Muskingum Soil & Water
Conservation District
“Your Soil and Water Conservation Specialists”
225 Underwood Street, Suite 100, Zanesville OH 43701
Newsletter Issue 1
Phone (740)454-2027 FAX (740)454-1451
NRCS (740)454-2767
muskingumswcd.org
Spring 2016, Published Quarterly
Wanted! A Few Cold-Blooded Friends
The Muskingum Soil and Water Conservation District is embarking on
an awesome new project for 2016. The Muskingum County Reptile and
Amphibian Survey is a citizen-science project that identifies and tracks
distributions of reptiles and amphibians in the county. Our goal is to
identify all species of reptiles and amphibians found in our county by
enlisting non-scientists of all ages and abilities to photograph and submit data on animals they find. Muskingum County is one of the least surveyed counties in the state for reptiles and amphibians. In the past year,
I have had a snake and a lizard brought to me that have never been documented here. It’s our hope that by asking for assistance from county
residents, that we can identify more animals and promote conservation
of these unique and valuable species.
In Ohio we have 10 species of turtles, 4 lizards, 22 snakes, 1 newt, 21 salamanders, 3 toads and 9
frogs. Both reptiles and amphibians are important components to the ecosystem. They provide
food for many other animals, enrich the soil, are essential in controlling populations of insects and rodents, and are excellent indicators of environmental quality. Because amphibians breathe through their skin, their bodies are sensitive to toxins in the environment,
making them the environmental “canary in the coal mine”. Both reptiles and amphibians
are used in medical research and people have discovered antibiotic, anti-tumor properties, analgesics, and anti-inflammatory compounds from these animals. Salamanders are
the only vertebrate (animal with bones) that can re-grow limbs.
Reptiles and amphibians are experiencing global declines of 20 to 40 percent respectively. In Ohio alone there are 4 endangered salamanders, 1 toad, 6 snakes, and 2 turtles that
are described as “threatened”. Considering the total number of species found in our state,
these numbers are fairly high. There are many reasons for the global decline in reptile
and amphibian populations including: over-harvesting for food and pets, habitat loss and
fragmentation, pollution, disease, invasive species and outright persecution. These animals represent some of the most unique, amazing and adaptable of any on the planet.
They are worth our attention and worthy of protection.
So, that brings us back to the Muskingum County Reptile and Amphibian Survey. In the
next month, the District website, www.muskingumswcd.org, will have information on how
to participate in the survey, materials to make people aware of the survey, and will include a downloadable PDF field guide of reptiles and amphibians found here. The District
will also host several programs on reptiles and amphibians open to anyone interested,
and we will have multiple events where people can come to a given area and help us look
for animals. What we are asking from everyone is just to pay attention to these animals,
when you find one in your yard or on a hike, take a couple of pictures and send them to us.
Photos can be sent via e-mail to [email protected], downloaded to our
Muskingum County Reptile and Amphibian Survey Facebook page, printed and mailed in,
recorded on the iNaturalist app, or sent via text message. Our website will have a short
data form for you to fill out with information on where and when you found the animal. We
will take photos with just your contact information as well. If you are interested in joining our “toad
team” to help identify populations of endangered spade foot toads, please contact us as well.
Please help us get the word out about the survey, and “like” our Facebook page, Muskingum
County Reptile and Amphibian Survey. Hopefully come spring, we will all find more cold-blooded
friends.
We Would Like to Thank Our Sponsors
2016 Pollinator Plant Sale
In an on-going effort to promote the establishment of pollinator habitat, the Muskingum Soil and Water
Conservation District (MSWCD) is again offering various berry plants and a pollinator seed mix for sale. Proceeds
from the sale benefit the college internship scholarship program.
Worldwide, animals pollinate approximately 80% of the crop plants that are grown for food, forage, fibers,
and medicines. Billions of dollars of our economy, not to mention most of what we eat, is based on pollinated
crops.
