This past winter season included our very first Master Naturalist volunteer organized and sponsored educational event, the Winter Bird Series! One of the speakers featured in the series was local wildlife biologist and ornithologist, Kelly McKay. Kelly is a Quad Cities native, who works as an independently contracted field biologist both locally and abroad. At our winter bird series Kelly spoke about a variety of different avian research projects he has been involved in along the Mississippi River throughout his career. Avian species, however, are not a recent interest of Kelly's. He began participating in bald eagle field studies at the age of 14, accompanying Elton Fawks, a Quad Cities resident who was one of the first to begin monitoring eagle populations on the river. Kelly was Elton's field assistant for thirteen years, while also continuing his education to receive a BS and MS from Western Illinois University.
In addition to his professional birding, Kelly does an overwhelming amount of voluntary birding, as well. He is currently the local coordinator of the Quad Cities Christmas Bird Count. This event, sponsored internationally throughout the Western Hemisphere by the National Audubon Society, occurs every year from December 14 until January 5 in various locations throughout the Americas. The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is both the oldest and the largest wildlife survey in the world. The objective of the count is to monitor the status and distribution of bird populations throughout the hemisphere by recruiting thousands of volunteers to head out into the winter and count all the birds they can find throughout their count zones. Kelly participated in his first CBC in 1980 and has completed an impressive 241 counts since then. This ranks him in the top 10 counters in the world! In the 2003-2004 CBC season Kelly attempted his first CBC marathon, performing a bird count all day, everyday for the 23 days of the CBC season. This was a previously unheard of achievement that Kelly repeated again this past 2005-2006 season. The 2005-2006 season included counts in six Midwestern states. That's a heck of a lot of driving between 5 AM owl counts!
During this past CBC season, I had the great pleasure of tagging along with Kelly for the local Quad Cities CBC count and as you might imagine, I learned so much about local birds! Our species count for the day went something like Kelly McKay + Dr. Steve Hager (our other field companion) = 50 species identifications and Stephanie Crandall = 0, but I had a great time with a very patient teacher and incredible local resource. If you are interested in joining the next local CBC, please contact Kelly at kellyjmckay@aol.com and to access the abundance of data compiled from these counts visit the National Audubon Society website at www.audubon.org.

- Stephanie Crandall

The SMART (Sharp Minds Are Reading Thoroughly) Bus is supported by Interstate Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D). The bus is like a bookmobile, but it does not simply lend books, it gives them away. Children get to keep the books
they choose.
In addition to distributing books, the SMART Bus provides an opportunity for children to learn about the environment through short programs. The programs are aimed at children of nursery-school age through junior high. The bus travels within Henry, Mercer, Rock Island, Muscatine and Scott Counties. In addition to visiting smaller rural communities in these counties, the SMART Bus will be at the Earth Week Fair at the QCCA and at Kids' Day at the Rock Island County Fair.
Master Naturalists interested in volunteering on the bus are welcome to contact Jeanette Sendry, 2006 SMART Bus Coordinator, at (309) 793-1998 or jsendry@abc-xyz.com, or Jessica Trout at the RC&D office at (309) 764-1486, ext. 4, or Jessica.Trout@il.usda.gov.

If you are interested in landscaping in an ecological, cost effective and aesthetically pleasing way, think about incorporation native plants into your outdoor gardens. Native plants are those flowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees indigenous to an area prior to European settlement.
Landscaping in harmony with nature brings many benefits. Native plants have evolved over thousands of years to be adapted to the geography, hydrology, and climate of an area. Closely mowed lawns are of little use to most wildlife but the diverse community of native flora provides habitat for a variety or wildlife species such as songbirds and butterflies. Being adapted to the climate, native plants provide a beautiful, hardy, drought resistant, low maintenance landscape while benefiting the environment. Once establish native plants save time and money by elimination or reducing the need for fertilizers, pesticides, water and lawn maintenance equipment. The deep root system of many native plants increase the soil's capacity to store water, reduce runoff and hold the soil preventing erosion.
Getting Started
First of all, it is important to familiarize yourself with the environmental conditions of the area to be landscaped. Noting the soil type - sand, silt, and clay, along with the available moisture and sunlight is crucial for selecting plants most suited to an area. For example, a plant that requires a dry, sandy area in full sunlight, such as the Dwarf Blazing Star will not thrive under a tree in clay soil. Likewise, the Wild Iris, a wetland plant, will not live long on a sandy ridge. There are numerous books on native landscaping that provide lists of plants that would be appropriate for the conditions at your site. Many native seed catalogues provide excellent cultural guides which can be used for reference.
Site preparation is one of the most important aspects in establishing a native plant community. It is essential that you begin your native planting in a weed free environment. Several methods of site preparation can accomplish this including; using a sod cutter to remove sections of your existing lawn, covering the area with black plastic for a growing season, light tilling incorporating compost, or use of a one-time application of a herbicide may effectively accomplish this. Most native seed require a firm seed bed for germination so it may be necessary to compact the soil after tilling.
Native species can be established from either seed or transplants. Sowing seeds is less expensive than landscaping with transplants. However, native plants grow slowly from seed, often not blooming until the third year. The first few years are spent growing long, extensive root systems. Weeds grow quickly, so don't be discourage the prairie will come. Transplants grow more quickly than seeds, often blooming in the first year.
Many sources are available for obtaining transplants and seeds. For ultimate success it
is important to research and choose plants that are native to your area. There are several suppliers in the Midwest who specialize in native species. The internet is an excellent resource for finding information on native plantings. The Rock Island County Soil and Water Conservation District is also available to assist, answer questions, and provide seed for your plantings.
A well designed planting that contains a diverse mix of species will provide never ending color and beauty though out the growing season with a minimal amount of work. The ever changing magnificence of your native planting will bring you hours of pleasure and peace of mind because you are landscaping in an ecologically sound manner.

