Tennessee NRCS Celebrates Earth Team Volunteers During National Volunteer Week
NASHVILLE, TENN.
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is celebrating National Volunteer Week April 7- 13 by honoring Earth Team volunteers in Tennessee and recognizing their dedicated commitment to conservation.
The theme for this year, “Volunteers Improve Today for Tomorrow,” reflects how NRCS feels about its volunteers. Created in 1985, the Earth Team volunteer program offers many opportunities to individuals over the age of 14 interested in helping improve the Nation’s natural resources.
“Here in the Volunteer State, we know how vital our Earth Team volunteers are in helping us carry out our mission,” said Sheldon Hightower, Tennessee NRCS State Conservationist. “In fiscal year 2018, Tennessee NRCS had a total of 8,023 volunteers that contributed 56,535 hours towards helping NRCS and our partners. Tennessee’s Earth Team program was first in the nation with Earth Team volunteer hours and number of volunteers. The value that our Earth Team volunteers contributed to NRCS was nearly $1.4 million.”
If you are interested in becoming an Earth Team Volunteer or to learn more about the Earth Team Volunteer Program in Tennessee visit: www.tn.nrcs.usda.gov and click on the Topics Tab, then click on the Volunteer link.
Earth Team is the volunteer workforce of NRCS and its mission is to provide volunteer leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain, and improve the natural resources and environment in Tennessee and throughout the country.
Note: The Value of Volunteer Time to the Agency is $26.75 per hour as established by the Independent Sector and utilized by the Federal Interagency Team for Volunteerism. ∆