A native of Asia, this colorful (and admittedly beautiful) beetle has decimated the ash population of the northeastern and mid-western portions of the United States.  Since its identification in 2002 it has been found in 16 states and 2 Canadian provinces.  The number one way this beetle spreads from state to state is through human involvement – inadvertently transporting the insect in any of its stages (egg, larvae, or adult) to a new location where it can establish another population.  An aggressive awareness campaign exists in order to educate the public about this threat to our nation’s forests and to, hopefully, help curb the spread of the beetle.

This week is an example of yet another education effort.  May 19-25 has been designated Emerald Ash Borer Week.  This is the time of year when adult beetles start becoming active and you may see them flying around your trees, if you happen to have any ashes left.  It’s also the time that people are most likely to move the pest when packing for camping season.  The following is a blog post by the U.S. Department of Agriculture about the beetle, what signs to look out for, and a link for more information.

Side Note:  here is another good site to bookmark if you’re looking for information on where the Emerald Ash Borer has been found, quarantine information, the beetle’s life cycle and how to identify it, what to do with a tree that you have lost due to the beetle, the options for treating an early infestation and more.

All That Glitters Is Not Gold ….

 

Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week is May 19-25. David Cappaert, Michigan State University.

In this case it is green, a brilliant emerald green, and it is chomping its way through America’s forests. The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, may look pretty, but it is killing our ash trees in our forests and backyards.

This is Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week (May 19-25) and the time of year when you might see adult beetles flitting about among your ash trees. It is also the time of year you may unknowingly move this pest if you pack firewood when you kick off the summer camping season.

The EAB attacks ash trees and all ash trees are at risk.  First, adult females lay their eggs in the tree bark.  The eggs hatch into larvae.  These larvae look like creamy white, flat worms, and they chew tunnels just under the bark, cutting off the plumbing that supplies nutrients to the tree.  With the tree’s water pipes shut off, the tree starves and dies in just a couple of years.

Because the larvae cause all their damage under the bark, it can be hard to tell when a tree is infested until it is too late.  So it’s important to be on the lookout for some telltale signs of an EAB infestation, such as:

• Canopy dieback, usually starting at the top of the tree
• Sprouts growing from the trunk as the upper portions of the tree die
• D-shaped exit holes where the beetles chewed their way out of the tree
• Vertical bark splits that expose the larvae’s tunnels

It can be tempting to turn that dying tree into firewood to make use of the dead wood—go ahead, but keep it local. It is important not to move this firewood around since pests still living in the wood can be brought to new areas and infest a whole new neighborhood.  Before you know it, these pests can be hitching rides all over the country via your road-trip.  The emerald ash borer beetle, detected in 19 states, has destroyed tens of millions of ash trees so far.  The estimated cost of treating, removing, and replacing 37.9 million ash trees in urban and residential settings in 25 states is $25 billion.

Stop EAB in its tracks, Don’t Move Firewood.  Visit www.StopTheBeetle.info to learn more.

So we have announced the winners of both of our Go Green Youth Challenge contests for 2013 and you’re bummed because you just found out about them and would have entered, except you missed the deadline.  Never fear, there are more contests where that one came from…just not hosted by us (at least not until next year).  Here are a few that might hold you over until next spring, when the Go Green Youth Challenge returns.  These are all youth contests with various age ranges that focus on an environmental/outdoor message.  I will be on the lookout for more throughout the spring and summer.  And of course, if you find any neat ones you would like to pass along, be sure to put a link to them in a comment on this post.

Jamestown Audubon Society’s Nature Photography Contest – Deadline June 30, 2013

• Age groups (aka Divisions):  ages 8-18 and adult, open to entrants worldwide
• Categories:  landscapes, plants or wildlife
• May submit as many photos as you like in any or all of the above categories
• $10 entry fee/photo
• Prizes:  1 cash prize of $100, $50 gift certificate for photo processing
• Click here for Official Rules

National Association of Conservation Districts Poster Contest - Deadline October 8, 2013 for local contests

• Contest Theme:  ”Where Does Your Water Shed?”
• Open to K-12 public, private and home school students across the U.S.
• Entries are submitted to local contests first, then winners move on to the National Competition, click here to find your Conservation District
• All entries must be created by only one student (no team efforts)
• Prizes:  National prizes are sponsored by NACD and include $100 for first place and $75 for second place for each age category; local prizes vary
• For more information click here

Ranger Rick “Your Best Shots” Photo Contest – ongoing contest, no deadline

• Open to any child 13 or under
• Limit of 3 entries per person per month
• Entries can be any nature shot; must be original, must be yours
• No entry fee, but you have to submit online
• Winners get their photo published in Ranger Rick magazine
• Click here for Official Rules

The Michigan Arbor Day Alliance is proud to announce the winners of this year’s Go Green Youth Challenge!  This year’s program featured two very different components, but had one unified message – celebrating the benefits of trees.

