For the first time, Clermont SWCD will be hosting the Greater Cincinnati Master Rain Gardener Course. This is a 5-day course that takes place over six weeks from August 4 to September 8. During the course, students are guided through the rain garden design and installation process by experienced regional professionals. At graduation, students will have created a beautiful rain garden and will be ready to educate their neighbors.
Course Details
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
August 4, 11, 18, 25 and September 8
$50 registration fee
Location: Clermont County Park District, 2156 US Highway 50, Batavia OH 45103
For additional information, registration, and to see a list of rotating host locations, visit www.cincyraingardener.org.
Buttonbush is a great option for stream buffers and is a favorite of butterflies. Photo from U.S. Fish and Wildlife.
The “Be the Change for Clean Water” article describes how a buffer of native plants along a stream helps prevent bank erosion, filters pollutants, cools the stream, and provides habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. Several of the species we are offering as part of our annual plant sale work well as stream buffers. In particular, buttonbush will work very well along the stream edge. Other plants will fare well higher up on the bank including:
For questions on what plants would work best in your stream bank buffer, contact Clermont SWCD at 513-732-7075 for assistance.
Is your house located along a stream? Streams are dynamic systems, meaning they are constantly changing. Your stream may be a babbling brook most days but after a heavy rain, it can become a roiling river. The best way to get along with your stream is to protect the edge with a buffer strip of native grass, forbs, trees, and/or shrubs. Streamside buffers are beneficial for many reasons:
A buffer of vegetation helps stabilize the bank and protect homes along O’Bannon Creek
Plant roots help stabilize the stream bank. Native plants have deep root systems which hold the soil in place.
Clermont SWCD staff can provide guidance on how to establish an effective and attractive stream buffer. If you would like our assistance, please give our office a call at 513-732-7075.
For a list of stream buffer friendly plants available through our Annual Plant Sale, see page 2.
(Adapted from an article published by Franklin Soil & Water Conservation District)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Ohio Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications from landowners interested in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) to build on existing conservation efforts to increase operational efficiencies and environmental benefits as well as reduce overall input costs.
This year, Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding is providing additional financial opportunities for select conservation practices and enhancements to increase direct climate mitigation benefits. The deadline to receive fiscal year 2023 funding for both CSP-Classic and CSP-IRA is April 7, 2023.
Through CSP, agricultural producers and forest landowners earn payments for actively managing, maintaining, and expanding conservation activities like cover crops, ecologically-based pest management, buffer strips, and pollinator and beneficial insect habitat – all while maintaining active agriculture and forestry production on their land.
Learn more about the CSP-Classic and CSP-IRA application process and eligible land use resource concerns on the Ohio NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program webpage. Landowners in Clermont County who are interested in signing up or learning about other technical and financial assistance available through NRCS should contact Christina Gates, District Conservationist, at christina.gates@usda.gov or (513) 732-2181 ext. 3.
This winter, Clermont SWCD plans to host multiple public meetings to gather input from residents and landowners on the our programs and services. Information gathered from these meetings will be used to update the District’s five-year strategic plan. Please watch www.clermontswcd.org or our Facebook page for updates and information on how you can participate. If you have questions, please email jmcmanus@clermontcountyohio.gov or call (513) 732-5075 ext. 3
This October, Clermont SWCD hired Amanda Best as our new Urban Technician. This is a new position which will be responsible for inspecting erosion and sediment control practices at active construction sites. Prior to starting with Clermont County, Amanda worked as a survey aid for Woodford County SWCD in Illinois where she helped to get farm conservation on the ground. She graduated with a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Illinois Wesleyan University in spring of 2020 where she also played collegiate lacrosse. In her free time she enjoys trying new food and restaurants, crafting, and taking a good walk.
Clermont SWCD is working with local partners to plan this year’s Litter Clean-Up event. The 2023 event will be held at multiple locations through Clermont County on Saturday, April 22, 2023. Group and in-person activities plan to be coordinated for the 2023 event.
There are many opportunities and areas throughout the county for volunteers to help by clearing trash and unsightly debris from our parks, waterways and other shared open spaces. Community coordinators will provide details on those activities later in the spring. All volunteers will be provided with clean-up materials upon request for their activities, including protective gloves, trash bags and litter grabbers. Individuals that request litter clean-up materials will be sent details for supply pick-up in their communities.
We appreciate the support of our partner agencies, including the Ohio EPA, Adams-Clermont Soil Waste District (ACSWD), the Clermont County Park District, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and OSU Extension. Most importantly, thank you to the volunteers and communities that come back year after year to protect our local natural resources!
Please visit the SLC website for more information: www.springlittercleanup.com. For questions or additional information please contact Connie Miller at (513) 732-7075 ext. 2 or cmiller@clermontcountyohio.gov.
Thanks to all our Cooperators for all the Conservation Best Management Practices installed this year!
Practices Installed | Amount |
Access Road | 88 ft |
Brush Management | 20 acres |
Conservation Cover | 76.3 acres |
Cover Crops | 1,348.1 acres |
Fence | 17,248 ft |
Forest Stand Improvement | 7.2 acres |
Heavy Use Area Protection | 2,796 sq ft |
Herbaceous Weed Control | 44.6 acres |
High Tunnel System | 2 units |
Livestock Pipeline | 405 ft |
Nutrient Management | 813.1 acres |
Pasture and Hay Planting | 29.3 acres |
Roof Runoff Structure | 2 units |
Watering Facility | 3 units |
Total | $293,473.27 |
EQIP | 1,479.4 acres |
16 Contracts | $388,943.00 |