CONSERVATION PLANNER SPOTLIGHT-ADAM SICKLES

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On July 27, 2026, Conservation Planner Adam Sickles began working as the new Resource Conservationist (RC) for Piatt County SWCD! After joining the AIM Initiative in October 2023, his colleagues in Piatt County quickly appreciated his contributions to their office. Shortly before Adam joined the office, Bri Gates began working as the Piatt County RC and expressed how helpful he was in sharing the CRP workload. She’s now the Horticulture Program Director at Parkland College, and Adam filled her RC position.

Describing her work with Adam, Bri said, “I think he started less than a year after me, so we went through a lot of the same trainings together. So, it has been nice to have him to lean on. Sometimes having a partner when you are trying to learn new things is helpful. He’s open to working on things like that. He’s working on his RMS plans right now too, so he’s making it a priority to get through the Conservation Planner levels. I know he’s going to get to the third one, probably this year. He’s very proactive.”

Adam was born in Germany and lived there for about 11 years while his father served in the Army. His father was then stationed in Arizona before moving to Illinois, where Adam completed high school. Adam continued the family’s military legacy by serving six years in the Air Force, where he was stationed in Montana. He later obtained a degree in Human Geography from Eastern Illinois University and originally wanted to become a game warden before learning about the Conservation Planner program.

Currently a Level 2 Planner, Adam said that he mostly works on CRP status reviews. According to Adam and Bri, the most common NRCS practices in Piatt County include cover crops and field borders, along with strip-till/no-till, nutrient management, and (to a lesser extent) grassed waterways and terraces. Describing the role of Conservation Planners, Adam said, “Just being open and listening to the ideas and concerns of producers when they talk to you and having answers for them so they can feel more confident in your work and the government. Giving them that peace of mind.”

Piatt County has been successful in building up their NRCS Local Work Group meetings, going from only one person attending last year to 20 participants this year. Bri said she believes these meetings have a direct impact in getting conservation on the ground, explaining that one person heard about the CREP program through that meeting and signed up for it as a result. Describing these meetings, she said, “All our partners are enthusiastic about attending. At the one this spring, the DNR Biologist Stephen spoke about their CREP programs. NRCS was present. We had a lot of representation from our partners, and I could tell that folks attending appreciated that and learned a lot from them.”

Along with these Work Group meetings, PCSWCD stays active in the community by attending the farmers market, utilizing Champaign County’s rainfall simulator for student presentations, participating in Arbor Day (including sharing trees with 3rd grade students), and supporting DeLand-Weldon High School in establishing their outdoor learning center. This part of the job is the most appealing to Adam. He said, “What I am looking forward to the most in my new position is reaching out to the community more and educating the younger generation on the importance of resource conservation.”