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High school seniors graduating this spring who plan to pursue studies in conservation or agriculture are encouraged to apply for the Conservation Scholarships offered by Conservation Districts of Iowa (CDI) in partnership with local Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD). 

Application forms and scholarship rules are available on CDI’s website: https://cdiowa.org/get-involved/scholarships/

Applications must be submitted to the local SWCD office in the county where the student resides.  The deadline to apply is February 9, 2024.

SWCD commissioners will select an application to forward to the CDI Region, and then the CDI Regional Director will choose an application to forward to the state level for consideration.

The top three applicants in the state will be awarded scholarships in the amounts of $3,000, $2,000, and $1,000.  Winners from the remaining six regions will receive $500.  The scholarship will be paid directly to the applicant’s school of choice, to be used for the student’s first year of college education.

Students residing in Madison County should submit their application materials to the Madison County SWCD located at 815 E. Hwy 92 in Winterset by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, February 9. 

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The North Thompson River Water Quality Project, which is overseen by the Adair, Madison, and Union County Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs), has an opening for a Project Coordinator.  The position can be full-time or part-time, and the duty station is negotiable between the USDA Service Centers in Greenfield (Adair SWCD), Winterset (Madison SWCD), and Creston (Union SWCD).  See the position announcement for more details.

The application deadline is Friday, January 19, 2024.

To learn more about the watershed project, visit this page.

On December 7, 2023, the  State Soil Conservation and Water Quality Committee accepted the appointment recommendation of Don Eyerly, Jr. as a Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) Commissioner of Lisa Coverdale, who resigned in September.  Eyerly took the oath of office on December 12^th, and has officially joined the board of commissioners. 

Don Eyerly has been involved in conservation for many years, both in how he manages his land and through his community involvement.  Don and his wife purchased a farm in 1988 and have been working to create and restore habitat including prairie, wetlands, ponds, oak savanna, and timber through programs such as CRP and EQIP.  Don has hosted several field days at his property for various groups (For Lands Sake!, Conservation Club of Winterset, Madison County River Alliance, Iowa State Extension, and Practical Farmers of Iowa).  He has also volunteered for the “Free the Oaks” project which has been working to restore oak savanna at the Madison County Historical Complex, and has volunteered with the Madison CCB’s Outdoor Classroom project.  Additionally, Don has also been a volunteer firefighter, 4-H leader, coach of several sports, and hunter safety instructor.  He is currently retired. 

To learn more about the role of SWCD commissioners, visit:  https://www.madison-swcd.org/how-conservation-districts-work/