Maine Association of Conservation Districts News

The Maine Envirothon Competition was highlighted on WLBZ Channel 2 News. To see the article and video news story visit News Center 2.

Edward Little High School participants placed 1st in the 2008 State Envirothon and will be traveling to Arizona in late July to represent Maine at the International Envirothon competition. (L to R): Advisor Cameron Sutton, Anna Oswald, Charlotte Oswald, Robert Little, Chris Windhorst, Tyler Noyes, and Advisor Jim Chandler.

Under sunny skies and with warm temperatures the 2008 State Envirothon was recently held at Unity College in Unity. The Maine Association of Conservation Districts awarded plaques to the three top-scoring Envirothon teams. The first, second and third place winning teams respectively were: Edward Little High School (Auburn), Boghaunter Home School (Casco), and Bonny Eagle High School (Standish). Sixteen teams representing 13 high schools from around the state competed at this event.

Envirothon, Maine’s largest high school-age environmental education program, is an international program representing over 500,000 students in the United States and Canada. First place Edward Little High School will represent Maine at the international Canon Envirothon competition to be held at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ in late July. The international Canon Envirothon, organized by local soil and water conservation districts and other conservation agencies, is sponsored by Canon USA, in partnership with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA Forest Service, National Association of Conservation Districts, Mead Westvaco Corporation, American Electric Power, Inc., and Alcoa Foundation.

Boghaunter Home School participants placed 2nd in the 2008 State Envirothon.

The major objective of the Maine Envirothon, an effective educational tool capable of supplementing environmental education both indoors and outdoors, is to provide opportunities for high school-age students, whether a home school, FFA Group, Explorer Club, Boys/Girls Club, Boy/Girl Scouts or public and private schools, to acquire and increase their outdoor skills and scientific knowledge about Maine’s natural resources so that they can make informed, educated decisions about the environment. It provides students with reference materials, workshops, and hands-on, outdoor, real life experiences in five areas including forestry, wildlife, soils, aquatics, and a current issue—this year being Recreational Impacts on Natural Resources. Each team must have an adult advisor, 18 years of age or older.

Other high schools competing in the State Envirothon finals included: Bucksport, Caribou Alternative, Dirigo, Hampden Academy, Hodgdon, Jay, Jonesport-Beals, Lee Academy, Washington Academy and Nokomis. Teams from Old Town and Ashland high schools were eligible for the State Envirothon but were unable to attend. These teams represented the top three winning teams from six regional competitions held around the state earlier in May.

Bonny Eagle High School participants placed 3rd in the 2008 State Envirothon.

The Envirothon program would not be possible without the financial and in-kind support, expertise and/or time commitment from many natural resource-related partners. Resource specialists who cooperated in the 2008 State Envirothon included: Maine Department of Agriculture, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Maine Forest Service, Maine’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Maine Audubon and the University of Maine School of Natural Resources.

Major sponsors of the 2008 State Envirothon were the Maine Association of Site Evaluators, Maine Association of Wetland Scientists, Maine Association of Professional Soil Scientists, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Maine Potato Board, L.L. Bean, New England Organics, Oakhurst Dairy, Wild Blueberry Commission, University of Maine School of Natural Resources and Canon North American Envirothon.

There were many other contributors and partners that helped to make this event possible for the benefit of the students and Maine’s natural resources.

An Envirothon web site for all interested participants, advisors and sponsors is available at http://www.envirothon.org or http://maineswcds.org.

On May 7th the Washington Academy science class planted over 300 wildlife plants on the banks of the Machias River under the new Bangor Hydro Electric power lines. In cooperation with Bangor Hydro Electric Company Northeast Reliability Interconnect Transmission Line, Maritimes and Northeast Gas Pipeline, Washington County Soil & Water Conservation District, Maine Department of Marine Resources Bureau of Sea Run Fisheries and Habitat, Maine Department of Conservation Bureau of Public Lands, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Machias River Watershed Council, and Washington County Conservation Association this effort was brought to reality with the volunteer efforts of the Washington Academy high school class.

On May 12th over 144 like plantings were placed along the banks of the Narraguagus River.

