Backyard Gardening for Pollinators & other Wildlife Planning Workshop

Pond Clinic

Fall Pasture Walk

2018 Ginseng Seed Sale

2018 Ginseng Seed Sale

Below are details for the Ginseng seed sale. please print the order form below and mail with  payment. For questions please call the office at 740-489-5276. Order deadline is Friday September 7th.

2018 Guernsey SWCD Conservation Camp

The Guernsey SWCD is hosting it's 33rd annual conservation camp for Guernsey County youth ages  8-11. The theme for camp this year is Wild for Wildlife. We will be highlighting Ohio's unique wildlife species through various fun hands on activities. We also will have traditional camp activities such as archery, fishing, and canoeing. The two day camp will take place on Wednesday July 25th and Thursday July 26th from 9 AM to 2 PM. Parents/guardians are responsible for child drop off and pick up both days. Wednesday July 25th we will be at the Salt Fork State Park park office located at R-16 Rd. Lore City Oh. 43755. The activities for the day include Fishing, Archery, Canoeing, making "seed balls" and meeting the park naturalist. On Thursday July 26th we will be at Moore Memorial Woods, located at 18665 Wings Ln. Salesville Oh. 43778. Here at Moore Woods we will be going on  a nature hike, doing crafts, dissecting owl pellets, and learning about Ohio's wildlife. For questions and registration information please call the office at 740-489-5276 or email mepperson@guernsyecounty.org. To register, please print off the registration brochure, fill it out, and mail it along with payment of only $10. Or, request one be sent to you.Registration deadline is July 18th. Please note that camp registration is limited to the first 30 kids.

Area Teen Wins Scholarship at Camp Canopy

Congratulations to Sam Gatrell on winning a $1,000 scholarship at Camp Canopy. The Guernsey SWCD sponsors kids from Guernsey County every year to attend the camp. Camp Canopy is located at FFA Camp Muskingum at Leesville Lake. The camp focuses on all aspects of forestry and wildlife management and brings kids in from all over the state. Forestry and wildlife professionals come together to teach many diverse classes and help with regular camp activities. At the end of the week the students take a test to compete for college scholarships that encompasses all they’ve learned that week.

Special Meetings

NOTICE:

The Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District will be holding special meetings to interview candidates to fill the position of Education/ Natural Resources Specialist. Special meetings for interviews will be conducted on 6/6/2018, 6/7/2018, and 6/12/2018. All will be starting at 8 AM and ending after candidates are interviewed.

Local Work Group and Special Meeting Notice

The Guernsey SWCD will be having a local work group meeting with NRCS on Tuesday morning at 9AM to discuss local conservation issues and ways to help address these conservation issues at the local level. All are welcome, the meeting will be held at the Guernsey SWCD office located at 335 C Old National Rd. Old Washington Ohio. Please RSVP if you plan on attending by calling 740-489-5276. After the local work group meeting the Guernsey SWCD board of supervisors will hold a special meeting to discuss candidates for their job position vacancy. This meeting will occur at 11:30 AM at the Guernsey SWCD office located at 335 C Old National Rd. Old Washington Oh. 43768.

Pasture Walk

Come join us for our 2018 Pasture Walk.  This is a great opportunity to learn how you can increase grazing efficiency on your farm.  

We're Hiring!

Inquiring candidates can contact the district directly at 740-489-5276, or by emailing larnold@guernseycounty.org. Candidates are asked to submit a cover letter, resume, and a minimum of three references by Friday May 18^th 2018 no later than 4:30 PM. Resumes may be emailed, or mailed to the office. If you're mailing your packet please mail to Levi Arnold PO Box 310 Old Washington, Ohio 43768.

Guernsey Soil & Water Conservation District

Position Description

Position Title:             Education/ Natural Resources Specialist

For:                             

Reports to:                 District Program Administrator (DPA)

Employment Status:  Full time, subject to six month probationary period

Hours:                         8:00 AM to 4:30PM – 40 hours

                             

This position is responsible for education, technical assistance, and field assistance to landowners/operators and units of government, primarily in natural resources issues.  The position also coordinates educational programming in the Guernsey county school systems.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

·         Plan and conduct tours, field days, technical workshops, public viewing of demonstrations for the general public and or school field trips

·         Conduct teacher workshops in order to better prepare them with the skills needed to become competent in teaching natural resources issues.

·         Establish a reliable and accessible resource base to assist teachers with their own natural resource curriculum within all school districts in Guernsey County

·         Organize K-12 classroom activities and field days promoting agriculture and natural resources conservation and management.

·         Create materials promoting environmental education to be used as aides in the science curriculum.

·         Coordinate overall conservation education programs of the district to Guernsey county residents

·         Work with the DPA to develop communication of district programs through social media.

·         Help promote the Envirothon Contest and solicit contest participants in county schools.  Coordinate training events with area schools.

·         Coordinates the district’s Conservation day camp

·         Represent the District at meetings of local, state and federal agencies and organizations

·         Work with county 4-H youth programs

·         Attend monthly board meetings and/or other meetings as designated by the DPA and /or Board of Supervisors.

·         Keep abreast of all federal, state, and local laws that affect the conservation work within the district.

·         Prepare and maintain all records, reports, and forms as required.  This includes the computerized payroll and data collection system, currently known as SWIMS.

·         Must comply with all of the district’s policies (i.e. Employment Policy, this position description)

·         Must demonstrate regular and predictable attendance.

·         Perform all other duties as assigned by the DPA or board of supervisors.

·         Other duties and responsibilities not mentioned will evolve. The Board of Supervisors does not  hold this job description to be “all encompassing” and maintain the right to develop other 

areas of responsibility as deemed necessary. 