Recent years have seen a decline in the overall pollinator population due to diseases, loss of habitat, and
improper use of insecticides/pesticides. Pollinators are not just butterflies and bees, but also include moths, hummingbirds, beetles, flies, and even bats. Any area of habitat we provide, no matter how small, will help provide
nectar and pollen to support these vital members of our world.
The plants and seed mix for sale have been selected for their attraction to pollinators, so please be advised
that bees will be attracted to these same plants. All of the plants are deer resistant, meaning that they are not the
first plants the deer will clean off your property. The berries are all hardy, easy to grow canes that come from a
nursery in Michigan, so they will be winter-hardy to our area. The pollinator seed mix is designed for this area of
the country and will grow in our climate. The seed mixture includes Butterfly Milkweed, Aster and Tall White
Beardtongue seeds along with other seeds to attract bees and butterflies.
Orders are being taken for a limited number of plants and seed mixes on a first come-first serve basis. Orders will be taken until April 25 or until the plants and seeds are sold out. Order forms are available at the
office, in this newsletter, or on-line at www.muskingumswcd.org. Payment must be submitted with the order. Orders may be placed at the MSWCD office or mailed to 225 Underwood Street, Suite 100, Zanesville, Ohio 43701.
Orders cannot be taken over the phone.
Projected delivery to our office is mid-May. We will notify you by postcard when the plants and/or seeds
can be picked up. You must pick up your plants on the specified date because we do not have a place to keep the
plants. The plants are small (2-4” pots). There are no refunds or exchanges and we reserve the right to make substitutions. All sales are final. Berries are sold in bundles of three of one type of plant.
Blackberries, Chester ($12.00 for 3 plants)
A winter hardy, thornless Blackberry. The fruit quality is firm. Do not plant near black raspberries.
Black Raspberry, Pequot Lakes
($12.00 for 3 plants)
2016 Pollinator Plant Order Form
Medium to large fruit that are easy
to harvest about the third week in
Name:
July. This plant will yield up to three
pounds of fruit per season. The
Address:
black raspberry is well balanced
City:
between high sweetness and low
acidity.
State:
Zip:
Blueberries, Blue Ray ($15.00 for
3 plants)
Phones:
It matures at 4-6’ tall and has an upright growth pattern. Mid-season.
Each bush can produce 10-20
Berry Plants & Pollinator Seed Mix
pounds of large, delicious berries in
x $12.00 =
Blackberries, Chester (3 plants)
July. The leaves are a dark green
color in the summer and turn a burx $12.00 =
Black Raspberry, Pequot Lake (3 plants)
gundy red in the fall. All blueberx $12.00 =
ries require full sun, excellent drain- Red Raspberry, Heritage (3 plants)
age, highly acidic soils and good
x $15.00 =
Blueberries, Blue Ray (3 plants)
mulch. Bears fruit in two to three
x $15.00 =
Blueberries, Aurora (3 plants)
years.
X $ 8.50
Blueberries, Aurora ($15.00 for 3
plants)
This plant will grow 4-5 feet tall, but
Make checks payable to:
Grand Total: $
will spread out more than upright.
Muskingum
SWCD
Fruit size is medium with approximately 75 berries per cup late in the
season. Bears fruit in two to three years. Plants adapt to most soil textures and conditions.
Red Raspberry, Heritage ($12.00 for 3 plants)
XERCES Northeastern Pollinator Mix- $8.50– Enough seed to cover a 250 square feet area.
Black Crappie
2-4”
Growth rate on crappies will
average 2 to 3 inches in
length per year on a life span
of about 8 years. Crappie feed
on small fish and insects
much like the bluegill and are
able to eat a little larger
fish.
Bluegill
75¢
Each
Native to Ohio, largemouth bass prefer
ponds, lakes and slow, sluggish
streams. Adult bass eat crayfish, frogs,
large insects and other fish. Average
size weighs from 1 to 2 pounds.
Redear are not native to Ohio, but
have been stocked in state waters
for many years. They prefer a diet
of snails and can reach 9 to 11
inches in length.