–Marilyn Andress
Rock Island County Soil and Water Conservation District
and Illinois Master Naturalist

Adapted from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Green Landscaping with Native Plants: http://www.epa.gov/greenacres/

2006 on October 19 – 22 at the RiverCenter in downtown Davenport. The Symposium provides an opportunity for greenways and trail advocates, managers, planners, users, and outdoor product providers, as well as conservationists, private landowners, and tourism and business interests to come together to communicate and participate in an educational conference. The Symposium addresses both non-motorized and motorized trails issues.
The National Trails Symposium is held every other year and is sponsored by American Trails - a national, nonprofit organization working on behalf of all trail interests, whose members want to create and protect America's network of interconnected trails. The Symposium will feature educational sessions, mobile workshops, exhibits, recreational opportunities and more. Outings will showcase many of the best trails and natural lands in the region and provide examples of how trails and greenways are an integral part of economic development. The theme for the 2006 Symposium is "Trails for America: Every Where, Every Way, Every Day." Major sponsors are John Deere, US DOT Federal Highway Administration, and Riverboat Development Authority.

Registration and Accommodations:

A registration booklet and online registration will be available in June, 2006. The cost of the Symposium will be $320 for early registration for American Trails members and $375 for non-members. Lodging will range between $74 and $84 per day (plus tax). For information visit the American Trails website at www.americantrails.org.

Call for Presentations:

Symposium organizers are looking for speakers and presenters. If you are interested in sharing your knowledge and experience, forms and submission instructions are available at www.americantrails.org. Symposium organizers plan to offer 64 concurrent sessions. The Symposium committee is particularly interested in presentations that introduce new ideas, convey useful strategies, identify lessons learned, and strengthen participants' existing skills and knowledge.

American Trails' National Trails Awards Program:

American Trails recognizes individuals and organizations that have developed and been involved in the creation and preservation of trails through a special awards program at the Symposium. Nomination forms are available at www.americantrails.org and must be submitted by May 31, 2006.

Sponsor/Exhibitor Opportunities:

The 18th National Trails Symposium is currently offering Sponsorship and/or Exhibitor opportunities. There are many sponsorship levels to choose from and all provide recognition for companies/organizations. The Symposium exhibit hall will feature over 125 exhibits representing trail-related businesses, agencies, and organizations from all over the country. Booth placement is determined by the order in which Exhibitor Contracts are received. All sponsorships/booths must be paid in full by April 30, 2006 to receive a 15% fee discount. For sponsor/exhibitor packets, go to www.americantrails.com or contact American Trails at (530) 547-2060.

The first annual Master Naturalist Awards will be presented in conjunction with the May 25th spring class graduation ceremony. We are not having a separate volunteer banquet this year so that we may allocate more funds to the graduation and awards ceremony! Awards will be presented to the "Master Naturalist of the Year" and "Friend of Master Naturalists", with possible others yet to be determined. Please plan to attend!

The entire Bird Conservation Network (BCN) Census database - 11,000+ records from nine Chicago Wilderness counties – is updated and ready for you to download. These are geographically referenced sightings collected under standardized protocols which provide useful feedback at the site level for managers. This year, the results from the first trends analysis of this data is available on-line. Instructions for downloading the entire database and also for using the web-based analysis tools is available on the CW Members Web site at: http://www.chicagowilderness.org/members/repository/folders/index.cfm?
folderid=220. If you are looking for only one or a few sites, you may
find it easier to get the information directly from the Web site (http://bcnbirds.org/data/bcnebird.
html), where you can also find a map of all the sites in the database.
Any questions, contact Eric Secker (webmaster@bcnbirds.org) or
Judy Pollock [jpollock@audubon.org or (847) 965-1150].

Roosevelt Elementary in Moline, IL, would like our assistance with designing and installing a butterfly garden at their school for Earth Day in April. Please contact Jody Patterson at jpattrsn@uiuc.edu or (309) 796-0512 if you are interested, so that we can begin this project in our community.

