Find local recycling information:  https://berecycled.org/ 
 ​​https://earth911.com/

​Little Miami is the first school district in the state of Ohio to use a StyroGenie machine to create a closed-loop recycling system for the foam trays used in some of the district’s cafeterias. Findings included that this machine presented a possible cost effective path to reduce the schools’ foam tray footprint by more than 90%, reducing trash volume and waste disposal costs.

Other StryoGenies in the news - Lake Hills Elementary School, Michigan City,

​"The school's trash output in the cafeteria has gone down from 52 to 15 bags a day."

​The cost of the StyroGenie for Lake Hills Elementary was $12,000, "but it should pay for itself in two years from refuse disposal savings." Plus, "It's the right thing to do," - STEM coordinator at the school said,

Bricks were painted and placed in the school garden for decorative purposes and for a walkway incentive. The city's street department was contacted for additional use for the bricks.

"In addition to promoting a safe environment, the Styro-Genie shows students what is possible if they open up their minds." Lake Hills Elementary is also preparing kids to be problem solvers and creative thinkers as to solve some of the problems the world might have in the future.

Green Umbrella’s Local Food Action Team (LFAT) is working to strengthen our regional food system by encouraging all consumers to take the 10% Shift: Eat Local Challenge.

Green Umbrella Regional Sustainability Alliance Mission:  The Local Food team brings together local farmers, distributors, farmers markets, cooperatives, community gardeners, community supported agriculture organizations, health professionals, restaurants, extension services, educational organizations, government entities and processors to develop strategies to increase the demand for local foods, increase production and identify new markets for local foods. 

You can participate by taking the 10% Shift to Local Food and pledging to shift 10% of your food budget to purchase local foods. Learn more here! You can also join in the work by joining Green Umbrella and attending Local Food Action Team meetings--typically held the first Thursday of the month.  greenumbrella.wildapricot.org/Local-Food

​Information about state-level Master Gardener Volunteer programs and activities is available at http://mastergardener.osu.edu.

​Warren County Extension will be hosting the next Master Gardener volunteer class beginning in September 2018. This training will run through November. If you have any questions contact Beth Giffin at 513.695.1311 or [email protected] . The application deadline is August 17, 2018.  You must be accepted to the program, attend an eight-week class, and complete 50 hours of volunteer activity.  More information, including costs, a program application and a flyer can be found here:  ​​​https://warren.osu.edu/program-areas/master-gardener-volunteers/becoming-master-gardener

​Ever wanted to explore your local stream, but didn’t know exactly where and how? This summer Warren County SWCD are hosting stream encounters where residents can enjoy their local streams through guided educational opportunities and cleanups. While participating in beautification efforts, you will also learn about how we monitor for stream health. To register, go to: https://www.warrenswcd.com/stream-encounters.html

Event Planning: 
​www.greatoutdoorsmonth.org/activites-and-events

Volunteer Stewardship Opportunities:
https://www.warrenswcd.com/volunteer-opportunities.html
www.greatoutdoorsmonth.org/stewardship
​
Earth Team Volunteer:
www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/people/volunteers/

As of June 2, kids and families can download the new Junior Ranger
"Let's Go Fishing!" Activity Booklet or pick up printed copies at a growing number
of parks​over the summer.  Follow #GoFishingInParks.
​
​Warren County Ohio Park District:  ​www.co.warren.oh.us/parks/

2018 Caesar Creek Events:
parks.ohiodnr.gov/portals/parks/PDFs/things_to_do/naturalists/CaesarCreek2018.pdf
​

Above Photos taken at Caesar Creek Nature Center featuring  our wonderful host - Sarah Blair/ODNR, Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalists, Franklin High School Environmental Classes, ​Franklin HS Environmental/Biology Teacher Mr. Keith Vinson - 2017 Warren County SWCD Educator or the Year,
 www.caesarcreekstatepark.com/nature-center.html

Rivers, lakes and oceans - our blue spaces benefit both our physical and mental well-being. We rely on rivers for clean drinking water and as places of recreation and rejuvenation. Even the sound of moving water has a calming and restoring effect on the mind. ​Whether you are looking for a peaceful picnic or rest spot by a babbling brook, a scenic river-front hike or a place to paddle, you can find activities along Wild and Scenic Rivers that contribute to your good health. ​

Wild Scenic Rivers Health & Safety: www.rivers.gov/wsr50/files/health-safety-infographic.pdf

Roughly ​65% of our nation’s drinking water comes from rivers and streams. Toxins that contaminate water can harm the human body, meaning that "good health starts with good water chemistry".

