Welcome

Submitted by Tokina McHarry, James River SCD Education/Outreach Manager

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What a year 2024 was for the James River Soil Conservation District! Please enjoy a brief overview of what we accomplished in the last year and exciting events we have planned for 2025.

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Early 2024 found staff eagerly planning for our biennial Ladies Ag Night. Who would have guessed Mother Nature was going to grace us with a lovely storm the evening originally planned? Thankfully we were able to reschedule, and attendees thoroughly enjoyed an informative presentation on growing microgreens, as well as a great meal!

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Soon, our tree planting season was upon us. Weather seemed to cooperate with us as 52,574 feet of trees were machine planted and 52,232 feet of weed barrier applied. With the timely rains in the early summer and great stock from our suppliers, newly planted trees looked fantastic as our staff completed site visits later in the season.

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The Ol’ Nursery property kept staff busy throughout the spring, summer and fall. A lot of dormant seeding was done the Fall of 2023, and we were graced with a flush of beautiful wildflowers throughout the growing season. The Patch of Prairie Exploration trail signage was installed and walking path established.

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Staff also dabbled in their first year of the garden plot – which looked a little chaotic but overall, we were happy with what grew and the success we had keeping critters out. We learned a few things and have a great plan for next year’s plot.

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We hosted our annual Youth Nature Explorer Days in August. Participants had fun with hands-on activities that taught them about the soil to food connection and bees. Keep an eye out for details on the 2025 event, likely again being held in August.

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We were able to host a series of tours in September, highlighting projects throughout the property and encouraging people to come and utilize the property for walking, relaxing, and enjoying the great outdoors. A huge thank you to all who supported these tours and for the great word-of-mouth publicity you have given us. It is wonderful to see visitors of all ages visiting the property and taking advantage of the trails and projects we have worked on.

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Our last large project completed was the Nature Sensory Trail. Guests visit ten stations located throughout a stand of poplar trees. Designed to stimulate the five senses using nature, each station provides a unique topic to focus on.

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We have maps located at several spots showing maintained trails and footages. We hope to work on trail upkeep during the winter months as snow accumulates, ideally having them groomed for walking, snowshoeing, and possibly cross-country skiing. Please keep an eye on our Facebook page for updates.

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Planning for 2025 events has started. We are looking at grant opportunities for new projects. This spring we will be hosting a tree grafting workshop. We plan to hold site tours throughout the summer and fall. This will showcase how things change throughout the growing season. Again, Nature Explorer Days will be held in August. And a couple other larger group field days will be held. We also have a new supply of barrels that can be converted into rain barrels. Please reach out if you have a group interested in attending a rain barrel workshop!

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UPCOMING DATES:

SCD District Board Meeting, January 8, 9 am – USDA Service Center, Ellendale

Federal Day of Mourning, January 9 – Office closed

MLK Day, January 20 – Office closed 

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For more information contact the James River Soil Conservation District and Ellendale NRCS office at 349-3653, ext. 3. Our field office is in Ellendale at 51 N. 1st Street. Also, remember to visit the James River Soil Conservation District Facebook page and our websites for more information –http://www.jamesriverscd.org/ and http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/nd/home/. The NRCS is an equal opportunity employer, provider and lender.