Wake County Soil & Water Conservation District

Our 2011 Envirothon Mentor of the Year, Dr. John Meyer is featured on two online sites by the NCSU College of Ag and Life Sciences.  This story is now posted to the CALS News Center, where it is currently a featured story and on Spring Perspectives.

Direct link to the article here

Hello Wake County 5th Grade Teachers!

Recent news articles on our Environmental Poster Contest Winners:

• This is from a news release published on Dec. 25th Christmas Day in The Cary News.   The article spotlights three of our Top Ten poster winners from Alston Ridge and Green Hope Elementary Schools in Cary who earned two of our three cash awards, as well as the District’s #1 title!

GREEN HOPE ELEM – 1st Place – Olivia Karen Andrews in Laura Zimmerman’s class and Katelyn Neeley in Michele Johnson’s class

ALSTON RIDGE ELEM – 2nd Place – Ashley J. Johnson in Rene Alford’s class

• And this just in from the January 21st edition of North Raleigh News spotlighting three of our Top Ten winners from Raleigh:

HUNTER ELEM – An-War Pace, Jr. in Gwen Hussey’s class and Nicky Lacey in Carol Wooten’s class

 PLEASANT UNION ELEM – Sonoma Kappel Knecht in Amanda Lefeld’s class

Congratulations!

Keeping the Farm Workshop – For Wake County Land Owners.  January 25th from 8:30 to 4:00 pm at the Wake County Office Park – Commons Bldg.  (Map)

Find out how new legislation, estate tax rules, and cost share programs can effect your land. Find out more here.

To register call 919-250-1050 or email keepfarm2012@gmail.com  Lunch provided for citizens who register by January 23rd.

HURRAY!  Five of our Wake County Top Ten poster winners will be spotlighted on WRAL-TV 5′s 6 o’clock News by Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel.  Greg’s forecast is usually in the middle of the broadcast around ~6:15 pm.  Tune in the week of January 30-February 3, 2012. (See attached file for more details.)

CONGRATULATIONS to our Top Five who were selected for the BIG screen!

Here’s a FREE summer opportunity for a rising Senior student (with good GPA) who has an interest in environmental science and wants to learn more about farming in NC.  As you know, the organic, fresh and local foods movement is in full swing in our state and across the country.  Please forward this announcement to any other HS educators or rising Seniors that might be interested.

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Institute for Future Agricultural Leaders (IFAL) for Rising High School Seniors, June 10-15, 2012 at North Carolina A&T State University

FREE – There is no cost for students to participate in this unique program.  Sponsored by N.C. Farm Bureau.

Outstanding rising high school seniors are invited to apply for a free, one-week residential program where they’ll be exposed to academic and research programs in the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences while also being introduced to careers in the food, agricultural, and environmental sciences.

Find an IFAL application form and applications guidelines at http://www.ncfb.org/programs/ifal/ifal.cfm

DEADLINE April 15, 2012 to complete and return applications to:

If you have further questions, please contact Dr. Antoine Alston at (336) 334-7711 or alstona@ncat.edu.

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Any amount of time you could volunteer would be great, then off to your weekend – you’ll not be late!

Interested?

Respond to this email and I’ll send you directions and a Liability Form (parents must sign for those under age 18.)  We’ll be glad to sign your Community Service forms too!

Thank you for your volunteer spirit!  Enjoy a “brisk” fall weekend!

NC State University Waste Audit Volunteers Needed Nov. 6th!

UNC Versus NCSU Football Game Waste Audit (see flyer)

Do you want to contribute in making a long lasting impact at NC State University’s Athletic events?  NC State’s Waste Reduction and Recycling Office is holding an “audit” of waste produced from the UNC versus NCSU football game. By getting knee deep in trash, volunteers will see what percentage of that waste was recycling while learning what is recyclable and compostable.  You won’t walk away empty handed. All volunteers receive a free recycling goody bag.

When: Sunday, November 6, 2011

Time: 1:00pm to 4:00pm

Where: Carter Finley Stadium

Sign up here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFNWRlJyY3BUb0M0UldNTVdGYWZaMXc6MQ

Wake County Farm and Landowners,

On behalf of the Co-chairs of the Local Food Work Group, Carol Mitchell and Katherine Andrew, we are pleased to announce the upcoming workshop “Connecting the Dots: Creating a Local Food System in Wake County.” Through this workshop, AHA partners will work to build a local food infrastructure focusing on connecting farmers and businesses to promote a healthy local food system and economic development in Wake County.

More information here.

How does protecting land protect the water that comes out of your faucet?  How can we improve land protection to better safeguard our drinking water sources? Help tackle those questions and more at Triangle Land Conservancy’s fourth annual Conservation Summit.

TLC’s Conservation Summit is just one week away on Wednesday, Oct 26th.

***Please register by Friday Oct 21st***

Our Keynote speaker, Al Appleton, Adjunct Associate Professor at the Cooper Union in New York City and Former Director of the New York City Water and Sewer system will also provide insights in investing in our environmental resources.

Date/Time:  October 26th, 2011,  9:00-2:30.  Location: RTP Headquarters, 12 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park Directions

Registration is free -

http://www.triangleland.org/lands/planning/RegionalConservationSummit.shtml

Please register by Friday Oct. 21st

Lunch: $10 (support local farms by purchasing a $10 locally produced lunch, you must pre-pay at registration)

Hello All,

Check out the article our chapter had in the Technician if you hadn’t already seen it.
http://www.technicianonline.com/features/water-barrels-to-benefit-local-ecology-1.2641905

Thanks,
Shawn Springer
President SWCS @ NCSU
http://ncsu.orgsync.com/org/swcs