(Ankeny, Iowa – June 3, 2020) The Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) 75th International Annual Conference, to be held virtually July 27-29, 2020, will feature presentations and dialogue surrounding the latest conservation ideas, technologies, and practices. Registration is open through July 15, 2020.
The theme of this year’s conference is “Expanding Horizons: Where Conservation Meets Innovation.”
“The Soil and Water Conservation Society is excited to host hundreds of conservation professionals for this one-of-a-kind, all-virtual event,” says SWCS CEO Clare Lindahl. “Given the conference theme of innovation, what better year to pilot a new format while both increasing accessibility and ensuring the health and safety of our attendees?”
Kicking off the conference will be the Pritchard Keynote Panel, “Diffusing Conservation Innovations.” This interdisciplinary panel will explore opportunities to advance conservation adoption at the watershed scale and nationwide. Attendees will hear from the following four experts:
- Paul Lasley, a sociology professor at Iowa State University and creator of the Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll, will share how diffusion of innovation and other sociological theories play a role in adoption of new ideas.
- Tony Maxwell, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service district conservationist in Washington, Iowa, will draw from his career and personal experiences as a farmer to offer a field-scale perspective and share what he feels are key factors for long-term, countywide conservation success.
- Roger Wolf, director of innovation and integrated solutions at the Iowa Soybean Association, will discuss Iowa Soybean Association’s leadership in on-the-ground conservation, including urban-ag partnerships and watershed diffusion hubs, a model to expand and scale up watershed projects.
- Linda Prokopy, professor of natural resources social science at Purdue University and director of the Indiana Water Resources Research Center, will describe factors that drive participation in conservation efforts from her global research.
Following the keynote panel, attendees will have the opportunity to attend two days of concurrent breakout sessions, poster presentations, and a virtual exhibit hall. Specialty tracks will foster dialogue surrounding application of data in agriculture; edge-of-field conservation practices, including wetlands, bioreactors, saturated buffers, and others; and the role of collaborative on-farm trials and demonstrations for research and adoption.
In addition to the same excellent content attendees experience at in-person SWCS events, this year’s conference will include special online galleries, virtual socials and games, and historical presentations to celebrate SWCS’s 75th anniversary and usher in a new era of research, practice, and people. All presentations will also be recorded and available to conference registrants after the event.
Continuing education units will be available for certified crop advisors, professional agronomists, professionals in erosion and sediment control, and others.
To learn more about activities at the SWCS International Annual Conference or to register, visit http://www.swcs.org/20AC. Registration will close July, 15, 2020. In order to prepare speakers and attendees for the best event possible, no registrations will be accepted after the July 15 deadline.
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About SWCS
For seventy-five years, the Soil and Water Conservation Society has been the premier international organization for professionals who practice and advance the science and art of natural resource conservation. We believe sustainable land and water management is essential to the continued security of the earth and its people. Our goal is to cultivate an organization of informed, dynamic individuals whose contributions create a bright future for agriculture, the environment, and society. The Soil and Water Conservation Society is headquartered in Ankeny, Iowa, with chapters across the United States and Canada.
For More Information:
Clare Lindahl, CEO
Soil and Water Conservation Society
clare.lindahl@swcs.org