The
goal of the Delaware SWCD Conservation Education program is to inform and
educate landowners and landusers on how to manage the land to suit their needs
in a sustainable way. Conservation Education programs are available for
young and old, school and community, public or private. For more information, contact:
Dona Rhea, SWCD Conservation Educator
(740) 368-1921
Email: "dona-rhea @ delawareswcd.org" (remove spaces when typing address)
Delaware SWCD/Dick O'Keefe Scholarship
Lacy Receives Ag
Scholarship
Margaret Lacy, Westerville, OH
was recently selected to receive the Dick O’Keefe Memorial Scholarship from the
Delaware Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) for the 2012-2013 school
year.
Lacy is a senior at Big Walnut High School and will
be graduating next month with a 3.94 GPA.
She plans to attend The Ohio State University
Marion majoring in Agricultural Industries (equine).
Lacy has been a member of the
Big Walnut FFA Chapter and a 4-H member during her four years of high school.
She has also be a member of the National Honor
Society, Spanish Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, school choir, Spanish Club, and
the Big Walnut Equine Team (4 years) where she finish 5th out of 660
competitors at the 2013 State Competition.
Jeni Reely, Big Walnut FFA
Advisor said about Lacy, “Margaret’s desire to succeed is evident not only by
her academic success, but also can be seen in her school and after-school
activities.”
After reviewing Lacy’s varied activities,
Reely also stated, “For most students, this would not be an easy task, but for
Margaret this is all part of her career goal majoring in Animal Science.”
The Dick O’Keefe Memorial
Scholarship was established in 1998 to honor Mr. O’Keefe who passed away in
1997. He was born and reared in Delaware County, had a passion for agriculture,
and wanted to make sure that future generations could continue to engage in this
rural lifestyle.
His scholarship continues to “plant those
seeds.” The $500 scholarship is available annually to a Delaware County resident
graduating from a Delaware County high school with a minimum of 2.5 grade
average and pursuing a college degree in agriculture.
Ohio Envirothon
Two Delaware Co. Teams Win Area Competion - Move on to State
The ENVIROTHON is designed to stimulate, reinforce and enhance interest in the
environment and natural resources among high school students.
The Envirothon tests students' knowledge of soils, forestry, wildlife, aquatic
ecology and current environmental issues. In addition, the Envirothon encourages
cooperative decision-making and team building. While each student on an
Envirothon team is challenged to contribute his or her personal best, the score
that counts at the end of an Envirothon is the team score.
A team consists of five students, all from the same high school. An adult
advisor (or advisors) must accompany the team, but is not permitted to assist
the team during the competition.
Five "Area Envirothons" are conducted around Ohio late each spring. The top four
teams from each of these Area competitions progress to the Ohio Envirothon in
June. The state level Ohio Envirothon is held in a different part of Ohio each
year. The top-scoring team in the Ohio Envirothon is eligible to compete in the
North
American Envirothon, hosted by a different state or Canadian province
every year.
Delaware County had two winning teams in this year’s Area 5 Envirothon -- the
Delaware Area Career Center and Big Walnut High School.
The DCAA1 team placed second and the Big Walnut team placed 4th out of 47 team.s
They will both compete at the State Envirothon on June 10 & 11 at the
Deer Creek State Park. They will
compete against 18 other teams from around the state.
In Ohio, the Envirothon is sponsored by the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water
Conservation Districts (OFSWCD) in cooperation with the Ohio Department of
Natural Resources (ODNR). Natural resource and environmental specialists from
many agencies, organizations, colleges, universities, park districts and
businesses devise the Envirothon questions and staff the various test stations.
The Ohio Envirothon is financed by grants, donations from businesses and through
contributions to the Don Rehl Memorial Envirothon Fund. Many local businesses
also provide services and products in support of Area and Ohio Envirothons.
Delaware Area Career Center Team 1 will advance to the Ohio Envirothon state competition next month at Deer Creek State Park.
Big Walnut High School Team will also compete in Ohio Envirothon state competition next month. Best wishes to both teams representing Delaware County!
Delaware Area Career Center Team 2 finished in the top ten in Area 5 competition (out of 47 teams) but not high enough to qualify for the state competition.
