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Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation District and the NRCS office
in Franklin County, Maine: Chief’s Field Award
Maine NRCS State Conservationist Joyce
Swartzendruber presents the Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation
District and the Franklin County NRCS office with the Chief’s Field
Award -- (from left) Swartzendruber; Thayden Farrington, SWCD
Supervisor; Paul Hersey, NRCS District Conservationist; and B.J. Bangs,
SWCD Employee (NRCS photo -- click to enlarge) |
The Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation District and the NRCS
office in Franklin County, Maine, have demonstrated an outstanding Earth
Team Volunteer Program and commitment to conservation and the Earth Team
Program receiving the Chief’s Field Award for the 2007 Earth Team Program.
During the past five years (Fiscal Years 2003-2007), Earth Team Volunteers
donated more than 7,700 hours of assistance to conservation in Franklin
County. Duties involved everything from office assistance to field
surveying to outreach and education activities with volunteer ages ranging
from high school students to senior citizens.
In addition to having local citizens interested in conservation
volunteering their time and talents, the NRCS Franklin County office also
works with many businesses, groups, and organizations like Upward Bound,
Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), National Able Network
(ABLE), and Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) to obtain
volunteers. NRCS gets help with conservation while the groups,
organizations, and volunteers work toward reaching their goals.
The Upward Bounty Program at the local University of Maine campus helps
over 60 disadvantaged, high potential high school students with skill
development and motivation necessary for success in education beyond high
school.
SCSEP offers employment training to low-income persons age 55 and older in
Maine and four other states. SCSEP participants earn at least minimum wage
while working up to 20 hours a week in eligible host agencies. Participants contribute to their communities while gaining valuable
experience that will assist them in finding unsubsidized employment.
ABLE is a non-profit agency working to serve individuals, families, and
communities by bringing together qualified job seekers and businesses.
They provide the training, personal skills, and job search techniques that
help people enter or re-enter the work force at every age and skill level.
RSVP recruits and interviews volunteers who are at least 55, matching
their skills, talents, interests, and time availability to appropriate
volunteer assignments, while improving the quality of life for both the
volunteer and the community.
Volunteers from SCSEP, ABLE and RSVP are usually longer term and volunteer
more hours than many of the other volunteers providing assistance to the
office. Of the 1,700 hours of service provided by Earth Team Volunteers in
FY 07, more than 1,100 of them were provided through volunteers from three
programs.
Most of the volunteers work as office assistants and on outreach and
education activities. They assist with telephone answering and taking
messages; publication and newsletter printing and distribution; and assist
with fund raising, material preparation, and arrangements for outreach and
education events such as conservation field days, Agricultural Day at the
Fair, and the Regional and Mock Envirothons. They also assist with the
District’s Annual Meeting and annual Shrub Sale while Upward Bound
volunteers assist NRCS with field surveying.
NRCS District Conservationist Paul Hersey said that the best way to get
volunteers involved is by letting the community know how the program is
making a difference. Hersey also stated that their office has been
successful because of their ability to keep volunteers coming back. “We
keep our volunteers because we respect them,” said Hersey. “We also try to
keep in mind what they enjoy doing and what they are good at when we give
them assignments.”
Every year the Franklin County office recognizes their Earth Team
Volunteers at the district’s annual meeting where they are presented
with a certificate from the Maine NRCS State Conservationist.
District Conservationist Hersey said that volunteers are an important part
of the office’s conservation team by contributing to outreach programs and
other work done in the office freeing-up staff to provide more technical
assistance required in the county.
Swartzendruber recognized the Farmington
Field Office and the Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation District
with an Earth Team Volunteer Program Special Recognition Award at their
2007 Annual Meeting. With over 7,700 hours of volunteer hours in the last
five years, the Franklin County office has had a very successful program. Their use of special programs not only helps the agency and the community,
but also the needs of the volunteers.
As a result of the “helping hands” of all of these volunteers, the
conservation efforts of the Franklin county conservation team are much
further ahead towards helping achieve NRCS goals and objectives in the
county.
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