In this energy corridor the Machias River and the Narraguagus River crossings are being cooperatively managed for habitat protection and enhancement. Critical energy resources are flowing between the United States and Canada along this transmission line and gas pipeline. While at the same time, the special habitat values of the Machias River and Narraguagus River watershed have been protected. Some actions taken include: minimizing construction disturbance, providing erosion control, minimizing visual impact, and planting special habitat vegetation.

Business, Education, and Conservation groups are cooperatively working together in this fast paced world. This is a fine example of working with our environment. If you should have any questions or suggestions please call 207-255-4659 at the Washington County Soil & Water Conservation District in Machias.

Soil and Water Conservation Districts from Piscataquis and Somerset Counties will host a workshop on Thursday June 5th focusing on wild turkey habits and habitat. The 3-hour workshop will begin at 9:00 AM at the Skowhegan Community Center on 39 Poulin Drive, Skowhegan, ME.

Featured speakers at the event will be National Wild Turkey Federation Regional Biologist Doug Little, USDA Wildlife Services State Director John Forbes, and Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Biologist Bob Cordes.

Attendees will gain understanding about wild turkey biology, history and management. Topics covered will include how to manage wild turkeys in agricultural areas, and how to enhance properties for improved habitat.

Registration deadline is June 2nd and the fee is $5.00 per person. To pre-register, contact Carol at the Somerset County Soil and Water Conservation District at 474-8324 or Joanna at the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District at 564-2321.

FARMINGTON – Three out of the five first place winners of the state Conservation Poster Contest are from Franklin County, and their posters are now moving on to the national competition. Ten out of the 15 state winners are from Franklin County, two of whom are sisters and attend the same home school.

“We are thrilled to have such talented youths from Franklin County participate in our poster contest,” said Rosetta Thompson, District Manager, Franklin County Soil & Water Conservation District (FCSWCD). It’s great to see so many of our poster contest winners be state winners and go on to national competition.” There were over 110 entries in the FCSWCD 2008 Conservation Poster Contest.

Those moving on to national competition are: Cloe Venter, Venter Homeschool, Division II (Grades 2-3); her sister, Naomi Venter, also of the Venter Homeschool, Division III (Grades 4-6); and Marjorie Hardy, Mt. Blue High School, Division V (Grades 10-12).

Other winners from Franklin County include: Tiersa Shively, Shively Homeschool, Division I, second place; Kyle Tracy, Cascade Brook, Division III (Grades 4-6), second place; Roland Venter, Venter Homeschool, Division III, third place; Brandon Thompson, Mt. Blue Middle School, Division IV (Grades 7-9), second place, and Melanie Robitaille, Jay Middle School, Division IV, third place; Jodi Harnden, Mt. Blue High School, Division V, second place; and Rhoni-Sue Clark, Mt. Blue High School, Division V, third place.

The poster contest is held each year with entries at the District level being due in mid-February. It is open to all schools in Franklin County. For more information, call FCSWCD at 778-4279.

The Maine Forest Service, SWOAM, Franklin County Soil & Water Conservation District, and the Somerset County Soil & Water Conservation District are offering training on the use of GPS (Global Positioning System) for loggers, land owners, and outdoor enthusiasts. The training will teach the basics of how GPS works, its uses for the logger, and ‘in the field’ training applications of the GPS unit. The training will be lead by Patty Cormier of The Maine Forest Service.

The Maine Forest Service has 25 GPS units that participants will use for the training. Since we want everyone to have their own unit to learn on, each class will be limited to 25 people. Cost of the training is $15.00. Attendees can choose from two separate training sessions; in Farmington, May 22 at the University of Maine Farmington campus, and in Skowhegan on May 30 from noon – 4:00 PM at the Somerset County Cooperative Extension.

To register, contact the Franklin County Soil & Water Conservation District at 778-4279 or the Somerset Soil & Water Conservation District in Skowhegan at 474-8324. These classes have limited space, so register early.

Dexter, Maine: University of Maine Cooperative Extension, in partnership with the Penobscot County Soil and Water Conservation District, is offering its Watershed Stewards program to residents in the Dexter area who want to keep pollution out of their lakes. The training begins, Tuesday June 3rd and will be held on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 9:00 at the Dexter Community Center. For more information or to register, please call Bessie Wright or Chris Brewer at (207) 990-3676 ext 3 or e-mail at info@penobscotswcd.org. Registration deadline is May 28, 2008.

