News

FFA Section 3 Soil Judging Contest

FFA Section 3 held their Soil Judging Contest once again this year to help better educate our youth.  It was a beautiful day with over 140 students from 11 different schools to participate in a fun and interactive education experience.  Thanks again to everyone that helped to make the day a success.  A special thanks to Kewanee High School who hosted this year. 

Check out the rest of the PICTURES taken from the contest.

The school and individual rankings are listed below:

School teams:

  1. Sherrard
  2. Galva
  3. Alwood
  4. Bureau Valley
  5. Stark County
  6. Geneseo
  7. Orion
  8. Kewanee
  9. Cambridge
  10. Princeton
  11. Annawan 

Top 10 Individuals:

  1. Seth Strom  (Galva)
  2. Pedro Avila  (Sherrard)
  3. Dustin Jacobson  (Galva)
  4. Tyson Schulte  (Sherrard)
  5. Nolan Elsasser  (Stark County)
  6. Wyatt Flickinger  (Sherrard)
  7. Courtney Wilkens  (Sherrard)
  8. Devon Peterson  (Galva)
  9. Morgan Swarts  (Sherrard)
  10. Samantha Haney  (Bureau Valley)

  

Conservation Compliance and Highly Erodible Land 

In regards to Conservation Compliance and Highly Erodible Land requirements, please read the following news release... Change$ to Good Faith Provi$ion for HEL violation$.

 

 

Backyard Conservation Workshop

The Henry County Soil and Water Conservation District will be conducting a Backyard Conservation Workshop on Tuesday, November 30th starting at 6:00 p.m. The workshop will be held in the upstairs auditorium of the Henry County Farm Bureau. A session on Rain Gardens will be presented by Vicki Morrical of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and a session on Native Plants will  be given by Jeff Johnson from Sunnyfield Greenhouse and Nursery. Urban or rural, this workshop is for you. Start planning ahead for your backyard next spring!

Learning materials and refreshments will be provided at the workshop. For further details about the Backyard Conservation Workshop, call the office at 309-937-5263, extension 3. For planning purposes, please make reservations to Monica Stevens at the Henry County Soil and Water Conservation District.

 

Snodgrass Recieves 20 Year Director Service Award

Jerry Snodgrass of rural Geneseo recieved a 20 Year Director Service Award at the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts Annual Meeting Springfield, July 26 through 28. Snodgrass is currently serving as Chairman of the Henry County Soil and Water Conservation District, and Area 1 Vice President on the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts Board of Directors.

Congratulations to Jerry Snodgrass!

 

Johnson and Brink Win Henry County Door Prizes

Each year during the Henry County Fair, the Henry County Soil and Water Conservation District conducts a drawing for a door prize. This year, those attending the fair could sign up to win a rain barrel that was on display at the Henry County SWCD fair booth. Activities for the children coincided with the Soil and Water Stewardship theme, "Conservation Habits = Healthy Habitats". Children had the opportunity to go "fishing" for fish facts, eat "worms", learn facts about frogs and toads, and sign up to win a fishing tackle box. 

Congratulations to Carol Johnson of Kewanee and Logan Brink of Cambridge! Carol won the drawing for the rain barrel from the Henry County Soil and Water Conservation District. Logan won the drawing for the fishing tackle box.  

   

Bob Rishel Memorial Prairie Walk

The Henry County Natural Area Guardians will hold the Bob Rishel Memorial Prairie Walk on Sunday, June 27th at 1:30 p.m. The tour will be held two miles north of Cambridge at the intersection of 1300 North and 1300 East at the Munson Township Cemetery. Tim Keller will be conducting the prairie walk tour. Refreshments will be served.

For more information about the Bob Rishel Memorial Prairie Walk, please call the Henry County Soil and Water Conservation District at 309.937.5263, extension 3.

  

IDOA Schedules Clean Sweep Collection in Northwest Illinois

Program will safely dispose of unwanted agricultural pesticides

Springfield, Illinois - Residents of eight northwestern Illinois counties can dispose of unwanted agrichemicals for free this year through the Illinois Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Pesticide Clean Sweep Program.

