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Licking Soil and Water offers multiple education programs, all free of charge. We offer a variety of in-person education programs, where our staff comes out to teach your students and several loaner kits that educators can borrow to use in their classrooms or educational settings. This year, we would like to highlight one new education program and one new loaner kit: our Mammals Program and Web of Life Loaner Kit!
Mammals - Students learn what makes a mammal a mammal and how different adaptations help mammals survive in their environments. We discuss physical and behavioral adaptations, the differences between herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores, and what animals we find in Ohio now vs. in the past. We also cover vocabulary such as camouflage, extirpation, and extinction. Students get an up-close view of mammal pelts and skulls as they learn about these different adaptations.
Web of Life - This loaner kit includes all the materials necessary to conduct the Web of Life activity from Project Learning Tree with a class of up to 30 students. In this activity, students learn about the interconnectedness of the food web here in Ohio and what happens when we start losing some of the pieces in our food web. The kit includes name tags for each student to play a part in the food web, a ball of yarn to make connections between the parts of your food web, a copy of the Web of Life lesson plan, and more.
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Join Soil and Water and our partners at the Hartford Fair's Natural Resources Area during the week of August 4th!
The beautiful 4-acre Natural Resources Area is behind the horse arena and goat barn. Free family-friendly programs and contests will be offered throughout the week of the Hartford Fair. Some programs and contests include the Bugman, the Skill-A-Thon, and the FFA Competition.
Bugman - Thur. Aug. 8: This dynamic, fun, and funny program features LIVE BUGS! The Bugman, Mark Berman, shares his knowledge and excitement about bugs with participants. You might even get the opportunity to hold some of his bug friends!
Skill-A-Thon - Fri. Aug. 9: Participants take a test to gauge their knowledge of natural resource topics in wildlife, forestry, soil and water conservation, recycling, fish and fishing, and Ohio plants and flowers. Competitors are split into three age classes: Junior (10 years old and younger), Intermediate (11-14 years old), and Senior (ages 15-18). Winners from each category will receive a prize!
FFA Competition - Fri. Aug. 9: FFA teams from school districts around the county come together for a fun and friendly competition. Teams compete in four different competitions: a canoe race, a canoe tug-of-war, a recycled boat float, and a canoe relay race with a quiz bowl test. Points are awarded based on place in each event. The team with the highest points overall will receive a prize!
The Natural Resource Area program schedule is below. If you have any questions about the Hartford Fair Natural Resource Area, please contact our office at ContactUs@LickingSWCD.com or 740-670-5330.
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Encourage your high school students to volunteer for the 2024 River Round Up on September 7, 2024!
The River Round Up Committee hosts the Licking County River Round Up every September! This event brings out hundreds of volunteers to help clean up the Licking River and its tributaries and is an excellent opportunity for high school students to fulfill volunteer hours!
Each volunteer group meets at different locations along the Licking River's tributaries to clean trash from different sections of the river. Clean-up routes are along the shore and on the water by kayak or canoe.
Registration is required for participation. Anyone under 18 will need a waiver signed by a parent or guardian. To learn more about the River Round Up or to register yourself or your students please visit our website's How to Help page. If you have any questions about the River Round Up, please contact our office at ContactUs@LickingSWCD.com or 740-670-5330.
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The Soil and Water Conservation Mini-Grant program is an excellent opportunity to help fund your students' conservation-based service learning project.
In celebration of Soil and Water's 75th Anniversary in 2019, the Board established a Community Mini-Grant program. Each year, the program offers up to $1000 to Licking County non-profits, demonstrating the need and ability to carry out on-the-ground conservation projects.
In 2023, nine applications were received from Licking County non-profits, local entities, and schools for local conservation projects. $4,750 will be distributed among the selected organizations!
The Mini-Grant program is open to non-profit organizations such as schools, watershed groups, local government entities, municipalities, community groups, and civic associations within Licking County. The deadline to apply for the 2024 Conservation Mini-Grant is September 27, 2024.
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During rain events, stormwater runs over lawns and picks up synthetic lawn chemicals such as fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides. These chemicals contribute to water pollution, which enters streams and rivers and negatively affects water quality and aquatic life. By reducing your usage of these lawn chemicals, you can help protect our waterways and keep our drinking water and aquatic animals safe! This summer, try some of these cleaner methods of lawn and garden care:
- Always read the chemical package instructions carefully and limit usage to the recommended amount or less.
- Establish a compost pile to replace the need for synthetic fertilizers or switch to organic.
- Get your soil tested before buying fertilizers so you know exactly what your lawn needs, rather than wasting money on something that might not work and end up in our waterways!
- Use native plants instead of non-natives to reduce the need for fertilizers and other chemicals.
- Cut grass no lower than 2.5 inches to allow for deeper root systems to be established.
- Try vinegar solution for treating weeds (1 gallon white vinegar: 1 cup salt: 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap)
- Convert sections of lawn to native plant gardens; this reduces the need for chemicals while also benefitting pollinators and wildlife.
- Try Integrated Pest Management Principles (IMP) as outlined by the US EPA
Learn more about stormwater and what you can do to help protect it on the Stormwater Page of our website!
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Aug 4-9: Soil & Water at Hartford Fair in the Natural Resources Area
Aug 30: Downtown Newark Association STEAM on the Square
Sep 2: Labor Day Office Closed
Sep 22: World Rivers Day
Sep 27: Conservation Mini-Grant Application Deadline
Oct 7: World Habitat Day
Oct 14: Columbus Day Office Closed
Oct 12: World Migratory Bird Day
* RSVP Required
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