Homepage

Who We Are

Programs

Directors & Staff

Education Outreach

Links to Partners

TMDL
Stream Monitoring Program

Directors and staff of the Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District have long recognized that one of the keys to achievement and success in natural resources conservation and protection and enhancement of the environment is education. For this reason, every effort is made to provide informative and useful programs for people of all ages so that they will have the knowledge and skills needed to make meaningful contributions. programs and activities include school programs, exhibits, field trips, support and/or sponsorship of special events, mini-grants to educators, and the District newsletter.

The District provides:

• School programs for grades pre-K through 12
• Watershed Education Field Trips
• Storm Drain Marking Project with Loudoun Country Day School
• Soil tunnel and watershed education exhibits
• County Science & Engineering Fair funds and assistance
• Arbor Day Celebrations
• Ag Awareness Day
• Family Stream Day
• Youth Conservation Camp Scholarship

In 2003:

• With a Chesapeake Bay Watershed Grant for the storm drain marking project, the District partnered with the Town of Leesburg and Loudoun Country Day School to begin a pilot program; the first phase was completed in June '03: 420 packets including nonpoint source pollution information and "You and Your Land" were distributed to residences in subdivisions selected for first 120 storm drain markers;
• With a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Grant for the Wancopin Creek Watershed Project, staff from LSWCD, NRCS, VDOF, and County Building and Development conducted 2 field days for school students from Loudoun County High School and the Hill School that resulted in the establishment of a 2 acre riparian buffer protecting 1,100 feet of Wancopin Creek;
• Worked with staff from the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, Potomac Conservancy, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and Virginia Department of Forestry to conduct a 5 acre riparian buffer planting on Temple Hall farm for 100 students from George Mason University and Poolesville High School (project funded by a License Place Grant from the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund);
• Participated in Ag Awareness Day at Claude Moore Park, Sterling for over 1,000 school students;
• Served as judges and sponsored three awards for environmental projects at the Loudoun County Regional Science and Engineering Fair (see back page for listing of award winners);
• Provided 3,345 educational publications to 13 schools and 2 churches to celebrate Soil and Water Stewardship Week;
• Contributed 6,000 seedlings for school and riparian projects;
• Worked with representatives of the Town of Leesburg, the Virginia Department of Forestry, and the County to organize the 15th annual Arbor Day celebration and the Arbor Day Poster Contest for grades pre-K through 12 (top 50 winners chosen from 450 entries; the winners from Lovettsville, Leesburg, Hamilton, Lincoln, Evergreen Mills, Emerick, Aldie, Selden's Landing, Forest Grove, and Waterford Elementary Schools;
• Awarded 2 mini-grants totaling $1,000 to teachers for environmental projects at the Hill School, and Farmwell Station Middle School;
• Provided staff support to the Area II Envirothon competition sponsored by the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts;
• Provided a scholarship to a Loudoun County student to attend VASWCD's Youth Conservation Camp; also contributed to the Lake Holiday Forestry Camp scholarship fund and to the education fund of Farm Bureau's "Ag in the Classroom";
• Published 2 issues of the District newsletter plus an Annual Report distributed to more than 2,500 cooperators and other interested individuals;
• Generated approximately $5,000 for the District's educational efforts through its annual seedling sale at which more than 12,000 seedlings and 55 bluebird houses and bat boxes were sold.