The original Go Green Youth Challenge was a fundraising contest.  Teams collected money in any way they could think of in order to raise funds to plant trees in Michigan.  This year, through school participation and sponsorships, this program raised over $16,824 to fund tree plantings.

Congratulations to the Grand Prize winner of the Go Green Youth Challenge fundraiser – the Smith Middle School Ecology Club from Troy.  Together they raised $250!

The 2013 Challenge was different because the program also included a Creative Writing Contest.  Students K-12 were invited to submit a short piece of writing expressing what trees meant to them.  We had a total of 479 contest entries from across the state!  Congratulations to the top entries and Thank You to everyone who participated.

Grand Prize Winner – Nathaniel C. from Bloomfield Twp.

K-4th

First – Mattye T. from Beverly Hills

Second – Anna R. from Northville

Third – Sophia W. from Beverly Hills

5th-8th

First – Julianna K. from Oakland

Second – Jessica R. from Perry

Third – Kayla D. from St. Johns

9th-12th

First – Jordon M. from Brooklyn

Second – Ellen Z. from Troy

Third – Zach C. from Northville

We hope you enjoyed this year’s contest.  Be on the lookout next spring for another chance to participate!

Thank You for making Michigan greener

Share Some BIG Ideas

Clifford is excited to celebrate his 50th Birthday with you!  He is asking all of his fans to give him the best gift ever to BE BIG!  Being Big is about being Big-Hearted.  It’s about having a Big Spirit.  Being Big is something we should all do more often.

It only takes a little to BE BIG.

Clifford’s BIG Ideas (Share, Help Others, Be Kind, Be Responsible, Play Fair, Be a Good Friend, Believe in Yourself, Respect Others, Work Together and Be Truthful) were borne out of the curriculum developed for the award-winning animated television series – which airs on PBS KIDS.  The goal of BIG Ideas is to support children’s growing understanding that the actions they choose make a difference to themselves and others.  The BIG Idea present value-based content that engage children in important life lessons.

The Contest

Bring YOUR BIG Idea To Life!  If you have a BIG Idea that demonstrates Clifford’s BIG Ideas, let us know!  The BE BIG Fund can help bring YOUR winning idea to life with the help of Scholastic, HandsOn Network and, of course, Clifford!  The 5th Annual BE BIG in Your Community Contest is open NOW!  Enter now for the chance to bring your BIG Idea to life with a $5,000 community grant.  Other prizes consist of 5 $1,000 first prize grants.  Remember, it only takes a little to BE BIG!

You can enter online, or by mailing in this entry form.

This contest is open until June 23, 2013.  Full contest rules can be found here.

Contact Information:                                               Phone:  (517) 543-5848 x 5

Jennifer Hunnell                                                                Email:  miarborday@gmail.com

Michigan Arbor Day Alliance                  Website:   http://www.miarbordayalliance.com

551 Courthouse Dr., Ste. 3 Charlotte, MI 48813                               Sent:   4-23-13

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: On or after 4-22-13

Celebrate Arbor Day Every Day

MICHIGAN –The Michigan Arbor Day Alliance (MADA) encourages you to join us in celebrating Arbor Day this year.  On Friday, April 26, 2013 MADA will be hosting the 20^th State Arbor Day Celebration for over 1,100 second and third grade mid-Michigan students at Potter Park in Lansing.  Volunteers from several organizations will spend the day teaching students about water, wildlife, soil, and of course, trees.

“Planting a tree is a simple way to make a lasting impression.  The benefits from that single tree will be felt for generations,” says MADA Program Coordinator Jennifer Hunnell and encourages you to celebrate Arbor Day in your own way.  You could plant a tree, volunteer, recycle, use reusable grocery bags, read a nature-themed book to a classroom, visit a local park, or organize a community beautification project or clean-up effort.  Several Michigan communities are also hosting their own Arbor Day Celebrations.  Find an event in your area on our website, www.miarbordayalliance.com and check out the Community Calendar.

