January 2020
Starting the New Year with Intention
The turning of a new year is the perfect opportunity to reflect on your growth through the previous year and set intention for the year ahead. I encourage you to take a few minutes and write down your top successes and failures from 2019. Rejoice in your success and find strength in them going forward, but don’t forget to do the same with your failures!
Why reflect on your failures, you ask? While many of us want to leave our failures in the dust and not think about them again, failure is one of the most important and valuable learning experiences you can get. In fact, no great success was ever achieved without failure! Failure teaches us where we can grow and what skills we need to acquire. It helps us be more resilient and aware, and can encourage change and adjustment in our lives. Failure can teach us how to ask for help, be patient and forgiving of ourselves and others, be more honest and forthright, and not be afraid of success. As Thomas Edison wisely stated, “I have not failed. I‘ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Respect your failures and don’t be afraid to share them with others.
Going into 2020, I challenge you to not only embrace your failures, but to also find an intention, word, mantra, or other meaningful nugget that holds truth to you and helps you grow throughout the year. I find words like balance, action, growth, creativity, responsibility, grit, confidence, and gratitude to all spark intention. Whatever your intention for the year, write it down, check in with yourself often, and always keep working towards it. Make this your best year yet!
To get your professional year on the right track, start by setting goals, making a plan, and identifying realistic pathways to get there. The CTD has tools to help you get started! Our web page has all the resources you need for advancing including planner certification outlines, training plan templates, upcoming training events, and planner resources to help you achieve your goals. If there is a resource you need, but don’t see it, please let us know. It is our intention to provide the tools you need for professional development and success!
Happy New Year! May this be your best year yet!
-CTD
Participate in the upcoming Farm Bill Trainings
Please RSVP directly to Roylene!
Good Afternoon,
I wanted to invite Conservation District and WA State Conservation Commission staff that are willing to help us to implement our programs to the upcoming Farm Bill training sessions.
At these trainings we will be getting into the weeds of how we will be using new tools to do planning and implementing new farm bill programs. Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP), and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) rules have all be posted to the federal register so we can now share some of the details.
The Farm Bill Trainings are happening:
January 21st starting at 1 pm thru January 23rd ending at 12 pm
Location: Center Place Regional Event Center, 2426 N Discovery Place,
Spokane Valley, WA
January 27th starting at 1 pm thru January 29th ending at 12 pm
Location: Kittitas Valley Event Center, 901 E 7th Avenue
Ellensburg, WA
January 29th starting at 1 pm thru January 30th ending at 12 pm
Location: Forest Service Bldg., 1835 Black Lake Blvd. SW
Olympia, WA
Please RSVP to Roylene if you have staff that will be attending and what session. This way we can ensure we have enough materials for everyone.
Thank you,
Roylene Comes At Night
WA STATE CONSERVATIONIST
Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)
United State Department of Agriculture (USDA)
316 W Boone, Ste 450
Spokane, WA 99201
509-323-2900
roylene.comes-at-night@usda.gov
“The environment is where we all meet; where we all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.”
-Lady Bird Johnson
Calling all District Managers!
All Conservation District managers/directors should have recently received a note from the CTD inviting you to attend a special all-managers web meeting on March 11, 2020 at 9:00 am with the CTD. The goal of the meeting is to share our current programs, demonstrate how they can benefit you and your staff, and gather your input into development of our FY21 plan of work. We are initiating this new process in an effort to ensure we are capturing your needs and providing the best services to your staff. Please look for the Outlook invite coming soon or find login details on our website: www.wactd.org. Thank you for your support, interest, and feedback as we continue to meet the needs of your District and staff.
New Documents Available in eFOTG
A new version of the CPA-52 is now available for conservation planners! Find it in Section 1, Reference Lists, of the eFOTG webpage. While you're there, check out the 'Recently Changed' tab to find recently updated practice standards and other related documents. Remember to check eFOTG for updates periodically when you are conservation planning.
Apply now!
CTD Conservation Planner Applications are now being accepted for Riparian, Farm, and Dairy planners.
Our certification program has been vetted with partners and experts to ensure it provide both verification of your skills and a pathway to help you advance. Whether you a new or veteran planner, you are encouraged to start your certification process today.
Even if you are still working on completing your training, please get yourself enrolled at the Level 1 certification for your discipline!
For more information, and to start your application process today, go to: www.wactd.org/certification.
The first round of applications are due by March 6, 2020 for special acknowledgement at the WADE 2020 conference.is placeholder text.
And In Other News...
by Angus Hervey, for FUTURECRUN.CH
by James Borrell, jamesborrell.com
By Jeanna Bryner, for LiveScience.com
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!