In this issue:

• Callery Pear Cost Share Updates
• Rain Barrels - ORDER NOW
• HIP Invasive Species Trade In Program
• Indiana's Hidden Spring Gems: Ephemeral Wildflowers
• Soil Testing in Preparation for Spring Planting
• Meet our New Board Members
• Morels (AKA Sponge Mushrooms) Coming Soon to a Woods Near You?
• Annual Meeting Recap
• Black Locust: Native or Not?
• Soil Trailer Updates
• Volunteer Spotlights

Callery Pear Removal Grants are CLOSED | Program sponsors needed

Due to the overwhelming demand we have already run out of funding for the landscape pear grant program and closed the application. The SWCD Board of Supervisors allocated additional funds earlier this month but our resources are very limited.  We are actively looking for corporate or municipal funding mechanisms in order to continue this popular grant program. Please contact claire.lane@hamiltoncounty.in.gov with any program sponsorship interest. 

For those who weren’t able to get in on this round of grants, our Invasive Species Trade In Program is another way you can utilize our programs for cost savings to remove invasives. Through the program, property owners who show proof of removal of invasive species on their Hamilton County property are eligible to receive at least one free native tree/shrub specimen through the SWCD fall native tree sale. Learn more and apply at www.hcinvasives.org/trade.

We at the SWCD thank you for the incredible interest in this program. It’s heartwarming and motivating to see so many members of the community passionate and willing to remove invasive species on their properties. Whether you have invasive species on your property or not, there are many ways to be involved via education, spreading our messages and volunteering at Weed Wrangle’s at local parks.  Find events on the HIP Weed Wrangle calendar. Learn more about volunteering at www.hamiltonswcd.org/volunteer.

Indiana's Hidden Spring Gems: Ephemeral Wildflowers

In the heart of Hamilton County’s woodlands, a quiet transformation begins as spring sets in. Quickly, the forest floor is dotted with a kaleidoscope of colors as native wildflowers sprout and bloom in various shades of blues, yellows, pinks, and whites. Some of the most sought-after forest-dwelling wildflowers are the spring ephemerals – plants with a brief but dazzling moment in the spotlight. 

Soil Testing in Preparation for Spring Planting

It may not quite seem like it, but Spring has arrived and things are definitely turning green!  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. 

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!

Annual Meeting Recap

The Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District held their Annual Meeting this February at the Delaware Township Community Center with record attendance.

Over 150 people attended to learn more about the SWCD and vote in the SWCD Board Supervisor election. Highlights from the District’s 2024 work were shared, awards were distributed, and Jeanette Jaskula gave a presentation on how to garden to attract native moth species. Jessica Irvine was elected to the SWCD Board of Supervisors, and meeting attendees donated a full box of food donations to the Delaware Township Community Center food bank. 

Black Locust: Native or Not?

Native or introduced? Often, this is an easy question to answer - either a plant is from Hamilton County or it isn't. For Black Locust, however, the answer is a bit more complex. First, what do we mean by "native"? Plants can be historically native to a Country or larger region without being native to a specific State or County. Due to changes in elevation, topography, soil type, water availability, or physical barriers such as mountains or rivers, it is possible for a plant to be native to one part of the United States, but not another. 

This is the case for the Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) a tree whose historic native range is thought to be the Appalachian region from Alabama to Pennsylvania with isolated pockets in the Ozark Mountains, Southern Illinois, Arkansas, and the southern edge of Indiana. Through the settlement of the West and the boom of agriculture in the 18th and 19th centuries it is thought that early settlers brought Black Locust trees from the Appalachians....

Soil Trailer Updates

Since 2015 we've been working on our Soil Is Alive soil health trailer with multiple partners and artists. After many years, we are close to finishing it. Check out the photos of our progress! 

Volunteer Spotlights

When you volunteer with Hamilton County Soil & Water Conservation District, you will have the opportunity to create a community through conservation. Working shoulder to shoulder with other people committed to improving the natural areas in our county is one of the many benefits of volunteering. Because of people like you, we are able to make an even bigger impact in Hamilton County! 

Meet some of the people who volunteer with the SWCD and HIP, and see why they choose to volunteer. We are so thankful to all of you who donate your time and expertise to conservation.