What is the Envirothon: 
The Envirothon is designed to stimulate, reinforce and enhance interest in our environment and our natural resources among high school students.
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The Envirothon tests students' knowledge of soils, forestry, wildlife, aquatic ecology and current environmental issues (CEI). In addition, the Envirothon encourages cooperative decision-making and team building. While each student on an Envirothon team is challenged to contribute his or her personal best, the score that counts at the end of an Envirothon is the team score.

Any high school teacher can start an Envirothon team in their school.  A team consists of a maximum of five students, all from the same high school. The High School can have up to 3 total teams. An adult advisor (or advisors) must accompany the team, but is not permitted to assist the team during the competition. Teams usually convene before or after school to study the Envirothon areas of study. There is lots of guidance and assistance on the the Area, State and National Envirothon information pages.

Warren SWCD can help mentor any teacher in creating a new Envirothon team or continuing an established program.  We can help teach and guide students towards important information.  We are very familiar with the Envirothon process  and competition, so don't hesitate to inquire further or ask for assistance!

Follow this link to learn more:
http://www.warrenswcd.com/hs-envirothon.html

The Division of Wildlife uses information from Bat Acoustic Survey Monitoring to help track our bat species, population rates and document the progression of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS).  Sadly, signs of WNS has officially shown up far west in the state of Washington as of 2016.

​Find out up-to-date information about White-Nose Syndrome (WNS), the deadly disease that affects North American bats by cilcking on the black box below. Extensive groups of state, federal, tribal, university, and non-governmental partners are helping minimize the impacts of White-Nose Syndrome.  They also need our help!  #Save the Bats​

Ohio Department of Natural Resources - Contact Information:
www.whitenosesyndrome.org/partner/ohio-department-natural-resources

In the winter of 2006-07, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation found approximately 10,000 bats of the genus Myotis (little brown bats, M. lucifugus, and Indiana bats, M. sodalis) dead and dying in four caves in New York. Since 2006, White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) has killed millions of bats in eastern North America, including several Myotis species, Perimyotis subflavus (Tri-colored bat), and Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat). 
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In March 2011, the first Ohio case of WNS was confirmed in an abandoned mine in Lawrence County, Ohio. Several counties in Ohio have been confirmed as WNS positive, including Lawrence County in 2011, 5 counties were added in 2012 (Geauga, Summit, Cuyahoga, Portage, and Preble), and 10 counties added in 2013 (Medina, Jefferson, Union, Wayne, Ashland, Athens, Clinton, Madison, Warren, and Sandusky).
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Updates on WNS in the State of Washington:
wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/health/wns/​

www.whitenosesyndrome.org/news/deadly-bat-fungus-washington-state-likely-originated-eastern-us​

Bats Truly Need Our Help:  

• Contact the Ohio Department of Natural Resources/Division of Wildlife immediately if you suspect you have seen bats with this WNS condition in Ohio.  Learn who to contact in one's owns state:  https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/
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• Do not handle live bats.  Contact:   1-800-WILDLIFE                                                           Ohio Department of Natural Resources
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• Report the bat or the groups of bats that you suspect with WNS.  This information will help others understand our bat populations and White-Nose Syndrome. 
  
  
• Do not spread White-Nose Syndrome  and limit disturbance to roosting bats. Avoid entering areas where bats may be living to limit the potential of transmitting the fungus that causes the disease and disturbing vulnerable bats.  Do not allow dogs to access areas where bats may be roosting or overwintering as they may act as carriers of the fungus to new sites. 
  
  
• Clean your clothing and gear if you come into contact with crevices in rock cliffs, talus areas, caves or mines. When possible use the decontamination guidelines at www.whitenosesyndrome.org.
  
  
• Improve bat habitats.  Reduce lighting around your home, minimize tree clearing, and protect streams and wetlands. Try to incorporate one or more snags into your landscape keeping old and damaged trees when possible. Snags provide important habitat for bats and other backyard wildlife. For more information on living with bats, and instructions for how to build a bat house, visit:  ocvn.osu.edu/news/please-help-our-ohio-bats-make-ready-bat-friendly-houses-roosts-springsummer-occupancy

Devouring 1,000 Mosquitoes nightly; Bats are now welcome guests as "Zika Fears Rise":   www.nytimes.com/2016/07/05/nyregion/devouring-1000-mosquitoes-an-hour-bats-are-now-welcome-guests-as-zika-fears-rise.html?_r=0​

Why should you put up a bat house?
Bat houses benefit bats, you, your family, communities, farmers, gardeners
and ​the ecosystem as a whole.

• Bat houses provide bats a home.  In turn, bats will eat thousands of insects.
• Bat houses give bats an alternative to our houses.  Thus, reducing the chance of human-to-bat contact.
• Bat populations have decreased significantly (especially with White Nose Syndrome) and bat houses can help provide secure habitat. 

See Additional Bat House Designs:

wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/portals/wildlife/pdfs/publications/birds%20and%20birding/pub419.pdf​​

www.batcon.org/pdfs/bathouses/FourChamberNurseryHousePlans.pdf​

www.batweek.org/files/Single_chamber_bat_house_instructions.pdf​

www.eparks.org/pdf/batbox.pdf

—Bat Facts:
​Over 1,000 Species Worldwide
—45 species native to U. S.
—11 species in Ohio (2016)
—The only true flying mammal
—Primarily nocturnal, but most times can be seen flying about in the early evening (crepuscular)

Teachable Moments:
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​The Save Lucy Campaign was created to raise awareness of White-Nose Syndrome
​and its devastating impact on North American Bats.

Creatures of the Night
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The Order name ‘Chiroptera’ means “hand-wing”
—Order Chiroptera =“hand wing”
—Megachiroptera =“large “bats:  Found in tropics - —large fruit bats/flying foxes
—Microchiroptera =“small” bats:  all bats in U.S.
—Varied diets and ID characteristics

askabiologist.asu.edu/explore/bats​

www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/white-nose_syndrome/Battle_for_Bats.pdf​

www.youtube.com/channel/UCMnhyLXrhchXNk22V2fSRTw

www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/bat_crisis_white-nose_syndrome/index.html​

www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-do-bats-echolocate-an/​

askabiologist.asu.edu/echolocation​

Thankfully, organizations and many individuals work wisely to protect and preserve our streams. The Little Miami River is one of America's National Wild and Scenic Rivers. "The Little Miami River Kleeners' and Little Miami Watershed Network's purpose is to enhance the quality of life along the Little Miami River by promoting the protection of, stimulating the public interest in, and encouraging the preservation of the Little Miami River."

Little Miami State and National Scenic River:  Rivers and streams in the Ohio Scenic Rivers program are monitored regularly to ensure that the water habitat quality remains high.  The Stream Quality Monitoring (SQM) program is coordinated by regional employees, but most of the monitoring is done by volunteers.
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Warren SWCD participates in the ODNR Stream Quality Program.  Our testing site is at river mile 44 on the Little Miami River.  If you would like to learn more about Stream Water Quality Monitoring or volunteer with Warren SWCD doing Stream Water Quality Monitoring, please e-mail our staff coordinator, Molly Conley, or click on the black box below for additional information:   [email protected]