UMaine Extension’s Watershed Stewards program provides 20 hours of training designed to help local citizens recognize threats to their lakes, and gives them the tools needed to reduce or eliminate those threats. In turn, stewards complete at least 20 hours of service to their watershed, which can include projects such as cataloguing pollution sources and working with state agencies to reduce the impacts of these sources. There is no cost to participate, and all stewards receive a comprehensive resource notebook at no charge.

Extension Assistant Scientist Laura Wilson noted that “the majority of topics we’ll be covering are relevant to any local lake or pond—so if you’re on Sebec, Schoodic or one of the other area lakes, you are welcome to join us!” There are many sources of pollution in this area—commercial sites, logging roads, private roads and residential properties—that threaten the health of this particular watershed. “It is up to us, Maine’s citizens, to recognize these sources of pollution and correct these problems,” stressed Wilson.

FARMINGTON – Franklin County Natural Resource Conservation Serice (NRCS)/Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) office was honored by receiving the Maine 2007 Chief’s Field Award.

Maine State Conservationist Joyce Swartzendruber recognized the Farmington Field Office and the Franklin County SWCD with an Earth Team Volunteer Program Special Recognition Award at their 2007 Annual Meeting on April 11. With over 7,700 hours of volunteer hours in the last five years, the Franklin County office has a very successful program. Their use of special programs not only helps the agency and the community, but also the needs of the volunteers.

As a result of the “helping hands” of all of these volunteers, the conservation efforts of the Franklin county conservation team are much further ahead towards ensuring a quality environment for future generations, she said.

Volunteers were involved in everything from office assistance to field surveying to outreach and education activities. Volunteers ranged from high school students to senior citizens. Of that total, 1,700 of those were from 29 individuals in fiscal year 2007.

The Franklin County office also works with many groups and organizations to obtain volunteers. Groups and organizations that the office works with include Upward Bound, Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), National Able Network (ABLE), and Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), and local businesses.

Volunteers from SCSEP, ABLE and RSVP are usually more long term and volunteer more hours than many of the other volunteers providing assistance to the office. Of the 1,700 hours of service provided by Earth Team Volunteers in FY 08, more than 1,100 of them were provided through volunteers from those three programs, according to Rosetta Thompson, FCSWCD District Manager.

Most of the volunteers work as office assistants and on outreach and education activities. They assist with telephone answering and taking messages; publication and newsletter printing and distribution; and assist with fund raising, material preparation and arrangements for outreach and education events such as Conservation Field Days, Agricultural Day at the Fair, and the Regional and Mock Envirothons. They also assist with the District’s Annual Meeting and annual Shrub Sale while Upward Bound volunteers assist NRCS with field surveying.

NRCS District Conservationist Paul Hersey said that the best way to get volunteers involved is by letting the community know how the program is making a difference. Hersey also stated that their office has been successful because of their ability to keep volunteers coming back. “We keep our volunteers because we respect them,” said Hersey. “We also try to keep in mind what they enjoy doing and what they are good at when we give them assignments.”

Every year the Franklin County office recognizes their Earth Team Volunteers at the District’s Annual Meeting. They feel it is important to recognize them in front of everyone they work with, other conservationists and members of the community so that everyone knows how important they are to the conservation effort. They are presented with a certificate from the NRCS State Conservationist and a token for their services.

Thompson said that without the volunteers less would be done in their office. Some of the outreach programs would not take place, and the office staff would not be able to spend as much time providing the technical assistance required in the county. They are an important part of the office’s conservation team. But equally if not more important is that they are playing a big part in improving the volunteers’ quality of life, no matter what their age. In fact, one of the volunteers from the ABLE program was hired by the District.

There will be a Sustainable Hardwood Forest Planting Project on May 10^th and 11^th starting at 8:00AM, which is being brought to this local community through a unique partnership between the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District (PCSWCD) and the Central Maine Chapter of the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine (SWOAM). Through their 2008 Woodland Management Workshop Series, this project and several other educational programs for the public are being offered to build this region’s sustainable natural resources. More volunteers are needed to establish this forest.

