Dr. Stephen Ball to speak at SWCD Annual Meeting

The Dubois County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors will host the 72nd Annual meeting at Shiloh Methodist Church on Tuesday, February 6 at 6:30 p.m. EST.

All Dubois County resident are welcome to attend. The catered meal cost is $10.00. Please contact the office at 812-482-1171 extension 3 to make your reservation. All Dubois County residents are encouraged to attend. There is no charge to attend the business meeting.The snow date will be February 8th.

The guest speaker is Dr. Stephen Ball, Indiana’s Cultural Resources Specialist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.  Dr. Ball’s presentation will appeal to history buffs, and those interested in the impacts of human beings on the land.   Dr. Ball’s presentation will begin with the Buffalo Trace and its effects in Dubois County.

He then will zoom out to look at Indiana as a whole, and focus on changes in Indiana in the years 1,400-1,700, looking at climate change, and the mark the Native Americans made on what we think of now as a “natural landscape”.

The SWCD meeting agenda also includes the election of an SWCD supervisor. Somula (Sam) Schwoeppe and Alex Hohl will be on the ballot, filling a vacancy caused by the ending of John Jackle’s 2nd three-year term. Schwoeppe and Hohl are in the running for a three-year term as an SWCD Supervisor, an elected official of the State of Indiana.

SWCD supervisors are part of a governmental organization responsible for the wise management of Indiana’s soil and water resources and the environment in which we live. Serving on the SWCD Board is a great responsibility, but also is an opportunity for a person to make a difference in their county. The SWCD also takes nominations from the floor, so anyone interested in serving a 3-year term may place their name on the ballot that evening.

Patrick Eckerle’s appointment as a Supervisor has been approved by the State Soil Conservation Board. Three of the SWCD Supervisors are elected and two appointed. Eckerle will be sworn into his term at the Annual Meeting. Eckerle will be replacing Alan Smock.

Capping off the evening will be the presentation of the Otto J. Bauer Conservation Farmer of the Year Award and the OFS Forest Stewardship Award. Dubois County’s River-Friendly Farmers will be recognized as well.

The SWCD will hold a short reorganization meeting immediately following the annual meeting.