"Plants Have Roots" & "Flowering Vines", 7 p.m., April 3. Discover heritage plants through fascinating stories and legends from Bev Rings, Historian and Master Gardener, then learn about the best flowering vines for your home garden.
"Rain Gardens and Shady Sites", & "Native Plants in the Landscape",
7 p.m., April 10. Alec Schorg of Aunt Rhodies will teach you how to turn
a wet, shady spot into a useful rain garden, then he'll explain how to reintegrate native plants into your landscape.
"Growing and Using Herbs in your Landscape", 7 p.m., April 17. Add zest to your home cookin' with fresh herbs! Master Gardener Jacki Arvidson will teach you how to grow, harvest and store herbs.
"Light Gardening" & "Shade Gardening", 7 p.m., April 24. Orchid specialist, Marcia Whitmore will teach you how to best propogate plants indoors, then hosta specialist Don Musak will show you gardening options for your shade garden.
"Ornamental Grasses" & "Opening your Garden for Spring", 7 p.m., May 1. Learn how to landscape and care for ornamental grasses from Long's Nursery, then let Dave Searl, QC Botanical Center gardener, share his secrets for preparing your garden beds.
Each class has a $5 fee to attend and will be held at University of Illinois Extension, 4550 Kennedy Drive, Suite 3, East Moline, IL, (309) 796-0512.

Thursday, March 9 – Augustana College, Geology Museum: Introduction and
Geology
Thursday, March 16 – Augustana College, Geology Museum: Introduction to
Land Use and Decision Making/Ecological Regions of Illinois
Thursday, March 23 – St. Ambrose University: Environmental Ethics and Conservation Philosophy
Thursday, March 30 – Black Hawk State Historic Site, Singing Bird Nature Center: History of Prairies and Backyard Conservation
Thursday, April 6 – Augustana College, Planetarium: Meteorology and Weather/
Astronomy
Saturday, April 8 (9 a.m.-1 p.m.) – Andress Prairie Rose Farm, Illinois City:
Outdoor Cooking and Prairie Tour/GPS Technology. Prairie burn, weather permitting, to follow – contact Marilyn Andress for further information [(309) 794-1486 or Marilyn.Andress@il.nacdnet.net]
Thursday, April 13 – Niabi Zoo: Habitat Enrichment and Art of Interpretation
Thursday, April 20 – Black Hawk State Historic Site, Watch Tower Lodge:
Archeology and Conservation Genetics
Thursday, April 27 – Mississippi River Visitor Center: Tour of Lock and Dam,
and History of the Mississippi River
Thursday, May 4 – Loud Thunder Forest Preserve: Soils and Land Management
Saturday, May 6 (9 a.m.-1 p.m.) – Giant Goose Conservation Area, Atkinson, IL:
Fisheries and Wetlands
Thursday, May 11 – Black Hawk State Historic Site, Singing Bird Nature Center:
Forestry
Thursday, May 18 – Augustana College, Geology Museum: Urban Land Use and Native American Culture
Thursday, May 25 – Black Hawk State Historic Site, Watch Tower Lodge: Graduation!

Reminder to 2005 Master Naturalists – these classes may be used to make up training hours, or you may volunteer to help staff!

The City of Rock Island was recognized as one of 13 Illinois recipients for the Illinois 2005 Environmental Hero Awards. Awards are made to recognize the commitment to providing and maintaining a healthful environment for current and future generations in Illinois.
The award, presented by Lt. Govenor Pat Quinn, was made in recognition of the City's Rain Gardens for Rock Island Program. Melody Miller, Rain Garden Administrator, accepted the award on behalf of the City.
The Rain Gardens for Rock Island program was unveiled in 2005 to encourage local property owners to develop rain gardens for a period of five years. The award-winning program has resulted in dozens of new rain gardens which are planted to prevent flooding and improve water quality.

Do you (and your volunteers) use herbicides to manage invasive plants in your natural areas? If you have ever thought of creating a set of guidelines or recommendations for herbicide use for your project site(s), including a great set of how-to photos, take a look at these two guides created for natural area land stewards by The Nature Conservancy's – (Ohio Chapter) staff Jennifer Hillmer and Dana Liedtke. These documents were created specifically for Conservancy use in Ohio, but they can be easily modified for your own use in your project area! Jenn is now the chief Land Steward at The Holden Arboretum, so we know that these guides are useful for anyone who works with herbicides in natural areas! You can download these documents by visiting the TNC Invasive Species Initiative website at http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/products.html#herbuse.

