National Association of Conservation Districts 2026 Stewardship Week was a success! Celebrated April 26 - May 3, this year's theme was: Soil. Where it All Begins!

This year’s focus highlights soil as a living resource that supports food production, water quality, wildlife habitat, and healthy communities. Conservation districts across the country use this week to connect people of all ages to the role soil plays in everyday life and long-term natural resource conservation. Stewardship Week is a visible way for districts to share their work and connect conservation to the communities they serve.

Here at Warren County SWCD we are proud to work to conserve and improve soil health across the county. From working with agricultural producers to maintain soil integrity and developers to help reduce erosion and sediment pollution along our waterways, protecting the soil supports us all! We also provide soil testing for residents! Want to know more about your soil and residential soil testing? Visit https://www.warrenswcd.com/soil-testing.html or give us a call at 513.695.1337

What is slimy, red, and helps you grow your veggies? If you guessed red wiggler worms, you would be correct! Red wiggler worms, also known as red worms, tiger worms, and manure worms, are a small species of earthworm measuring 3 to 4 inches long. Red wigglers are originally from Europe, but have now spread to all continents on the globe except Antarctica. For those of us who vermicompost, red wigglers are well known as these voracious eaters are excellent at breaking down food scraps to recycle the nutrients into a valuable soil amendment.  But let's learn a little more about these hard working critters!

Fun facts:

• Scientific name Eisenia fetida. Fetida meaning ‘foul smelling’ 
• They are native to Europe but naturalized across all continents except Antarctica.
• They have a lifespan of up to 5 years.
• They are one of 7 species of worms that can be used to effectively compost. 
• They do best in a temperature of 55-90 degrees. 
• The earthworm is made of about 100-150 segments​

​The soils of the world are diverse and allow us to produce a plethora of crops and food to support the global population.  World Soil Day, celebrated annually on December 5th,  was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to celebrate one of our most vital resources. Soil is essential for filtering pollutants from our water, storing carbon, and providing the foundation for an estimated 95 percent of the world’s food supply.  ​The theme for the 2021 World Soil Day is Halt soil salinization, boost soil productivity.

The costs:
​1. Yield Potential — soil erosion removes topsoil, which is high in organic matter and contains the nutrients essential for crop growth. Erosion generally decreases yield potential.
2. Nutrients — nutrients needed for crop growth are located in the topsoil where fertilizers, crop residues, and manure are applied; soil erosion will decrease the nutrient content.
3. Water holding capacity — loss of topsoil organic matter can change the overall texture of a soil and result in lower water holding capacity
4. Organic matter — topsoil is high in organic matter where crop residues and manure have been added to the soil. Erosion usually results in decreased organic matter.
5. The environment — water quality in streams, lakes, etc. can be greatly negatively affected by sediment and nutrients that are brought in by soil erosion. Wind erosion can result in reduced air quality.
 
Possible Solutions on the Farm:
​1. Reduce tillage — tillage exposes soil to the environment and makes it more likely to be eroded by wind or water.
2. Manage crop residue — keeping crop residues on the soil surface helps protect soil from wind, rain, and running water. Residue can protect soil from erosion when crops are not growing in a field
3. Grass waterways — maintaining grass waterways in low areas where a high volume of runoff is possible will slow the speed of running water and allow for sediment to be kept in the field.
4. Cover crops — cover crops allow protection for a field during times of the year when crops are not growing. Cover crops protect the soil from wind, rain, and running water.
5. Row width/direction — narrower crop rows will canopy sooner and allow for better protection of the soil. Crop rows that are planted perpendicular to slopes will decrease runoff and increase infiltration vs. rows that are planted in the same direction as the slope

...And in the Neighborhood:

1. Stabilize soil by mulching with shredded bark, wood chips, leaves, or even pine needles - Look for locally sourced materials and cover bare patches of soil, hill sides, and spaces between plants.
2. Ground Cover - From lawn daisies to clover, keep it covered.  The roots of larger perennial plants do the job too of reducing erosion. 
3. Rain Gardens & Plant Catchments - Catch and control water when it’s moving downhill  by creating a rain garden.  A well-positioned rain garden can cut down on erosion and the possibility of pollutants reaching neighboring tributaries by over 30%. To plant a rain garden, select water loving plants adapted to your region and climate, and add stones and other features to direct the water.
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​Soil erosion has a large number of negative effects to both crops and the environment. It is important to use various management practices to protect the soil’s surface and minimize the likelihood of erosion.

We all have soil to thank for the food on our tables and our ability to thrive on the planet.  Recognizing its importance and what steps can be taken to protect this vital resource are critical to that continued existence.

Educators, did you get a chance to check out the virtual Greater Cincinnati Environmental Educators Expo this year?  If not, take a sneak peek at the session presented by our Education Specialist, Melissa! She presents on the various program options teachers can do with worm observations, and is joined by Clermont SWCD educator to discuss the new SW Ohio Education Site. 

Check out the segment from the conference below!
(This conference is usually hosted by the Cincinnati Zoo, so enjoy an animal encounter during the first 15 minutes of the video or jump to the 15 minute mark to begin the lesson presentation!)

​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
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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!

The Global Soil Partnership is dedicating World Soil Day 2017 to the theme "Caring for the Planet starts from the Ground". Soil is a finite natural resource. On a human time-scale it is non-renewable. However, despite the essential role that soil plays in human livelihoods, there is a worldwide increase in degradation of soil resources due to inappropriate management practices, population pressure driving unsustainable intensification and inadequate governance over this essential resource. 

