Area IV Envirothon The Area IV Envirothon was held on Friday, March 18th at Rose Hill Farms in Nash County. There were thirty-seven teams of students eager to participate in the event. Volunteers, students, guests, and visitors totaled approximately two hundred fifty attendees. Committee members had weathered rain the day before to set up tents and prepare for the event. But today would prove to be a beautiful "dry" day enjoyed by everyone. The Waterbugs Envirothon home team, representing Wilson Soil and Water Conservation District, placed 1st in the middle school Area and State Competition. Team members are Frank Scott, Rikki Bizzell, Misty Varnell, Ben Bizzell, Andrew Lucas, and advisors Martha Bizzell and Tricia Scott. Ricky Hayes and Sue Glover, Wilson Soil and Water Conservation District employees are on the Area IV Envirothon Committee. Ricky is the treasurer and Sue is on the registration and promotional committee. Sharon Willis and Anthony Hester volunteered at the Area IV Envirothon.  Wilson had three teams representing them at the event.  The Area IV Envirothon will be held in Edgecombe County in 2006. Sharon and Sue attended the State Fair in Raleigh on October 22th where they helped man the Soil and Water Association booth for the state. This past year the District staff has provided educational resources to public and private primary and secondary schools.  They visited numerous classrooms to make presentations to students and assist teachers with environmental education.  The District staff provided classroom teachers with information for their students and information on various instructional workshops.  They also assisted local schools in developing outdoor classrooms. The "River Display" at several events and school programs.  The display has been a huge success with children and adults alike. AG Cost Share Tour On March 21, 2005, the Wilson County Soil and Water Conservation District held our annual cost share tour. Guests attending were Ellis Williford, the Wilson County Manager and Bucky Robbins, Wilson County Commissioner. Supervisors, office staff, and guest met at Parker's Barbecue for a meal, fellowship, and a brief meeting before the tour. The tour included randomly selected stops throughout the county. A variety of the Best Management Practices (BMP) including field borders, land in the CREP program, waterbugs, lagoon closure, and cropland conversion. Environmental Education Programs This past year the District staff has provided educational resources to public and private primary and secondary schools.  They visited numerous classrooms to make presentations to students and assist teachers with environmental education.  The District staff provided classroom teachers with information for their students and information on various instructional workshops.  They also assisted local schools in developing outdoor classrooms. Resource Conservation Workshop Spencer Davis was selected to attend the Annual Resource Conservation Workshop that was held June 26 - July 1, 2005. Spencer has long been interested in this field. He is involved with the land and his environment by his family farming business. During the workshop Spencer competed and won $100 cash for his efforts during the workshop. He attends Hunt High School and is the son of Tim and Terry Davis. Water Quality Monitoring Project The District continues to monitor water quality at 5 sites around Wilson County.  The data from this study will be used to determine the quality of water present as well as to identify problem areas where technical and financial assistance can be targeted.  The project has been so successful; it may be implemented in other counties.  The Wilson Imagination Station has adopted our project for a pilot program to teach the importance of water quality. Workshops/Activities Sharon Tyson, Anthony Hester, and Sue Glover attended the annual meeting in Durham, NC in January 2005.  They attended many informative sessions and the banquet with Mr. and Mrs. Thad Sharp, Mr. and Mrs. Braxton Pittman, Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Scott and Mr. Charles Harrell. In the months of February and March, Ricky participated in the Earth Day Bag for Keep Wilson County Beautiful, on which he is a member. Ricky, Sue, and Anthony attended the DEW in Burlington, NC in August 2005.  Various sessions were attended during the three-day workshop. Anthony attended the Air Quality Workshop that will be used toward his EE certification completion.