August - Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts

AUGUST 2014
Volume 12, Issue 12
Page 1
Conservation Catchall - August 2014
CONSERVAT ION CATCHALL
In this issue:
Annual Meeting Wrap Up and
Photos
1-4
Administrative Specialist's
Update
5
Office Assistant’s Information
6
Stewardship Challenge Photos
7
Illinois Chapter IAAP
8
ISWCDEA Corner
8
AISWCD Affiliate Membership
9
IFA Meeting Info
10
Calendar
10
That’s a Wrap!
Color Guard: Lee Bunting, Myron Kirby,
Richard Reynolds, and Terry Bogner
AISWCD Staff:
Richard Nichols
Executive Director
Sherry Finn
Administrative Assistant
Kelly Thompson
AISWCD Auxiliary Ladies: Judy Beyers and
Marie Bunting with a plant
from their Master Gardner
session.
The 66th Annual Meeting and Illinois Land and Water Resources
Conference has come and gone. We had a great turn out this year and
we hope everyone was able to obtain a lot of information.
A special thank you goes out to everyone who helped put sessions
together and the extra hands around the conference. We could not
pull this off without you.
Program Coordinator
Matthew Hanauer
Watershed Coordinator
Gina Bean
Office Assistant
CREP Resource Specialists
Catherine Dunn
Sheryl Philips
Jeremy Pruden
Timothy Royer
Dan Sahm
Jake Vancil
From Left to Right: Polly Launay entertained those that attended the Soil Stewardship Luncheon.
AISWCD Past President Lonnie Wilson presents Sondra Baker and Spring Duffey with a recognition award for all the work they have done for the Stewardship Challenge.
Flip through this month’s Catchall for a look back at the
2014 Summer Conference.
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Conservation Catchall - August 2014
And the Winners are….
From top to bottom and left to right: George McKibben Scholarship Winner Tyler Pokojski
from Marion County, Envirothon Winners Midland High School from Marshall/Putnam SWCD,
Director Service Award recipients, Teachers of the Year Julie DeSutter from Mason County and
Michael Hershiser from McHenry/Lake SWCD with Jo Fessett from IL Audubon Society, Dave
Gillespie from IFA with Outstanding Forestry Contribution Award Winner Matt Peterson from
Schuyler County.
From left to right: Poster Winner, DeLaney-Jo Fortney with Lorna Chezem and Barb Klinger from
Stephenson County and AISWCD Auxiliary President Marie Bunting. Photo Winner, Dean Johnson
from DeKalb County. Poster Winner Alina Boice from Mason County, AISWCD Auxiliary President
Marie Bunting and Poster Winner Olivia Weber from Livingston County.
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Conservation Catchall - August 2014
Farm Families
Congratulations Doll Family for winning
this year’s Governor’s Award!
Auctions
!
McGreal Family
* The Lange Family was not able to attend
Items on the AISWCD Auxiliary Silent Auction tables.
DeCrane Family
Doll Family
Great items were donated to the Live Auction this year
which even included some fresh produce.
Legislator of the Year:
US Congressman Rodey Davis
While at summer conference,
Rodney Davis took time to
have breakfast and speak with
some of the AISWCD Board
Members.
Lonnie Wilson, AISWCD past president,
and Kim Sapetti from Meijer present the
Doll Family with their $500.00 check.
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Conservation Catchall - August 2014
2014 Sessions
Lee Bunting, Jerry Snodgrass, and Terry Bogner presented at this year’s Director Training.
Veronica Seevers helps poster winner, Alina
Boice put on a scarf at the Auxiliary Session
Monday afternoon.
There was a great turn out at the Director Forum
and Employee Forum.
Share Fair
NRCS Pilot Program
Cover Crop examples
Page 5
Conservation Catchall - August 2014
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT’S UPDATE - SHERRY FINN
sherry.finn@aiswcd.org
Greetings from Sherry!
Meet our new AISWCD President, Myron Kirby.
Myron is the Chairman of the DeWitt County SWCD in Clinton, IL where he has served as a Director
on the SWCD Board since 1995. He is married to his lovely wife, Sandy (they celebrated 44 years in
July!) and has two children, a daughter, Kay and a son, Jason. He has one grandson, Logan. Myron resides in Leroy, IL.
He farms and has a tile and excavating business in Farmer City, IL. He is a member of the American
Legion Post 55 in Farmer City, IL. He is a past State Commander, and is currently serving as the
State Treasurer and National Finance Committee Member.
Myron has served over 10 years on the Honor Guard for the AISWCD Annual Meeting at Opening
Ceremonies.
Since taking over the duties as AISWCD President, Myron has hit the ground running; he has travelled to McHenry-Lake SWCD for the Regional Stewardship Challenge (Envirothon); and to Springfield for the Ag Day at the State Fair and Advisory Board Meeting at the IDOA Building.
