This workshop is designed to educate and inspire conservation professionals, scientists and educators about the mechanisms and importance of soil quality to sustain and improve air quality, water quality and quantity, biodiversity, and farm productivity. The day long workshop will include presentations, case studies and discussion. Program highlights will include:
• Management practices to build soils in cropland, grazing land, forests, and irrigated agriculture;
• Soil quality and water management
• Effects of biomass (energy) production on soils;
• Indicators, Interpretation and Assessment;
• Policy Issues: environmental trading, international and US efforts in soil protection and policy. 

Each session will also include problem-solving and brain-storming time. Bring your ideas and issues with you!! Continuing Education Units will be offered in multiple disciplines.

A more detailed description and complete agenda is available here.
DOWNLOAD PDF VERSION OF AGENDA

Interested in helping to promote this workshop? Please contact events@swcs.org for more info.

Conservation Leadership Workshop
Saturday, July 21 -- 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Future:  Dreaming Big, Acting Wisely
In the September-October 2006 issue of the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, Craig Cox, the Executive Director of SWCS was quoted saying, “Water, energy, and climate change – these issues will create challenges for conservationists as great as, or greater than, the challenges we faced at the birth of our movement and profession…..Truly sustainable solutions to these challenges will require much more than simply minimizing effects on resources – we will have to meet demands for water and energy in ways that restore and enhance resources, ecosystems, and our environment.”

The work of the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) and other conservation organizations is to advance conservation science by promoting professionalism, informing policy, and putting knowledge into practice.  In this way, we can act as a positive change agent in meeting conservation challenges.  The SWCS is leading the way at the national level with its conservation effects assessment project, the national conference on agricultural landscapes, formulating recommendations to adapt the way we do conservation planning and operate programs to a more extreme climate, and the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation.

What is really needed to advance the conservation cause, however, is increased grassroots activities by conservation professionals at the state and local levels.  The purpose of this year’s Conservation Leadership Workshop is to train conservation professionals to be more effective conservation activists.  Issues that will be addressed include:
o How can conservation professionals more effectively advance conservation? 
o How can conservation professionals support national leadership and maximize their contribution to the “professionalism, policy and practice” of conservation science? 

AGENDA
A.  Opening comments by SWCS Executive Director on critical and emerging conservation science issues

B.  How to lead conservation organizations in addressing issues that are important to the professionalism, policy and practice of conservation science
• What does it take to be seen as a credible source of information?
• What is a neutral convener and how can your organization be one?
• The how-tos of inclusivity and diversity in organizational membership
• Aligning new professional development needs of members with those of your organization and meeting those needs
• The difference between policy analysis and policy advocacy and identifying and meeting needs.

C.  Overview of conservation leadership guidance and tools on the web


Lead organizers:  Leadership Development Committee
Fee:    $65, $75 late - incl. lunch & breaks
Minimum:  25; Maximum: 100