The latest issue of the SWCD's Environmental Education Newsletter, SCENTS (Soil Conservation & Environmental News for Teachers and Students) is now available. Included in this issue is workshop information, classroom ideas, important dates, and much, much more.
Soil Tunnel Arrives!
The Delaware SWCD purchased an inflatable soil tunnel, a tool that helps teach about soil layers, drainage, organisms that live in the soil, soil variance among different land uses, and conservation. It is very portable and available to schools for teachers to use. Included with the soil tunnel is a trailer to store and haul the soil tunnel. Soil tunnel rental information for outside Delaware County will be posted when available. All schools inside Delaware County are welcome to use the soil tunnel free of charge. Educational activities and talking points are included in the soil tunnel lending trailer. Please contact Dona Rhea at the SWCD office at 740-368-1291 or dona-rhea@delawareswcd.org.
Natural Resources Park - Delaware County Fairgrounds
Adjacent
to the Pig & Lamb Barn, on the Delaware County Fairgrounds, is Delaware SWCD's
Conservation Area. It illustrates conservation-minded landscaping
homeowners can do in their own yards. With a water garden, edible garden,
native prairie garden, and a rain garden, it offers a host site for many
educational events. The garden gazebo and conservation education building
on the site offer shelter and shade while you stroll the walkway.
A big thank you goes to the sponsors who donated a grand total of over $100,000 for the site. The major sponsors donating $5,000 or more include:
The
SWCD provides presentations to school classes, home school, and after school,
scouts, and 4-H groups. All of the presentations have been correlated with
the current State Science Content Standard Grade Level Indicators for Earth and
Space Sciences and for Life Sciences. Topics included are ecosystems,
biodiversity and adaptations, natural resources, conservation, and human impact
on the environment. For more information, SEE HERE.
The
Envirothon is a high school environmental competition in which students compete
in teams of five, answering questions about wildlife, forestry, soils, and
aquatics. Delaware County teams compete the last week of April in the Area
competition. This competition is held in the southern/central part of Ohio
with the exact location changing each year. The top 4 teams at the Area
competition advance to the Ohio Envirothon which is held in early June.
Teams at the Ohio Envirothon compete for prize money and a trip to the
international Envirothon competition. A more detailed description of the
Envirothon can be seen
HERE.
For copies of old Envirothon tests, resource lists, study materials, field guides, Envirothon presentations, or more information on the Envirothon competition, contact Dona Rhea at the SWCD Office.
2012 Envirothon Registration Form
2012 Envirothon Medical Release Form
Join
the Stream Team and become a stream steward helping to protect our flowing
surface water resources. The general health of streams can be determined
by taking their "pulse" by using Stream Quality Monitoring (SQM) techniques to
monitor the kinds and numbers of macroinvertebrate animals which live in them.
The kinds of macroinvertebrates are used to assess the stream quality. The
data you gather will help local and state agencies decide if further
investigation of the health of our streams is necessary.
After being trained in habitat assessment, seining procedure, critter identification and recording, volunteers may adopt a section of a stream to monitor periodically using materials provided by the SWCD. SQM can be done by any small group (family, school, social, civic) that would like to participate in this program designed to develop a greater sensitivity to and stewardship of our precious stream system. Currently the Delaware SWCD works with Genoa and Orange Townships to monitor 7 selected sites.
Map of Genoa & Orange Township SQM Sites
Community Environmental Stewardship Action - Storm Drain Labeling
Many
people don't realize that what does down strom drains sometimes does not go to a
water treatment plant. Instead, it may flow directly into our stream
bypassing treatment. This direct storm sewer link between where we live,
work, and play and the stream into which it drains makes everyone in the
watershed potential contributors to water pollution.
By
labeling storm drains, you can help protect our landscapes and our waterscapes.
After training, volunteers may use materials provided by the SWCD to apply
labels to storm drains, and hang information encouraging watershed stewardship
on doorknobs.
Storm drain labeling may be done by any individual or small group (family, school, social, civic). This program, like the Stream Quality Monitoring program, is designed to help develop sesitivity to and stewardship of our soil and water resources. Currently the Delaware SWCD is labeling storm drains in the City of Powell. Contact Dona Rhea for more information.