White Amur
75¢
85¢
Each
85¢
Each
8-10”
Also known as grass carp, they eat
weeds and plants and grow very
rapidly. White Amur often attain
4feet in length and weigh 70-90
pounds as adults. Amur used for
weed control are sterile, triploid
fish that eat up to three times their
own body weight.
$13
Each
Each
Yellow Perch
2-3”
Native to Ohio, Perch are found in
lakes, ponds and slow moving rivers. Yellow perch normally range
from 6 to 12 inches in length and
weigh from 1/4 to 1 pound.
$6/
100
80¢
Each
Stocking recommendations for a
new one acre pond
These two make your balance:
100 Largemouth Bass
200 Bluegill
2-4”
A cross of a male bluegill and female green sunfish, giving it the
length of bluegill and thickness
and aggressiveness of sunfish. If
the food is there, they reach the
size of 10 to
2-3”
Redear Shellcracker 2-4”
1-2”
Minnows are a feeder fish that
tolerate a wide range of water
conditions, making them suitable
for farm ponds. Recommended in
new ponds to help boost growth
of game fish until bluegill begin
to spawn.
Hybrid Bluegill
Each
4-5”
Found in most large streams,
lakes and many farm ponds, this
Ohio native can tolerate a wide
range of conditions, but prefers
areas of deep water, and a low to
moderate current. The average
size catfish is 12 to 14 inches in
length.
Fathead Minnows
85¢
2-4”
They are found throughout the
state in nearly every stream and
body of water. Bluegill reach 7
to 10 inches, but if they become
overcrowded, will remain less
then 5 inches in length. Best fish
for forage because of their high
reproduction numbers.
Channel Catfish
Largemouth Bass
These add variety to the menu:
85¢
Each
100 Channel Catfish
100 Redear Shellcracker
100 Hybrid Bluegill
1000 Flathead Minnows
Note: If the pond you are stocking is smaller
than one acre, multiply the surface area of
the pond by the rate in the chart above.
Japanese Koi
Japanese Koi love to eat duckweed so if you reduce the amount
of food you give them it will encourage them to eat the duckweed.
$11
Each
For Example: 0.65 Acre Pond
0.65 X 1000 (Minnows) = 650 Minnows
*10 White Amur
*Suggested rate for one acre pond with moderate pond weed problem. New ponds should
not be stocked unless pond weeds exist
(moderate = 50% infestation).
2016 Fish Sale
April 15, 2016
Bluegill
Redear Shellcracker
Pick-up Hours:1:30– 3:00 p.m.
in the MSWCD parking lot (Elberon Street Side)
Please bring with you when you pick up your fish:
1. Container: (5-gallon bucket or 10-20 gallon trash can)
2. Plastic liner in container
3. Liner half full of pond water.
The container must be lined in order to keep the oxygen in the water.
Muskingum Soil and Water Conservation District
2016 Fish Sale Order Form
Order Deadline: April 8, 2016
Fish Species
Qty.
Cost
Each
Total
Name ____________________________________
Address__________________________________
Black Crappie
85¢
$
Bluegill
75¢
$
Channel Catfish
75¢
$
Fathead Minnows
$6/100
$
Cell # ____________________________________
Hybrid Bluegill
85¢
$
E-mail _____________________________________
Largemouth Bass
85¢
$
Japanese Koi
$11.00
$
Muskingum Soil and Water Conservation District
Redear
85¢
$
225 Underwood Street, Suite 100
Zanesville, Ohio 43701
White Amur
$13.00
$
Yellow Perch
80¢
$
City_______________________
Zip___________
Phone #___________________________________
Make checks out to:
Payment must be made at the time of ordering the fish. To
order, clip the order form in this flyer and mail it along
with payment to MSWCD office. Additional order forms
available at www.muskingumswcd.org.
Grand Total $ _________________
Looking for a Few Good Interns
The MSWCD is looking for two or three Volunteer Interns for the summer of 2016. To be eligible, students must be in college and will be required to fill out an application and submit a resume and short
essay. Students must be able to work a minimum of 200 hours over 10 weeks (20 hours per week) and
must pass a criminal background check.
