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THE DROP
A monthly e-newsletter from the North Central Region Water Network
April 2022
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Network News
Summer is right around the corner and we are gearing up for the Climate Intersections Conference July 12-14th in Duluth, Minnesota. Registration is now open so make sure to reserve your spot! The program is coming together and we have a great line-up of presentations focusing on the myriad of ways the changing climate is impacting our water and our work.
The conference will feature engaging presentations in three tracks - creating resilient agricultural systems, helping communities adapt to extreme weather, and working in watersheds in times of change. Plus, we are excited to announce University of Michigan's Kyle Whyte as our keynote speaker! Learn more about Kyle and his work and register for the conference today!
-Rebecca Power, Network Director and Anne Nardi, Network Communications
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Science and art are deeply interconnected - exploring and examining the natural world in search of scientific advancements is often a process that inspires artistic pursuits - and vice versa. Tune into this month's The Current speed networking webinar as we focus on various works and programs that are weaving water and the arts. Register here
Photo credit: Emily Cannon, The Flow Project
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Registration is now open for the North Central Region Water Network’s Climate Intersections Conference July 12-14th in Duluth, Minnesota. The conference theme is “Taking Care of People, Water, and the Land” and will feature emergent research and key programming that can facilitate solutions for resilient and equitable agricultural systems, communities, and watersheds throughout the North Central Region and beyond.
The conference is a long-overdue and unique opportunity to gather in person with water, climate, and natural resource professionals from across the North Central region. Conversations will focus on how we, as professionals, connect with the communities in which we live and work and how we can foster equitable solutions to the ways climate change impacts our water, our work, and our way of life. Read on
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When Amber Radatz took an internship with the Wisconsin Discovery Farms program in 2004, she had no idea how the experience would change her life. Dennis Frame – a co-founder of the Discovery Farms Program – knew Amber from his time working as a county agriculture educator where she grew up in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin. “I needed a summer job after my freshman year in college and Dennis needed an intern for the relatively new Discovery Farms Program,” notes Radatz. “I had no idea how much that experience would change my career path.” Read on
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In The News
Upcoming Events
Spring Conservation Gatherings
May 3, 6, and 20, 2022
The Wisconsin Women in Conservation (WiWiC) are hosting several Spring Conservation Gatherings in May across the state. Learn moreGreat Lakes Water Infrastructure Conference Tuesday and Wednesday, May 10-11, 2022The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is hosting a two-day, virtual conference focused on water infrastructure challenges and solutions in the Great Lakes region. Learn more
Soil Health Workshop
Wednesday and Thursday, May 18-19, 2022This is a two-day soil health workshop hosted by the Kansas Center for Agricultural Resources and the Environment. The workshop will be held at the Kansas State Agricultural Research Center in Hays, Kansas. RSVP by May 15. Learn more
Funding and Opportunities
Water and Conservation Educator - Iowa State University
This position will focus on two outreach programs: Iowa Learning Farms and Water Rocks!, as well as conduct on-farm field research. Applications are due May 2, 2022 Learn more
Manager, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds - Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)This position is within the EDF's People and Nature Program. The incumbent will oversee development and implementation of strategic priorities, and conduct analysis on the science and hydrology of coastal, riverine, and compound flood risks and solutions to inform planning, policy, and community engagement. Learn more
National Competitive Grants Program - USGS and NIWRThe Water Resources Research Act Programs National Competitive Grants Program has three funding opportunities available. Proposals must be submitted by the State Water Resources Research Institute by May 10, 2022. Learn more about each opportunity: 104g General, PFAS, AIS.
Value-Added Producer Grant - USDA
Funding is intended for independent farmers, ranchers, and other producers to start or expand value-added products and businesses. Submission deadline is May 25, 2022. Learn more
News
Cover crops more effective than insecticides for managing pests, study suggests - Penn State University
Promoting early season plant cover, primarily through the use of cover crops, can be more effective at reducing pest density and crop damage than insecticide applications, according to a Penn State-led team of researchers. In a newly published study, the researchers suggest that the best pest management outcomes may occur when growers encourage biological control — in the form of pests' natural enemies — by planting cover crops and avoiding broad-spectrum insecticides as much as possible. Read on
N.C. A&T, Environmental Defense Fund Partner On Farming Study - N.C. A&TClimate-resilient agricultural practices can help small farms in North Carolina profit in a changing climate, according to new research by Cooperative Extension at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and the Environmental Defense Fund, a nationwide nonprofit advocacy group.A summary report and case studies of three small farms in North Carolina by N.C. A&T Cooperative Extension and EDF share insights for farmers and their advisers to inform their financial decision-making when considering whether to implement climate-smart agriculture practices. Read on
New estimation strategy improves soil carbon sampling in agricultural fields - ScienceDailyThere is much more carbon stored in Earth's soil than in its atmosphere. A significant portion of this soil carbon is in organic form (carbon bound to carbon), called soil organic carbon (SOC). Notably, unlike the inorganic carbon in soils, the amount of SOC, and how quickly it is built up or lost, can be influenced by humans. Since its advent about 10,000 years ago, agriculture has caused a significant amount of SOC to be released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change. Read on
Innovative research explores impacts of tile drainage water quality on streams - Iowa State University CALS
Cover crops were almost as effective as restored prairie at reducing nitrate concentrations in tile-drained water, according to recent research at Iowa State University. This was one of the key findings from a study led by Marshall McDaniel, associate professor of agronomy at Iowa State. The project was designed to better understand how the quantity and quality of tile drainage water impacts in-stream potential for nutrient enrichment, leading to growth of algae and depletion of vital oxygen in aquatic ecosystems. Read on
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