​Many plants and some animals, such as freshwater mussels, can filter water by removing harmful chemical compounds. Since humans need assistance making sure the water we ingest is clean, protect your own health by understanding the ecosystems responsible for your clean water and helping your local watershed group clean up litter -
​thus removing water pollutants.

The National Ag Day program believes that every American should:

• understand how food, fiber and renewable resource products are produced.
• value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy.
• appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products.
• acknowledge and consider career opportunities in the agriculture, food, fiber and renewable resource industries.​

While our first President of the United States is well known for many contributions to shaping our country, one not-so-well-known achievement was that of being an agricultural pioneer. He grew a plethora of crops and tailored his growing based on results obtained from different soil types on the land.  He also was a staunch believer in the utilization of compost to enhance and enrich the soil.  Washington experimented with crop rotation plans, and sought to educate others on the importance of soil health.  

Washington’s accomplishments in the field of agriculture were so highly respected that he was elected to honorary membership in the Philadelphia Society for the Promotion of Agriculture, the first American organization devoted to agricultural improvement.  Today it is appropriate to celebrate George Washington as one of the first conservationists of our country!

That beautiful sentiment about autumn was expressed by William Cullen Bryant, an American nature poet and journalist. Born on November 3, 1794 in Massachusetts, he grew to have a love of science and geology which he reflects upon through his written work. His  poetry focusing on nature has been described as a metaphor for truth, and established a central pattern in the American literary tradition.​

Working in the education field, there is a continuous movement to support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) and the sister educational approach STEAM which also incorporates the Arts.  Taking a holistic approach to education and allowing these different spheres to influence and support the others provides multiple avenues for different style learners to thrive.  
​
The philosophy of STEAM revolves around the concept:
STEAM = Science & Technology interpreted through
Engineering & the Arts, all based in Mathematical elements.

Just as all of the natural processes on earth are interconnected, so too are the ways in which we perceive and learn about the world.  And what better way to celebrate this concept than to use poetry to reflect upon the beauty of nature!

 Buzz buzz buzz!  Hearing the sound of a honey bee buzzing can elicit a range of responses, from caution of their stinging self-defense to excitement at seeing their strikingly contrasted yellow and black bodies flitting from flower to flower.  Honey bees are hard working pollinators, animals that move pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower allowing for the production of seeds and fruits.  Many favorites, from apples to almonds, are almost exclusively pollinated by honey bees!

Here are some fun facts about honey bees from the American Beekeeping Federation:

Honey Bee Facts

• Approximately one third of all the food Americans eat is directly or indirectly derived from honey bee pollination.  Some crops pollinated are cucumbers, almonds, carrot seed, melons, apricots, cherries, pears, apples, prunes, plums, pluots, seed alfalfa, cantaloupe, seed onions, avocados, kiwi, blueberries, cranberries, etc.

• There are three members of a honey bee colony:
  • Queen - mother to all the bees in the colony; she is a fertile female.
  • Worker - an infertile female that performs the labor tasks of the colony, including feed preparation, guarding the hive, feeding the queens, drones and brood, and heating and cooling the hive.
  • Drone - the male that starts out as an unfertilized egg.  Its only purpose in the colony is to mate with a virgin queen.  They live to mate with the queen, but not more than one in a thousand get the opportunity to mate.

• On average, a worker bee in the summer lasts six to eight weeks.  Their most common cause of death is wearing their wings out.  During that six to eight-week period, their average honey production is 1/12 of a teaspoon.  In that short lifetime, they fly the equivalent of 1 1/2 times the circumference of the earth.

• The peak population of a colony of honeybees is usually at mid-summer (after spring buildup) and results in 60,000 to 80,000 bees per colony.  A good, prolific queen can lay up to 3,000 eggs per day.

• Drones fly on United Airlines.  This is a corny joke amongst beekeepers because of the way queens and drones mate.  When a queen is five to six days old, she is ready to mate. She puts out a pheromone scent to attract the males and takes off in the air.  The males from miles around smell the scent and instantly volunteer in the mating chase, which is performed in the air.