When we consider ourselves as living downstream, we always seem to find our environmental problems have their source with someone else. We get busy undoing the unwanted changes left behind by others. We look to scientists and engineers to find the solutions for the problems passed on to us.
It's time to adopt the view that we are living upstream of others and especially of future generations. This was the viewpoint expressed by Dr. Shinn in a Convocation in the fall of 2002 at Berea College, Berea, Kentucky where he is President. Berea College has undertaken initiatives from recycling to building innovations that make its campus more sustainable and ecologically efficient.
To think and live downstream means we describe how others have caused pollution and then we set about debating how to fix these problems. To think and live upstream means that we are focused on what we are doing right now and how that will affect future generations. Dr. Shinn's view is that living upstream means that we will act as though we are inextricably linked with our natural environment and the people who share it with us now – and in the future.
There are three principles for upstream living according to Dr. Shinn. First, ecological actions are a positive choice we can make as opposed to a fearful response to proven environmental dangers. We live upstream as self-conscious human agents choosing to act with caution. This is in contrast to living downstream with a worldview of technological control of the environment that requires scientific proof and solutions before we decide or act.
Secondly, Our use of natural resources (an inheritance of over 3.8 billion years) must not deny future generations access to these resources, including the earth's air, water, and land systems. It was reported in 1998 that if all of the current world population of six billion people were to attain a middle class American lifestyle, it would take two-and-a-half earths to provide the natural resources required. The U.S. cannot simply conserve natural resources; we need to reduce significantly our use of them.
Thirdly, viewing ourselves as living upstream urges us to overcome the limitations of the past through creative problem solving and learning that comes from adaptations to new conditions in our local and global environments.
As Dr. Shinn challenged his students, we are reminded that it is our actions now – not the actions of those that came before us – for which we will be held accountable. He observed that living upstream is both an exciting adventure and an enormous responsibility.
We can change our mindset and live upstream of the future, upstream of our children and grandchildren.
The content of this article is taken from an article adapted from Dr. Shinn's remarks published in On Tap, Winter 2006, by the National Environmental Services Center, West Virginia University Research Corporation.

–Della Moen, Board Member,
Stephenson Soil and Water Conservation District
(Published in The Journal Standard, Freeport, Illinois)

See an eagle pair in Maine as they incubate their just-laid eggs! Mom and Dad are getting ready for the chicks to appear in early April, but you can get an intimate view into their massive nest with the live web camera! Check them out
at http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/baldeagle/webcam.cfn.

Elizabeth Haynes will conduct a one-hour training class for Master Naturalists interested in helping her conduct a random public survey on the Ralph Martin Farm Project. Volunteers will need to complete the survey training on Wednesday, April 19th from 6-7 p.m. at the Rock Island Extension Office. The training will be used to conduct a random survey of 100 people on Saturday, April 22nd at the Earth Week Fair held at the QCCA Expo Center. Anyone interested should contact Liz by email (ehaynes@uiuc.edu) or cell phone (309) 230-7935.

Long-time birder Cliff Stewart will be leading two April Bird Watching Programs at Black Hawk State Historic Site.
Cone Marsh Field Trip will take place on Saturday, April 1st from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Meet in the parking lot west of Watch Tower Lodge at 7 a.m. with binoculars, water, and a field guide. Be sure to dress in layers. Must provide transportation.
Breakfast With The Birds will be held Saturday, April 8th from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m., starting at the Singing Bird Nature Center. Please bring a field guide and binoculars. Coffee and rolls will be provided.
For more information, contact Black Hawk State Historic Site at (309) 788-9536 or check their website: www.blackhawkpark.org.

"Whatever else prairie is – grass, sky, wind – it is most of all a paradigm of infinity, a clearing full of many things except boundaries, and its power comes from its apparent limitlessness..."

–William Least Heat-Moon
PrairyErth

The 2006 National Wild Ones Annual Conference will be held July 14-16 in Naperville, Illinois, at the Holiday Inn Select. This year's conference is entitled "Native Plant Landscaping: More Than A Garden, It's A Lifestyle." Hosted by Greater DuPage Chapter, the event kicks off with a hospitality suite on Friday night, July 14. Saturday, July 15, keynote speakers will be Michael R. Jeffords and Gerould Wilhelm, PhD. The rest of the day will provide fun and educational opportunities, including presentations on Plants; Design; Habitat/Ecosystem; Animals/Wildlife; Bringing Nature
to the Masses; History, Attitudes and Perceptions; and The Next Generation. There will also be vendor and organization exhibits throughout the day.
Saturday night's banquet speaker is the fantastic Darrel Morrison.
Half- and full-day tours will be held on Sunday, July 16.
Conference fee includes Friday evening reception and Saturday programs, continental breakfast and lunch, and book signings. Fees are $90 before June 1st, and $100 after. Saturday evening banquet and Sunday tour fees are extra.
For more information go to www.for-wild.org/2006Annual/ or call Pat Armstrong at (630) 983-8404.