A Clean Sweep collection has been scheduled in late summer for Carroll, Henry, Jo Daviess, Knox, Mercer, Rock Island, Stephenson, and Whiteside counties. The collection, which rotates among Illinois counties, is open to farmers, retired farmers, nursery owners, private pesticide applicators and landowners who inherited unwanted agricultural pesticides with their property.

"There are two, big reasons to take advantage of this program." Warren Goetsch, Bureau Chief of Environmental Programs, said. "First, it is free. If individuals were to properly dispose of agrichemicals on their own, the cost would be expensive. But the department is able to provide the service free of charge thanks to a grant it obatined from the U.S. EPA. Second, the state of Illinois, not the program participant, will assume liability for the proper disposal of all materials collected."

Participants must register the products they plan to dispose of by June 25. Registration is required to give the waste disposal contractor time to prepare for the different kinds if materials that will need to be handled. Forms can be obtained either by calling the Illinois Department of Agriculture's Pesticide Hotline at 1.800.641.3934 or visiting one of the program sponsors listed beloew.

Completed forms should be mailed or faxed to the Illinois Department of Agriculture. The mailing address is: Clean Sweep Program, Illinois Department of Agriculture, State Fairgrounds, P.O. Box 19281, Springfield, Illinois, 62794-9281. The fax number is 217.524.4882.

Participants then will be sent a reservation card indicating the date, time and location of their collection.

Henry County Farm Bureau        
114 North East Street                
Cambridge, Illinois 61238

Henry County SWCD
301 East North Street
Cambridge, Illinois 61238 

Henry County Extension Unit
26234 Black Hawk Road
Galva, Illinois 61434

Download and print the IDOA Clean Sweep Program registration form
  

Council 2 Envirothon

The Envirothon is a hands-on and interactive learning experience for high school students. Students gain knowledge of the environment and natural resources. Teams compete in five areas: aquatics, forestry, soils, wildlife, and a fifth category on an environmental issue. Teams test their knowledge of the environment and compete against other high school teams from Bureau, Marshall-Putnam, Mercer, Rock Island, and Stark counties. Thirty-nine teams from seven counties competed at the Envirothon.

Ten teams from Henry County competed at the Envirothon on April 13th at the Black Hawk Historical Site in Rock Island. The top team from Henry County for 2010 was Galva High School.  Team members included:  Dustin Jacobson, Matt Johnsonn, Karlee Rylander, Seth Strom and Ryan Werkheiser. The Galva High School FFA Advisor is Trisha Main.

Congratulations to Galva High School!

   

Henry County SWCD Sponosored 20th Annual Poster Contest

Every year, the Henry County Soil and Water Conservation District sponsors a poster contest for kindergarten through twelfth grade students. 2010 celebrates the 20th year the Henry County Soil and Water Conservation District has proudly sponsored this annual event. Students are encouraged to express their thoughts about soil, water, and other natural resources topics through art. The poster contest theme coincides with the annual Soil and Water Stewardship theme. 'Conservation Habits = Healthy Habitats' is the theme for 2010. With this exciting and adventurous theme, students had the opportunity to learn about the importance of soil, stewardship of the land, conservation of natural resources, and plant and animal habitats.

Winners of the kindergarten through sixth grade levels receive a bicycle. Contest winners of the seventh through twelfth grade levels receive a $100 U.S. Savings Bond. Prizes are donate by the Henry County Soil and Water Conservation District. Poster contest winners advance to compete at the state level.
    2010 Henry County SWCD Poster Contest grade level winners are:
    Second-Third Grade - Emily Henson, Northside Elementary
    Fourth-Sixth Grade - Luke Poteat, Northside Elementary
    Seventh-Ninth Grade - Thomas VanIseghem, Orion Middle School
    Tenth-Twelfth Grade - Karlee Rylander, Galva High School

    Honorable Mentions:
    Kristen Litton, AlWood Middle School
    Emily Hansard, Galva High School

Congratulations to the 2010 Henry County Poster Contest Winners! There were many creative and imaginative posters designed by the students. Thank you to all of the studetns that participated!

