Conservation Planner Spotlight — Chaurda Hathaway

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Growing up in the small southern Illinois community of Eldorado, Chaurda Hathaway has always known that she wanted to work outdoors. In June of 2023, she joined the AIM Initiative as the Gallatin County Conservation Planner. On top of this, Chaurda is also working toward her bachelor’s degree in forestry at SIU Carbondale, where she has been taking online courses. In her spare time, she enjoys hunting and camping.

Chaurda is currently working toward her NRCS Planner Level 3 certification with a goal of completing the requirements with her District Conservationist by this summer. She works in three different offices but spends most of her time in the Ridgway office working with their soil technician. In McLeansboro and Carmi, she works primarily with soil conservationists.

Paige Steber began working as a Soil Conservationist in the Carmi office on the same day that Chaurda started as a Conservation Planner. Paige said, “She is willing to learn, which is awesome, and willing to help as well. She is pretty determined in getting her work done in a timely manner… She gets the job done, and I know I can count on her to get it done. She’s always super helpful and overall great to work with.”

Collaborating mainly on forest management plans, Paige said that Chaurda completes multiple documents, including maps and job sheets, that need to be included in the folders. They have also surveyed land together with a soil technician for grassed waterways. Chaurda said that she attended a grassed waterway training a few weeks ago, and she’s actively working toward getting job approval to be able to design these herself.

She has also collaborated with colleagues from National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC) on easement monitoring. Describing the benefits of collaborating with different organizations, Chaurda said, “With Pheasants Forever and NGRREC, they are able to do the things that NRCS is not able to do or does not

have time to do, but I feel like with everybody who works together, everything gets done on time.”

Chaurda said her primary workload is focused on nutrient management plans, and she has noticed the difference these are making in the soil. While conducting soil tests every two years, she has witnessed improvements in the nitrogen and phosphorus levels on farms that have implemented these plans. According to Paige, cover crops, waterways,

WASCOBs, and multiple grazing practices are also common in their district.

Paige also stated how having a Conservation Planner helps with managing the workload in their district, which she believes is unique in how well everyone works together. Chaurda echoed the sentiment, stating, “Our soil and water [district] does great with all the programs they have down here, and it just seems like the community really works together. With everything they have going on, I find that pretty amazing. I don’t see that a lot.”

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