Myron’s District office contact information is listed below as well as his personal contact information:
DeWitt County SWCD office:
5920 Revere Road, Clinton, IL 61727
Phone: (217) 935-6504 Ext 3
Myron Kirby
316 Blue Jay Drive
Leroy, IL 61752
(309) 838-9067 (Cell #)
kirbyfarms@yahoo.com
Kirby Tile & Excavating
15893 Moon Road
Farmer City, IL 61812
(309) 928-9067
Please give him a shout out and congrats on his new position!
Quote of the day: Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work!!
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Conservation Catchall - August 2014
REGIONAL STEWARDSHIP CHALLENGE
UPDATE
Lonnie Wilson, AISWCD Past President, was dedicated to the future of our state Envirothon winners. When he heard that the national competition was not going to be held,
he stepped up to the plate and was not going to let it end there. He knows just how
important that national level is to the students. Many of the students that would be
competing at the national level would be competing for the last time for they had graduated and would be going on to college in the fall. This summer was their last chance
to compete at a national level.
Although it was not called Envirothon, the Regional Stewardship Challenge was very
much like our state Envirothon competition. The event was held in Woodstock, IL at
Loyola University August 3-5, 2014. Sunday, August 3, 2014 was check in day, campus tours, and the Opening Ceremony. Ed Collins gave a wonderful presentation before the tours started. The University has it’s own garden so vegetables and herbs
were picked daily and featured in the meals. No one could complain that they did not
eat good those couple of days. Everything was healthy, fresh, and delicious.
To everyone’s delight, dinner was cooked by this season’s Hell’s Kitchen winner Scott
Commings. He had recently won Hell’s Kitchen and his prize was to be Executive Chef
at Gordan Ramsey’s restaurant at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Scott had two more
weeks at the University before he was to make his way to Las Vegas. Many times
Scott was stopped to take pictures and not once did he seem to mind.
The trading session was a sight to see. Students brought items such as pencils, lunch
boxes, t-shirts, and sodas made in their state. One thing is certain by all, those young
men from Missouri were born to bargain and sell.
Monday was station testing day. The rain held off for testing but due to lighting, glow in
the dark kickball was canceled. After lunch, students were given their oral presentation
scenario and given time and materials to prepare their speeches.
On Tuesday, judges were brought in and students presented what they had prepared.
Everyone worked so hard and you could tell from the wonderful, informative speeches
they gave. To end our event, there was an award ceremony in the afternoon.
Thank you to everyone that helped pull this event off. It was a lot of work but worth it.
Many times we were stopped by teachers, chaperones, and even students thanking us
for putting on this event and telling us how much it meant to them. We are so glad
these students had a higher level of competition they were able to go to and that the
three top teams were able to earn scholarships.
Please continue reading to the next page where the winners are announced and
check the AISWCD webpage next month for even more photos.
Gina Bean
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Conservation Catchall - August 2014
ILLINOIS
MISSISSIPPI
Second Place
Virginia
Third Place
Iowa
MISSOURI
INDIANA
First Place
Missouri
Wildlife
Missouri
Aquatics
Missouri
VIRGINIA
IOWA
Soils
Missouri
MINNESOTA
5th Category
Missouri
Oral Presentation
Iowa
Best T-Shirt
Michigan
Team Spirit
Michigan
WISCONSIN
MICHIGAN
Forestry
Missouri
Page 8
Conservation Catchall - August 2014
ISWCDEA CORNER - STEPHEN MILLER
ISWCDEA REG I O
ON
N FOUR REPRESENTAT
EPRESENTATII V
VEE
website: iswcdea.org
Another Summer Conference has come and gone. Thank you to all those who
made the trip to Springfield and thanks to everyone who purchased ISWCDEA raffle
tickets and Team Conservation T-shirts. Attending Summer Conference reinforced
the idea that we are all working together as a team to get conservation on the ground.
Several partners, including NRCS, FSA, IEPA, IDNR, and others all participated in the
Conference and represent different members of Team Conservation.
The ISWCDEA congratulates Mike Malon, the RC from Jo Daviess County, for
winning the 2014 ISWCDEA Scholarship. In addition to providing background information on their academic and community involvement history, applicants were asked
to write a one-page essay focusing on one of two topics. This year, applicants could
choose to write about the benefits of sustainable agriculture or about the importance of
pollinators. All of the scholarship applications and essays that were received this year
were well-written. The ISWCDEA wishes Mike great success as he continues his education.
As always, remember that the ISWCDEA website is full of great resources for
employees and feel free to contact your ISWCDEA representatives any time with questions, comments, or concerns. We are always happy to hear from you!
