News + Media

On March 4, 2021 Xerces Society Webinar on Building Habitat on Working Landscapes

1:00 Eastern Time In this webinar, Mace Vaughan, Xerces Pollinator Program Co-Director, will share whole-farm conservation planning approaches to enhance pollinator and other wildlife habitat on farms, ranches and working forests. Specifically, he will give an overview of key pollinator habitat elements and then discuss a variety of opportunities for incorporating habitat for pollinators and other agriculturally beneficial insects (natural enemies of crop pests) into a wide range of landscapes and conservation practices. To Register

Every year, Anne Arundel County’s Bureau of Watershed Protection and Restoration (BWPR) samples the fish and aquatic insects in County streams and rivers as a part of their Countywide Biological Monitoring Program. Biological monitoring of streams and rivers is an assessment technique employed nationwide by local, state, and federal agencies and is rooted in over 40 years of sound, scientific research supporting it as a great, cost-effective way to understand the overall health of the waterways in our County! The Program selects the streams it samples at random using digital maps and selected reaches are sampled for aquatic insects in the spring and fish in the summer. BWPR staff and their consultants are gearing up for their 2021 sampling year, so if you get a letter in the mail this winter requesting access to sample the stream on your property, please be sure to respond to this wonderful project in order to help get an overview of the water quality and stream health throughout our County! For more information on sampling details, important dates, and any questions about the Program, please visit https://www.aacounty.org/departments/public-works/wprp/ecological-assessment-and-evaluation/biological-monitoring/ or contact Chris Victoria with BWPR (410-222-0545) or the AASCD office (410-571-6757).

February 2021

#1 Last Call! Conservation Buffer Initiative Closes February 5 #2 AIRs Due March 1 #3 Fertilizer Calculator #4 Nutrient Management Exam is February 9 #5 There’s Still Time, Winter Crop Production Meetings  #6 Rooted in Agriculture Virtual Event #7 Recertification Training Offered #1. Last Call! Sign-up for the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Buffer Initiative ends Friday, February 5. Farmers are encouraged to check out this special opportunity to apply for attractive grants to plant streamside buffers on farms to improve water quality. The program offers many unique features including a buffer option for field ditches, flexible site management, and shorter contract terms. #2. Farmers: Complete your Annual Implementation Reporting Form today. Forms are due to the Nutrient Management Program by March 1. New this year, you can complete your form online using Maryland OneStop. #3 Let Me Calculate That For You… MDA’s Turfgrass Nutrient Management Program has a new fertilizer calculator on its website to help applicators determine the correct amount and rate of fertilizer to apply to lawns that they manage. The calculator requires Microsoft Excel and can be downloaded for desktop application. Get the calculator here: www.mda.maryland.gov/fertilizer #4 Testing, 1, 2, 3…MDA’s Nutrient Management Program will offer a certification exam on February 9 for individuals who want to prepare nutrient management plans for farmers. #5 There’s Still Time to sign up for a Winter Crop Production Meeting. Get the latest research and data to guide your 2021 growing decisions. These meetings qualify for nutrient management voucher credits and other industry credits. #6 Join the Harford Soil Conservation District and its partners for a Rooted in Agriculture Virtual Event on March 20. This event has something for everyone...young, old and every age in between. #7 Professional Fertilizer Applicators should check out MDA’s new list of online recertification opportunities. The training satisfies the program’s continuing education requirement and will be offered via Zoom. To Learn More About the Buffer Initiative Go To: https://mda.maryland.gov/resource_conservation/Pages/conservation-buffer-initiative.aspx Continue reading “MDA February 2021 Highlights” »