the CTD. We look forward to working with you in 2019!

To start the year off right, here are some ideas to help you get motivated, stay organized, and reenergize your work:

  1. Declutter – nothing fogs a brain and slows productivity like workplace cutter. Whether it be physical paper on your desk or to-dos in your mind, clear, organize, and finish all of the clutter in your work space to start the year off strong.

  2. Try something new – new ideas can be hard to come by, but if you are in the habit of trying something new every day, you make room for fresh ideas. Try a new restaurant, say hi to a new person, do a question of the day, change up your hairstyle, answer your email in reverse order, whatever it takes to try something new.

  3. Just say no – When you say “no” to overburdened work, or something not in your wheelhouse, you provide more room to get your best work done. Don’t over saturate yourself with work and dilute out your potential. Keep your workload manageable and say “no” to straw work.

  4. Take pause – It is easy to feel overwhelmed or to not know where to start with a project. By taking a pause - taking a breath - taking a moment, you provide the space for clarity and a purposeful start to something new.

Have a great year of clear, new, sustainable, and purposeful work!

'Fundamentals of HELC/WC Provisions' Course Now Available on AgLearn

The 'Fundamentals of HELC/WC Provisions' course, which is required for NRCS Certified Conservation Planners, has just been released on AgLearn as a self-paced online training. The course will take approximately 3 hours to complete. You can search for this class by using the “Find Learning" tab in AgLearn and entering the ID# NRCS-NEDC-000409.

Have questions about the updated NRCS Conservation Planner Designations? The CTD and NRCS held a joint webinar on the topic earlier this year. You can find that, information about CTD certifications, and much more on the CTD website.

Upcoming Healthy Soils, Healthy Regions Workshop in Pendleton, Oregon on March 12-14, 2019. The event is aimed at increasing the adoption of practices to improve soil health in the Pacific Northwest. Deadline to submit an abstract for the poster and lightning presentation session has been extended to January 18th.

More information is available on the website (http://csanr.wsu.edu/healthysoils/) and in the attached flyer and call for abstracts.

Travel scholarships are available and can be applied for through the event website (Deadline: January 18th), early bird registration ends on January 30th.

Please direct questions to Karen Hills at khills@wsu.edu.

Training Reflection: Working Effectively with American Indians

I think that the “Working with American Indians” training was an invaluable experience. It provided an important reminder about the terrible injustices that tribes have suffered under the guise of federal law. It was an important reminder that tribes are independent nations and that we should not overlook or underestimate the importance of their tribal sovereignty. As planners, we need to beware of etiquette, cultural customs and have a strong respect for spirituality. Developing relationships with tribal leadership and elders requires openness and high degree of cultural literacy. Always learn how a community refers to itself as a group of people. Do not assume “Native American” is accepted terminology.

I would like to thank our instructors, who were incredibly welcoming and open. They were willing to share their own personal stories, which was a stark reminder about the difficulties tribal members still face. This training was incredibly enlightening, and I’m sure that we all re-framed the way we would approach working with tribes or tribal members in the future. I highly recommend this training.

-- Megan Weldon, King Conservation District.

The Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) is seeking oral presentations, poster presentations, symposia, and workshops for the 74th SWCS International Annual Conference, taking place July 28-31, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: January 9, 2019 POSTER SUBMISSION DEADLINE: March 6, 2019

*Poster submissions received after January 9, 2019 will not appear in the Preliminary Program

This year’s conference features four submission tracks:

Adapting Landscapes to Climate Change

Engaging the Private Sector in Conservation

Watershed Conservation to Unify Urban and Rural Communities

2019 General Conference Theme – Bridging the Divide: Uniting Rural and Urban Landscapes for Conservation

  • Adaptive Management of Conservation Efforts

  • Conservation Economics and Policy

  • Conservation Models, Tools, and Technologies

  • Conservation in Organic, Specialty, Small-Scale, or Urban Agriculture

  • Outreach, Education, and Community Engagement

  • Social Sciences Informing Conservation

  • Soil Health Resources, Indicators, Assessment, and Management

  • Water Resource Assessment and Management


Visit the SWCS website for more information and to submit your proposal.

AgLearn Update & Reminder

If you haven't already, make sure to login and check out the new and improved AgLearn site.

Remember that regular logins are the best way to prevent access issues with your AgLearn account -- set a reminder on your calendar to login at least once every 20 days!

'Promise for Tomorrow' by Scott Gail, Spokane CD

If you have an idea for the newsletter, a project or photo you'd like featured, or just want to say hello, email communications@wactd.org. We'd love to hear from you!