For more than 60 years, the Seneca Conservation District has been working with landowners, local, state, and federal agencies as an advocate of conservation in order to maintain healthy and productive working landscapes. With 24 staff members, 4 of which have joined the team in the last year, the District’s long history of helping people is continued through educating the community on how to take care of the environment. Many members of the staff specialize in an area of conservation, and they are ready to assist the community by providing resources and guidance to residents and business owners. The Seneca Conservation District helps farmers with nutrient management, improving soil health, responsible water quality and quantity, protecting local wildlife habitats, and managing manure nutrients. The District has cover crop resources for farmers, as well as no-till drills, tree planters, and soil probes to rent, and field flags, erosion control netting and staples for purchase. In addition, the District arranges pasture and grazing management plans, engineering plans, private sprayings on rural ditches, new research and investigation into conservation techniques, and wildlife crop damage complaint consultations. Also overseeing the Seneca County Ditch Maintenance Program and the Seneca County Floodplain Management program, staff is ready to help farmers balance decisions by considering economic impact. Schools can incorporate conservation into their curriculum with ease as the Seneca Conservation District provides educators with classroom instruction, presentations, and education materials on natural resources and agricultural topics. Students can also benefit from the educational tours given at the outdoor learning lab, Miller Conservation Farm. The District can assist educators on grant applications for related projects and with “Wild School” sites and fundraising, and supports students through Conservation Camps scholarships, academic scholarships, mentoring/job shadowing experiences, and youth conservation trophies at the Seneca County Fair. Students can also explore the Miller Conservation Farm, Kelbley Wildlife Area, and Red Fox Wildlife area which are maintained by the Seneca Conservation District. All these environmental programs are top of the line educational materials that strive to teach our youth about the importance and value of soil and water resources. The community is encouraged to take part events hosted throughout the year by the Seneca County District. Farmers, college, and high school students join the team as part of the Nutrient Bus Tour, a fantastic learning experience to gather information about nutrients flowing into the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) and how they affect Lake Erie algal blooms last November. Farmers were invited on a cruise in August with The Charter Boat Captains Association to chat with the Division of Wildlife to learn about the unique habitat and species that live in and on the shores and water of Lake Erie. For families, Water Fest is a day filled with games and activities held at the Miller Conservation Farm, including crafts, hands-on water activities, and hayrides. Miller Conservation Farm hosts many events including youth clay pigeon shoots, a mobility impaired deer hunt, a youth turkey hunt, and many more! Learn more about the Seneca Conservation District here.