Basic Beekeeping

• Basic beekeeping simplified is having:
  • New, viable queens
  • Feed (natural or artificial)
  • Good, sound equipment
  • Disease-free hives (good medication program or integrated pest management)
• When processing honey from a beehive, a good rule of thumb is for every 60 pounds of honey produced one (1) pound of beeswax will be made (1 to 60 ratio).

• In order to manipulate population dynamics, the timing of hive management is critical, such as the splitting of hives just prior to swarming season.  Also, feeding syrup and pollen supplement at least 21 days prior to a pollination inspection or honey flow induces the queen to lay eggs.

information provided courtesy of ABF member Lance Sundberg

A honey bee performs a carefully choreographed "waggle" dance that instructs the rest of the hive where to find a food source.

​For Warren and surrounding counties, there is a local chapter of beekeepers with the SouthWestern Ohio Beekeepers Association. They can provide information and support for local beekeepers and for services like proper swarm removal.

For more information about the amazing honey bee and conservation efforts, check out Pollen Nation!

One of my favorite spots to be outdoors in Warren County is Miller Ecological Park.  Whether going for a hike or playing with my daughter on the Nature Playscape, I can submerge myself in nature even while still being in the city of Lebanon.

For a list of other wonderful parks throughout Warren County where you can get out into nature, visit  https://trekohio.com/warren/

So on this World Environment Day, we encourage everyone to reconnect with the natural world around them, and remember why it is so important for all of us to be responsible stewards of our natural resources!

This year marks the 12th annual Endangered Species Day!  This day focuses on celebrating biodiversity and protecting species of plants and animals most at risk. Biodiversity is important because each species no matter how small has an important role to play in the larger ecosystem.  As a society we rely on these species for various aspects of our own existence.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as of March 2017, there are a total of 503 animal species and 773 plant species listed as endangered and 208 animal species and 168 plant species listed as threatened.
​
One step the United States has taken to help protect biodiversity was the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973.  The purpose of the ESA is to "protect and recover imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend." It is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Commerce Department’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The FWS has primary responsibility for terrestrial and freshwater organisms, while the responsibilities of NMFS are mainly marine wildlife such as whales and anadromons fish such as salmon.
​
Under the ESA, species may be listed as either endangered or threatened. “Endangered” means a species is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. “Threatened” means a species is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future. All species of plants and animals, except pest insects, are eligible for listing as endangered or threatened. For the purposes of the ESA, Congress defined species to include subspecies, varieties, and, for vertebrates, distinct population segments.
(https://www.fws.gov/ENDANGERED/esa-library/pdf/ESA_basics.pdf)

At least 40 percent of the world’s economy and 80 percent of the needs of the poor are derived from the biological resources.  In addition, the richer the diversity of life, the greater the opportunity for medical discoveries, sustainable economic development, and adaptive responses to such new challenges as climate change.
                                                                                                                 -Convention on Biodiversity

In Ohio, there are 119 animal species listed as endangered, 54 listed as threatened, and 102 listed as Species of Concern.
​
​The Division uses six categories: endangered, threatened, species of concern, special interest, extirpated, and extinct, to further define the status of selected wildlife. These categories and the species contained within them are revised as our knowledge of the status of Ohio’s wildlife evolves.

• Endangered: A native species or subspecies threatened with extirpation from the state. The danger may result from one or more causes, such as habitat loss, pollution, predation, interspecific competition, or disease.
• Threatened: A species or subspecies whose survival in Ohio is not in immediate jeopardy, but to which a threat exists. Continued or increased stress will result in its becoming endangered.
• Species of Concern: A species or subspecies which might become threatened in Ohio under continued or increased stress. Also, a species or subspecies for which there is some concern, but for which information is insufficient to permit an adequate status evaluation. This category may contain species designated as a furbearer or game species, but whose statewide population is dependent on the quality and/or quantity of habitat and is not adversely impacted by regulated harvest.
• Special Interest: A species that occurs periodically and is capable of breeding in Ohio. It is at the edge of a larger, contiguous range with viable population(s) within the core of its range. These species have no federal endangered or threatened status, are at low breeding densities in the state, and have not been recently released to enhance Ohio’s wildlife diversity. With the exception of efforts to conserve occupied areas, minimal management efforts will be directed for these species because it is unlikely to result in significant increases in their populations within the state.
• Extirpated: A species or subspecies that occurred in Ohio at the time of European settlement and that has since disappeared from the state.
• Extinct: A species or subspecies that occurred in Ohio at the time of European settlement and that has since disappeared from its entire range.        ​

