The Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District received two awards recently in recognition of efforts to conserve and protect natural resources in Hamilton County.
On Sept. 16, the district accepted a Green Light Award from SustainableIndiana 2016 on behalf of the Heartland Backyard Conservation Program, a partnership of Hamilton, Marion, Hancock, and Madison County Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The Heartland BYC program, led by the HCSWCD, was inducted into the Bicentennial Green Legacy Hall of Fame.
The White River Watershed Stewardship Awards gave HCSWCD the Exceptional Commitment to Conservation Award at its Watershed Stewardship Celebration in Indianapolis Sept. 27. The award recognizes a specific environmental project that has demonstrated significant leadership in a focused area of resource conservation (water, materials and/or energy, land, etc.).
The district nominated its Backyard Conservation Program for the award. The program features numerous partnerships with Central Indiana organizations for various projects, including:
- Technical, financial, and educational assistance for urban and residential landowners for projects that stop runoff, limit erosion, improve water quality, and increase wildlife habitat.
- A sustainability workshop.
- Pollinator habitat workshops.
- Noblesville low-cost rain-barrel program.
- Rain on Main painted rain barrel art competition in Carmel.
- A new urban agriculture program.
“There is a lot of momentum across Central Indiana regarding clean water, and we’re proud to be a leader of that effort in Hamilton County,” Claire Lane, HCSWCD urban conservationist, stated in a press release. “The District and BYC Program offer a lot of resources for county residents and we hope to keep increasing that impact across the county.”
For more, contact the district at 317-773-2181 or soil.water@hamiltoncounty.in.gov.
