...and we must leave it for our children in (hopefully) a better state than it was when we borrowed it.  Yet in a sense, maybe the world is somewhat "given by our fathers", like a gift we are preparing to leave the next generation.  And as the blustery winds of winter start to arrive, the holiday season presents a perfect opportunity to act on that sentiment.  Many of us our busy decorating and prepping for the various celebrations that occur this time of year.  The holiday season fosters much reflection and connection to those around us, and is a wonderful opportunity to share moments and memories.  While we ready our homes for this special time of year, WCSWCD wishes to encourage folks to keep our natural world in mind and take steps to reduce waste and negative environmental impacts.

There are many eco-friendly ideas for gearing up for the holidays! Here in our office, we are turning the below items into festive decor and ornaments!

Here are some ideas and resources that we are using, and we want to share them for others to try as well!

3-D Snowflake or Star:
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-3D-Paper-Snowflake

https://www.greenmoxie.com/31-diy-christmas-trees-made-from-recycled-materials/
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Recycled Single-Serve Coffee Maker Cup Christmas Bell Ornament http://www.glimmercreations.com/2014/11/recycled-single-serve-coffee-maker-cup.html
 
Recycled Paper/Book Pages Decorations and Ornaments
http://lorajeansmagazine.blogspot.com/2008/04/paper-bag-flower-from-scratch.html
https://www.sassabyparties.com/blog/21-diy-paper-christmas-ornaments-decorations
 
Recycled Jar Lids for Holiday Ornaments
https://www.debbie-debbiedoos.com/recycled-jar-lids-christmas-ornaments/
 
Tin Can Pull-top Ornament
https://www.thriftyfun.com/Tin-Can-Pull-top-Ornament.html
 
Recycled DIY Holiday Crafts
http://www.architectureartdesigns.com/30-cute-recycled-diy-christmas-crafts/

https://www.goingzerowaste.com/blog/2015/11/28/a-zero-waste-christmas
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Natural Resources Conservation Service
LEBANON SERVICE CENTER
777 COLUMBUS AVE STE 3A
LEBANON, OH 45036-1682
(513) 282-2957

Program Contact: Beth Lessick
District Conservationist
Phone:  513-282-2955
Email:  Elizabeth.Lessick@oh.usda.gov

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced Friday, October 19, 2018, as the deadline to submit applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in Ohio.

EQIP is a voluntary conservation program which helps producers make conservation work for them. Together, NRCS and producers invest in solutions that conserve natural resources for the future while also improving agricultural operations. Through EQIP, NRCS provides agricultural producers with financial resources and one-on-one help to plan and implement improvements, or what NRCS calls conservation practices. Using these practices can lead to cleaner water and air, healthier soil and better wildlife habitat, all while improving agricultural operations. Through EQIP, you can voluntarily implement conservation practices, and NRCS co-invests in these practices with you.

Financial assistance is now available in a variety of agricultural categories such as cropland, forestry, pasture operations, and organic. Several special projects are also available which address water quality, forestry management, improving pollinator populations, applying best management practices and many more. All available agricultural categories are listed on the Ohio NRCS website under “EQIP Application Deadlines.”
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To participate in USDA conservation programs, applicants should be farmers or farm or forest landowners and must meet eligibility criteria. Applications signed and submitted to NRCS by the October 19 deadline will be evaluated for fiscal year 2019 funding.
To learn more about EQIP or other technical and financial assistance available through NRCS conservation programs, visit Get Started with NRCS or visit your local USDA Service Center.
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​Web: www.oh.nrcs.usda.gov

“In the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand and we will understand only what we are taught.”― Baba Dioum

Great Outdoor Weekend is a chance for people of all ages to experience the best outdoor recreation and nature awareness programs in our area.  This event is held the last weekend of September each year and over 100 events are hosted!

Warren County, 'Ohio's Largest Playground' has wonderful opportunities to experience the Great Outdoors this weekend. Registered events include:

Warren County Park District is also full of amazing parks to go spend quality time outside!

Select a Park

• Bowman Park
• Carl E. Oeder Park
• Carmody Park
• Clint Fultz River Park
• Craig Minard Memorial Park
• Drake Rd. Property
• Gulley Park and Trails
• Hatton Lukens Park
• Hisey Park
• Ivins Memorial Park
• Kesling Park
• Landen Deerfield Park
• Loeb Memorial Park
• Mathers Mill Nature Preserve
• Morrow Veterans Memorial
• Shaker Rd. Property
• Warren County Armco Park​

For additional Great Outdoor Weekend events in surrounding areas, visit ​http://meetmeoutdoors.org/greatoutdoorweekend/

August 18, 2018 is National Honey Bee Day!  National Honey Bee Day is an awareness day for the bees, started in 2009 by beekeepers of the United States to promote and educate the public about the bee industry. Bees play a very important role in our life,producing honey, and pollinating a large varieties of plants. They pollinate almost all crops and trees, thus we may enjoy different vegetables and fruits. ​

Ohio mobile bat acoustic surveys have taken place since 2011 and currently consist of 42 routes in 41 counties. Surveys began after white-nose syndrome (WNS) was discovered in a hibernaculum in Lawrence County, Ohio. This disease has killed an estimated six million bats in the United States and Canada since 2007 (USFWS, 2012). The goal of this project was to non-invasively monitor the summer bat populations in Ohio and determine the negative effects (e.g. population declines and loss of species diversity) that WNS may be having statewide. Because bats are the primary predator of night-flying insects, they are incredibly important to the ecosystem and for agriculture by reducing pesticide loads and crop damage. Bats are estimated to save around $3.7 billion dollars each year for the agriculture industry. Mobile bat acoustic surveys allow the Division of Wildlife to determine if winter declines are consistent in the summer populations. Survey results are compared annually to monitor changes in bat abundance along each route. (Read full report here)
 
 
Click here to learn more about getting involved with bat surveys with ODNR!
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