For a complete listing of Ohio wildlife species, visit:  http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/portals/wildlife/pdfs/publications/information/pub356.pdf

Six Ohio plants are also on the federal list of endangered and threatened species. These include:

Running buffalo clover (Trifolium stoloniferum)
Northern monkshood (Aconitum noveboracense) 
Lakeside daisy (Tetraneuris herbacea)
Small whorled pogonia (Isotria medeoloides)
Prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera leucophaea)
Appalachian spiraea (Spiraea virginiana) 

For a complete list of rare Ohio plants, visit:
http://naturepreserves.ohiodnr.gov/rareplants

Protecting species for current and future generations is a responsibility that falls to all of us. Together we can safeguard habitats and biodiversity in our own communities and across the globe!

The first Arbor Day was held on April 10, 1874 , after proposal by J. Sterling Morton, a Nebraska pioneer and lover of nature.  He knew trees were needed to keep soil in place by serving as windbreakers, for fuel and building materials, and to provide shading from the sun.   So he encouraged planting trees, and it is estimated that more than one million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day!

Over the years, Arbor Day has become a national holiday, with many states celebrating at different times to coincide with optimal tree-planting weather for their area. But whether Arbor Day is observed on the last Friday of April or another day, the idea is the same; support nature and beauty through planting trees.  

To learn more about Arbor Day, visit https://www.arborday.org/

Trees provide many benefits and services for both people and other wildlife. They provide shelter and food for multiple species of birds, mammals, and insects.  Many useful products are provided for human use from lumber for building, wood to make baseball bats and rocking horses, and paper products.  Trees also improve habitat areas, reduce soil erosion, supply oxygen, and provide aesthetic beauty.

 Trees can be identified based on leaf characteristics, bark type, and flower color.

The structure of trees is fascinating and supports their functions.  As a tree grows, a new layer of wood is added to the trunk and limbs,  These rings each have two parts: early wood which grows in the wet, spring season, and late wood which forms during the slower growing season of summer.  These rings can offer insight into the climate of the area, and indicate disturbances such as flood or fire.  The ring sizes vary year to year based on growing conditions.  These tissues also draw nutrients and water for the tree up from the roots.

​
Index of Ohio Trees from Ohio DNR Division of Forestry:

Once your plant a tree, think about registering it with Taking Root, a collaborative, broad-based campaign to address the current historic loss of our region’s tree canopy by planting trees, better managing our local forests, promoting the many benefits of healthy trees, and fostering a sense of stewardship among individuals and communities.    http://www.takingroot.info/

Planting Trees Is a Virtuous Act: 
His Holiness, The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet

"Trees are extremely important. A healthy tree purifies the air and supplies oxygen for living beings to breathe. It harmonizes the elements and increases life expectancy. Its shade provides a refreshing place to rest. It brings rain at the right time. It nourishes crops and livestock, and balances the temperature. It contributes to an attractive landscape and
continually replenishes its surroundings. It brings about natural developments in the spheres of education, economics and so forth. The drawbacks of a polluted environment include a decline in the pure, cool qualities of the oceans and lakes, so that the creatures dwelling in those places are disturbed. The loss of vegetation and forests causes degeneration in the Earth's nourishment. Rain does not fall when it is needed. Unprecedented fierce storms rage. There are many disadvantages. Planting and nurturing trees are virtuous acts. It is beneficial to plant various types of trees. In particular, fruit trees provide nourishment predominantly for humans, as well as benefit to many other sentient creatures. They help to improve health. The whole of society needs to take an interest in
planting various kinds of trees and flowers around monasteries, schools, offices, hospitals,
factories, restaurants, hotels and residences, on both sides of thoroughfares. May the attractive and healthy forests be increased in all the one hundred directions! May sentient creatures be freed from untimely death and live happy lives!"

From a message that was delivered on Tibetan Democracy Day, September 2, 1994.

To learn more about trees or find tree activities/projects/lesson plans, check out Project Learning Tree!