. Encourage those who register to invite their friends-it’s easy!
You can invite your friends with one click, directly from “My Page” on the site. Also encourage them to select your organization as the one that referred them to the website. You will get “credit” for their registration!

Together, Green Umbrella members can boost the impact every individual who is passionate about environmental sustainability can have! Be sure to register now at: http://www.GreenUmbrella.org

The Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District, Environmental Education Council of Ohio and Agrium, Inc. invite you and your students to participate in the 2011-12 Caring for our Watersheds program (CFW). CFW is both an environmental proposal contest and a project funding opportunity for high school students. CFW asks students to submit a proposal that answers the question, “What can I do to improve my watershed?” Students research their local watershed, identify an environmental concern and come up with a realistic solution.  Ten finalists will present their ideas and win up to $1,000 cash rewards for themselves and matching rewards for their schools. Schools also receive $100 for every ten completed proposals submitted  Students can work individually or in teams up to 4 members  In addition to cash rewards, there is also $10,000 ($1000 per project) available for students to implement their projects.  ALL Finalists are eligible for these “mini-grant” implementation funds.

CFW Important Dates Proposal Entry Deadline: Friday, March 23, 2012
Final Competition: Saturday, May 5, 2012 at the Cincinnati Zoo.

How It Works…
http://www.savelocalwaters.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Operations-Manualv10.pdf 

Visit www.caringforou​rwatersheds.com for more details. If you are interested, please contact  gwen.roth@hamilton-co.org  or 513-772-7645 X13

Note: CFW Ohio open to 9th – 12th grade students who live in Hamilton County, Ohio

http://www.clermontcountyohio.gov/nr0112covercrops.aspx

Come learn about water conservation through the use of rain barrels and even make your own to take home!

Rain barrels collect and store rain water from your downspout. They decrease the effects of storm water run-off and provide free water for use on your lawn/ garden.

Participants will build their own 55 gallon closed-system rain barrel with an overflow. Rain barrel installation and maintenance will also be covered. All supplies are included in the workshop fee. (Rain barrels are paintable.)

Space and supplies are limited. Registration forms are required. Registration
Deadline is March 2nd.For complete details and registration click here

Registration Contact:
Amy Pond
513-695-2530
amy.pond@co.warren.oh.us

If you live in an area where this can be a problem, you know that deicers are a common way to eliminate it. But too often we don’t use deicers properly. Their job is to loosen ice from below making it easier to shovel or plow, not remove ice completely.

So, why would I discuss deicers in a gardening article? Because, improper or over use of deicers is detrimental to plant life and the environment. Most deicers are chemicals containing high concentrations of salt. Excess salts build up in the soil, just as with the overuse of chemical fertilizers. They impede the uptake of moisture and nutrients. Others cause leaching of heavy metals which eventually make their way to water supplies.

…read this article in its entirety here.

Hamilton County Soil & Water Conservation District (HSCWCD) held its 66th
Annual meeting on September 15, 2011 at the new LEED GOLD certified
Metropolitan Sewer (MSD) building located at 1035 Woodrow Street. Their new
building has attracted nationwide attention and is the first within the City
of Cincinnati designed and constructed to achieve the LEED Gold
certification. Our guests enjoyed guided tours of the building prior to the
banquet.

Incumbent Steve Johns and new candidate Scott P. Huber were elected to the
Board of Supervisors for a three-year term beginning January 1, 2012.
Congratulations to these gentlemen. Thank you to Karen Ball and Dale Rack
for also running for the Board.

HSCWD also honored the following during the meeting for their conservation
practices:

CONSERVATION PARTNERS AWARD Pharmaceutical Take Back program

Commissioner Monzel presented Col. Charles Lindsey, Harrison Police Chief
and Rick Patterson, Fairfax Police Chief, a proclamation for volunteering
their time and vehicles to collect and transport all the materials from the
22 Pharmaceutical Take Back locations to an approved incinerator in the
State of Indiana. They were also awarded the District Conservation Partner
of the Year Award.

URBAN CONSERVATION AWARD for Water Quality and BMP’s

The Green Township Board of Trustees, Tony Upton, Trustee, David Linnenberg,
Vice Chairman, Tracy Winkler, Chairman, and Thomas J. Straus, Fiscal Officer
received the award for water quality and post construction BMPs installed at
Bicentennial Park.

URBAN CONSERVATION AWARD for Sediment Controls

Paul Coors, Production Manager for Ryan Homes received the award for
implementation of sediment controls on individual lot constructions at Blue
Meadows, Stone Ridge Estates and Summercrest Subdivisions.

CONSERVATION TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Ron Hochstrasser of Sycamore High School, was recognized for his support of
our local Envirothon competition and for being a faithful steward of the
environment and role model to his students. He runs the school’s
Environmental Club, plants trees, installed a rain garden on school grounds
and runs the recycling program.

WATER QUALITY PARTNERSHIP AWARD Biological Surveys/Public Education

Stacie Martin, Jessica Truman, Dave Gamstetter (not pictured) of Cincinnati
Parks and Joe Milanovich, Ph.D. USEPA, received the award for their work
associated with the Ault Park and Stream Day-Lighting Project.

