| Inside This Edition: - Upcoming Events
- Native for Invasive Trade-In Program
- Native Tree Sale - Orders Due September 28
- Clean Sweep Program Scheduled for August
- Welcome Makayla Reel
- Recent Staff Accomplishments
- Indiana Native Plant Finder Database
- 2022 Conservation Photo Contest Winners
- New Prairie & Native Booklet Available
- Can the Karner Blue butterflies be saved?
- Invasive Species Spotlight
- The 2020 White River MainStem Project
- Come checkout the Garden Tower
- Water Safety for Pets
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| | | | | Clean Sweep Program scheduled for August The 2022 Clean Sweep Pesticide Disposal Program sponsored by the Office of the Indiana State Chemist (OISC) offers statewide pesticide collection sites in August. This is a great way for private citizens, farmers, nurseries, golf courses, cities, towns, and others to dispose of suspended, canceled, banned, unusable, opened, unopened or just unwanted pesticides for free (up to 250 pounds per participant). Visit the Office of the Indiana State Chemist (OISC) website to download the participant form at oisc.purdue.edu or contact Nathan Davis at cleansweep@groups.purdue.edu to have a participant form emailed. Those wanting to participate are required to complete and submit the participant form by mail, e-mail, or fax by August 5, 2022. The drop off time is 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (local time) and the dates and locations are: - August 16, 2022: Ceres Solutions, Wabash, IN
- August 17, 2022: Bartholomew County Solid Waste District, Columbus, IN
- August 18, 2022: Daviess County Highway Department, Montgomery, IN
- August 23, 2022: Davis Purdue Ag Center, Farmland, IN
- August 24, 2022: Co-Alliance, Valparaiso, IN
- August 25, 2022: Hendricks County Fairgrounds, Danville, IN
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| Hamilton County Soil & Water Conservation District News |
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|  | Makayla Reel has joined our staff as the new office coordinator. She was with the Hamilton County Health Department for 2 years before joining our team at the end of May. Makayla was born and raised right here in Noblesville. Her attention to detail, creative work ethic and warm personality make her a perfect fit for our office. Help us welcome her next time you visit our office location. |
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| | | New database available for Native Plants The Indiana Native Plant Finder is a searchable database tool will help you choose garden-worthy Indiana native plants that fit your site and support pollinators. The aim for this database is to provide gardeners, landscapers, restoration specialists, botanizers, school children, and the interested public with a reliable source of information about plants native to Indiana and photos showcasing their beauty. Once users choose a particular native plant species, they may click on a plant to link to a printable species page with plant characteristics, notes, resources, and additional photos. Check it out! |
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| | Congratulations to our winners in the 2022 Hamilton County SWCD Photography Contest. |
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| | New Prairie & Native Guidebook Available The SWCD has created a new resource to guide you in establishing native plantings on your property. The new booklet, “Creating and Maintaining a Prairie: A guide for native plantings in your Indiana yard of any size” outlines planning, site preparation, planting, and maintenance for plantings ranging from small pollinator gardens to multi-acre native prairies. Free copies of the 50 page booklet are available at the SWCD office in Noblesville or you can read or download the booklet from our website. |
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| | Can the Karner Blue butterflies be saved? The Karner Blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) was Federally listed as an endangered species in 1992. These tiny butterflies are found in the northern part of the range where wild lupine grows native. The butterfly is most widespread in Wisconsin and can still be found in portions of Indiana (northern), Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and New York. The caterpillars of the Karner Blues, like many butterflies, feed on one plant species, wild lupine (Lupinus perennis). This native naturally grows within the pine barrens, is the Karner caterpillars only food source. Click below to continue reading and how how you can help save this valuable species from extinction. |
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| Invasive Species Spotlight: Canada Thistle Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) might actually be everyone’s least favorite garden weed. Brought to North America in the 1600’s on accident, this weed has become a widespread problem throughout the USA and beyond. It infamously colonizes natural areas, roadsides, and is also an incredibly aggressive weed in lawns and landscaping beds. You might know it best by remembering running through the grass barefoot and stepping on thistles that were forcing their way through the lawn. Canada thistle’s aggressive nature is due to its root structure. The root structure contains both vertical roots (taproots) and horizontal roots (rhizomes). Because of this, generally several Canada thistle shoots (the above ground portion) are actually part of the same massive plant connected by root system. So, usually when you pull a thistle, you’re just pulling out one part of a larger plant. I once heard Canada thistle compared to a hydra—for every thistle you pull two more pop up. This is due to the resprouting response of the root system, and this is why manual control of Canada thistle can be really difficult. Click the link below to read the full article on Canada thistle management. |
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| | The 2020 White River Mainstem Project State and local environmental agencies will sometimes undertake large projects that show results regionally rather than by city or county divisions. One such project was conducted in 2020 wherein a multi-agency crew surveyed the West Fork White River and White River from its headwaters in Randolph County to the confluence with the Wabash River. The purpose of the project was to complete a water quality and biological conditions assessment of the selected area. Additionally, the group has worked diligently to create interest for people living within the watershed. As a result, an interactive White River Project Storymap was created with all the data collected available to the public in an easy-to-use format. |
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| Come check out the Garden Tower! Gardening is a fun way to challenge and improve your skills, and you can watch yourself grow as a gardener as your plants grow too. Located at the front entrance of our building, you will see a tiered terracotta-themed planter with a variety of produce and herbs. This is called the Garden Tower 2™, which features 50 different planting “cells”, presenting endless opportunities for virtually any type of plant, vegetable, or fruit you may desire. Additionally, there is a chamber that runs from the top level to the bottom, where you can put compost through the top and it will disperses down and throughout to nurture the plants. To learn more about our Garden Tower project, read the full article at the link below. Whether you decide to utilize the garden tower, a garden bed, or even start just one potted plant to try it out, anyone can do it! It may seem overwhelming, so please stop by for more details, questions, and to check out our garden! |
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| | | Water Safety for Pets Taking your pet to ponds/lakes/rivers to swim and enjoy the summer sun is not a bad thing, as long as you educate yourself on the surroundings and the wildlife dangers that may live in those spots. Water quality should always be a concern before allowing your pet access. It is possible to contract illnesses from contaminated water. Giardia is a common illness contracted from water bodies. The symptoms are unpleasant to cope with and it is not easily eliminated. Giardia is an intestinal infection caused by parasites. With these hot summer days, it is important to pay close attention to your dog and play with them cautiously to ensure your pet does not get heat stroke or heat exhaustion. Dogs cannot sweat like humans, therefore their only ability to cool down is by panting. To read the full article and learn more safety for your pets, click the link to the right. |
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| | Friend of Conservation David Brost
Maria Garavaglia
Kim Gauen
Amber Good
Megan Hart
Jennifer Hensley
Kate Hoffman
Terry Luley
Edward Peck
Duane & Mary Rinker
Elizabeth Runshe
Joanna Scott
John South
Nancy Tatum
Beth Williams
Craig Wind |
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Compassionate Conservationist Michael Allen
Jeanette Bogren
Andrew Fritz
Dallas Hester
Dorrie Keyes
Jill Lloyd |
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| Shelly Brown
Patricia Chester
Phillip Flannagan
Steve Hilger
Becks Superior Hybrids
Karen Hymbaugh
Debara Reese
Sara & Zachary Sprunger |
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| | Hamilton County SWCD
1717 Pleasant St. Suite 100 | Noblesville, Indiana 46060
3177732181 | soil.water@hamiltoncounty.in.gov |
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