Scientists have released the most accurate, high-resolution terrain map of Antarctica ever created, according to a recent story by Ohio State science writer Jeff Grabmeier.
Month: September 2018
Making homes for pollinators
Pollinators — butterflies, bees and others — are key to farming, gardening and healthy diets. But globally, unfortunately, their populations are declining. Learn and see ways to help them, especially by growing the plants they need, in an expert talk called “Pollinator Habitat” in the Gwynne Conservation Area at Farm Science Review. It’s set for noon to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20.
See the full Gwynne schedule. The Review overall runs from Sept. 18-20. (Photo: Monarch butterfly, Getty Images.)
Hello, friend; or, Froggy went a-helpin’
CFAES wildlife specialist Marne Titchenell presents “Common Frogs and Snakes of Ohio” from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 20, in the Gwynne Conservation Area at Farm Science Review. It’s a look at your small, shy, helpful neighbors — American toads, green frogs, garter snakes and others — and the good they do for farms, yards and gardens. See the full Gwynne schedule. (Photo: Leopard frog, Getty Images.)
Details on deer disease in Ohio
In August, parts of Tuscarawas and Holmes counties in northern Ohio were declared Disease Surveillance Areas for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a fatal, easily spreadable illness of deer, elk, moose and caribou.
What does the declaration mean for deer farmers and deer hunters in those areas? What does the disease threat mean for Ohio hunters in general, including those who may travel to hunt in other states or in Canada?
Get answers to those questions in “Chronic Wasting Disease in White Tailed Deer,” a talk from 10:30-11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, in the Gwynne Conservation Area at next week’s CFAES-sponsored Farm Science Review.
See the full Gwynne schedule. (Photo: White-tailed deer, Getty Images.)
What to do about algal blooms in ponds
Algal blooms aren’t just a problem for high-profile bodies of water such as Lake Erie, they pose “serious, toxic threats in small ponds and lakes as well.” So says a recent Ohio State study.
Fortunately, on Wednesday, Sept. 19, at the Farm Science Review trade show, CFAES aquatic ecosystems specialist Eugene Braig will share details on why the blooms happen and what you can do to control them. His talk, called “Is My Pond Toxic? Managing Against Harmful Algal Blooms,” runs from 1-1:30 p.m. in the Review’s Gwynne Conservation Area. He’ll offer it again from 10:30-11 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 20.
Saturday’s Stone Lab open house canceled
Due to the weather and wave conditions forecast for Lake Erie, the Sept. 8 open house at CFAES’s Stone Lab has been canceled. The lab’s Research Building, Aquatic Visitors Center and South Bass Island Lighthouse, however, will still be open for visitors. Find out more. (Waves could be 4 to 7 feet.)
Powerful good
If you’re wanting a new source of electricity on your farm, or are interested in exploring new uses for your crops, there’s a place just for you at Farm Science Review: Ohio State’s Energy Tent.
Weather or not to apply fertilizer
(Photo: Getty Images)
Using real-time precipitation forecasts and historical climate data, Ohio State’s new Field Application Resource Monitor (FARM) website tells you the best times to apply fertilizer and manure, based on your exact location. It can tell you whether rain is coming that could wash your fertilizer or manure away. Avoiding that washing-away can benefit your crops, your costs and water quality. Check out the site.
Ohio chainsaw non-massacre
Millions of ash trees are dead in Ohio, victims of the emerald ash borer pest. Which means millions of chances exist for Ohioans to cut the trees down using chainsaws. Fortunately, demonstrations in the Gwynne Conservation Area at CFAES’s upcoming Farm Science Review, sawdust flying, will show how to do it safely and right. “Chainsaw Maintenance: Sharpening and Safety,” 11 a.m. to noon on all three days of the Review, Tuesday, Sept. 18, Wednesday, Sept. 19, and Thursday, Sept. 20. “Chainsaw Cutting Techniques,” 12:30-1:30 p.m., also all three days. See the full Gwynne schedule.
Wildlife K-9 demos
See demonstrations by Ohio’s first-ever wildlife K-9 program in the Gwynne Conservation Area at CFAES’s upcoming Farm Science Review. The dogs in the program are trained to sniff out poached wildlife, fish and ginseng, and gun powder and lost hunters, too. Their handlers are wildlife officers with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife, which started the program this year. Tuesday, Sept. 18, 10:30-11 a.m., 1:30-2 p.m. Farm Science Review overall is Sept. 18-20. More Gwynne activities.