WCCD 19/20 Annual Report

2019 - 2020
Annual Report
Services 2, 3
Education 4 - 9
Community Garden 10, 11
Thank You 12

Page 2
Cover Crop
Locally funded along with Stormwater Management,
this program will cost share on seed for overwintering
cover crops. The purpose of this program is to help
Warren County landowners with the necessary means to
plant a cover crop to
reduce degradation and
soil erosion. This year,
27 Warren County
producers utilized this
program and over 6,000
acres were covered
through winter months.
State Programs
We help Warren County producers get cost share
funding by administering the State Cost Share Program
and the County Agricultural Investment (CAIP)
program. Both the programs not only aid in protecting
and improving natural resources, they also bring
revenue to local business owners by utilizing their
goods and services for these practices. Over $50,000
was paid out to producers in state cost share and almost
$200,000 was reimbursed with the CAIP program.
Sponsorships
This year, WCCD
sponsored FFA, Household
Hazardous Waste Day, Ag.
Awareness Breakfast, and
the Bridge the Gap
campaign at Lost River
Cave.
Stock Removal
For Warren County residents, this program provides
free stock mortality pick-up. This is also locally funded
along with Stormwater Management. This program
aims to improve Warren County’s water Quality by
keeping the animals out of waterways and sinkholes. In
this program year, over 500 animals were properly
disposed.
Soil Testing
We offer free soil test
vouchers to Warren
County residents. This
is a great way to control
fertilize applications or
to resolve problem
areas in the home lawn
or garden.
Heavy Use Area
Locally funded along with Stormwater Mgmt., this
program offers cost share on rock and geotextile to
reduce soil erosion at barn and gateway entrances.
The purpose of this
program is to help
reduce soil erosion,
degradation, and
runoff pollution.
This year we had 36
participants.

Pollinator Habitat
Page 3
Offered in the spring, this program offers free pollinator habitat seed perfect for backyard spaces. Pollinators play an
irreplaceable role in agricultural and food production. With guidance from KY Fish & Wildlife, this year, about three
acres of honey bee, butterfly and hummingbird mixes were planted with 27 participants.
Rinse & Return
Due to the materials
previously held by
these pesticide
containers they cannot
be recycled with your
ordinary household
plastics. This program
allows for the proper
recycling of these pesticide containers. This reduces the
amount of material entering the landfill or being
disposed of by other means. We appreciate our
partnership with the KY Department of Agriculture for
this program.
Rentals
Equipment rentals are available at a low cost. We have
no-till drills, an earth plan, and a tiling plow. This
equipment aids in soil erosion control and conservation.
Over 2,000 acres were no-tilled in Warren County this
program year. No-tilling is a way of growing crops
without disturbing the soil through tillage that in turn,
prevents soil erosion.
Water Quality
We offer assistance completing the Kentucky
Agriculture Water Quality Plan. This plan consists of
best management practices (BMPs) from six areas:
silviculture (forestry); pesticides and fertilizers;
farmstead; crops; livestock; and streams and other
waters. We have assisted over 40 producers this year
create their plan or update their plan. These plans are
imperative to water quality in the county, state, and
nation.
District employees are also certified to collect samples
for the Upper Green River Watershed Watch program.
Three times a year samples are gathered from three
different locations.

Page 4
Catching the Rain
Rain barrel and composting bin workshops are offered to Warren
County residents. This year we learned all about rain barrels. With
the help from an environmental grant, WCCD provided rain barrels
for a low cost and assisted participants building their barrels. The
workshop was full with over 40 participants. Rain barrels help
reduce stormwater runoff and prevents soil erosion. We appreciate
our partnership with Warren County’s UK Extension Service.
Kristin Hildabrand, horticulture agent, is always willing to provide
educational support to our workshops!
Senior Living
WCCD is still enjoying workshops with folks at assisted living residences.
We discussed wildlife conservation and made birdfeeders for overwintering birds. The residents took their completed
feeders to the courtyard and enjoyed bird watching. In December, we talked about using resources around us and
upcycling into Christmas decoration. Along the lines of upcycling, in February we recycles aluminum cans into
pencil cups and candy jars followed up with conservation trivia!

Envirothon
Page 5
We sponsored three Envirothon teams this year. There was one South Warren FFA team and the Gatton
Academy continued into their 7th year with two with new teams. Envirothon was a little different this year
with the ongoing pandemic. Unfortunaly, the teams were unable to participate in any competitions. They still
studied hard through out the year to only come back better for the upcoming year.
Envirothon is a competition for high school students that tests their knowledge of soils, aquatics, wildlife,
forestry and a current issue, which this year was soil and water conservation stewardship. Students complete
hands-on experiments and use analysis and critical thinking skills during the competition. They also are
judged on an oral presentation and their responses to questions posed by a panel of expert judges. The
Kentucky Division of Conservation operated Envirothon, working with numerous state government and
university leaders to help develop knowledge, skills and a passion for conservation in schools throughout the
state.
Gatton Academy
South Warren FFA
Gatton Academy

Page 4
What weed is that?
Weed identification is an important skill not only for control, but to
know what chemical to properly and safely apply. Over applying
herbicide can have negative environmental impacts. Knowing what
problematic weed you have can save you time, trouble, and money.
WCCD hosted a weed I.D. workshop with the help from Warren
County Cooperative Extension Service. Joanna Coles and Kristin
Hildabrand educated our attendees all about weeds and they left
confidently knowing I.D.s.
WCCD Goes National
This year district staff was fortunate enough to attend the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD)
annual meeting in February (a first for WCCD). Several sessions were attended, including: Innovative Outreach
Approaches, Partnering to Teach the Next Generation, and Partnering for Conservation Delivery among many others.
This was a great experience for WCCD to bring new ideas back to Warren County and network among national
agencies and Conservation Districts from across the U.S.
Kentucky Attendees at NACD

