Harrison County Mississippi - Soil & Water Conservation District

06/18/2026

This lady is awesome! So glad she chanced the weather and come out to our workshop!!! I thoroughly enjoyed it. I know the teachers in attendance today did as well!! Thanks again for coming out today!!!!

06/18/2026

Third and FINAL day!
We made it!!!!!
Today, teachers chanced the weather and dodged the flooding. We had a fun filled day full of activities and information on bees, water run off, Envirothon, grant opportunities, and we ended with some critters provided by Lauren Detwiller with the Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission.
We want to say thanks to everyone who came out in the awful weather to help out with the workshop. And a HUGE thanks to the presenters and especially the teachers who chanced some very scary weather to attend today!!!! All of you are the true rock stars!!!!!

06/17/2026

Day 2 we flipped the schedule upside down but these teachers just rolled with the punches. They really are amazing!!!!!
We were in the field not once but twice today. No complaints and absolute enjoyment.
We went out to do some water quality testing and found so many aquatic organisms!!!! Success!!!!!
Later we went to Green Acres Creamery and with help from Barry Pessany from NRCS we seined a pond in the middle of one of their cow pastures.
We had a few nosey girls come to visit. Videos are in the comments.

06/16/2026

First day of our teacher workshop done! ✔️

And boy was it a wet one!!!!! We are truly appreciative of the cooperation, positivity, and adaptability of all the teachers in attendance! Looking forward to another fabulous and productive 2 days!!!!

06/03/2026

FREE CEU opportunity

Happy Wednesday!

This week, we wanted to share a reminder that we are hosting an Environmental Education Skills Teacher Workshop on June 12th 2026! With 0.9 CEUs!

“This workshop will focus on giving teachers hands-on experience with Envirothon from the competitor’s perspective through hands-on stations, real test challenges, and team problem solving. Topic‑area experts will share key environmental concepts and information, giving teachers both practical experience with the competition and deeper content knowledge to support their students.”

The last Day to Sign up is June 5th.

If you wish to sign up scan the QR code or email below.

Time-Frame: June 12th 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Location: 9229 HWY 49 Gulfport, MS, 39503

For more information feel free to send us a message here on Facebook or email us at:

[email protected]
or
[email protected]

05/22/2026

What’s the difference between a carpenter bee and a bumble bee? A lot. They look similar, but they are very different!

Carpenter bees
The most commonly occurring species in Mississippi is the eastern carpenter bee. Both males and females have a smooth, shiny body. But males of this species have white faces, while females have black faces. Males have no sting. Females can sting but usually don’t.

Females lead busy lives, building nests, gathering pollen, and laying eggs. Males are often seen flying about and hovering in mid-air to pass the time.

You may see the entrance holes to their nests anywhere on your property where you have wood, such as decks, eaves, fences, and barns.

Nesting galleries can be more than a foot long. Most of the time these galleries are harmless. However, if there are several galleries in one piece of wood, it can weaken that area and put the structure at risk. If you find yourself in this situation, you can learn more about methods for treating the galleries on our website.

Bumble bees
Bumble bees are large with hairy bodies. They can be either black and yellow or black and white. They build their nests in the ground like yellowjackets, where dozens of bees can live. They are not aggressive unless their nest is disturbed. But bumble bees have a painful sting, and dozens of bees may attack if they sense the nest is threatened. They can be very aggressive in this situation.

So, before you mow or do other types of lawn care, you may want to inspect your yard for nests.

Both carpenter bees and bumble bees are important pollinators, and experts recommend only using control methods to prevent structural damage by carpenter bees or prevent stinging incidents by bumble bees.

If you’d like to attract more beneficial bees or support our bee pollinators, check out our website for some great resources.

If you do disturb a bumble bee nest and get stung, watch for an allergic reaction. These reactions are rare. However, get medical attention right away if you have any of these symptoms: swelling of the mouth, tightness in the throat, difficulty breathing, dizziness, fainting, vomiting, hives, or a rapid heartbeat.

05/22/2026

Please note the new soil testing information

New Soil Testing Information! Soil testing is the first step to healthy soil and productive crops, pastures, turf and gardens.

Follow the steps below to submit your soil sample:

Order online. Visit soiltesting.extension.msstate.edu and follow the instructions to complete your order. Enter your contact info, sample names and crop or intended use.

Choose payment. Cost is $12 per sample. You may pay by cash or check sent with your soil sample or choose to receive an invoice to pay by credit card. Your payment options are cash, check or invoice.

Prepare and label your sample. Collect the soil to be tested. Fill the sample collection container to the fill line and close the container. Write the “sample name” (and your name, if desired) on the outside of the container. Clearly write your order number and sample name on each container. This information must match what was entered online.

Ship or drop off your sample. The new shipping address and drop off location is:
Southern Soil & Plant Lab, LLC.
117 Haley Barbour Parkway
Yazoo City, MS 39194

Receive results. Results will be sent to you and your county Extension office. You can contact your Extension agent for assistance with the sample report and recommendations.

Important Reminders

Cost is $12 per sample.

You may pick up your soil sample containers from your county Extension office.

You are responsible for shipping samples to the soil testing laboratory.

Contact your local Extension office for help with collecting soil samples, understanding crop codes, interpreting soil test reports and general soil fertility questions.

05/22/2026

It was such an honor to be asked to speak to the students at Thomas Reeves Elementary School. We are looking forward to future visits 🦋🐛

05/19/2026

We are seeking new members for our commissioners board. We can't run without them. Email or message us for details. [email protected]