The 20th North American Prairie Conference will be held July 23-26, 2006, hosted by the University of Nebraska at Kearny. The theme of this conference will be "Invasive Species" as they affect the prairie ecosystem.
Kearney, Nebraska, lies at the southern-most terminus of the Platte River's Big Bend Region. Historically, the California, Oregon and Mormon Trails, the Pony Express, and the hunting trails of the Pawnee and Sioux passed through this area. The Union Pacific Railroad and Interstate 80 are prominent features of what remains the most traveled east-west corridor in the U. S. today.
Five major types of prairie lie within a radius of 100 miles of Kearney. These include loess hills mixed-grass prairie, tallgrass prairie, the Nebraska Sandhills, southern or Kansas mixed-grass prairie, and sand-sage prairie. Opportunities to experience this biological diversity will include a field trip day, with potential trips being planned to upland prairie sites, sandhills, lowland tallgrass sites, wet prairie meadows, prairie restorations, and southern mixed-grass sites (such as Willa Cather Prairie near Red Cloud). Field trips will be sponsored by the Prairie Plains Resource Institute, The Nature Conservancy, The National Audubon Society, The Platte River Whooping Crane Trust, and the Biology Department at the University of Nebraska at Kearney
Because papers to be presented at the conference will still be accepted until April 15th, presentation topics have not yet been finalized. They may include, but are not limited to: Invasive Species in the Prairie, Landscape Ecology, Prairie Management, Prairie Anthropology, Prairie Plant Physiology and Botany, Prairie Zoology, Prairie Restoration, Fire and Soil in Prairies, Prairie Entomology, Prairie Wetlands, and Prairie Climatology and Drought.
Registration is $125. (Registration after April 15, 2006, will be $145.) Student registration is $65. (Late student registration will be $85.) This includes the costs of the field trip, barbecue, and banquet, as well as a CD copy of the proceedings when published. For more information, go to http://napc2006.org or contact
Dr. Paul Twigg [twiggp@unk.edu or (308) 865-8315] or Dr. Joe Springer [springerj@unk.edu or (308) 865-8920], Biology Department, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, Nebraska 68849-1140.

Spring rains and/or snow melting provide ample opportunities to watch rainwater running over our watershed recharging the freshwater of our streams, rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater.
Think for a minute about the places where the water goes. It runs off with whatever it can carry – whatever is left in its path. The faster it flows the more it can carry. We watch it run over fields and lawns, through parking lots and farmyards, over sidewalks and driveways, and along curbs and in ditches. If it doesn't flow to a stream or river on its own, a storm sewer or a ditch takes it there. Soil from bare ground, grit from tires, road salt, oil, grease, and dirt from our vehicles get carried away with the water. How about disposing of liquids by pouring them into the gutter or onto a driveway? The pet waste near the sidewalk? Yard waste left in the street? Fertilizers and pesticides carelessly applied? Salt and snowmelt spread on our lanes and driveways? What else have we left to be carried away to the river, to the life in the river, to the people who use water for recreation, and to our drinking water supply?
The quality of our freshwater depends on all of us. Homeowners and gardeners can help by carefully following directions when applying fertilizers to lawns and gardens, using biodegradable products and natural controls for pests whenever possible, cleaning up pet wastes promptly, keeping yard waste and litter out of the street, disposing of household wastes properly, fixing oil leaks in vehicles, and being careful where we wash the car. Runoff from roofs can be managed with downspouts directed to areas where water can slowly infiltrate into the ground.
Each raindrop that falls on bare soil loosens fine soil particles that can be carried off as sediment to be deposited in a river. Farmers and rural residents can use conservation practices that keep soil in the fields; manage manure, nutrients, and pesticides to keep them out of runoff; dispose of trash and other waste safely; and keep machinery in good repair without leaks.
We can support plans to create or improve ponds or wetlands to collect storm water. In this way the water moves on slowly or infiltrates the ground. When the water is slowed, sediment can settle out so it won't be carried into a stream or river and plants and microorganisms have time to work to remove pollutants.
We can urge building contractors and road construction crews to have a plan to prevent loose soil and debris from running off the sites where work is in progress.
We can each do our part to keep pollutants out of runoff. We can make sure that the water that replenishes streams and rivers and our drinking water doesn't carry pollution with it.

–Della Moen, Board Member,
Stephenson Soil and Water Conservation District
(Published in The Journal Standard, Freeport, Illinois)

Hear the call of the Wild! Frog surveys at Nahant Marsh will begin April 7th at 7:45 p.m., with surveys every other week through July 14th (April 21 – 8:00 p.m., May 5 – 8:15 p.m., May 19 – 8:30 p.m., June 2, 16, 30 and July 14 – 8:45 p.m.)
Training will be held on April 1 from 9 a.m.-noon at Nahant Marsh. There is a $5 charge for the training, for which you will receive a booklet and frog calls on a CD. You will learn to tune your ears to the chorus of the night to collect this vital scientific data. Please keep in mind to dress appropriately and not wear shorts, sandals, etc., which become a problem when walking through the poison ivy and when mosquito season kicks in. It is recommended that you be fully dressed and willing to tromp through weeds and get a little dirty along the way.