The first Arbor Day was celebrated in Nebraska on April 10, 1872.  J. Sterling Morton, a pioneer and journalist championed the idea of a “tree planting” holiday in the Nebraska Territory.  In 1885, the Michigan Legislature resolved “that the Governor is hereby requested to call the attention of the people of the state to the importance of planting trees for ornament and by naming a day upon which the work shall be given special attention to be known as Arbor Day.” Each year the Governor and Michigan Legislature proclaim the last week in April as Arbor Week and Arbor Day as the last Friday of that week.

The Michigan Arbor Day Alliance is a coalition of organizations and agencies dedicated to the promotion and celebration of Arbor Day throughout Michigan.  The Michigan Arbor Day Alliance is a program of the Eaton Conservation District in Charlotte, MI and is made possible through a partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

For those of you who may not know, this is Garlic Mustard, an invasive plant brought from Europe by settlers in 1868.  Garlic Mustard is an aggressive understory plant which starts growing earlier and stops growing later than most of our native plants, shading them out and competing for resources.  That combined with the fact that it grows in dense clusters means that it can completely blanket an area in under 10 years.  Garlic Mustard produces large quantities of seeds, which can be dispersed by wind, water, animals and people, taking them to new areas where the seeds can remain viable for 7 years.  This invasive species has spread to 28 U.S. states and several Canadian provinces.

But there is something YOU can do to help stop it from spreading further.  Know what the plant looks like and if you see it, pull it and toss it in the garbage.  Better yet, you can join a Garlic Mustard pull.  The Stewardship Network is organizing several events in the mid-Michigan area.  Every year they coordinate the Garlic Mustard Challenge, a state-wide competition to see which group can pull the most.  In 2012 groups pulled over 308,000 pounds!  You can participate as an individual or as part of a group, organize your own event or join someone else’s – there are many possibilities.  Here are some of the events coming up in the next couple months.

Mid-Michigan Garlic Mustard Challenge Events

Celebrate Earth Day – Pull Garlic Mustard to Conserve Native Flowers! 

• Contact midmich@stewardshipnetwork.org with questions about how you can help!
• Dispose of bagged garlic mustard in trash (per MI invasive species law), not yard waste
• Learn more about the Garlic Mustard Challenge and report bags of garlic mustard pulled at your own site by June 28 at www.stewardshipnetwork.org

Saturday, April 20, 2013 at Harris Nature Center, Meridian Township Parks

Leader: Kit Rich (harriscenter@sbcglobal.net)

Time & meeting place: 9am-11am. Parking lot, 3998 Van Atta Road, Okemos MI

Saturday, April 20 at Michigan Audubon’s Otis Farm Bird Sanctuary

Leader: Tom Funke (tfunke@michiganaudubon.org)

Time and meeting place: Noon-2pm. Come for the nature hike beforehand, 9-11am. Park at the main lot at 3560 Havens Road, Hastings MI 49058

Saturday, April 27 at Michigan Audubon’s Capital City Bird Sanctuary

Leader: Bri Krauss (bri@michiganaudubon.org)

Time and meeting place: 9am-noon.  6001 Delta River Dr., Lansing, just east of Hawk Meadows Park.

Saturday, April 27 at Lake Lansing Park North, Ingham County Parks

Leader: Nick Sanchez (nsanchez@ingham.org)

Time & meeting place: 9am-noon. Parking lot of Lake Lansing Park North next to the softball field.

Wednesday, May 8 at Michigan Audubon’s Capital City Bird Sanctuary

Leader: Bri Krauss (bri@michiganaudubon.org)

Time and meeting place: 10am-2pm. 6001 Delta River Dr., Lansing, just east of Hawk Meadows Park.

Saturday, May 11 at Henry Fine Park, City of East Lansing Parks

Leader: Heather Surface (hsurfac@cityofeastlansing.com)

Time & meeting place: 10am-1pm. Parking lot off Winchester Drive, north of Pinecrest Elementary.

Saturday, May 18 at Harris Nature Center, Meridian Township Parks

Leader: Kit Rich (harriscenter@sbcglobal.net)

Time and meeting place: 9-11am.  Parking lot, 3998 Van Atta Road, Okemos MI

Tuesday, May 21 at Lake Lansing Park North, Ingham County Parks

Leader: Leslie Kuhn (midmich@stewardshipnetwork.org)

Time and meeting place: 9am-noon.  Parking lot next to the softball field, near Sandhill Shelter

Thursday, May 23 at Scott Woods/Hawk Island Park, Lansing/Ingham County Parks

Leader: Leslie Kuhn (midmich@stewardshipnetwork.org)

Time and meeting place: 9am-noon. Parking lot next to Redtail Shelter, Hawk Island Park, 1601 E. Cavanaugh, Lansing

Saturday, May 25 at Michigan Audubon’s Capital City Bird Sanctuary

Leader: Bri Krauss (bri@michiganaudubon.org)

Time and meeting place: 9am-noon. 6001 Delta River Dr., Lansing, just east of Hawk Meadows Park

Saturday, June 8 next to Baker Woodlot and Sanford Woods, MSU

Leaders: Jim Hewitt and Leslie Kuhn (midmich@stewardshipnetwork.org)

Time and meeting place: 9:30am-12:30. Park on Bogue St. where it dead-ends south of Service Rd.