  

Rasmussen wins Henry County SWCD door prize

Each year during the Henry County Fair, the Henry County Soil and Water Conservation District conducts a drawing for a door prize. This year, those attending the fair could sign up to win a rain barrel that was on display at the Henry County SWCD fair booth. Soil activites for children coincided with the Soil and Water Stewardship theme, "Dig It! The Secrets of Soil." Children had the opportunity to make edible soil profiles and paint with soil.

A rain barrel is a system of collecting and storing water from roofs of homes, sheds, and barns. They play a vital role in water conservation. Rain barrels prevent water from attaching to soil or pollutants and being carried away and washed into storm drains. Reducing stormwater runoff reduces the amount of pesticides and fertilizer that impacts our water supply. For more information regarding rain barrels, call the Henry County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Congratulations to Karen Rasmussen! She won the drawing for the rain barrel from the Henry County Soil and Water Conservation District.

 Karen Rasmussen is shown with her rain barrel

Articles

Conservation Notes: Butterfly Gardening

2010-05-19 08:06

My mom and I made our annual trip to the local nursery this past weekend. As I was planting flowers, it got me thinking about butterflies and how I love the site of them fluttering around the yard. Do you want to attract and view the beauty of butterflies? Create a butterfly garden in your backyard. Follow these guidelines in creating a beautiful and friendly butterfly garden.

Plants:
Create a butterfly garden that is alluring to butterflies by growing plants in various heights, a variety of flower colors and shapes, and different bloom times. Butterflies are attracted to yellow, orange, red and purple flowers. To attract a variety of butterflies, plant an array of plant species. Be sure to select plant species that are native to your area. When planting, it is best to add more than one of each plant species. Black Eyed Susan, Butterfly Milkweed, Cardinal Flower, Cup Plant, Ironweed, Joe Pye Weed, Leadplant, New England Aster, Prairie Blazing Star, Purple Prairie Clover, Purple Coneflower, Sky Blue Aster, Spiderwort, Stiff Goldenrod, Swamp Milkweed, Wild Bergamot, Wild Columbine, and White Prairie Clover are great examples. Gardens should supply food for the life cycle of butterflies. As a bonus, native prairie plants also attract bees. Choose plants for nectar to provide adult butterflies with energy and host plants that will feed caterpillars. Butterfly host plants are important in creating a butterfly garden to provide a spot for a butterfly to lay eggs, as well as a food source for emerging catepillars. Female butterflies locate and lay eggs on the plant species the catepillar can use for food. Milkweed is commonly known as the host plant for Monarch Butterflies.
Shelter:
Species of trees and shrubs provide shelter for the butterflies to rest at night and protection from rain, wind and predators. Keep in mind native plant species that butterflies prefer when planting shrubs and trees. Shelter may also be provided by making or buying a butterfly house.
Sun:
Sun is important in butterfly gardens. Butterflies are cold-blooded, so they often warm themselves in the morning sun. Locate your garden in a place where there is at least six hours of sunlight every day. Large rocks provide great warming surfaces for butterflies to rest.
Water:
Water is essential to butterflies. Shallow puddles and moist soil are great sources of water for butterflies. Dew, nectar, and tree sap also provide butterflies with moisture.

Do not use pesticides or herbicides in your garden. They are harmful to butterflies and other insects. Practice butterfly conservation to protect the habitat for the brilliantly colored and wondrous creatures. With good plant and site selection, a butterfly garden will be created to provide a microhabitat for a variety of butterflies to live and grow. Not only will the garden be pleasing to butterflies (and bees), but it will be attractive. For more information about butterflies and butterfly gardening, visit the North American Butterfly Association at www.naba.org.

- Monica Stevens, Resource Conservationist

Conservation Notes: The Buzz on Bees

2010-04-20 07:59

Bees are vital to agriculture. Bees play a very important role by pollinating flowering plants. Many agricultural crops rely on bee pollination. The value of honey bee pollination to U.S. agriculture is 14.6 billion dollars annually. About 30% of all foods consumed are produced because of pollinating insects. 80% of insect crop pollination is accomplished by honey bees. The almond crop is completely dependent on pollination from honey bees. Without honey bees, there would be no almonds produced. Other crops are 90% dependent on honey bee pollination. Some of these crops include: apples, avocados, blueberries, cherries, cranberries and sunflowers. Many other fruits and vegetables are pollinated by bees.