The Outdoor News Bulletin is a free online monthly publication by the Wildlife Management Institute.
It includes articles on variety of wildlife related issues. You can access current and previous issues at http://www.wildlifemanagement-institute.org/pages/news/news.html

National Wildlife Week, scheduled for April 16-22, encourages kids and adults across the country to learn and experience nature – starting in their own community. The myriad of annual outreach efforts by the National Wildlife Federation includes online activities and games, a Nature in Your Neighborhood Fun Book and Poster, articles and activities in our children's magazines, special events and contests. All these pieces combine to teach students about the environment.
For more information on National Wildlife Week please check out
their website http://www.nwf.org/-nationalwildlifeweek/ or contact them at info@nwf.org or call 1-800-822-9919.

Garlic mustard pulling takes place each Saturday in April, 9 a.m. to noon, at Black Hawk State Historic Site. Meet at the Singing Bird Nature Center. Please dress for the weather, bring a trowel if you have one, and wear gloves to protect your hands!

Get wet, have fun, and test the waters of Scott County! Partners of Scott County Watersheds invites you to join them for water quality sampling of Scott County streams. The event will be held Sunday, May 21 at Surrey Heights Fire Station, 5002 Crow Creek Road, Bettendorf, IA. Orientation will take place 1:00 to 1:30 p.m., followed by sampling from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Participants will be placed in teams of two to four people. Each team will collect water quality information from five sites.
Water will be collected from each site by wading into the stream or by using a sample collection device. Field kits will be used at each stream to measure pH, nitrite/nitrate, chloride, dissolved oxygen, phosphate, water temperature and transparency.
Other participants will include students and teachers from Bettendorf and Davenport schools, IOWATER, Bettendorf and Davenport Public Works employees, and Scott County residents.
Bring a pair of rubber boots or old gym shoes; no sandals or open-toed shoes please. Wear long pants, and bring sun screen and insect repellent if desired.
For more information, go to http://www.iowater.com; contact the Partners of Scott County Watersheds, Scott Soil & Water Conservation District, 8370 Hillandale Road, Davenport, IA 52806, (563) 391-1403, ext. 3; or phone Jody Patterson at
(309) 796-0512
IOWATER training is also available if ten or more people sign up for either level. For more information, please check out IOWATER's website.

Research at the University of Illinois is one step closer to opening up a billion-dollar market to the hog industry and reducing U.S. dependence on crude oil imports. U of I scientists have teamed with industry partners to design a pilot plant for a large commercial livestock farm that will convert swine manure to crude oil.
The pilot plant is based on research led by Yuanhui Zhang, an agricultural and biological engineer at the U of I. Zhang and colleagues developed a system using thermochemical conversion (TCC) to transform organic compounds (like swine manure) in a heated and pressurized enclosure to produce oil and gas.
"The process we developed is different from most conventional TCC processes," said Zhang. "There is no need for the addition of a catalyst, and our process does not require pre-drying of the manure."
The initial stage of Zhuang's research led to the development of a batch TCC reactor.
"With a batch reactor, you 'cook' one batch, empty it, then cook another batch, empty it," said Zhang. "Now we have a continuous reactor, which means continuous pumping of feed stock and continuous output. The development of a continuous reactor brings the technology one step closer to a TCC pilot plant."
Zhang's team has achieved as high as 70-percent conversion from swine manure volatile solids to oil. At that conversion efficiency, the manure excreted by one pig during the production cycle could produce up to 21 gallons of crude oil and add a $10 per pig profit. In the 100-million-hogs-per-year U.S. industry alone, that adds up to a billion dollars.
The Illinois Pork Producers Association has helped fund the project, and its executive director, Jim Kaitschuk, said, "We're very supportive of this research. We see a number of advantages to producing crude oil from swine manure, which includes adding value to manure products."
Now, steps are being taken to build a pilot plant that will help determine if the TCC process can live up to those numbers. Worldwide BioEnergy (WWBE) is leading this effort in close cooperation with the U of I research team.
Les Christianson, an agricultural and biological engineer at U of I and the industry liaison for Zhang's team, is optimistic about the potential for the manure-to-oil process.
"We believe that this can be economically feasible on a commercial scale," he said. "The first plant won't be the final design, but it will help us figure out what the right design is. Every technology goes through a learning curve, where you improve quality and reduce costs."
According to Christianson, "U of I has given an exclusive, primary license to WWBE to commercialize the technology. We want to maintain research preeminence that will help make it successful. Worldwide BioEnergy will lead the effort to produce it."
In the meantime, Zhang's team has expanded his research to determine if other types of livestock manure, and even human waste, can be used as feed stock for the TCC process.
Innoventor Engineering Inc. and BioCrude have been sublicensed by WWBE to construct and operate the first commercial-sized systems for swine waste and human waste.
"Billions of dollars are spent on waste transportation and treatment, and regulations continue to become more stringent and cost-intensive to satisfy our desire for a clean environment," said Zhang. "Meanwhile, we have a growing need for bio-fuels that would reduce our dependence on foreign oil and the world's finite supply of crude petroleum.
"It is vitally important that we develop innovative solutions that can address both those problems," he concluded.