The Stewardship Network also has a blog for the Garlic Mustard Challenge – visit to get the latest updates!  If you would like more information or have specific questions, you can contact the coordinators at garlicmustard@stewardshipnetwork.org.

Begun by a group of enthusiastic entrepreneurs, this program promotes literacy and the love of learning while also building a sense of  community that spans across generations.  How this program works is amazingly simple.  You either purchase or build a “Little Library;” mount it in a public, accessible place; stock it with books; spread the word and voila!  A Little Free Library is born!  The principle behind these libraries is “take a book, leave a book.”  There’s no lending period, no rental fees.  The idea is a continual book exchange.  The contents of the Little Free Library can change every day depending on the amount of use.  Many of these little libraries contain books for all ages.  And if you want to start your own and need help, their website has a lot of helpful tips and resources, plus a host of people to contact if you have trouble.

Examples of Little Free Libraries

This is an international program with a global map.  If you want to start your own Little Free Library location you can get yours added to the map, or you can use it to find ones near you.  There is at least one location in every state in the U.S. and on nearly every continent.

This unique “little” idea certainly has an extensive reach.

This deadline is coming up soon, but if your children or students are looking for a poster contest with fabulous prizes, then consider entering this one.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s SunWise program is teaming up with the SHADE Foundation of America to bring you their annual Poster Contest.  K-8th grade students are invited to submit original, creative posters illustrating ways to prevent skin cancer and raise sun safety awareness.

Awareness and prevention tips include, but are not limited to:

• Using adequate sunscreen,
• Wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses,
• Seeking shade when UV rays are most intense – between 10 am and 4 pm,
• Covering up with full-length clothing, and
• Checking the UV index

There are prizes available for all ages.  The top five K-3 entries will receive digital cameras.  For the older students, a family trip to Disney World will be awarded to the top  entry.  Entries have to be received by April 1, 2013.  I realize that’s short notice, but the prizes could definitely be worth the rush.

This is a National contest, so entrants will be competing against students from around the country.

For full contest rules and to see past winners’ posters visit either the EPA SunWise, or the SHADE Foundation‘s websites.

Celebrate National Groundwater Awareness Week, March 10-16, 2013

Although most people know very little about it, groundwater is worthy of public recognition because of the role it plays in human lives and the environment.

The drinking water supplies of 44 percent of Americans rely on groundwater—the water that fills cracks and other openings in beds of rock, gravel, and sand below the ground’s surface. In rural areas, the number is about 96 percent. Those facts alone justify the need for Groundwater Awareness Week, started 15 years ago by the National Ground Water Association (NGWA).

But groundwater is important in many other ways as well.  Consider:

• An estimated 99 percent of all available fresh water in the world is in the form of groundwater.
• Groundwater provides much of the flow of many streams; often lakes and streams are “windows” to the water table. Groundwater adds 492 billion gallons per day to U.S. surface water bodies. In large part, the flow in a stream represents water that has flowed from the ground into the stream channel.
• Scientists estimate U.S. groundwater reserves to be at least 33,000 trillion gallons — equal to the amount discharged into the Gulf of Mexico by the Mississippi River in the past 200 years.
• The United States uses 79.6 billion gallons per day of fresh groundwater for public supply, private supply, irrigation, livestock, manufacturing, mining, thermoelectric power, and other purposes.
• Groundwater is tapped through wells placed in water-bearing soils and rocks beneath the surface of the Earth. There are nearly 15.9 million of these wells serving households, cities, business, and agriculture every day. Wells are constructed by the 8,100 contracting firms employing nearly 45,000 people dedicated to providing and protecting our nation’s groundwater supplies.
• Irrigation accounts for the largest use of groundwater in the United States, about 67.2 percent of all the groundwater pumped each day. Some 53.5 billion gallons of groundwater are used daily for agricultural irrigation from more than 407,913 wells. Irrigation is a major reason for the abundance of fresh produce and grains that we all enjoy.
• One ton of groundwater used by industry generates an estimated $14,000 worth of output.