The Ohio State University (OSU) Extension’s Joe Boggs gives an excellent educational video presentation about the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) to help citizens know what to look for, and what to do if they suspect they have an infected tree on their property.  http://www.clermontcountyohio.gov/videoosualb.aspx

The ALB infestation was found in Ohio in 2011.  Unlike the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), it has multiple host trees.  Like EAB it will eventually kill its host trees.  ALB is a lazy, bad flier, so we have a much better chance of eradicating it, unlike EAB.

Watch this 45 minute video to learn about ALB, where it came from, what species it eats, how to identify it, and the potential impacts it could have in Ohio.  Early detection is the key, so the more people that are aware of identifying this species, the more likely we are to catch them quickly and eradicate.  When you start thinking about timber production, foliage tours in the Northeastern U.S. and the potential impacts on the maple syrup industry if ALB were to spread – you’ll realize why it’s so important to have more people aware and looking for the early signs.

It is important to notes that there is no genetic link between the Ohio infestation and the infestations out east. These are completely different (genetically), unrelated generations of bugs. That is a good thing because it means this truly is a separate infestation and not spread from one of the infestations out east.

Watch and learn more. . . . pass on to others too.

Examples of projects eligible for funding may include:
- Education and training for water quality improvement or green
infrastructure jobs
- Public education about ways to reduce water pollution
- Local water quality monitoring programs
- Engaging diverse stakeholders to develop local watershed plans
- Innovative projects that promote local water quality and community
revitalization goals

Funding proposals must be received by EPA by January 23, 2012. EPA will hold two web-based seminars on this funding opportunity on December 14, 2011 and January 5, 2012. EPA expects to award the grants in summer 2012. EPA expects to award between $1.8 to $3.8 million in grants for projects across the country that will contribute to improved water quality and community
revitalization.

http://www.epa.gov/urbanwaters/funding/index.html

More than 55 inches of rain have fallen in the Great Miami River Watershed this year – 17 inches more than the average annual precipitation. And the good news is that our region’s riverfront cities have not flooded.

All five of the Miami Conservancy District (MCD) dams are currently storing water that otherwise would flood cities along the Great Miami River. Piqua, Troy, Tipp City, Dayton, West Carrollton, Miamisburg, Franklin, Middletown, and Hamilton are protected from flooding by MCD’s integrated system of dams and levees.

This is the seventh time this year that all five dams have been in storage simultaneously. The previous record was four times in one year, set in 1996. All five dams stored river water once in March, three times in April, and twice in May 2011.

Storage at the dams begins when the water rises above the conduits (concrete outlets) at the base of the earthen dam. During times of normal flow, the river passes through the dam unimpeded. There are no permanent pools of water behind the dams. The conduits in each dam are sized to allow the amount of water to flow through the dam that the river channels in the protected cities below can safely handle within their banks. Any excess flow backs up behind the dams in the retarding basins upstream of the dam.

Local parks, roads, private lands upstream of each dam, and some low lying areas along the rivers may be covered in water temporarily, so residents should be cautious when driving.

“If upstream areas get no additional rain, the dams should be out of storage by early next week,” says Kurt Rinehart, Chief Engineer for MCD.

The Great Miami River Watershed has received 2.5 inches of rain in the last 48 hours.

The MCD flood protection system is designed to protect to the 1913 levels plus 40 percent. During the Great Flood of 1913, the region received between 9 and 11 inches of rain in a three-day period.

The MCD flood-protection dams collectively have stored floodwaters more than 1,700 times, protecting communities along the Great Miami River – from Piqua to Hamilton. The system is comprised of five dry dams and 55 miles of levees and was completed in 1922.

Green Umbrella

Cordially Invites You to a Forum
on Natural Lands Management & Conservation

at the Fernald Preserve Visitor Center

on Thursday, February 9, 2012 from 9 am – 12 noon

FREE – but space is limited

Green Umbrella is proud to host area professionals, non-profits, concerned citizens, and governmental associations for a FREE forum to discuss, demonstrate and share best practices to better preserve and manage our natural lands. 

Natural lands management and conservation in the region is amazingly vibrant.  But we rarely have a chance to share with or learn from each other.  This forum will present a great line-up of speakers (see below) and provide an opportunity for participants to share information, lessons learned and ideas to promote better collaboration and success.

There will also be a tour of the Fernald Preserve afterward.

Who Should Attend?   Land Managers… Park Managers… Land Trust Members… Planners

While this forum is geared toward land management professionals, anyone interested in land preservation and restoration is welcome.

Speakers:  Dr. Stan Hedeen (Xavier University); Tom Borgman (Hamilton County Parks); John Homer (Fernald); Larry Frimerman (Three Valley Conservation Trust); and Tom Schneider (Ohio EPA); Brewster Rhoads (Executive Director of Green Umbrella).

Cost:  Free!  But space is limited.  Please register TODAY at christinehadley@earthlink.net

(Directions to Fernald: http://www.lm.doe.gov/Fernald/Visitors_Center/Directions.pdf)