27Apr/23
Visual illustration of the nitrogen cycle

New Whitepaper Explores the Connection between Soil Health and Water Quality

The Soil Health Nexus is excited to debut two new resources on the Soil Health Toolbox. Two Soil Health Nexus members, Francisco Arriaga, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Anna Cates, State Soil Health Specialist at the University of Minnesota, recently published a long-awaited whitepaper exploring the connection between soil health and water quality.

“While there has been a lot of work linking farm management practices with soil health or water quality, few have looked at the connection to both soil and water quality,” notes Cates. “Generally, management systems that lead to better soil health result in decreased risk to water quality, but that is not the case in all conditions or for all management systems. What works in one field for both soil health and water quality might not be the best option for another field. This whitepaper explores those intricacies so educators can better recognize and communicate when the relationship isn’t positively correlated.”

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27Apr/23
River in Ohio

Regional Water Programs: The Benefits of Collaboration

As of May, 2023, I will have completed one year as Interim Director of the North Central Region Water Network (NCRWN). Also in May, the NCRWN Leadership Team will be meeting in Chicago to do some strategic planning around the future of the Network. I can’t think of a better time to reflect on twenty plus years of multi-state collaborative water programs and the invaluable role the North Central Region Water Network has and continues to play in facilitating regional collaboration.   

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28Mar/23
People looking at a plant identifying different species

New Center offers Programs to Encourage Stewardship of Freshwater Lakes and Streams

A new center focusing on Extension and research activities in the conservation and stewardship of Michigan’s lakes and streams is being developed by water professionals and Extension educators at Michigan State University.  The Center for Lakes and Streams will consolidate the many programs MSU Extension and its partners offer to residents and user groups throughout the state and work with campus faculty and specialists, state agencies, other Universities, decision makers, agricultural producers and nonprofit, community, and riparian organizations to provide the most current information on the state of Michigan’s inland waters.

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22Feb/23
Forester speaking to women in the woods

Launching the Women’s Woodland Stewardship Network to Support Women in Forestry

As I sat at home watching a webinar in October of 2020 about an Oregon State University Extension and Outreach program that supported female woodland owners through educational and networking opportunities, I thought to myself, “Would it be possible to have a program like this in Iowa?” Fortuitously, six months later I received an email from a partner at Missouri Extension and Outreach asking if Iowa was interested in joining them in offering programming for women who are woodland owners in the Midwest. My response was an enthusiastic yes!

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30Jan/23
Soil in a hand with earth worms in the soil

Weather, Water, and Soil Intersect in Indiana’s Climate Smart Agriculture Programs

Climate Smart Agriculture has been a buzzword over the past year, with the connotation that farms can play a large role in sequestering greenhouses gasses. In order to do so, carbon in the upper layers of soil has to be increased, methane from ruminants must be lessened or harnessed to be converted to energy, and renewable energy resources have to be incorporated into farm management considerations. In Indiana, many resources have been dedicated to progressing in this arena. We just used a variety of other terms in the process.

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29Nov/22
Rebecca North and students water sampling in summer 2023

Uncovering the mysteries of cyanobacteria in inland lakes

Rebecca North grew up on the shores of the Bay of Quinte in Belleville Ontario, a picturesque location off the coast of Lake Ontario. Known as the ‘heart of the sea and the river’ it has reputation for sailing, walleye fishing, and harmful algal blooms or HABs. “I grew up swimming in the Bay as a kid. Now, people don’t even let their dogs near it,” notes North when she talks about her hometown. For North, growing up on the water instilled in her not only a love for water, but also a fascination with phytoplankton.

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