QUALIFICATIONS

·         Minimum 2 year degree in wildlife, forestry, natural resources management or related field.

·         Experience with presenting educational programs to both adult and youth audiences.

·         Ability to communicate effectively in both oral and written form; exercise sound judgment; use time and organizational skills wisely; be groomed and dressed appropriately as to reflect well on the Guernsey SWCD; cooperate with co-workers; receive and implement instructions from DPA and board of supervisors; communicate and work well with landowners without discrimination.

·         Ability to operate field equipment (survey equipment, water quality monitoring equipment, GPS data collector, digital camera, etc.) with guidance and training.

·         Familiarity with popular computer software (including, but not limited to, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher) and willingness to learn new applications.

·         Must be insurable for government vehicle operation and have a valid Ohio driver’s license.

·         Ability to pass a background check in order to use county and federal computer system.

WORKING CONDITIONS

·         Occasionally performs duties during inclement weather.

·         Required to lift and carry necessary equipment; walk over uneven, steep ground; cross fences.

·         Required to transport district rental equipment using district vehicles.

·         Required to work in close proximity to construction equipment while in operation.

·         Required to attend evening and weekend meetings on occasion within and outside the county.

PERFORMANCE REVIEW

A formal performance review will be conducted annually by the DPA.  During this review, salary advancement and items concerning the employee’s professional growth and employment are discussed.   At this time, a set of goals for the coming year which meet with the goals of the district will be discussed and agreed upon. 

Wildlife Workshop in Harrison County!

Ohio Wildlife Council Receives 2018-2018 Deer Hunting Proposals

Ohio Wildlife Council Receives
2018-2019 Deer Hunting Proposals

COLUMBUS, OH – The Ohio Wildlife Council heard proposals for Ohio’s 2018-2019 white-tailed deer hunting season dates and bag limits at Wednesday’s meeting, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). The proposed season dates are nearly identical to previous seasons.

Overview of proposed deer hunting seasons for 2018-2019:

Deer archery: Sept. 29, 2018-Feb. 3, 2019
Youth deer gun: Nov. 17-18, 2018
Deer gun: Nov. 26-Dec. 2, 2018; Dec. 15-16, 2018
Deer muzzleloader: Jan. 5-8, 2019
Deer bag limits were proposed to remain the same for all but one county. A reduction in the bag limit from three deer to two deer was proposed for Jefferson County. All other county bag limits would remain the same. The ODNR Division of Wildlife also proposed modifications for hunting on public land that would permit hunters to harvest only one antlerless deer from public hunting areas per license year and require that only antlered deer be harvested on public land after Dec. 2. This proposal would allow for some herd growth on public land. The statewide bag limit was proposed to remain at six deer, only one of which may be antlered, and a hunter cannot exceed a county bag limit.

In other proposals, the ODNR Division of Wildlife proposed to allow the use of devices such as range finders on archery equipment that utilize only non-visible light when hunting in Ohio. Any device that projects a beam of visible light would still be prohibited. Proposed changes to furbearer management included modifying the list of counties open to river otter trapping and creating a limited bobcat trapping season to support scientific research. Trapping for bobcats would be limited to two zones in eastern and southern Ohio, with a small, fixed quota for each zone. Trappers would be required to purchase an additional $5 permit and only be allowed to harvest one bobcat per license year. Trapping in each zone would close when the quota is reached. The data collected from these bobcats would provide scientists with a better idea of the population in Ohio. New counties were proposed to open for river otter trapping, as the species is now prevalent in many areas. River otter bag limits have not changed.

A correction was made to the counties proposed to open for fall wild turkey hunting beginning in 2018. The corrected proposed county list includes Erie, Hancock and Lucas counties. Sandusky County is not proposed to be open to fall turkey hunting at this time.

A complete list of proposed rules changes can be found at wildohio.gov.

The Ohio Wildlife Council will vote on all proposals after receiving public input. Open houses to receive public comments about hunting, trapping and fishing regulations and wildlife issues will be held on Saturday, March 3. Open houses will be held at the ODNR Division of Wildlife District One, District Two, District Three and District Four offices and the Greene County Fish and Game Association clubhouse in Xenia. Directions to the open houses can be found at wildohio.gov or by calling 800-WILDLIFE (945-3543).

Open houses give the public an opportunity to view and discuss proposed fishing, hunting and trapping regulations with the ODNR Division of Wildlife officials. For Ohioans who are unable to attend an open house, comments will be accepted online at wildohio.gov. The online form will be available starting Monday, Feb. 12, through Sunday, March 4.

A statewide hearing on all of the proposed rules will be held at the ODNR Division of Wildlife’s District One office on Thursday, March 15, at 9 a.m. The office is located at 1500 Dublin Road, Columbus, Ohio 43215.

The Ohio Wildlife Council is an eight-member board that approves all ODNR Division of Wildlife proposed rules and regulations. The council will vote on the proposed rules and season dates during its meeting on Wednesday, April 11, after considering public input. Small game, migratory bird and wild turkey hunting season dates were proposed at the January council meeting and will also be voted on by the council on April 11.

Council meetings are open to the public. Individuals who want to provide comments on a topic that is currently being considered by council are asked to register at least two days before the meeting by calling 614-265-6304. All comments are required to be three minutes or less.

ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.

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Editor’s Note: Attached is the proposed 2018-2019 Ohio deer bag limits map with season dates.

For more information, contact:
John Windau, ODNR Division of Wildlife
614-265-6325
Matt Eiselstein, ODNR Office of Communications
614-265-6860