If you've ever taken a true/false test and found yourself wishing that on some questions there was a third choice of "both" you'll be able to identify with Andy Isserman's disappointment in the way the federal government defines urban and rural America.
"Basically, the system identifies an area of the country as either metropolitan or non-metropolitan. But this simplistic either/or definition doesn't do justice to the many areas of the country that are blended," said Andy Isserman, agricultural economist at the University of Illinois.
According to the way data is currently collected, the Grand Canyon is in metropolitan America and so are more than a million farmers. Isserman researched the reasons why this unsatisfactory method is being used to define urban and rural America and has some easy suggestions to make the data much more representative of the country's locations and populations. The current system looks at population density to define urban versus rural which Isserman compares to the data you could get if you flew over the landscape in an airplane, mapping the areas that are more congested with buildings.
"Making non-metropolitan synonymous with rural ignores too much of rural America-defining 30 million rural people as outside the territory of interest," said Isserman. "It can lead to incorrect analyses of rural economic conditions and welfare because the majority of rural people are excluded from the data."
This type of misrepresentation can lead to misallocation of federal funds. "Rural people do not qualify for some rural programs and funds because they live in counties that are designated metropolitan when some of the rural folks commute to urban areas for jobs" said Isserman.
Isserman developed a new method to distinguish counties by their urban and rural character – because counties are the smallest units for which comprehensive data are regularly available. "Recognizing that most rural people live in mixed counties is fundamental. We ignore only 15 percent of rural people if we focus on rural and mixed rural counties or only 5 percent if we include all but urban counties, both of which are better than ignoring 51 percent when considering non-metropolitan counties only, as is presently the case. Better yet is to understand the context within which all people live and not leave anyone out when making public policy."
Looking at the blended nature of each county rather than trying to use a confining definition of either urban or non-urban will be much more useful for research and policy, says Isserman. "For example, there are 737 counties that are entirely rural, perhaps ideal candidates for certain kinds of rural programs, or 175 counties with more than 50,000 rural residents each, as well as three million rural folks living in densely settled urban counties. There is no need or excuse to treat counties as a black box assigned to either rural or urban. Most are mixed, which creates a rich research laboratory and a wide variety of policy contexts."
Isserman recommends that some important rural and regional research based on non-metropolitan counties be redone incorporating a few added lines of computer code and the rural-urban density codes he developed. "Having found that urban-rural integration and rural character are two important but separate dimensions, we can measure both on the county level with continuous variables such as the proportion of employed residents who commute to metropolitan counties, the proportion of the population that is rural, and the density of population settlement," said Isserman.
He would also like to see policy regulations reviewed to make sure the people we are trying to reach are being served. "Establishing public policy to address rural problems but defining eligibility by non-metropolitan status would disqualify millions of rural people."
Isserman believes that the ideal data system is within our grasp due to the ability today to transfer data more effectively than a decade or even a half decade ago when the last U.S. Census was taken. "These data will enable us to study rural separated from urban and learn what rural America is," he said. "The better statistical system, better informed public policy, and better allocation of public funds are in the national interest."

–Debra Levey Larson
Media/Communications Specialist
University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences

Applications are being taken for field assistants to work with the Illinois Natural History Survey's Critical Trends Assessment Program ornithologists in conducting breeding bird surveys statewide this coming summer (2006). The positions are
40 hours a week and will run from approximately May 15-July 31. Duties for the field assistant will involve independently conducting point-count surveys of birds in forests, wetlands, and grasslands throughout Illinois. The main qualifications for filling these positions is the ability to identify all species of bird that occurs or is likely to occur in Illinois by both sight and sound (song and calls). Contact: Steven D. Bailey, CTAP Ornithologist, Illinois Natural History Survey, 1816 S. Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820; Phone: (217) 244-2174; Fax: (217) 265-5110; sdbailey@mail.inhs.uiuc.edu.

A Landscape Design class will be held at Scott Community College Mondays and Tuesdays, April 3rd through May 23rd, from 3-6 p.m. Please contact Jody Patterson at (309) 796-0512 for details.

This birding fest is scheduled for April 28 & 29th, rain or shine. The weekend will highlight the rich natural history of the Cache River Watershed and will include guided canoe tours, birding hikes, owl prowls, live bird demonstrations, wildlife photo/art exhibit, bird identification and much more. There will also be a Saturday evening of entertainment, food, music, and birdwatching at a local winery. One thing that makes this birding event special is its location. Southern Illinois, because of its geography, offers birding possibilities that are truly remarkable. The Cache River and associated wetlands, unlike any other in Illinois, support some of the oldest living trees east of the Mississippi and provide a haven for a diversity of neotropical migrant songbirds in addition to other wildlife. Finally, the event is timed to coincide with the spring migration, and many birds that are seen in the region only during their migratory flights may be spotted during this event. For more information about the event, scheduled programs, tours, and/or reservations, contact Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge at (618) 634-2231.

