"We have learned so many things that we were able to act on
in a focused way, and I believe we are making a difference
in our area as a result. The workshops have given us
​confidence to act outside our comfort zone."

- Participant comment, post-engagement survey

Watershed Leaders Network 2017

For two days in November, the Watershed Leaders Network gathered at the National Mississippi River Museum in Dubuque, Iowa.
This year, the invitation was expanded beyond the 2016 cohort and 54 people joined in - 22 farmers plus watershed coordinators, government agency staff and others in support roles for the ag community. With the 7 watersheds from 2016, 12 new groups joined!
We're still building relationships,
but I believe we're also on the brink of taking
on projects that will directly improve soil health, water quality, and a sense of community.
This year's workshop gave us nuggets of gold to do just that. The fact that farmers from our area and those of us focused on watershed work were able to spend an extended period of time together learning about what others are doing, sharing our stories, and talking amongst ourselves about what we think is important and possible in our area is, simply - priceless."
- participant  comment, post-engagement survey
The 2017 gathering included story sharing, listening for common patterns, dialogue, important questions, local group work, and time to design the next wise actions within each watershed.