|
 Big Tree Contest Winner
The purpose of the Big Tree Contest is to celebrate the beauty
of our natural monuments. This year the White Oak was selected as our focus tree. The winner was
Shirley Herzog of Boudinot Avenue. Her magnificent tree measures 87 feet in height and 245”
in circumference. What a terrific centerpiece for Shirley’s front yard!
Conservation
Partner
Girl Scout troop #2352 and their leader, Mardi Hull, were the
Conservation Partner Winners. In their endeavor to win the prestigious Girl Scout Silver Service Project Award, the girls
committed 25 hours to the task of labeling every storm drain in Golf Manor. This task involved gluing plastic labels that read,
“Dump No Waste – Mill Creek Watershed” onto the storm drain, while hanging information door hangers on surrounding
homes regarding tips for healthy streams. Together the girls were able to label over 200 storm drains and, through
informational door hangers, were able to teach every person in Golf
Manor about how to keep our water clean. We thank these girls and their leader for their hard work and dedication to the
field of conservation.
Pictured: Julia Anne Finn,
Katerine Hull, Heather Haynes, Jessica Conroy, Leader Mardi Hull and
District Supervisor, Karen Heyob.
District
Announces Two New Grants for Teachers
Hamilton County lost two enthusiastic and dedicated conservationists in 2001. Julius A. Odegard passed away on June 7,
2001. Julius served as the District Conservationist for the
Natural Resources Conservation Service for 30 years, spending a
majority of that time at Hamilton Co. SWCD until his retirement in
1973. During those years, Julius was a one-man shop assisted only
by a part-time secretary. He was a diligent worker—designing
agriculture plans for farmers and also education programs
throughout the County. Julius was a tireless promoter and worker
on the District’s tree packet program – a program many Districts then tried to emulate. The
profits of this program went to fund education programs.
H. David Diebel passed away on October 13, 2001. Dave served on
our Board of Supervisors from 1955 – 1985. He worked vigilantly to
promote conservation throughout his life. He also served on the
Ohio Reclamation Board of Review for 20 years. He received countless awards over the years including
Citizen of the year Award from Forest Park, Outstanding Contributions from National Wildlife Federation and
Soil Conservationist of the Year from the League of Ohio
Sportsman. We will miss both of these wonderful gentlemen and we
certainly can say that the world and our County is a much better
place because they graced us with their presence.
To honor both of these gentlemen, the District is setting up two
$250.00 Education Awards for Teachers that will be awarded
annually in September. The District, Supervisors and staff have
committed the initial seed money for the grants. If anyone would
like to make a donation in either Julius’ or Dave’s honor, please
send it to our District office. Details for applying for these
grants will appear in our next issue of “Conservation Spotlight”.
The Clean
Ohio Conservation Program - Open Space & Watershed
Conservation
A newly formed committee called the Natural Resources Assistance Council held its first meeting on November 14, 2001 to
determine policies and procedures in the distribution of
approximately 2.2 million dollars to public entities and
non-profits in Hamilton County for the acquisition of open space
and for the protection and enhancement of riparian areas. This funding will be available for four years
commencing in 2002. This 11-member committee is formed to
duplicate the Ohio Public Works Districts, of which, Hamilton County makes up District 2, in accordance to
House Bill No. 3.
The members of the committee are as follows:
Chairman – Ron Miller, Hamilton County Regional Planning
Commission
Vice Chairman – Jon Brady, Hamilton County Park District
Secretary – William Brayshaw, Hamilton County Engineer
Paul Beck, Hamilton County Township Association
Willie Carden, Cincinnati Park Board
Ken Grob, Hamilton County Farm Bureau
James Garges, Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Ray Hodges, Hamilton County Municipal League
Terry Hankner, Ohio Association of Realtors
Eric Russo, The Hillside Trust
Holly Utrata-Halcomb, Hamilton County SWCD
A sub-committee is currently developing the scoring
methodology and should have it posted on the NRAC website- www.hamilton-co.org/engineer/nrac.htm
by December 30,2001.
