Monday, September 20, 2010

National Public Lands Day

September 25, 2010

National Public Lands Day (NPLD) -- the nation's largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance America's public lands -- is just a week away. It provides an invaluable service-learning opportunity for students this fall. NPLD engages a diverse audience of adult and youth volunteers, whether at a national park, nature center or school garden. Go online to find an existing project or register your own.

NPLD is also a great opportunity to bring learning outdoors and educate students of all ages about environmental stewardship. For ideas, check out NPLD's educational resource library, which includes lesson plans, project ideas, recreational opportunities and more.




NPLD and EE Week are programs of the National Environmental Education Foundation.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp

With a multi-billion dollar deficit looming in Ohio's state budget, some of you may wonder how the Ohio Division of Wildlife can afford to create and offer all of our great field guides, posters, Wild Ohio for Kids magazine, and Project WILD workshops for free.  It has a lot to do with our Wildlife Diversity Fund.  And now this fund has a new tool in its toolbox for raising additional funds for these projects and programs.

Today was the Annual Wildlife Diversity Partners meeting, which took place at the Mohican State Park Resort.  This annual gathering brings together key stakeholders and partners of the Ohio Division of Wildlife in the promotion of Ohio's Wildlife Diversity Fund.  The Wildlife Diversity Fund pays for research and conservation projects for non-game animals, threatened and endangered species, critical habitats, and our educational resources.  Our partners include many of the state's birding clubs and organizations, university research partners, park districts, and many other groups and organizations who have like-minded missions to conserve Ohio's wildlife and wildlife habitats. 

This past year's subject was a beautiful
Baltimore Oriole.
Photo taken by Russell Reynolds of Lima.
The past two days spent at Mohican were primarily to reveal the winner of the 2011 Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp Photo Contest Winner, which will be announced later today.  You can check out our website, look us up and become a fan on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter to see the results of the contest.  This year's subject was Dragonflies and Damselflies.  The Division received 280 photos this year from 125 Ohio residents in hopes of being selected for the 2011 stamp. 

Stamps can be purchased for $15 online, by mail, at one of the Division of Wildlife's offices, and from many of our outstanding partners.  Learn more about Ohio's Wildlife Legacy Stamp and the many projects and programs that your purchase will support.  And don't forget to thank a Cardinal License plate owner for their contribution as well!