Stephen
I L LINOIS CHAPTER - IAAP - SALLY FERGUSON, PRE
RES
SID
DENT
ENT
We hope you enjoyed attending the IAAP sponsored sessions at Summer
Conference. The Excel Session was a success, despite a last minute change
in the speaker. The speaker taught Excel skills useful to AC’s and RC’s. One
great tip I took away was the “Format as Table” tool. This tool is available on
Excel’s Home ribbon under the “Styles” section. The tool quickly transforms
data into a readable, presentable format. I’ve already used it a couple times! I also
learned a keyboard shortcut, so columns will quickly adjust to fit the text. It’s much
easier to show than explain; watch this 80 second video https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=fYOJba7mhpI. Very simple, but what a time saver this will be!
IAAP members are evaluating how to proceed after our mandated dissolution in
December. We are exploring all options, including informal networking opportunities,
no dues, etc… If you handle Administrative Coordinator duties and are interested in
professional development, networking opportunities, and training, please complete the
10 question survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/P57N39F by August 22,
2014.
Sally
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Conservation Catchall - August 2014
TODAY!
BECOME A MEMBER
Association of Illinois Soil and Water
Conservation Districts
Conservation Partnership
Business, Consumer, &
Health Service Discounts!
TireBuyer Discounts!
Perfect gifts for family members!
For more information visit our website ~OR~ call Kelly Thompson at 217-744-3414
www.aiswcd.org/donate-membership/
Look who has already joined!
Affiliate Members:
Marc Anderson
Sheryl and Richard Philips
Sue Davis
Della and Charles Moen
George and Cathy Hypke
Lifetime Members:
L&J Enterprises
Corporate Members:
Patten Cat
District Members:
Warren County SWCD
Affiliate Membership Reminder!!!!
Please remember that the money raised through the Conservation Partnership will go
towards education activities and the Illinois State Envirothon.
Since Districts pay dues to AISWCD, they are given the discounts at cost at the rate of
$12. This $12 is given directly to NAC who handles the discounts. AISWCD makes no
profit off of a District’s $12. Once a District becomes a member, they will be able to use
the discounts for office purposes.
The $12 fee must be paid yearly to be eligible to receive discounts.
Please consider joining today and support our Education activities!
Thank you!
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Conservation Catchall - August 2014
M A R K YO U R C A L E N DA R !
 Labor Day - September 1, 2014 : AISWCD office will be closed
 First Day of Fall - September 23, 2014
 September 2014 Quarterly Board Meeting - TBD
 December 2014 Quarterly Board Meeting - December 8 and 9, 2014
 Christmas Party - December 8, 2014
You are invited to the Annual Meeting of the Illinois Forestry Association.
The Illinois Forestry Association is hosting a two-day conference, “A Taste of the forest”, on September
26-27 at SCHEELS in Springfield. The Friday afternoon session (begins at 1PM) will feature presentations by Ivan Dozier, Illinois State Conservationist - Natural Resources Conservation Service, Marc Miller,
Director - Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and Gwen Kolb, State Coordinator, Partners for Fish
and Wildlife - U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The evening dinner is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. followed by the
Keynote Speaker, James Veselenak - University of Illinois Springfield, retired, discussing “Fungi in the
Forest”. The annual business meeting will follow Dr. Veselenak’s presentation. The traditional silent
auction (Don’t forget to bring money or a checkbook) will be split over two separate days with different
items available on the two days.
On Saturday (starting at 9AM) groups will visit the Ralph Winch Sawmill where they will watch the operation of a WoodMizer LT40 Hydraulic portable sawmill and Hynes Farm where they will participate in
small breakout woods sessions about Tree ID (includes invasives), chainsaw maintenance, shiitake log
plugging, and forest wildlife habitat. A lunch will be provided.
A “courtesy” block of 20 guest rooms has been reserved at Holiday Inn Express, 3050 S. Dirksen Pkwy,
for Friday 26 Sep 2014 at a price of $89.00 plus tax per night for 1-2 guests per room. The block will be
listed as Illinois Forestry Association, so that when our guests call in (Phone: 217-529-7771 or 800-4654329), all they need to do is mention IFA. The block will be released on August 26, 2014.
IFA Annual Meeting Registration Fees
Friday & Saturday: IFA member - $50; IFA member & guest - $90; non-member - $60
Friday or Saturday: IFA member - $30; IFA member & guest - $55; non-member - $35
Mail a check made out to the “Illinois Forestry Association” to: Carol Bryant, 7841 S. Panther Creek
Road, Mount Olive, Illinois 62069 or register online at www.ilforestry.org. Check must arrive before Friday, September 19, 2014. Registrations received after September 19th may be charged an additional $5
or $10 at the door.
Contact persons: Jake Hendee (913-547-2541), Jim Hynes (217-502-4528), Dan Schmoker (217-4161587), Ed Eppy (309-256-3430) and Carol Bryant (618-444-3864).
AISWCD Mission: To represent and empower Illinois’ SWCDs
4285 N. Walnut Street Rd.
Springfield, IL 62707
Phone: (217) 744-3414
Fax: (217) 744-3420
www.aiswcd.org