For general information, go to http://www.pwc.state.oh.us/clean_ohio.htm
Urban
Development
An Alternative
to Silt Fence
by
Dan Taphorn
Studies by Department of Transportation from California to Maine
show that compost berms and blankets are a more effective erosion and sediment control than silt fence. Silt fence
is used on nearly 100 % of the construction projects in the U.S.,
but there are some basic problems with its use. Silt fence is
usually not installed correctly (i.e. not trenched in or not
installed on the contour), requires diligent maintenance, and is
designed for areas with small watersheds. In 1993, Bill Stewart of Portland, Oregon, conducted research, which showed
surprising results using compost in a number of
erosion applications including a “barrier” at the toe of the slope
(essentially a filter berm) on a local roadway that had extremely
steep slopes. The research showed how the silt fence was in
containing solids. On a 34 percent slope, the total settleable and suspended solids that passed through the
silt fence was 32ml/L and 26,000 ml/L, respectively versus the
compost barrier (made from mixed yard trimmings) at 2.6ml/L and
1300ml/L, respectively. The study by Bill Stewart cited in this article was used from an article by
Rod Tyler, Bio Cycle Magazine January 2001.
The District has been working with contractors and developers to test the effectiveness of using composted wood
chips. The wood chips which are usually generated during the clearing process and either buried or hauled off the site are
proving to be a very effective erosion and sediment control. By constructing berms from 18 inches to 36 inches high
(depending on the steepness and length of the slope) at the toe of
the slope the berms are proving to be very effective. On longer steeper slopes a series of berms is
recommended. The composted wood chips are irregular in shape and
bind together thus preventing them from washing away. When the
wood chip berms are used in conjunction with a wood chip blanket
(1 inch layer of wood chips) the erosion and sediment control
capabilities is increased dramatically. The wood chip blanket minimizes impact
erosion and helps slow down the runoff water. As with silt fence
it is important to construct the wood chip berms on the contours
and to make sure the ends are turned back up the slope 4 to 5
feet. Note: Wood chip berms should not be placed in areas of high
concentrated flow; a sediment trap or basin should be used for
these applications. After all earth disturbing activities are
completed and the site is being prepared for stabilization the wood chip berms can be graded in
with the topsoil. The composted wood chips provide beneficial organic matter and help retain moisture to aid in the
establishment of vegetation. While the District has not done any
hard research on actual numbers like Mr. Stewart
of Portland, Oregon preliminary field results seem to be very
good. The contractors and developers we have worked with are
pleased with the results and find the wood chip berms to be one
more tool in gaining compliance with the Earthworks Regulations.
The District is not calling for a ban on silt fence. Silt fence
can be an effective sediment control practice when it is installed
per the design guidelines and maintained properly. We are always exploring effective erosion and sediment controls and feel that
the composted wood chips are an effective control practice that
requires less maintenance and does a better job than silt fence on
steep slopes. If the wood chip berms are installed properly they
can last the life of the project with little maintenance besides removing the
accumulated sediment. While they may be a little more
costly to install this cost is regained in maintenance cost and
better erosion and sediment control.
Countywide
Town Meeting
First
of Its Kind in Hamilton County
On January 12, 2002, Hamilton County residents will embark on a journey to change the county’s future. The
1,000-person Countywide Town Meeting will ask residents to help
the county prioritize goals and strategies for the county’s
future. This meeting is the centerpiece of public involvement
efforts for Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission’s
Community COMPASS (Comprehensive Master Plan and Strategies).
Community COMPASS, the first comprehensive plan for Hamilton
County since 1964, will identify a vision for the county that all
can agree on and will create a strategy for implementing that
vision.
Using wireless computers and wireless polling keypads, the
Countywide Town Meeting makes this a one-of-a-kind event for
planning in Hamilton County. The fusion of the traditional New
England Town Meeting and wireless technology from the 21st century
allows citizens from all parts of the county to come together,
have their voice heard, and develop a unified vision for the
entire county.
In October, residents shared their ideas and concerns about the
county with others at eleven Community Forums. Over 1,700 ideas
were gathered and later categorized into topical areas for goal
writing purposes. By the end of the Countywide Town Meeting, the
highest priority vision elements that engender the greatest
commitment from the participants will be identified, a consensus
will be built behind the vision and values, and major obstacles or barriers that
need to be overcome to accomplish the vision will be identified.
