Education is the KEY.  How many times have we heard these words? 

The St. Joseph County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) makes every effort to live by these words, and we take seriously the fact that education can take many forms—whether through presentations to youth, workshops and seminars for adults, newsletter articles, participating in community events, attending staff trainings to better serve our community, informal “teachable  moments” when delivering technical  assistance, or working with conservation partners (especially the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, or NRCS) to implement conservation   practices that inspire others to learn more about how they, too, can play a role in conserving our soil and water  resources.  Ever since the creation of the SWCD back in 1959, providing educational opportunities and promoting public awareness in various forms and to all ages has been a driving force behind the goals and mission of this SWCD. 

As you can imagine, these efforts don’t come cheap. St. Joseph County SWCD does receive limited funding from federal, state, local and private entities to implement projects that specifically benefit St. Joseph County. However, as many government and non-government entities have experienced, funding is limited and in constant danger of being cut year to year, and 2012 is looking to be an   especially questionable year for us as far as funding goes. Despite this bleak outlook, we are proud to present to you our 2011 Annual Report to   illustrate the important work that we do toward spreading the message of CONSERVATION, a message that is crucial today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.  With the continued cooperation and financial support of concerned citizens, organizations, and businesses, we are  determined to continue our efforts to meet—and exceed—the challenges of the natural resource conservation needs of St. Joseph County,  Indiana just as we have done for the past 52 years.

We are not in the habit of bluntly asking for you, as a concerned citizen of St. Joseph County—OUR COUNTY— to consider making a tax-deductible donation to the St. Joseph County SWCD, but after   reading our 2011 Annual Report, if you agree that the work we do is important, perhaps you would give some thought to making your contribution today through an Affiliate Membership or our Sponsorship Program?Another way to support the St. Joseph County SWCD comes through our Annual Tree Sale, and this year we are proud to be featuring rain  barrels, rain barrel accessories, and tumbling composters.  For 26 years, these proceeds have allowed us to provide   education and outreach to our community and pay for our annual operating expenses.  In addition, by purchasing these items from us, you are directly improving the quality of our environment in St. Joseph County.  For anyone who would like to take an even more direct approach to helping the SWCD spread the KEY message of SOIL & WATER  CONSERVATION, your contribution of time would be considered invaluable, and we   always welcome volunteers (whether by spending time with us for a day, or by making a commitment to learning what it takes to become a   member of our Board.) 

In closing, we sincerely thank you for taking time to learn more about us through reading our 2011 Annual Report, and we hope to see you at our 52nd Annual Meeting. 

 
Most sincerely,
The St. Joseph County Soil & Water Conservation District
www.stjosephswcd.org