Starting a new job is always hard, but starting a new job as a conservation professional can feel extra tough. That’s because many conservation professionals are asked to have a wide range of professional competencies from planning events to explaining conservation practices to applying for funding opportunities (Koundinya et al., 2018).
It can be overwhelming, so we wanted to put together some resources to help new conservation professionals hit the ground running. These resources are primarily targeted to those conservation professionals who work directly with farmers, landowners, and community members to implement conservation practices on agricultural land.
Focus on relationships
Colton Meyer, a successful watershed coordinator in Iowa once told me, “Don’t sell the practice, sell yourself.” In other words, conservation practice adoption is all about relationships.
You can have robust datasets, graphs and maps at your fingertips, but unless the person listening to your pitch trusts you, it won’t make a difference.
The 2021 Conservation Practitioner Poll mirrored this perspective, finding that conservation practitioners across the Midwest agree that “building long-term relationships with farmers/ landowners through multiple interactions over time” is the most impactful way to get conservation on the ground.
There can be a lot of requests on your time when you start a new job, but always remember that the most valuable way to use your time is to get to know the farmers in your area.
Take the time to introduce yourself to farmers and community members. Have a short elevator speech about who you are, what you do, and why you are a resource to them.
But, especially when you’re first getting to know someone, listen. There can be a lot of bravado in agriculture, and someone who really listens can stand out and make an impression.
Get to know the communities you’re working in
Many conservation professionals who are new to their job are also new to the community in which they’re working. As you meet people, pay attention to the names that come up over and over again – these are the community influencers. An introduction to them can be very meaningful.
There is an initiative in Indiana called a “conservation ride-along.” Whenever a new conservation professional is hired, a trusted member of the community drives them around and introduces them to other community members. It’s a great model for getting to know the landscape you’ll be working in and the people who can help you accomplish your goals.
Involve farmers early
One of the biggest mistakes I see conservation professionals (and watershed projects) make is waiting too long to seek out farmer input. If part of your job is working to develop a watershed plan, make sure that farmers are informing its creation.
If you have a pot of money that can help farmers put in conservation practices, make sure you have a farmer advisory board to help develop an outreach strategy and focus your funds.
Hewitt Creek in Iowa is a nationally recognized model that put farmer leadership at the center. Check out their lessons learned and advice on how to start a farmer-led group. Here’s another guide to cultivating farmer leadership from Wisconsin.
Organize good events
One well-documented principle of conservation outreach is that farmers prefer to learn from other farmers (e.g., Rogers, 2003; Coughenour, 2003; Morton, 2011; McGuire et al., 2013; Barnes et al., 2022; Asprooth et al., 2023). So, creating meaningful events where farmers can learn from and talk to each other is really important.
Iowa Learning Farms, part of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, has organized thousands of field days since its founding in 2004. They’ve collected their lessons learned into a Field Day Toolkit that includes a planning timeline and checklist, advertising resources, speaker reminders, and guidance on evaluation.
Another great resource is the National Wildlife Federation’s Growing Outreach Toolkit. They use behavior change science to make recommendations for the best way to reach risk-averse “middle-adopters” of conservation, a majority of farmers. Their resources include guidance on how to frame communication about and during your event, as well as flier templates that will appeal to a broad audience.
Participate in training programs in your state (and make time for networking)
Several states across the Midwest offer ‘watershed academies,’ training programs that allow you to learn about watershed management with your peers. You can find a list of these various academies here.
The nonprofit Sand County Foundation also offers an annual regional training called Leadership for Midwestern Watersheds. This can be a great opportunity to learn from conservation professionals in other states.
Life Hacks over Lunch, a meet-up series for watershed professionals organized by The Confluence for Watershed Leaders, is another venue for networking with peers and troubleshooting challenges.
Invest in your own professional development by taking part in these trainings, and make sure to prioritize networking. You can’t be an expert in everything, but you can have a strong network of colleagues who you can turn to as you troubleshoot issues and obstacles in your work.
You don’t need to re-create the wheel
There are many conservation professionals who have gone before you and have put together really great resources – use them! It can take significant chunks of time to create something new, and it can be a better use of your time to harvest or adapt already-created resources.
Here are some of my favorite resources:
The Midwest Cover Crops Council (MCCC) has a host of useful tools for choosing cover crop species and having success. ‘Cover Crop Recipes’ provide a starting point for farmers who are new to growing cover crops. Their ‘Cover Crop Decision Tool’ allows you to choose the best species and management to get started based on your state, county, and goal. MCCC also has PowerPoint slides on various cover crop topics, which are free to download.
Fishers and Farmers Partnership has a wonderful library of conservation resources on their website for Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin.
The Soil and Water Conservation Society has a Conservation Media Library, a clearinghouse for conservation photos, graphics, informational videos, factsheets, PowerPoints, and other resources. The Library is open to all, and all materials can be downloaded and circulated free of charge, including over 600 photos of cover crops, drainage water management, saturated buffers, prairie strips, bioreactors, and wetlands.
The Conservation Drainage Network also maintains a photo library of drainage practices and lots of other resources.
And a final shout out to the Nature Conservancy’s Oxbow Restoration Toolkit. I think this detailed guide to successfully adding oxbows to our landscape is the best thing since sliced bread. While the toolkit is focused on oxbows, it is a helpful guide to understanding how all structural conservation practices like grassed waterways and wetlands are implemented.
And make sure to check out the resource library of The Confluence for Watershed Leaders, which has even more resources that might support your needs.
Thank you!
Thank you, conservation and watershed professionals, for doing what you’re doing. We know your work can be tough, but it’s so important.
There are lots of people (myself included) who are grateful for your work. Keep crushing it!