Hamilton County residents and those who work in the county who are
interested in the Countywide Town Meeting or in Community COMPASS,
please check our website for more information or to register for
the Countywide Town Meeting at www.communitycompass.org or call
(513) 946-4505.
EDUCATION CORNER
Education Specialist -
Gwen Roth
Education Assistant -
Trisha
Schroeder
Envirothon
2002
Calling all High School Teachers!!!
The Envirothon is a competitive, outdoor, academic event for high
school students. The Envirothon tests students’ knowledge of
soils, forestry, wildlife, aquatic ecology and a current
environmental issue (CEI). The CEI this year is Introduced Species
and Their Effect on Biodiversity. In addition, the Envirothon
encourages cooperative decision-making and team building.
Interested schools may enter up to two teams (3-5 members per team
with alternates). The deadline for entering the number of teams is
Friday, February 15, 2002. The deadline for entering the
individual members of each team is Friday, April 5, 2002. Please
call Gwen at 772 – 7645 by February 15, 2002 to register the
number of teams from your school.
This year’s competition will be held on Tuesday May 7, 2002 at the
Voice of America property (Butler County). Last year over 110
teams competed from 18 counties. The top four five-member teams
continue on to the State Envirothon held in June. State winners
compete in the national
competition.
Study materials will begin being posted on the Internet in
February. Please visit the website at www.go-concepts.com/envirothon.
I hope you join us for the 2002 Envirothon!!
Macroinvertebrate Teaching Kits and Kick Nets For Sale
The Hamilton SWCD teamed up with ODNR-Division of Soil and Water
Conservation and Greenacres
Foundation to promote and sell Macroinvertebrate Teaching Kits for
$35 each. Each kit contains 21
specimens of commonly found macroinvertebrates, one empty
one-ounce jar, a laminated Stream Quality
Monitoring (SQM) identification card, and a plastic
carrying case. Each specimen comes in a one-ounce jar preserved
with alcohol and glycerin. The jars are
labeled with letters that correspond to a laminated key in the lid
of the kit. In addition to the kits, we have some additional
homemade kick nets for macroinvertebrate sampling available for
$25 each. Proceeds from the sale of the kits and nets will be used
to support the annual Make A Splash Teacher Training Workshop. For
an
order form or more information call or email Gwen Roth at 772-7645
or gwen.roth@hamilton-co.org.
A River of
Ideas: Focus the Flow
Plan now to join fellow interpreters next spring to explore a
RIVER OF IDEAS and learn how to FOCUS THE FLOW. The National
Association for Interpretations’ Region 4 (Ohio, Indiana, Michigan
and Ontario) will hold its Spring Workshop in southwest Ohio, just
north of Cincinnati, at the Kings Island Conference and Resort
Center. Mark your calendars now for March 18-22, 2002. Concurrent
sessions will include new hands-on techniques for teaching old
favorite topics like butterflies, making prehistory come alive, historical
perspectives on our eastern forests, and new research on learning
and effective education.
For registration materials, contact Clare Thorn at
(513)-231-8678 (clare.thorn@rcc.org) or Chris Carroll at (513)
761-4313 (chris.carroll@rcc.org).
Wild Seed
Fund Mini-Grants
The National Wildlife Federation's Schoolyard Habitats Program
provides materials and teacher training workshops for educators
and school communities interested in creating or restoring
wildlife habitat on their school grounds. In 2002, NWF is able to
offer fifty $250 mini-grants to schools across the country. To be
eligible, you must be in the initial phases of a Schoolyard
Habitats project, plan to use the site for educational purposes,
and certify your Schoolyard Habitats site with the National
Wildlife Federation by March 15, 2003. The deadline for
applications is January 15, 2002.
Applications can be downloaded at www.nwf.org/habitats/schoolyard/index.html
Reminder-Teachers
Look for grant opportunities in the next addition of the
“Conservation Spotlight” newsletter.
.
|
Each year at our Annual Meeting an election is held to select volunteer members for our Board of
Supervisors. Each of our five Supervisors serve
Kentucky,
Florida and Colorado he brings valuable technical expertise and
experience. Congratulations to both Steve and Joe.
