Nebraska: National Earth Team Volunteer Service Award Chief’s Cup

Nebraska NRCS State Conservationist Steve Chick presents the National Earth Team Volunteer Service Award Chief’s Cup to State NRCS Earth Team volunteer coordinator Joanna Pope (NRCS photo -- click to enlarge)

Nebraska has been chosen for the Earth Team Chief’s Cup in FY 2007 which recognizes a State for their volunteer efforts.  “We take great pride in being selected for this award and we have been working hard over several years to utilize the Earth Team,” said Nebraska NRCS State Conservationist Steve Chick. 

“We work with our employees to be prepared -- starting with a assessing needs, training, and actively recruiting volunteers.  Staff are responding with over 2,100 volunteers in 2007 contributing more the 50,000 hours to “helping people help the land” in many ways. Over 98 percent of our offices have volunteers, which is well above the 63 percent national average,” said Chick. 

As the leader in Nebraska, said Chick, promoting the Earth Team is the easy part because of the work of our staff.  We have a State volunteer coordinator and four area-level volunteer coordinators providing day-to-day oversight as an additional duty.  We have a volunteer liaison on the management team (former national volunteer coordinator Doug Gahn) who keeps management focused plus reviewing progress during field office appraisals.  Actions to be completed are prepared in a business plan and local policies are set out in General Manual supplements. 

Nebraska tries to “spread the wealth” to recognize staff efforts in working the volunteer program.  “It would be easy NOT to have volunteers or a volunteer program,” said Joanna Pope, State volunteer coordinator.  “It takes work.  We have an award system that mirrors the national awards program.  Recognizing people for their efforts is important to spur growth,” she said. 

The volunteers themselves help NRCS in a myriad of ways, said Pope.  Some of the type of activities vary from answering office phones, helping with surveying, creating a GIS map of a pivot irrigation system, writing success stories of producers in the Wetlands Reserve Program, promoting no-till and making water quality measurements, helping with education events by gathering materials and being speakers, and helping maintain documents in EQIP conservation plan folders. 

“There aren’t many limits working with volunteers.  It takes a positive mindset, identify jobs we do that NRCS Earth Team volunteers can do, and then letting people know of the work opportunities,” said Pope.