Since the earliest civilizations, societies have wrestled with a love/hate relationship with the “almighty agua.” We are no exception. In countless ways, we are absolutely dependent on this magical and ever-changing substance. Water fills our cells, flows through our veins and in short, enables us to live. Yet water can also bring us severe hardship, [...]
As fall is fast approaching many soil and water districts are planning their annual meetings. This means they are looking for qualified candidates to run for their board of supervisors. Each district has five board members, and they are elected for three-year terms. The election takes place at the SWCD’s annual meeting. Residents and landowners [...]
What is girdling? When I first heard the term a long time ago, I thought it had to do with woman’s clothing apparel. Of course, I learned and I now know that girdling is a forest improvement practice of cutting off a tree’s “blood flow” in order to end the tree’s life. But why? The [...]
I did not come up with the name for this column; The Dirt on Conservation. I don’t know about you but I do NOT conserve dirt at my house. Actually, I resent the time I spend cleaning to get rid of it! There are many other things I would rather be doing like working in [...]
Do you have rare plants? And what do you do if you have them? These questions will be answered Sept. 18 at the Medina County SWCD Annual Meeting. Guest speaker Judy Semroc, a field representative in the Conservation Outreach Program of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, will explain how they help landowners wishing to [...]
Recently, at the farmers market, a woman rushed over to me excitedly, seeking out the vendor with the fresh eggs that her friend had told her about. “She told me the yolks were deep yellow, and the eggs were the best she had ever tasted! How does he grow them?” she went on to ask. [...]
Locally led conservation programs — they’re what Soil and Water Conservation District supervisors dedicate their time and talents to. SWCDs are governed by five publicly elected volunteer board members, or supervisors, as they are sometimes called. They set the direction for the district based on that county’s conservation needs. The Holmes SWCD aerial cover crop [...]
As I tried to put together this article it became clear to me that your local Soil and Water Conservation District is definitely “one stop shopping” for conservation education. While it all changes at the county line, there are many common threads among us as well. The Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District is fortunate [...]
Rain barrels make every drop count. That’s the slogan that begins every one of my rain barrel presentations. Well, OK, I have to confess here that I have done only one actual presentation, but when someone comes into the office looking for rain barrels, I do kind of a mini-presentation for him. The only difference [...]
As a kid, I can remember spending the majority of my free time outdoors. Like many kids, I participated in my fair share of sports, and put a countless number of miles on my mountain bike. Yet my fondest memories as a child came from other outdoor activities. When I wasn’t in school or participating [...]