Here are some tips to attract bees to your backyard:

  • Flowers blue, purple, yellow or white in color are appealing to bees
  • Provide pollen and nectar resources throughout the seasons with successive blooming flowers in the spring, summer and fall
  • Landscape with a variety of flowers, shrubs and trees
  • Plant ten or more plant species to attract the most bees
  • Plant flowers close in an area
  • Bees need a source of water nearby
  • If you have to use pesticides, apply at night when bees are not active

Herbs attract and are very appealing to bees. Chamomile, lavender, mint, oregano, sage and thyme are herbs that bees enjoy. Native plants also attract bees. Black Eyed Susan, Wild Bergamot, Ironweed, Butterfly Milkweed, Joe Pye Weed, New England Aster, Pale Purple Coneflower, Stiff Goldenrod, Prairie Blazing Star, Swamp Milkweed, Culver's Root and Mountain Mint are great examples. Many of these native plant species are enjoyed by butterflies as well.

The Henry County Soil and Water Conservation District is conducting its annual native plant sale on Friday, June 11, 2010. Over twenty native plant species will be sold. Some species include Butterfly Milkweed, Mountain Mint, Pale Purple Coneflower, Purple Prairie Clover and Smooth Blue Aster. Native plants in 2" by 4" plugs are $2 each, and native plants in one gallon pots are $5 each. Please contact Monica Stevens at the Henry County SWCD at 309.937.5263, extension 3 for more information about native plant species. Visit the website at www.henrycountyilswcd.com for order forms or for more information regarding the native plant sale.

- Monica Stevens, Resource Conservationist

Conservation Notes: Celebrating 40 Years of Earth Day

2010-03-23 14:28

2010 celebrates the 40th anniversary of Earth Day! The idea for Earth Day developed over a period of seven years. Senator Gaylord Nelson was concerned that the state of the environment was politically, a non-issue. In 1962, Senator Nelson persuaded Attorney General Robert Kennedy and President John Kennedy to confront the environment as a political issue. President Kennedy began a five-day, eleven-state conservation tour in 1963. Senator Nelson continued his environmental speeches out west during a time of war demonstrations on college campuses swept across the nation. Nelson used this energy to put the environmental cause on the political agenda. At a conference in Seattle in 1969, Nelson invited everyone to participate in a nationwide environmental demonstration. Because of the grassroots level effort, 20 million United States citizens observed the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970.

What does recycling achieve in Illinois?

  • Keeps 5 million tons of useful materials out of the landfill every year
  • Saves enough energy to provide heat and light for 400,000 homes every year
  • Reduces water pollution by 21,000 tons of contaminants each year
  • Reduces air pollution by 131,000 tons of contaminants each year
  • Saves 53.3 million trees each year by recycling paper

What are rain barrels? How are they useful?

  • System of collecting and storing water from roofs of homes, barns and sheds
  • Reduce stormwater runoff
  • Protect and conserve an important natural resource, water
  • Provide pure, natural water for watering landscaping, gardens, washing cars and windows

Why are trees important?

  • Improve water and air quality
  • Remove carbon dioxide from the air and produce oxygen
  • Prevent soil erosion
  • Provide food and shelter for wildlife
  • Provide shade from sun
  • Reduce heating and cooling costs by 20-50 percent
  • Create a visually eye appealing environment

Earth Day is a great reminder that we should be good stewards of the land and natural resources. Though Earth Day is celebrated once a year, we should observe it every day in our actions. Find your own way to be a steward in your community, at home, school or work! Conserving energy; reducing, reusing, and recycling materials; composting; using rainwater for a later use; planting trees, shrubs and native plants are all some of the great ways to become greener. Be a part of the 40th anniverary of Earth Day on April 22nd!

- Monica Stevens, Resource Conservationist