NRTraining Hub

The Natural Resources Conservation Service, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Quail and Pheasants Forever, and other conservation partners assist agricultural producers and forest landowners in delivering several conservation programs benefiting forests, grasslands, wildlife, and other natural resources on private landowners in Indiana. Delivery of these conservation programs requires understanding agricultural operations as economic endeavors, producers’ motivations for owning and enrolling land in conservation, and forestry, wildlife, and natural resources management.

We work with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and other partners to identify training needs, create and build necessary training materials, and coordinate training delivery. The focus on online and in-person trainings and resources include Native Warm-Season Grass Establishment and Management, Forest Management, Prescribed Fire Planning and Application, and the Land Stewardship Leadership Academy. The latter developed by Iowa State Extension seeks to expand competencies in the dimensions of agriculture, public trust responsibilities and resource stewardship, and the science of compelling behavior change.

While we are still early in the work of the program, we have already seen many people earn valuable job training and qualifications. In the first year of the program, we had over 250 participants at programs and awarded almost 150 certificates of completion. We look forward to continuing to offer even more valuable professional development to our state’s conservation professionals in the future.