Building a Culture of Conservation

Building a Culture of Conservation

“It all begins with you”

Building a Culture of Conservation, taking a grassroots approach to develop innovative ways in which all Americans have an active role in keeping our
Natural resources healthy.

Building a Culture of Conservation: American to American
A Culture of Conservation encourages us to not take our environment or our resources for granted. The adoption of refined conservation practices – on our farms and in our cities – are shown to improve soil and water quality and reduce nonpoint source pollution in the United States. Protecting our fertile soil and clean water are essential for sustaining life and the quality of life in America.

“Corn and soybeans use little water in the spring and fall; reduced crop water usage during these high precipitation periods increases the chance that water leaks out of the system as either surface water runoff or subsurface drainage...
The result is loss of soil and natural fertility, and impaired waters – from our small creeks flowing through the major tributaries to the Gulf of Mexico.
Today’s dominant row crop system is a leaky system compared to the more perennial vegetation system of the past.”

Water is Life
All the water that will ever be exists right now in the Earth’s biosystem. The Earth’s water is in constant motion-the process known as the hydrologic cycle. How much are we willing to change our lives to ensure the water we use is clean, pure and readily available and affordable to all?

We All Have a Place in the Watershed
No matter where you are, you are standing in a watershed.
Our homes, work, where we grow our food and where we play, all exist in watersheds.
A watershed is an area of land that drains to a common point such as a lake, river or marsh.

Don’t Call it Dirt: A Passion for Soil
It takes thousands of years for rock to develop into soil and hundreds of years for rich organic layers to build up. Keeping soil in place is only the beginning of soil conservation.

Analyzing soil health: Healthy soil is approximately 50 percent solid material
(minerals and organic matter) and 50 percent pore space (water and air), thus allowing
roots to easily penetrate and water to drain well. This 50/50 structure also allows the soil
to better supply plants with the nutrients they need for growth and productivity.
Maintaining organic matter is essential for good soil structure and health.
Organic matter enhances water and nutrient holding capacity and improves soil structure.
Managing soil to increase organic matter can enhance productivity and quality, reducing
the severity and costs of natural phenomena, such as drought, flood, and disease. In
addition, increasing levels of organic matter can increase soil carbon and carbon storage
and can reduce atmospheric CO2 levels that contribute to climate change.

“The nation that destroys
its soil destroys itself.”
—Franklin Delano Roosevelt