The World Soil Day (WSD) campaign aims to connect people with soils and raise awareness on their critical importance in our lives.
​​
The International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), in 2002, adopted a resolution proposing the 5th of December as World Soil Day to celebrate the importance of soil as a critical component of the natural system and as a vital contributor to human well being.
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In December 2013, the 68th UN General Assembly declared 5th of December as the World Soil Day.

"On World Soil Day, I call for greater attention to the pressing issues affecting soils, including climate change, antimicrobial resistance, soil-borne diseases, contamination, nutrition and human health." — UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon

For more information on World Soil Day, visit ​http://www.fao.org/world-soil-day/en/

Earthworm Facts to Research:

• There are approximately 2,700 different types of Earthworms.
• “Earthworm” refers to any species of terrestrial annelid worm that burrows in the soil. 
• Earthworm bodies are made of  rings, or segments.
• Each segment is surrounded by a set of muscles that help earthworms move.
• An Earthworm has no teeth, arms, legs or eyes. Even though worms don’t have eyes, they can sense light, especially at their anterior (front end). They move away from light and will become paralyzed if exposed to light for too long (approximately one hour). Earthworms possess light- and touch-sensitive organs (receptor cells) to distinguish differences in light intensity and to feel vibrations in the ground.
• Worms have specialized chemoreceptors or sense organs ("taste receptors") which react to chemical stimuli. These sense organs are located on the anterior part of the worm.
• ​An earthworm can grow only so long. A well-fed adult earthworm will depend on what kind of worm it is, how many segments it has, how old it is and how well fed it is. An Lumbricus terrestris (Night crawler) will be from 90-300 millimeters long.
• The largest earthworm ever found was in South Africa and measured 22 feet from its nose to the tip of its tail.​                     ​                               

extension.illinois.edu/worms/facts/
http://www.biologyjunction.com/earthworm%20facts.htm

​​More Earthworm Fun Facts to Research:​

• Worms live where there is food, moisture, oxygen and a favorable temperature. If they don’t have these things, they go somewhere else.
• In one acre of land, there can be more than a million earthworms.
• Worms tunnel deeply in the soil and bring subsoil closer to the surface mixing it with the topsoil. Slime, a secretion of earthworms, contains nitrogen. Nitrogen is an important nutrient for plants. The sticky slime helps to hold clusters of soil particles together in formations called aggregates.
• Charles Darwin spent 39 years studying earthworms more than 100 years ago.
• Worms are cold-blooded animals. As with invertebrates, their body processes or metabolism slow down with falling temperatures. Earthworms will hibernate at near freezing temperature. If frozen they will die. Earthworms react to advancing colder winter weather by burrowing deep (up to two meters) in the soil to avoid the extreme cold.
• Earthworms have the ability to replace or replicate lost segments. This ability varies greatly depending on the species of worm you have, the amount of damage to the worm and where it is cut. It may be easy for a worm to replace a lost tail, but may be very difficult or impossible to replace a lost head if things are not just right.
• Baby worms (wormlets) are not born "live". They hatch from cocoons smaller than a grain of rice. The bump is the clitellum, the saddle shaped swollen area 1/3 of the way back containing the gland cells which secrete a slimy material (mucus) to form the cocoon which will hold the worm embryos.
• Young worms hatch from their cocoons in three weeks to five months as the gestation period varies for different species of worms. Conditions like temperature and soil moisture factor in here...if conditions are not great then hatching is delayed.
• ​The Australian Gippsland Earthworm grows to 12 feet long and can weigh 1-1/2 pounds.​
• If a worm’s skin dries out, it will die. Earthworms respire (breathe) through their skin, and therefore require humid conditions to prevent drying out. They coat themselves in mucus to enable the passage of dissolved oxygen into their bloodstream.
• Worms are hermaphrodites. Each worm has both male and female organs. Worms mate by joining their clitella (swollen area near the head of a mature worm) and exchanging sperm. Then each worm forms an egg capsule in its clitellum. (The term "hermaphrodite" derives from the combination of the names of two Greek gods: Hermes, a male and Aphrodite, a female. So, something with both male and female characteristics is a "herm-aphrodite".)
• Some research indicates that earthworms can eat their own weight each day while other research suggests that earthworms may eat about 30% of their weight each day. Earthworms derive their nutrition from many forms of organic matter in soil, things like decaying roots and leaves, and living organisms such as nematodes, protozoans, rotifers, bacteria, fungi. They will also feed on the decomposing remains of other animals.

​ extension.illinois.edu/worms/facts/
​http://www.biologyjunction.com/earthworm%20facts.htm

Discover things that worms and all animals need to survive when setting up and/or caring for earthworms in a composting bin:

• Water- ex. water spray and wet food
• Air- create air holes
• Food - make a list (The worms eat my organic garbage- banana peels, paper, coffee grounds, etc. Worms recycle food scraps turning it into compost/plant food a.k.a. worm poop or castings.
• Shelter- the box and the paper bedding
• Space- If the worms have too many babies or wormlets, there will be too many worms for the size of the bin and for the amount of food, etc., so they will cut down on having womlets.

Soil Supports Life:  The living systems occurring above and below the ground surface are determined by the properties of the soil.  Organism types displayed below: bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, arthropods, earthworms.  Their roles & benefits include:  decomposition, release, nutrients, create pores, and stabilize soils.

Search for other Earthworm links on the World Wide Web -
Just click on these link names below.



USDA
THE LIVING SOIL: EARTHWORMS
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Science Museum of Minnesota Online Worm Project 
See first graders at the Museum Magnet School exploring the world of worms.
Worm Words Glossary for Teachers 
Learn the words that pertain to worms and worm composting.
Worm Supplies 
List of worm sellers in the United States and Canada

A Guide to Worm Composting 
Tips for making and using a worm bin

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.
​
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