Interns are needed to assist Nicole Hafer, our Education/Wildlife Specialist, with Kids Conservation
Camp. Camp is a ten-week summer camp for approximately 30-35 students aged 7-17. Camp days are
Monday and Wednesday, running June through mid-August. Students in environmental or teaching
fields of study are encouraged to apply. Those selected to assist with Camp must be able to work on
both Monday and Wednesday each week.
There is also the possibility that an intern may be needed to assist with sample collection for a nutrient
management and water quality grant. This intern will work with Van Slack, Agricultural Resource Specialist, in collecting and processing soil samples, plant tissue samples, and water samples.
All Interns will also be given the opportunity to work with the other MSWCD staff in various project areas, including agriculture, forestry, wildlife, urban and water quality monitoring.
While these are volunteer positions, if an Intern successfully meets the standards for the position and
completes the required hours, he/she will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship at the end of the program.
For more details, contact the MSWCD office at 740-454-2027 or check our website at
www.muskingumswcd.org for more information.
Registration begins May 2, 2016
$30 per week
Activities Include: Burr Oak State Park, The
WILDS, Lake Park, COSI, Old Man’s
Cave, The Works, Seneca Lake , crafts,
wildlife, swimming, and MORE!
Area Grazing Events
Pastures for Profit– Morgan & Muskingum OSU Extension, NRCS &
SWCDs are hosting Pastures for Profit on April 5, 7 and 9. April 5 and 7 will
be held at the Rural Services Building at 225 Underwood Street, Zanesville
from 6:30– 9:00 p.m. and April 9th will be held at a local farm for hands on
practice. The cost is $40 for the first person and $15 for each additional
family member. Please call Muskingum OSU Extension to make your reservation at 740-454-0144.
Grazing School– March 31, April 5 & April 12 for Belmont, Guernsey, Monroe and Noble Counties.
Please contact the Noble SWCD for more information and to RSVP at 740-732-4318.
Other Events to be Aware of:
May– Guernsey, Morgan, Muskingum & Noble Counties Pasture Field Day– date & location TBA
June- June 23– OSU Extension Hay Day at the Belle Valley Research Station
June 28– Pond & Grazing Clinic hosted by Morgan SWCD and NRCS at Hidden Acres Farm
August 8– Morgan County Livestock Ag Day, Location TBA
September- Pasture Walk in Washington County– Date & Location TBA
If you have a grazing operation or want to learn more about grazing, consider attending any or all of
these events. Contact our office for more information.
For a number of years now, the MSWCD has sponsored a Big Tree Contest in Muskingum County. The
purpose of the contest, in addition to locating, measuring and documenting our county’s big trees, is to provide an opportunity to remind us of the importance of trees and their role in our quality of life.
Trees nominated for this contest may be on your own property, or on other privately owned or public
land in Muskingum County. Trees are scored using a format utilized by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources-Division of Forestry in determining Ohio’s big trees, many of which remain National Big Tree Champions. The tree’s height, average crown spread, and Diameter at Breast
Height (DBH) are factored in this measurement, earning specific points
or values.
When you nominate a tree, we ask that you approximate these
dimensions. SWCD staff will measure each nominated tree for points.
Also, it is very important to be specific as to the location of the nominated tree. It is equally important that the nominator or owner be available
for the measurement by the staff during the field visit.
An award will be presented to the owner of the largest tree in
Muskingum County, regardless of species. A custom made plaque and
recognition in the District Newsletter will be awarded to the owners of
the “Big Tree 2016”. Last year, an American Elm, owned by Gary and
Connie Hursey, scored 323.8 points. This points total was calculated by adding the circumference in inches
(202 inches or 5.4 feet in diameter), the height (95 feet) and the crown spread average times .25 (107 ft
x .25).
Each tree entered is in the contest for two years. Previous big tree winners can enter again, but a different tree must be submitted for consideration. If you would like to submit a tree for consideration, complete
the form below and return by April 22, 2016.
