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Page 51st Annual Meeting
of the
Hendricks County Soil & Water Conservation District
On January 28, 2003 we celebrated our
51st Annual Meeting, at the Hendricks Community Building in Danville.Joining us in the celebration were 85 people in attendance.
Business part of the meeting was:
J. Ben Edmondson was elected as supervisor
Jeff Boles, Circuit Court Judge gave the Oath of Office to J. Ben Edmondson.
Conservation Awards
Conservation Farmer of the Year - was presented to J. Ben Edmondson of Liberty Township. Edmondson has a real insight/knowledge into agronomy dealing with conservation tillage especially no-till, planting corn-beans and conservation practices. He sees things, problems areas that others take for granted. He takes action to correct/solve these problems, by reworking/overhauling existing grass waterways and temporary seeding rye in bean stubble where surface water flow concentrates to reduce soil erosion over the winter. Currently he has plans to construct a couple grass waterways that needs a waterway. Besides receiving a plaque, Irving Materials, Inc. has sponsored this award by donating 5 yards of concrete to receiptant.
Conservation Teacher of the Year - Mary Beth Symmonds of Brownsburg was presented the "Donald H. Lawson Award for Conservation Education". She teaches the fourth grade gifted and talented program at Eagle Elementary. Symmonds strives to include conservation and environmental topics and projects as part of the science curriculum. This year theme in her classroom is Earth: Economize the Abundant Resources of this, Our Treasured Home. Her class has visited the Twin Bridges Recycling and Disposal Facility to illustrate the volume of trash that we generate and the need for recycling. Her class began this year with a recycling program from plastics juice and water bottles in the lunch room. Students collected the recyclables each day, parents were recruited to place the collected materials in their curbside recycling boxes. A grant from the West Central Solid Waste District to help support this project. Another topic in her classroom is air pollution. Students produced a skit showing components of air pollution and currently are engaged in experiments illustrating the impacts of acid rain. Students learn by doing and by carrying the skills/knowledge home to their families and community.
Speakers were:
Bob Eddleman - a Conservationist, Humorist, and an Ambassador for Indiana Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Indiana's Soil and Water Conservation Districts are responsible for the soil and water conservation programs and are charged with managing and establishing good sound conservation to protect our natural resources within the county. The majority of the assistance comes from the Indiana Conservation Partnership including the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and IDNR Div. of Soil Conservation. Wise use of our natural resources is of vital importance to the health and progress of the county. Our soil, water, and other natural resources are constantly under pressures that are unprecedented by a growing economy, a broadening technology, and increasing population. Our society today demands more of our natural resources and better management of our environment for living.