Kane-DuPage Soil and Water Conservation District

Video Available! KDSWCD 22nd Annual Soil Erosion & Sediment Control Seminar - Stream Diversion and Causeways available on our YouTube channel! Watch here https://lnkd.in/g--W7G3X

Landowners - applications for the Illinois Department of Agriculture Partners for Conservation program are due on April 4. Contact our team for more information on implementing these practices!

Fox River Summit 2025! KDSWCD Vice-Chair Maggie Soliz and Resource Analyst Emma Hunter attended this annual cornerstone event for the Fox River Watershed. This year's presentations included an overview of the Carpentersville Dam removal, Milwaukee Riverkeepers update, a report on the State of the Fox River, plus an assessment of climate change impacts and the watershed's resiliency. Dodge County Wisconsin producers described how farmers lead the way in soil health practices and protecting water. An update on the Fabulous Fox! National Water Trail outlined projects currently underway along the Trail. Further riverbank improvements are in process up in Waukesha County. Managing wetlands flora and fauna is key - otters included! SE Wisconsin has built an interactive webtool providing access to a variety of informative maps. A full day of collaboration and partnership!

YOU are Invited! Our Women in Ag Farm Conservation Community Series continues! Join us for Soil Health! Let's make a mess with Soil Testing Demonstrations! Network with other female landowners/operators, share experiences and offer support. Light refreshments will be served. No charge! Thursday, March 20, 4:30-6:30 pm Speaker: Brenna Ness, Working Lands Ecologist, McHenry County Conservation District Keeping Soil Healthy DuPage County Farm Bureau, 245 S Gary Ave, Carol Stream Registration is required https://lnkd.in/gJdApcJr This event is made possible by a generous grant contribution from American Farmland Trust

KDSWCD Vice Chairman Maggie Soliz and Resource Analyst Emma Hunter joined watershed advocates from all over the midwest at the Leadership for Midwestern Watersheds conference last week. This gathering is a popular forum for professionals who lead projects that reduce agricultural runoff in watersheds of the central United States. Leadership for Midwestern Watersheds is developing a “community of practice” among conservation practitioners who work to improve water quality with landowners, agencies, and businesses, one watershed at a time. The annual LMW meeting series features presentations and facilitated discussions on subjects essential to successful watershed projects. Examples include: farmer engagement, geospatial planning tools, project financing and water quality monitoring. To date, more than 600 attendees from 15 states have participated, including many watershed projects supported by state nutrient reduction programs and USDA-NRCS Landscape Conservation Initiatives.

Read all about it! Tree Shrub & Plant Sale, Volunteers Needed planting trees and cleaning streams, KDSWCD Election Results, Upcoming Events and more! Visit https://conta.cc/3EXv6pi

Planning for the future of your farmland. Our first 2025 Women in Ag gathering will focus on Farmland Succession Planning ~ demystify the transfer process, gain essential skills, knowledge and resources for success in your farm succession process. All generations of women involved in your farm’s future, both family and non-family, are welcome! Register today to join the conversation with Angie Doucette, AFT's Midwest Farmland Protection Manager on February 27. There is no charge and refreshments will be provided! Registration is required?https://lnkd.in/gJdApcJr This event is made possible through the generous support of American Farmland Trust

This year’s theme “Design Your Future” is about celebrating engineers and engaging students! Recognizing the accomplishments of engineers past and present who have designed the future we currently live in, we also look to the next generation and how we can inspire kids to pursue engineering careers that will be focused on designing our future! Engineering stands at the cutting edge of innovation, playing a crucial role in crafting the solutions that will define tomorrow. A big shout out to the engineers that KDSWCD works with every day - at our counties and municipalities, on construction sites and in the farm fields, with NRCS, IDOA, IEPA, USACE and independent contractors - we value your partnership and look forward to collaborating into the future! #EngineersWeek

KDSWCD Board of Directors Election results 2025 - Bill Pauling and Maggie Soliz retain their seats on the Board for 2 years!

Some seats still available - register today! Our Women in Ag series continues with a focus on farmland succession planning and soil health take 2. Kane-DuPage SWCD and American Farmland Trust are hosting two Women in Ag events this spring! We invite you to join us for open discussions with topic experts and local resource professionals sharing their knowledge of conservation practices and farmland protection tools. Snacks and refreshments will be provided. Both sessions are FREE! Our first 2025 session on February 27, will focus on Farmland Succession Planning to help guide farming families through preparing for handing off an operation to the next generation with Angie Doucette, AFT's Midwest Farmland Protection Manager. On March 20, we will return our attention to the land with a session focusing on Soil Health with Brenna Ness, McHenry County Conservation District Project Manager. Register for one or both! We look forward to seeing you there! Visit https://lnkd.in/gJdApcJr to register!