Draw a brief sketch of the property showing
the approximate location of the tree in the
space provided below, or stop into the office
and show us on an aerial map.
Owner's Name:
Address:
City, State, Zip:
Daytime Phone:
Nominator's Name:
Daytime Phone:
Species:
Circumference at 4 1/2‘ (in inches):
Approx. Vertical Height (in feet):
Average Diameter/Spread of Crown (in feet):
Exact Location of Tree:
Advertisers
Complete and return by April 22, 2016 to:
Muskingum SWCD “Big Tree” Contest
225 Underwood Street, Suite 100
Zanesville, OH 43701
OakManagementProjecttohelpinrestoringoakhickorywoodlandsownedprivately.Woodlandowners
intheprojectareacanreceivebothtechnicalassistance
IfyouownawoodlandinsoutheasternOhio,itmost
fromprofessionalforesters,and inancialassistanceto
likelyincludesoakandhickorytrees.Itisalsolikely
implementconservationmeasuresrecommendedby
you’venoticedanewtypeoftreegrowingamongthe
forestersusingEQIP.Conservationmeasuresthatprooaksandhickories,theshowyandhighlyinvasivenon- moteoakandhickorygrowthincludethecontrolofinnativetreeofheaven.Ifyouwatchbirds,itisequally
vasiveplantsandundesirabletreesthatoutcompete
likelythatyoumaystruggleto indaceruleanwarbler,a oaksandhickories.
smallsky-bluebirdthatperchesamongthetreetops.
Since1966,thepopulationofthiswarblerhasdeclined WoodlandownersinAdams,Athens,Gallia,Hocking,
by70percent,dueprimarilytothelossoak-hickoryfor- Jackson,Lawrence,Meigs,Scioto,Vinton,Morgan,Monroe,Muskingum,Noble,Perry,Pike,RossandWashingest.
tonCountiesmayapplyfortheEQIPOakManagement
Inanefforttorestoreoak-hickorywoodlands,theU.S. program.OhioNRCSallocated$300,000againthisyear
DepartmentofAgriculture’sForestService,theNatural fortheEQIPOakManagementProgram.To receive conResourcesConservationService(NRCS),andtheOhio
sideration for funding in 2016, applicants must apDepartmentofNaturalResourcesteameduptocreate ply by March 18, 2016.
the‘CollaborativeOakManagement’projectinsoutheasternOhio.TheprojectareaincludestheWayneNa- Oak-hickorywoodlandsacrosstheprojectareaareata
tionalForestandOhioStateForests,aswellasprivately tippingpointinourlife-times.Privatewoodlandownheldforestland.Approximately73percentoftheland ers,theU.S.ForestService,theOhioDepartmentofNaturalResources,andNRCShaveachancerightnowto
withintheWayneNationalForestisprivatelyowned
andinterspersedwithintheforestboundaries.Howev- helptheforestbecomeahealthyoak-hickoryforestiner,theboundariesofprivateandpubliclanddon’texist steadofsomethingelsealtogether.
forinvasivespeciesandwildlife.TheCollaborativeOak IndividualsinterestedinapplyingfortheEQIPOakManManagementprojectprovidesamechanismtorestore agementprogramshouldmakeanappointmentwiththe
oak-hickorywoodlandsseamlesslyacrossbothpublic
localNRCSConservationist,LoriRyan-Grif in,tostart
andprivateland.
theapplicationprocess.Lori’sof iceisco-locatedwith
theMuskingumSWCDof ice.Shemaybereachedat740
Lastyear,NRCScreatedaspecialEnvironmentalQuality
-454-2767.Remember,to receive consideration for
IncentivesProgram(EQIP)aspartoftheCollaborative
funding this year, apply by March 18, 2016!
USDA Oak-Hickory Woodland
Restoration Project
Save the Date–
July 16, 2016
5th Annual
ATV
Conservation Tour
Muskingum
County
2016 Plat Book
Now Available
$25.00
Wayne Township Area
The SWCD and NRCS prohibit discrimination in any program activity or employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability,
retaliation, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital or family status, or genetic information. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of
communication (Braille, large print, etc,) or who need special accommodations for meetings should contact the SWCD office at (740)454-2027.
