Keith Nygaard of Starbuck, D. Gary Reents of Glenwood, and Randy Peterson of Glenwood, supervisors and staff of the Pope Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will learn about the latest conservation programs at the 80th annual meeting of the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (MASWCD). The meeting will be held Dec. 4-6 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bloomington.
“This is a great chance for us to learn more about some of the current natural resource issues in the state,” said Nygaard. The conference will feature grassroots initiatives to conserve soil and water resources in Minnesota. “The convention always provides us with new ideas that we can use locally,” Nygaard stated.
A plenary session on December 5 will feature Charles Marshall, Humorous Motivational Speaker & Author of “The Seven Powers of Success.” Mr. Marshall’s keynote presentation will show how implementation of The Seven Powers™ can create success in the life of any individual or organization. Through the use of humor and real-life examples, Charles relates inspirational stories of everyday underdogs who have used The Seven Powers™ to overcome obstacles and achieve success.
Later that morning, there will be a presentation and discussion with representatives from SWCDs and the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources on ways the efforts of SWCDs have been enhanced and accelerated throughout the state.
In addition to a variety of sessions on conservation topics, the annual meeting will include the MASWCD business meeting, with discussions and votes on natural resource resolutions. Several awards will be presented at a December 5 luncheon. These include the MASWCD/MPCA Outstanding Community Conservationist Award, MASWCD/DNR Division of Forestry Outstanding Forest Steward Award, Minnesota DNR Division of Waters Appreciation Award, the Outstanding SWCD employee award (presented by the Board of Water and Soil Resources), and awards for teacher, and SWCD supervisor. The convention also features a December 6 luncheon, where the SWCD of the Year Award recipient will be announced and recognition given to outstanding conservationists from SWCDs across the state, with support from The Farmer magazine.
Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (MASWCD) sponsors the annual meeting. This year’s event is receiving support from the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Additional information on the event is available on the MASWCD web site at www.maswcd.org.