September 3, 2008
Nature Daze will feature topics on how to maintain your property
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The 2008 Nature Daze on how to help landowners better understand how to manage their property to create resilient native habitat will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 13 at Bill and Becky Freeman's property in Brown County.
"Managing natural resources can be confusing and we want landowners to walk away feeling empowered and excited about managing their land," said Julie Kempf, conservation coordinator for The Nature Conservancy's Brown County Hills Project.
Resource professionals will give information on fish management, weed identification and control in your pond, enhancing wildlife habitats, landscaping with native plants, and usage of herbicides and mechanical controls.
At 9 a.m. Brian MacGowan, Purdue Extension wildlife specialist, will give a presentation on enhancing wildlife habitat and JoAnne Himebaugh, Brown County horticulturist, will talk about landscaping with native plants.
Other presenters include Dan Shaver, The Nature Conservancy's Brown County Hills Project director, who will discuss herbicides and mechanical control of invasive plants; and Nathan Long, of Aquatic Control, who will talk about fish management and weed identification and control.
The morning session also will have interactive nature programs for kids that will give them a closer look at nature.
Afternoon activities will include a creek stomp with Katie Hodgdon, Hoosier Riverwatch volunteer coordinator; prairie plant identification with Dan McGuckin, private land wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and a forestry hike with Chuck Ratts, Indiana DNR district forester.
This is a free event but registration is due by Sept. 9. To register, contact Kempf at (812) 988-0246 or jkempf@tnc.org . Lunch will be provided.
Bill and Becky Freeman are located at 9491 Grandview Road in Columbus.
Nature Daze is co-sponsored by the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service and led by the Brown County Native Woodlands Project. This group was formed less than two years ago by several individuals in the area who were concerned about the future of Brown County's forests and the devastating impacts on non-native invasive plant species.
Writer: Elizabeth Fritz, (765) 494-8402, elfritz@purdue.edu
Source: Julie Kempf, (812) 988-0246, jkempf@tnc.org
Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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