The Dirt on Conservation

We take our well water for granted

Thursday, March 17, 2011 by Lee Carl Finley

When drilling a water well, no one can guarantee you that you will have water or how much water you will have. When you hire a well driller to drill you a well, you are paying for a developed hole in the ground — nothing more.

SWCD educates adults and children

Thursday, March 10, 2011 by John Boilegh

Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) can offer more than just technical assistance to the public. Many of Ohio’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts employ education specialists as part of the staff. These folks are specialists in the field of natural resource education. On behalf of the districts, they go out into the community and [...]

Benefits of tile drainage are inarguable

Thursday, March 3, 2011 by Jeff Van Loon

Hooray for tile! Now that’s something you don’t hear too often from people these days. Seems over the last decade or so in certain quarters that tile drainage is viewed as some sort of menace to society in our politically correct world. In fact, you might wonder, has it become a four letter word ? [...]

Vernal pools: Perfect home for some

Thursday, February 17, 2011 by Other News

They are out there. Inconspicuous and undetected, many buried underneath a hardened blanket of snow and ice, they are scattered throughout our Ohio woodlands. And they are waiting. Though winter has declared her reign, it will be only a few more weeks until these silent, dormant spaces tucked away on the forest floor will awaken [...]

Are you responsible for a dam?

Thursday, February 10, 2011 by Carolyn Gabric

The Stark Soil and Water Conservation District was recently asked to help the ODNR Division of Soil and Water Resources host several dam safety workshops. While researching information related to Ohio’s dams, I came across some eye-opening information Catastrophe Did you know that the IVEX Dam (Chagrin River, northeastern Ohio) failed catastrophically on Aug. 13, [...]

Looking toward spring: Get youth outdoors with these seasonal activities

Thursday, February 3, 2011 by Matt Brown

In my last article – Kids Caring about Conservation — I eluded to the fact that a large percentage of today’s youth do not get a chance to experience the great outdoors. This lack of experience often leads to a complete disconnection with the wild world around them. As we encourage the conservation of our [...]

Soil testing supplies useful information

Thursday, January 27, 2011 by Other News

As I look out my window and see the snow covering the ground, it is hard to believe that spring is just 60 days away. Even with the snow on the ground, now is a perfect time to think about spring planning. Spring planning can include all sorts of projects and goals, such as planting [...]

Remember: “bee” polite to pollinators

Thursday, January 20, 2011 by Jenny Fisher

With the threat of flurries and the temperature threatening to drop below freezing, you’re probably not thinking about bees. Most of us won’t waste a thought on them until that first buzzing bee insists we share our refreshing glass of sweet tea. But before you decide not to share and swat that pest with authority, [...]

Holmes Co., Alpine Cheese water quality trading project proves successful

Thursday, January 13, 2011 by Michelle Wood

Holmes Co., Alpine Cheese water quality trading project is successful The idea set forth to Holmes SWCD and others was relatively straightforward, yet innovative. The Alpine Cheese Company in Holmes County needed to expand its production to meet the market demands of Jarlsberg Cheese, of which they are the sole manufacturer in the U.S. In [...]

Reflections on 2010, hopes for 2011

Thursday, January 6, 2011 by Jodi Cespedes

As I sit here in front of my computer, my fingers hovering over the keys impatiently waiting for my brain to come up with a topic to write about, I started to reflect upon all that has happened in the past year. This year has been especially difficult for many of the soil and water [...]