Outreach
WCCD started out 2020 running. Vice-Chair, Emily Sharp, and staff, Penny Warwick and Morgan Mairs
met with KY Energy and Environment Cabinet Secretary, Rebecca Goodman and Paulette Akers, KY
Division of Conservation Director. WCCD wants to be an advocate for all KY Conservation Districts and
this meeting was just for that. In February, Secretary Goodman was briefed on all the services provided by
Districts. It’s important for everyone to see and recognize the valuable services Districts have to offer to
local communities.
Page 5
WCCD was glad to host Area 3 Conservation Districts in Warren County. This is an annual meeting where
any pressing or upcoming business is discussed. Also this year, Penny was able to showcase Warren County
Envirothon at a District Employees Conference. WCCD is proud to have successful Envirothon teams and
hopes to encourage other Districts and schools to participate.
Emily Sharp (WCCD Vice-Chair) and WCCD staff (Penny Warwick and Morgan Mairs)
meet with Rebecca Goodman, Secretary of Energy and Environment Cabinet and Paulette
Akers, Director of KY Division of Conservation
WCCD Hosts KY Association of Conservation
Districts Area 3 Meeting
Penny Warwick and Heather Silvanik (Fayette Co. Conservation
District) Teach District Employees About Envirothon

Page 6
Classroom Involvement
From being CSI agents to creating a forestry plan,
students have learned all about natural resources. CSI
soils is a recent program we brought into classrooms
this year. This interactive program lets students solve a
crime all while learning about soil color, texture, and
other properties. This activity was well received by 6th
grade students.
WCCD promotes and teaches Junior Achievement, a
classroom activity teaching financial responsibility.
WCCD teaches these lessons with an agricultural and
environmental twist. WCCD also promotes the Jim
Claypool Art & Writing contest with ten schools
participating this year!
Field Days
We are always ready to participate in field days and
volunteer our time. We attended an environmental
streamside field days at Romanza Johnson Park teaching
6th grade students all about reduce, reuse, and recycle.
The students played minute to win it games learning how
to reuse items at home
This year we also assisted with the Regional FFA’s land
judging competition.

Classroom Mini-Grants
Page 7
These grants offer assistance in the classroom for conservation,
agriculture, or environmental related projects or supplies. This year three
participants took advantage of this new program. From purchasing a
school garden, a farm tour, to an overnight stay at a conservation camp,
these students enjoyed a different way of learning.
Scholarships
We currently award two scholarships to local students. The Warren County
Conservation District Scholarship awards $1,500 to one student from each high
school in Warren County that is going to pursue conservation, natural
resources or agriculture.
Our J. French Moore Scholarship is for college students with $1,000 to a
qualifying Western Kentucky University student. The scholarship will be
allocated evenly over two semesters, half will be administered at enrollment
and the remaining funds will be allotted at the beginning of the following
semester with a documented minimum 2.5 GPA.

Kaleidoscope Farm
Page 8
The Warren County Conservation District and We’re Reaching Out to Educate, Inc. (WROTE, Inc.), a 501
(c) (3) non-profit subsidiary of the Housing Authority of Bowling Green had a successful year with the
Community Garden project. There are terraced swales are lined with many hundreds of recently planted
young fruit and nut trees and hold hundreds of sweet potato plants and soil-covering buckwheat. In the tilled
alleys between the swales, we have planted several hundred high calorie crops like zucchini, cantaloupe,
watermelon, acorn squash, vegetable spaghetti, and Blue Hubbard winter squash. Tillage won't erode the soil
here because the swales catch soil using terraces on contours and tillage will be limited by sound covercropping
techniques. With every rain, the whole system stores water passively. These alleyways between
swales are also being sown with quick-growing cover crops like bush beans, borage, basil, buckwheat, and
more. Wherever the swale mounds had open areas for planting, we planted hundreds of onions and garlic.
More traditional-style garden plots sit above the swales and are full of crops, and every day the residents are
making harvests, planting, maintaining their crops, and providing their families with nutritious fresh food.
The District was awarded a grant from the Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy that was used to
purchase a mobile cooler. The cooler will aide to keep vegetables fresh in order to have a farmer’s market
where proceeds will go back to the garden.
Steven Anderson, Garden Manager
Harvest Time

Page 9

Page 10
Warren County Conservation District takes pride in our partnerships with local agencies. All the programs offered
through WCCD are made better with partners and friends. We realize the important of these relationships and would
like to thank them for their efforts.
Thanks to:
Warren County Fiscal Court
Warren County Stormwater Management
Warren County UK Cooperative Extension Service
Housing Authority of Bowling Green
Western Kentucky University Agriculture Dept.
KY Fish & Wildlife
Natural Resources Conservation Service
WARREN COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT
925 Lovers Lane
Bowling Green, KY 42103
k
Call/Text: 270-846-4506
warrencountyconservation@hotmail.com
Www.warrenconservation.com
follow us
Board of Supervisors Left to Right: LaJuana Wilcher,
Troy Ellis, Rhodes Hester, Garnett Owens - Chairman,
Mark Chapman, Emily Sharp -Vice Chairman,
and Pete Dotson - Secretary/Treasurer
@warrenconservationky
text
SOIL
to 31996 for cost share
program updates
Staff: Penny Warwick and Morgan Mairs