2007 Earth Team Awards

NRCS Nebraska honored with National Earth Team Volunteer Service Award. Nebraska State Conservationist Steve Chick (center) receives National Earth Team Volunteer Service Award from NRCS Associate Chief Dana York and Legislative and Public Affairs Director Doug McKalip. For the past 8 years, 98 percent of NRCS Nebraska offices have used Earth Team volunteers. NRCS image.

Chief’s Cup - National Earth Team Volunteer Service Award
NRCS Nebraska
For the past 8 years, an amazing 98 percent of NRCS Nebraska offices have used Earth Team volunteers. In each of the past 3 years, more than 2,100 volunteers have together contributed over 50,000 hours. Nebraska's volunteers take on responsibilities as wide as the Plains, serving on local conservation work groups, advancing environmental education, raising awareness of NRCS' programs, producing radio broadcasts about conservation, as well as performing with everyday office operations with traditional Earth Team excellence.

Earth Team Partnership Award
Sunflower Resource Conservation and Development Council, Harper, Kansas
Within 24 hours of a tornado that destroyed 95 percent of Greensburg, Kansas, Sunflower RC&D, in cooperation with Kansas conservation partners, collected needed items and charitable donations for storm survivors. Working with seven conservation districts and others, Sunflower received and distributed donated items and took in tax-deductible cash donations. Literally tens of thousands of necessities have been distributed. Sunflower RC&D continues to maintain the Greensburg Area Relief Fund that channels funding to local recovery agencies.

Earth Team Employee Award
Patricia Hoeffken, Arkansas State Volunteer Coordinator
Patricia’s leadership and direction put 857 volunteers to work in 43 field offices throughout The Natural State. Their total time of service in Fiscal Year 2007 - nearly 11,000 hours. Patricia's many award-winning achievements include developing a relationship with the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide volunteers, hosting volunteers from the Arkansas School for the Deaf, and developing State volunteer training materials. 

Earth Team Chief’s Recognition Award
Franklin County NRCS/Soil and Water Conservation District Office, Maine
Franklin County Earth Team volunteers provided more than 7,700 hours of assistance to NRCS and its customers in Franklin County during the past 5 years. In fact, 29 volunteers worked 1,700 of those hours in Fiscal Year 2007 alone. These dedicated volunteers delivered a spectrum of services - field surveying, outreach and education, office assistance, publication and newsletter printing and distribution, fund raising, and more. Famous for firing up the volunteer spirit, the Franklin County Earth Team brings together private organizations and businesses to benefit natural resources and communities, and at the same time reward everyone who serves.

Earth Team Individual and Group Volunteer Awards
Individual: Kayla Higgins. NRCS Jordan, Montana, Field Office
An Earth Team volunteer since 2006, Kayla not only takes on everyday tasks about the office, but develops conservation plan maps through her mastery of Arc Map software, a skill that saves the Jordan Field Office staff and provides a top-quality product to customers. Kayla also checks and enters data into ProTracts, and the agency’s Performance Results System and Customer Service Toolkit. Kayla does all this and more to keep Jordan flowing smoothly, even though she is less than 2 feet tall, due to brittle bone disease.

Group: WACKY Day Group, NRCS Phillipsburg, Kansas, Field Office
The Wildlife, Agriculture, Conservation Knowledge for Youth Day, or WACKY Day, attracts hundreds of northwestern Kansas sixth-graders and volunteers to learn about wildlife, soil, water, recycling, composting, and experience other conservation-focused subjects. Most kids joining in WACKY Day come from rural areas where there are few learning experiences about conservation outside of schools. This always-eagerly-anticipated event continues building and strengthening partnerships among conservation districts, local Farm Bureau organizations, the FFA, extension offices, wildlife groups, and schools.

Earth Team Partnership Award
Tulsa County Conservation District, Oklahoma
Racking up more than 3,500 hours of service in Fiscal Year 2007, the Tulsa Earth Team is an important driving force behind partnership-based conservation education, information, and outreach. With boundless and infectious enthusiasm, Tulsa Earth Team volunteers organize events, staff and provide products for public presentations, create conservation-based educational programs, join in the Blue Thumb Monitoring Program, and provide everyday service assistance to their home office. The Tulsa Earth Team volunteers strengthen partnerships with area businesses, organizations, and clubs, and looks to the future teaching children about the need for conservation. No wonder the Tulsa Earth Team has been called the lifeblood of its conservation district.

Earth Team Partnership Award
Kristi Gay. NRCS Flager Field Office, Colorado
Deeply devoted getting volunteers to put conservation into action, NRCS District Conservationist Kristi Gay brings together community groups and volunteer-based organizations to commit their time and energies to important conservation projects. On the clock and off the clock, Kristi expands conservation through education, often using her own money to do so. Kristi keeps her commitment to conservation by holding field trips for teachers and hosting workshops. In addition, Kristi has put her energies into energy, writing a Conservation Innovation Grant for eight producers in her district and the Northeast Colorado RC&D that enables them to produces biofuels on their farms.


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