This forest project includes plans to plant 1000 American chestnut trees, 2500 red oak trees and 200 bur oak trees at the PCSWCD Demonstration Forest and Woodlot in Williamsburg. We will be working to restore the American chestnut and to assist in the development of a very unique hardwood forest. This project was funded by the Hardwood Forestry Fund, an educational organization dedicated to establishing sustainable hardwood forests, Since 1990, Hardwood Forestry Fund members have joined together to celebrate and conserve the beauty and sustainability of hardwoods. Through tree planting on public land, the Hardwood Forestry Fund promotes hardwood timber growth, management, environmental education, and wise use of our nation’s renewable forest resources. Trees planted by the Hardwood Forestry Fund require a management plan that ensures they will be cared for to provide quality natural resources for future generations. The PCSWCD has developed such a plan that includes for education and demonstration to help teach school children and private landowners how to establish and be good stewards of hardwood forests.

A generous contribution to the project was made by Lumbra Hardwoods, Incorporated, a family owned hardwood lumber manufacturing plant in Milo. This hardwood lumber manufacturing plant was first established in Vermont in 1952 and then moved to Maine in 1960 because of Maine’s quality hardwood log supply. They are a sawmill that does not own forestland, so Lumbra Hardwoods, Inc. has long been dependent upon the health and sustainability of Maine’s forest. Some of the finest hardwoods in North America come from Maine. Hardwoods are often used for furniture and other wood products. Forests also serve to help keep our air and water pure, and are a valuable renewable energy resource.

The Maine Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) also made a generous contribution to the project. TACF was founded in 1983 to restore the American chestnut tree throughout the United States. According to the American Chestnut Society, there was “a group of prominent plant scientists who recognized the severe impact the demise of the American chestnut tree imposed upon the local economy of rural communities, and upon the ecology of forests within the tree’s native range. The American chestnut tree reined over 200 million acres of eastern woodlands from Maine to Florida, and from the Piedmont west to the Ohio Valley, until succumbing to a lethal fungus infestation, known as the chestnut blight, during the first half of the 20th century.” Chestnut trees were a valuable source of timber and food for colonial Americans.

SWOAM was formed over thirty years ago to provide a voice and resource to Maine’s small woodland owners. SWOAM strengthens long-term woodland stewardship by improving tree quality and forest health, protecting our waters and wildlife habitats and demonstrating good forest management through their land trust. The PCSWCD was formed over sixty years ago to protect the soil and water in this region. Its mission is to be a leader in agriculture, forestry and other natural resource education, providing assistance and coordination of resources and information to promote practices that maintain our way of life.

For more information about this project, or the 2008 Woodland Workshop Series, please contact either organization. SWOAM may be reached by calling Pete Robinson at 564 – 7433, emailing grbns1@aol.com or by calling John Gilbert at 924 – 3534 or emailing jgilbert@panax.com. You may also visit their website at www.swoam.org. The PCSWCD may be reached at 564 – 2321, extension 3, email info@piscataquisswcd.org, or visit the website at www.piscataquisswcd.org.

As this is such an important project for our local region, more volunteers will be needed to plant these tree seedlings upon their arrival. Additional planting tools are also needed, such as hoedads, bypass pruning shears and some buckets. Pre – registration is requested by Monday, May 5th as snacks, beverages and lunch will be provided for all volunteers, with a contribution form Shaw’s supermarket in Dover – Foxcroft. Please join us, as we will be creating a legacy for future generations!

Soil and Water Conservation Districts from Maine recently participated in a Conservation District Day at the Statehouse Hall of Flags in Augusta. Numerous Maine State legislators, pleased to be taking a break from lengthy budget debates, stopped into the Hall of Flags to visit with District staff and discuss local conservation issues.

Representatives from Southern Maine, for instance, were interested in what can be done to limit “sprawl”. An Augusta area member of the Appropriations Committee was particularly glad to discuss water quality with a District staff person who is an expert on the region’s lake water quality and also on bass fishing. The House Chair of the Natural Resources Committee, from Bar Harbor, enlisted District interest in his efforts to reduce the wasteful use of plastics.

The Districts, in turn, appreciated the opportunity to outline the conservation technical assistance and education which they provide to landowners, businesses, schools and municipalities. There are sixteen conservation districts statewide that are “making conservation work for you.” For more information on district programs, and a link to your local conservation district’s website, please visit the Maine Association of Conservation Districts website at www.maineswcds.org.