Shiitake Mushroom Log Inoculation Workshop
Saturday, March 19th at Noon
The event will be hosted by Service Forester Adam Komar with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry, and sponsored by the Muskingum SWCD and the
Muskingum River Woodland Interest Group (MR WIG). It will be held at Blue Rock
State Forest HQ, 6665 Cutler Lake Road, Blue Rock, OH 43720.
Do you love mushrooms? Has cabin fever set in yet? Get out of the house and join
us Saturday, March 19th at noon for a hands-on Shiitake mushroom log inoculation
workshop! Shiitakes are becoming an increasingly popular choice mushroom in
the United States, and are easy to grow. This workshop will walk you through how
to grow Shiitake mushrooms right at home, covering topics such as suitable wood
species, sources of wood, and choice of spawn. Participants will gain a working
knowledge of the inoculation process, and each participant will leave with their
very own Shiitake log! Participants are encouraged to bring a pair of gloves, a rubber mallet and safety
glasses.
Supply of spawn is limited so we will only taking the first 20 registrants. Registration and payment is required in advance. There is a $5 registration fee that includes an inoculated log, so only one registration
will be needed per group or family unless multiple logs are desired.
For more information or to register contact Muskingum Soil and Water Conservation at 740-454-2027 or
the office at 225 Underwood Street Suite 100, Zanesville, Ohio 43701.
Conservation Stewardship Program Sign-up Underway
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS) is currently accepting applications for the
2016 Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
through March 31, 2016.
The NRCS has an extensive list of Enhancements
that are offered for the 2016 signup for each different land use. Some examples of the different Enhancements offered include: planting cover crops,
CSP is a financial assistance conservation program using drift reducing spray nozzles for agricultural
chemical applications, using nitrification inhibitors
handled by the NRCS. It is designed for the
“Cream of the Crop” famers, graziers and private when applying nitrogen fertilizers, planting small
areas of pollinator plants, closely monitoring grazforest managers who want to further improve or
tweak the management of the natural resources on ing methods and forage plant heights, regularly
the land they own and/or manage. Interested ap- moving livestock supplement feeders, holding a
plicants should already be applying good steward- grazing field day, inter-seeding legumes into pasship practices on their cropland, pastureland and/ ture fields, managing woodland den/snag trees for
wildlife, conducting crop tree releases, creating
or woodlands. They should have also already inshallow wetland pools for woodland wildlife, plantstalled the basic conservation practices that were
needed to address the basic natural resource con- ing non-timber crops within the woodlands, etc.
cerns on their land.
For more information about CSP, or to submit an
Applicants must be willing to enter into a five-year
contract where they will choose and apply different
conservation management activities, called
“Enhancements”, to increase the productivity and
sustainability of their cropland, pastureland and/or
woodland operations. As an incentive to apply the
Enhancements, the selected participants will receive annual contract payments for each of the five
years.
application, please contact Lori Ryan-Griffin, NRCS
District Conservationist for Muskingum and Morgan Counties, at 225 Underwood Street, Suite 100,
Zanesville, Ohio, or call 740-454-2767 (Ext. 3). Information is also available on the NRCS website
located at www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/
farmbill. The USDA-NRCS is an Equal Opportunity
Employer and Service Provider.
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Save the Date
P
R
P
Ag Breakfast
March 1
Pasture for Profit
April 9
Tree Order Deadline
March 4
Live at Noon
April 12
Live at Noon
March 8
MSWCD Board Meeting
April 12
Backyard Bees
April 14
Live at Noon
April 26
Fish Sale Pick-up
April 15
MSWCD Board Meeting
March 8
Seed Starting, Seed Saving and Soil for Healthy
Gardens
March 10
Live at Noon
March 22
Ag Breakfast
April 5
Pasture for Profit
April 5
Pasture for Profit
April 7
Fish Order Deadline
April 8
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Ag Breakfast
May 3
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May 10
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May 19
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