In this issue:

• COVID-19 Information and Updates
• Native Plant Sale-ORDER BY APRIL 17th
• Morels (AKA Sponge Mushrooms) Coming Soon to a Woods Near You?
• Urban Agriculture Technical Assistance during COVID-19
• Hamilton County Invasives Partnership (HIP) Announced
• Soil Testing for Spring Planting
• Annual Meeting Recap
• Stony Creek Website Launch
• 6 Native Replacements for Daylillies
• Water Fair Recap
• Rain on Main Proceeds Fund Interpretive Signs

COVID-19 and the Soil and Water Conservation District
During this unprecedented situation while we are directed to stay at home and self-isolate to curb the spread of COVID-19, we want to ensure you that we are still available to the public to help with conservation efforts.  The Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District is doing its part to help direct people to conservation resources and technical assistance, but in a slightly different way.  

Event Updates

Statewide CISMA Conference Postponed
The statewide CISMA (Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area) conference originally scheduled for March 26th has been postponed until August 20th, 2020. Tickets will be honored on that date. More information on CEUs, an agenda, and registration options are all available at www.cisma2020.eventbrite.com

Sustainability Workshop - Invasive Species Postponed
The annual spring sustainability workshop has been postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We hope to reschedule this event for later in 2020 and will also be sharing a series of videos and/or online webinars and resources to help you learn about invasive species this spring. 

Weed Wrangles Go Virtual
The 7 Weed Wrangles planned across Hamilton County for April and May have unfortunately been canceled.  While these group volunteer workdays are no longer taking place, we would like to challenge you to hold your own Virtual Weed Wrangle!  Remove invasive species on your property.  When you're done, take a photo or video and share it on the Indiana Invasive Plant Advisory Committee Facebook page & in your own network to encourage friends and neighbors! Use the hashtags #hcinvasives and #WeedWrangleIndiana.

See the Virtual Weed Wrangle flyer here!

Morels (AKA Sponge Mushrooms) Coming Soon to a Woods Near You?

The elusive morel.  What could be more iconic to outdoor enthusiasts in spring in Indiana? While these mushrooms are delicious and fun to hunt, they also play a vital part in the forest ecosystem. Did you know these fungi are affected by common invasive species such as honeysuckle and garlic mustard? Learn more as well as where, when, and how to find morels near you and how to grow your own!

Urban Agriculture Technical Assistance During COVID-19

The Hamilton County SWCD offers technical assistance to residents of Hamilton County who are interested in starting a garden or improving their current one while committing to conservation practices like cover crops, no-till, crop rotation, composting, and more (view garden conservation practices here). While it is difficult at this time to meet in-person, we do offer our services via email or phone. We also have an extensive list of resources on our website here.

Soil Testing in Preparation for Spring Planting

It may not quite seem like it, but Spring has arrived and things are definitely turning green!  In fact, flower bulbs, like daffodils, have already pushed through the soil and have bloomed in many locations!  Gardeners everywhere are beginning to think about what we may want to plant where, and what preparations may be needed to prepare this year’s beds. One good idea is to have your soil tested. This is especially important if you have never done it, or if it has been a few years since the last one. 

Annual Meeting Recap

The Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District held an Annual Meeting on February 20th to showcase their activities in 2019.  During the meeting the District celebrated conservation, honored conservation award winners, and held an election for a board supervisor.

Attendees re-elected Jared Kakasuleff as a supervisor for the Hamilton County SWCD Board. After the vote Hamilton County Council member Ken Alexander graciously conducted the oath of office.

Stony Creek Launches Website for Open House

As we all know, things have to happen a bit differently in light of what we are dealing with as a society in light of COVID-19.  After hiring FlatLand Resources (a planning, design-build and project management firm) contracted to conduct the Feasibility Study, it was time to get some additional input from our community.  This was going to be in the form of an open house, but instead has been released as a website.  The SWCD wants to engage the public for input on the project.  Public input will play an integral role on how Stony Creek is stabilized and restored.

6 Native Replacements for Daylilies

Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.) is a non-native plant commonly found within most landscaping here in Hamilton County, Indiana. They are picked for their low-cost, low-care maintenance, conspicuous flower, and ability to create ground cover. However, some daylilies have been known to spread from manicured landscaping into wild areas. If you are looking for native species of landscaping or wildflower plants to replace daylilies, consider some of the following options...

Water Fair Recap

We at Hamilton County SWCD would like to thank all the attendees and vendors at the Water Fair. We ended up servicing 68 people and testing 80 sample bottles!

Special thanks to our partners at DNR, IDEM, and the Indiana State Department of Health lab for diligently and accurately testing our samples for us.
And also special thanks to all attendees for taking accurate samples and being patient as the lab processed results.

Rain on Main Proceeds Fund Interpretive Signs

Four water quality education signs were installed at Founders Park using funding generated by Rain on Main! Rain on Main is an annual event held to increase awareness of water quality and conservation in Carmel and to raise funds for water education signage in Carmel Clay Parks. During this event local artists paint 20 rain barrels as part of a judged art competition. The barrels are displayed along Main Street and auctioned off to raise funds. Learn more from the Carmel Clay Parks Press Release and see the signs!