Virginia Dare Soil and Water Conservation District

10/25/2022

The Virginia Dare SWCD, October monthly Board of Directors’ Meeting scheduled for Thursday, October 27, 2022 has been canceled.

10/25/2022

10/25/2022

10/25/2022

10/25/2022

Happy Bat Week! Stay tuned this week to learn all about these spooky pollinators🦇

10/25/2022

Imagine a Day Without Water is coming up on October 20th! For many Americans, living without water is a harsh reality, not something to be imagined. On this annual National Day of Action, thousands of people and hundreds of organizations are coming together united on one clear call to action—to make 2022 the beginning-to-the-end of life without water for lower-income and Black, Hispanic, Latino, Indigenous and other people of color. 🌊 Join in by signing the from the and committing to take action for water equity and a sustainable water future for all.

10/25/2022

Today is the day! Could you imagine your day without water?

Whether your favorite beverage is coffee, soda, or beer, the truth is plain old H2O is the foundation for most every beverage on planet Earth! But think for a minute and you’ll realize that water quenches so much more than thirst. It powers much of the world around us without much notice.

Help us celebrate WATER by visiting a participating brewery today and receive a free pint glass sleeve on us! Find a participating location near you at https://askhrgreen.org/withoutwater

10/25/2022

Bat Week is Oct 24-Oct 31! Use these free activities to celebrate and teach kids about the important role bats play in nature.

10/25/2022

Hey pumpkin, it’s pumpkin time! Whether they’re for pies or for fall decorating or for carving Jack 🎃’Lanterns, your pumpkins can be delightfully green!

🟢 Buy organic, edible pumpkins from a trusted source.
🟢 Think local; don’t travel long distances to buy your pumpkins.
🟢 Don’t throw your pumpkin in the trash after Halloween.
🟢 Use the pumpkin flesh to make delicious pies and soups.
🟢 Roast the seeds for yourselves or feed them to the birds.
🟢 Finally, compost the pumpkin shell for your garden.

And now you know. Turn your orange pumpkins into a *bright* environmentally-friendly green!

10/25/2022

Volunteers are needed tomorrow!
Invasive English Ivy chokes out our beneficial native trees. 🌳
Please help save the Arboretum trees!

10/13/2022

It rained today!! But that’s ok! Rain or Shine Farm Days is still on!!
Today was the last day of Farm Days for 2022!! Thank you so much for all of ou volunteers, conservation partners!! Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE)! We will see you next year!!

10/12/2022

Hello Chesapeake!
Farm Days is back! We welcomed almost 500 1st graders to Farm Days at Triple R. Ranch today! We learned all about Agriculture and our Natural Resources!! Thank you conservation partners!! USDA/NRCS Chesapeake Service Center, NRCS Area Office, Peanut Soil and Water District, Department of Conservation and Recreation, Beekeepers Guild, Chesapeake Master Gardeners, Chesapeake Cooperative Extension, Virginia Beach Cooperative Extension, Virginia Department of Forestry, The Southeast Dairy Alliance, Triple R Ranch, and Community Partners!
We will do it again tomorrow!!

10/06/2022

Last day of Virginia Beach Farm Days!! An absolutely wonderful day for our 1st graders! This Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience for couldn’t be done without our Conservation Partners! United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake Cooperative Extension, Virginia Beach Master Gardeners, Peanut Soil and Water Conservation District, The Dairy Alliance, Norfolk Beekeepers,Virginia Department of Forestry and community volunteers!

10/06/2022

So fun providing dairy education to Virginia Beach students with this great team at the Virginia Dare Soil and Water Conservation District farm days event! We ended our day enjoying an apple with our milk in celebration of programs 🍎 🥛

10/05/2022

Thank you to USDA/ NRCS for taking over our Crop Station after Watson Lawrence retired! You did great Trent our Chesapeake District Conservationist! Thank you to Kristina and Kayleen NRCS Interns!! You rocked the partnership!!

10/05/2022

We are back!! After two years of not hosting Farm Days, it was wonderful seeing and hearing our 1st graders from Virginia Beach Public Schools!! It was great having our conservation partners join us again!! We are back it tomorrow!!

09/22/2022

Thank you to the USDA/NRCS Virginia State Conservationists Dr. Edward Martinez for taking time out to visit Virginia Beach and Chesapeake.
He met with two local Producers in Virginia Beach.
We also had a Meet and Greet with our District and the Chesapeake Service Center.
We value our partnership with our longest standing Conservation Partner USDA/NRCS!