These facts underscore the important role people play as stewards, or managers, of groundwater. People can adversely affect the resource. Fortunately, there are simple steps that will help protect groundwater. Groundwater protection is particularly important for people with water wells that provide their household water supply:

• Keep hazardous materials away from any well. Never dump such materials, motor oil, or anything else that could impact water quality onto the land surface, into a hole or pit, or into a surface water supply.
• Always use licensed or certified water well drillers and pump installers when a well is constructed or serviced, or when the pump is installed or serviced.

For more information on groundwater, visit www.ngwa.org, or www.wellowner.org.

Find resources specifically for Michigan or any other state.

###

Awareness week poster 2013

13 Tips for Having Fun Outdoors When It’s Cold Outside (Plus 26 More Ideas for Winter Fun)

When the weather outside is frightful, but the thought of staying cooped up indoors is even more so, you really need to head outdoors for some winter fun. With a little planning and preparation, and the willingness to leave the central heating behind, you can have just as much fun in the cold as you can during the summer.

Here are 13 tips for keeping warm while having fun outdoors when it’s cold outside:

1. Wear appropriate clothing. Choosing the right clothing for outdoor winter play can mean the difference between having a blast and getting blasted by the elements. The same articles of clothing that might work fine for a short dash outside on a cold day will be part of a recipe for hypothermia if you wear it for playing outdoors, so focus on function first, fashion second when dressing for winter play.
2. Dress in layers, so that as your body warms up, you can easily shed (or unzip) a layer before you start sweating. Depending on the activity, you may want an outer layer that blocks the wind and lets out heat, or you may want a breathable outer layer, and many times the better choice is multiple garments, not a single down jacket.
3. Choose wool or fleece or other synthetics over cotton, both for long underwear and for outerwear, as they are all much better insulators, even when wet.
4. Wear a hat and cover your ears. Keeping the top of your head and your ears out of the wind and biting cold will make a huge difference in how warm you feel. And if it gets really cold, wear a balaclava, a facemask, or a scarf over your face, and add goggles or glasses to protect your eyes.
5. Wear gloves or mittens, and regularly check your fingers for exposure. Avoid leather or cloth gloves, as wet gloves are a sure ticket for frostbite. If you can, combine thin glove liners with warm outer mittens or gloves for additional warmth.
6. Wear weatherproof shoes or boots, and wear wool or synthetic socks. And don’t wear tight shoes or boots, as they are not going to be as warm as those with a bit of room in them.
7. Keep the core of your body warm and only expose your arms, neck, or head as your body temperature rises. Staying warm enough to be comfortable, but not so warm as to start sweating, is the key to having fun outdoors in the cold. Learn to anticipate when to strip off a layer before you get hot, as well as when to add a layer before your teeth start chattering.
8. Fuel up your body before you begin. Your body’s warmth is fueled by the food you eat, so if you’re going to be active outside in the cold, fill up your belly with a high-energy meal beforehand. That may be different for different people due to varied eating habits, but many cold weather adventurers chow down on complex carbs and high-fat foods before heading out.
9. Keep yourself hydrated. Just because you’re not sweating buckets doesn’t mean your body doesn’t need fluids, and in the winter it can be really easy to forget to drink water or otherwise hydrate yourself.
10. Keep the fire in your belly stoked by bringing plenty of snacks to munch on.
11. Bring a thermos full of a hot beverage with you for a warmer-upper. Taking a break for a hot cup of tea or coffee or cocoa will warm you up from the inside out.
12. It’s much warmer to play than to watch, so whatever you’re going to do outdoors, keep moving and help your body keep itself warm.
13. Take breaks to warm up inside if you can, or seek a sheltered area and periodically take the time to get out of the cold or direct wind/snow.

And in case you didn’t think there was that much to do outside when it’s cold out, here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Ice Skating
2. Hockey
3. Snowball fights
4. Sledding
5. Wokking
6. Hiking
7. Snowshoeing
8. Have a fire in your yard
9. Follow wildlife tracks through the snow in the woods or neighborhood
10. Build a snow maze
11. Build a snow house
12. Cross-country skiing in town
13. Backcountry skiing or snowboarding
14. Snowmobiling
15. Ice fishing
16. Running in the snow
17. Skijoring with your dog
18. Snow Rugby/Football/Soccer
19. Iceclimbing
20. Play Broomball
21. Play Bandy
22. Go ice swimming
23. Snow kayaking
24. Shovel racing
25. Kite skating
26. Speed riding

** Article courtesy of Discovery News **