Native Plant Sale 2013

June 3rd thur June 7th

9 am to 4 pm

1611 S. Hanover St. Hastings (Secretary of State Building).

Native plant pics 2013 (link)

Native Plant list 2013 (link)

 If you have any questions you can email at:

 (kori.armour@mi.nacdnet.net)

  

  

 

 

We have two new Board Members  

We would like to introduce

Mark Bishop & David Replogle

  

  

                               

Mark Bishop                                          David Relogle 

 

Mark Bishop:  My love for the outdoors was instilled in me early on in life.  Growing up on a small lake in Calhoun County and camping up north with my family, contributed to me choosing a career of managing our natural resources.  I am retired from a 34+ year career with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, as a land manager of public lands in Barry and northern Kalamazoo counties.  My background includes planning and on the ground implementation of habitat improvement and restoration projects.  Being good stewards of our renewable resources and making decisions based on sound scientific research will insure that many generations will enjoy this beautiful place we call Barry County.  I look forward to contributing and working with the staff at the BCD in serving the residents of Barry County.

 David Replogle:  A lifelong resident of and raised in Yankee Springs Township, David is very concerned about the environment and will do whatever he can to help the Conservation Board. He owns a small farm in Yankee Springs Township with his family, just a few short miles of where he was raised. He hopes that he can bring his technological skills to the table as well as his traditional farming knowledge to help be aware of and avoid the threats to this area.

  

  

 17th Annual Thronapple River Clean-up

2012 Photo Contest Winners!!

   

  

FrogWatch USA:                                                                       

We have a Chapter here at the Barry Conservation District office.  FrogWatch USA is program where volunteers will help conserve our nation’s amphibians by monitoring one or more local wetland sites to identify local frog and toad species by their breeding calls, and accurately report their findings.

What is FrogWatch USA:  it is a long-term frog and toad monitoring program whose data describe local species diversity, detect rare and invasive species, suggest shifts in species diversity, range, and seasonal timing and may serve as an indicator of wetland health.  FrogWatch USA provides volunteers and their families the opportunity to learn about the environment while collecting valuable information about the frogs and toads local to their area.

Why Monitor Frogs?  Frogs and toads have held cultural importance for centuries:  symbolizing fertility in ancient Egypt, luck in Japan, and rain gods in some Native American cultures.  Today Kermit the Frog is a modern-day celebrity.  Frogs and toads are vitally important in the field of human medicine and compounds from their skin are currently being tested for anti-cancer and anti-HIV properties.

They also play an important role, serving as both prey and predator, in wetlands ecosystems and are considered indicators of environmental health.  Many previously abundant frog and toad populations have experienced dramatic population declines both in the United States and around the world and it’s essential that scientists understand the scope, geographic scale, and cause of the declines.

  Here in Michigan we have 13 different species:  American Bullfrog, American Toad, Cope’s Treefrog, Fowler’s Toad, Gray Treefrog, Green Frog, Midland Chorus frog, Mink Frog, Northern Cricket Frog, Northern Leopard Frog, Pickerel Frog, Spring Peeper, and Wood Frog.

To hear the different calls of the frogs and toads in Michigan go to

  http://www.cmnh.org/site/ResearchandCollections/VertebrateZoology/Research/IndexFrogCalls.aspx

For the Mink Frog call go to

http://www.naturewatch.ca/english/frogwatch/species_details.asp?species=14

For more information on FrogWatch USA go to

  www.aza.org/frogwatch

SurveySiteRegistration_2012_Form   Click here if you need more copies

ObservationDatasheet_2012_Form  Click here if you need more copies

  

 

 Thornapple River Clean-up was a hit:

  

 www.thornappleriver.org (link)     

2012 Photo Contest Winners!!

Wildlife:  Lora Ballinger from Hastings      

      

Agriculture:  Joe Barr from Delton      

      

People In Nature:  Marge Faber from Hastings      

      

Trees & Plants:  Jeff Newman from Delton      

      

Landscapes:  Ken Kornheiser from Plainwell