09/22/2022

09/22/2022

Yep🌿♥️

See 30 inspiring quotes here: https://littlepinelearners.com/30-quotes-about-children-and-nature-that-will-inspire-outdoor-play/

09/22/2022

Acorns wanted! 🌰 🌳

Collect and drop off acorns and seeds at your local VDOF office by Oct. 14 to help VDOF plant the forests of tomorrow.

Read more: http://ow.ly/Pjnx50KEGfy

09/22/2022

This week is National Farm Safety and Health Week. A study supported by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture by Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences researchers suggests that the agriculture industry is even more dangerous than previously believed. The research is important because getting a better handle on the number of agriculture-related injuries and how they occur may lead to a reduction in accidents. ▶ https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/blogs/study-reveals-agriculture-related-injuries-more-numerous-previously-known

09/15/2022

Books by diverse authors give us a view of the world from many different lenses. They also let children see their own cultural experiences reflected …

09/15/2022

For Hispanic Heritage Month, DWR honors and recognizes the achievements and contributions of local organizations who connect the Hispanic community to Virginia’s great outdoors. Over the years, DWR has increased efforts to support our partner organizations.

Today, we highlight TrailsforYouth.org, who speak on the great impact after-school clubs and weekend nature based programs have on the Hispanic community, as well as DWR's efforts to support its fishing program opportunities. Read the full interview at https://dwr.virginia.gov/blog/meet-trailsforyouth-org/

09/15/2022

09/15/2022

Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) will be featured as one of the Virginia natives available at this year's Virginia Beach Master Gardener Fall Gardening Festival (Sept. 24 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at HRAREC, 1444 Diamond Springs Rd. in Va. Beach).
Plant Type: Perennial
Uses: Wildflower garden or naturalized area, does especially well around pond borders
Light req: Sun to part shade
Soil type: Moist, loam, sandy or clay soils
Bloom time: July to November
Size: 2’ to 3’ tall, 3’ wide
Wildlife value: This nectar-rich flower is loved by pollinators. Birds will also eat the seeds.
Other notes: Deer resistant, colonizes
Photo credit: Missouri Botanical Garden

#757

09/15/2022

This October, join natural resource professionals, landowners and other outdoor lovers for fall tours of forestry and wildlife management practices. Tours are scheduled for Oct. 7, 14 and 28.

Learn more and register here: http://ow.ly/gAIq50KIYUX

09/15/2022

Today, September 15th, is the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. Now through October 15th, America celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of Latinx and Hispanic.

09/15/2022

Last week Rural Development announced that the agency is accepting applications for three different programs. They are:

1. The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program (https://www.rd.usda.gov/sites/default/files/08.31.2022-FY23-REDLG-NOSA-Stakeholder-Announcement.pdf)

2. The Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (https://www.rd.usda.gov/sites/default/files/08.31.2022-FY23-RMAP-Stakeholder-Notification.pdf), and

3. The Intermediary Relending Program (https://www.rd.usda.gov/sites/default/files/08.31.2022-IRP-NOSA-Stakeholder-Announcement.pdf).

Find out more about what these programs do and how you can apply at the links.

09/15/2022

We’re nuts for !
🥜 The first known commercial peanut crop was grown in 1842 in Virginia’s Sussex County.
🥜 One acre of peanuts will make about 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches.

09/15/2022

🌱 Soil Health Tip Tuesday: Cover up! 🌱 Keep the soil covered with plants and organic materials. Covering the soil with plants encourages biological diversity, living roots, minimizing disturbance, and nutrient cycling in the soil. Organic materials (like mulch, small tree debris, and decomposing leaves) can also add nutrients to the soil while protecting it from the elements.

This school garden shows multiple ways we can keep the soil covered inside and outside of the raised beds. Dig deeper (but minimize disturbance!) on the blog:

https://www.4thesoil.org/blog/soil-health-tip-tuesday-cover-up

09/15/2022

Calling all artists who LOVE recycling! We are inviting artists and creative teams to apply to create a Virginia LOVE sign that encourages Hampton Roads residents and visitors to “Start Smart, Recycle Right.”

Click the link for all the details, then apply with your proposal for the artwork by October 7th. The winning artist or group will receive a $2,500 stipend for creating the sign. AND access to lots of recyclable materials to use for the artwork.

👉 Want to know more about this LOVE artwork project? https://askhrgreen.org/callforartists

09/15/2022

Our "Inclusion Alphabet & Me"