NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
April 24, 2008
Vol. 38, No. 181
For further information, contact Michelle Jacobs, Community Relations Officer, 302-739-9921, or Joanna Wilson, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.
Remember ‘Water is Life,’
and Be a Good Steward of Our Natural Resources
The Delaware Association of Conservation Districts (DACD) encourages you to consider ways in which you can be a good steward of our natural resources, including water, during its annual 2008 Soil and Water Stewardship Week celebration, which is set for April 27 to May 4 with this year’s theme, “Water is Life.”
To begin the celebration, the DACD held a proclamation signing officially recognizing Soil and Water Stewardship Week on April 22 at the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village in Dover. During the ceremony, Governor Ruth Ann Minner also presented the annual Agricultural and Urban Governor’s Conservation Awards to winners from each county.
The Earth’s water is in constant motion in the process known as the hydrologic (water) cycle, which has no beginning or end. Water available to users can change due to the cycles of weather and changes in water quality. Throughout time, the same water has been transferred into the Earth’s atmosphere and dropped on land again where it follows the water cycle through plants, soil, water bodies, animals and clouds. That means the water we use today is the same water that was here when dinosaurs roamed the land.
What can we do to protect this vital natural resource? We can begin by becoming aware of water quality and quantity in our communities, and understanding how watersheds work. We all live in a watershed. Watersheds are the places we call home, where we work and where we play. Everyone relies on water and other natural resources to exist. What each of us does on the land impacts the quality and quantity of water and our other natural resources. Managing the water and other natural resources is an effective and efficient way to sustain the local economy and environmental health.
The New Castle, Kent and Sussex conservation districts were formed to assist the citizens of each county community. For more information about Soil and Water Stewardship Week and conservation, please contact:
- New Castle Conservation District, 2430 Old County Road, Newark, 302-832-3100
- Kent Conservation District, 800 Bay Road, Suite 2, Dover, 302-741-2600
- Sussex Conservation District, 21315 Berlin Road, Unit 4, Georgetown, 302-856-3990
The DACD is a member of the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) which oversees and promotes the Soil and Water Stewardship Week program, one of the largest annual national programs to promote conservation. NACD represents the nation’s 3,000 conservation districts, which were established to encourage resource conservation across the country.
“Each of us needs to take steps to invest in understanding the importance of water in our everyday life,” said NACD CEO Krysta Harden. “Water is not a renewable resource. Education in your community and schools will benefit all citizens for years to come as they gain a better appreciation of the importance of water resources. Conservation districts are working with local communities to address water quantity and quality issues in every county in America.”
To learn more about NACD and Soil and Water Stewardship Week, please visit www.nacdnet.org or www.nacdnet.org/stewardship/2008.
