Unit 4: Collaboration for Conservation

Challenges to prepare for

We asked staff across the VAWQP what the challenges about working in the partnership were. Here are some examples of what they said:

'Deciding who is in charge for certain watershed groups and what role we may play in to move projects forward for those groups.'
'Wondering who is responsible for what and how to best help the farm move forward as quickly as possible.'
'Trying to keep up with everything going on in other partnership areas and water quality at large from within a narrowly focused job description.'
'I think it's always tricky when you have so many organizations and agencies working in the same space. It's hard not to duplicate efforts or step on each other's toes. I worry about how much time and effort goes into coordination and information sharing. There are a lot of meetings, which on the one hand is great! The more meetings I go to, the more I learn about really crucial information. On the other hand, the more time is spent filling out reports and doing trainings, the less time I have to work on other projects. It's always a balance.'
'Coordinating the numerous different folks involved, i.e. in setting up a site visit, understanding and knowing who is involved in what, communication between all parties involved.'

Benefits to Expect

We also asked staff what value the partnership brings to their job. Here are some examples of what they said:

'It widens the amount of expertise and practical knowledge that I can access to perform my duties.'
'The partnership is crucial for implementing on the ground projects and interacting with other partners in the watershed.'
'Without a strong partnership with NRCS and FSA I would not be able to perform my job duties.'
'Having many members in the partnership allows us to specialize in what our organizations do best, and it allows us to pool our energy and resources for more effective conservation! I also really enjoy and appreciate getting to meet new people across organizations and learn what else is being done across the state.'
'Capacity to help customers goals.'
'Allows for communication of environmental issues/concerns and working together to resolve those matters.'
'So much knowledge about resources available across the state'
'Partners bring essential technical skills to the table that I do not have a background in'
'Friendship, coordination, and I believe an improved ability to serve the farmers we work with.'
'Vermont relies upon partnerships like ours to organize, fund, and plan important work'
'Could not perform my job without it'

the extent of Coordination

Lastly, we asked staff how often their job duties require coordinating with one of the other partnership organization? Here are the results:

Regional Coordination Support

Natural Resources Conservation District Staff are supporting VAWQP Regional Coordination Services work in the Northwest, Northeast, Central Winooski, Southeast and Southwest areas.

The purpose of Regional Coordination services is to support the mission and strategic plan of the Partnership at the local level. This coordination will encourage information sharing, collaboration and coordination among technical and financial assistance providers in order to help farmers achieve measurable water quality results and protect habitat in the most high-quality, cost-effective and positive way possible.

Regional Coordination Contacts

Northwest – Lauren Weston, Franklin County NRCD

Northeast – Emily Finnegan, Caledonia County NRCD

Central/Winooski – Dan Koenemann, Winooski NRCD

Southwest – Michael Fernandez & Beatrice Smith, Bennington County NRCD

Southeast – Jennifer Byrne & Jaiel Pulskamp, White River NRCD

Thank you so much for your dedication and time in learning about the VAWQP. We hope that this Orientation has been a helpful roadmap for you in getting to know the VAWQP, it's history and the organizations and colleagues that will be working with you in your new role. If you could please take just a couple minutes to complete this survey, it would be greatly appreciated. Best wishes, we look forward to working with you!

Complete Orientation Program

Go to newsletter

Page updated

Google Sites