Outdoor Cooking Day Camp for youth ages 8-12 will be held July 10-14, 2006 from 9 a.m. to noon at Black Hawk State Historic Site, Singing Bird Nature Center. The camp will be conducted by Extension EFNEP/FNP and Natural Resources staff and Master Naturalist Volunteers. Try different outdoor cooking methods, learn basic outdoor first aid and food safety, and explore Nature through a variety of activities with the help of Master Naturalists. Contact Cheryl Reidenouer at (309) 796-0512 for more information.

We will soon need volunteers to start planning with the Master Gardeners a rain garden requested by the Rock Island County Health Department. We started this project in the fall of 2005 by planting fourteen trees provided by Aunt Rhodies and with the help of Alec Schorg, a fellow Master Naturalist. Now, we will go to phase two and plant the rain garden with native plants. There are also plans to build a native willow fence behind the garden to give it a more natural appeal. Anyone interested in being involved in this project contract Julie Werthmann at (309)794-0336 or at juliemw@mschis.com.

NatureMapping is Iowa's volunteer-driven wildlife monitoring program. It is a hands-on environmental education program involving the public in "finding the pieces of the puzzle". Your help is needed because there is not enough time, money, or wildlife professionals to monitor Iowa's diversity of wildlife species. Because you observe wildlife every day, you have a wealth of knowledge that can help natural resource professionals and land managers in wildlife management decisions. Mapping biodiversity is an important early step towards progressive community planning.
There will be a Level I NatureMapping Workshop held in Muscatine County
at the Environmental Learning Center, Discovery Park, 3300 Cedar Street, Muscatine, Iowa, on May 13, 2006. Workshop registration is $30. More information about the program and other workshop dates and locations is available at www.extension.iastate.edu/naturemapping. For information about
the local event, please contact Matt McAndrew at (563) 263-7944.

The Freecycle Network™ is made up of many individual groups across the globe who want to "recycle" unwanted items rather than throw them away. The goal of this online forum is to reduce waste by offering items up for trade with like-minded individuals. It has one simple rule: everything posted must be free.
It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people, with each group moderated by a local volunteer. Membership is free.
There are two groups available to the Quad Cities area: QC Illinois Freecycle (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/qcillinoisfreecycle/), started in February 2004 and moderated by Michelle Munson of Rock Island, and QC Iowa Freecycle (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/qciowafreecycle/), created in June 2005 and moderated by Ms. Munson's sister, Carrie Mortz of Davenport.
Find out more about the fast-growing international Freecycle movement at www.freecycle.org. One person's trash can truly be another's treasure!

Just for fun, check out the website www.rustletheleaf.com. Rustle the Leaf describes itself as "an online outreach that uses syndication-quality, weekly comic strips and other creative tools to communicate essential environmental themes and truths." Their goals are "to encourage environmentalists, to facilitate the sharing of environmental views in an engaging, nonconfrontational manner, and to introduce and reinforce environmental education with people ages 6 to 106."
The website features a comics archive, links to sites of related interest, blogs, pertinent news items, monthly lesson plans, a way to recycle your cell phone,
e-cards and fun stuff for the kids. It addresses conservation issues important to each of us in an appealing, educational, and entertaining format worth exploring.

Host Sites
Augustana College, Sciences BuildingQuad City Botanical Center
3300 7th Avenue, Rock Island, IL2525 4th Avenue, Rock Island, IL
Bi-State Annual Meeting Agenda
Friday – May 19th -- Mixer at Augustana College Sciences Building
Iowa Native Plant Communities: Guest Speaker – Mr. Bill Watson, Independent Biological Consultant, speaking on: Iowa Landforms and Vegetation with Special Emphasis on the Paleozoic Plateau of Northeast Iowa
Illinois Native Plant Communities: Guest Speaker – Dr. Sean Jenkins, Western Illinois University, speaking on: Native Plant Communities of Western Illinois with Emphasis of the Differences in Plant Populations of Pre-Settlement and Post-Settlement Communities
Saturday – May 20th -- Saturday Morning Half-Day Field Trip – Option 1: Wildcat Den State Park (eastern Muscatine County, Iowa)
Saturday Morning Half-Day Field Trip – Option 2: Collinson Ecological Preserve (outside the town of Milan, Illinois)
Saturday All-Day Field Trip – Option 1: Manikowski Prairie Caves and Maquoketa (northern Clinton County and southern Jackson County, Iowa)
Saturday All-Day Field Trip – Option 2: Mississippi Palisades Park and Lost Mound Prairie (northwest Carroll County and southwest Jo Daviess County, Illinois)
Saturday Afternoon Half-Day Field Trip – Option 1: Rochester Cemetery (southern Cedar County, Iowa)
Saturday Afternoon Half-Day Field Trip – Option 2: Munson Cemetery (western Henry County, Illinois)
Illinois Native Plant Society Annual State Board Meeting
Banquet and Silent Auction – hosted at the QC Botanical Center
Keynote Presentation by Dr. John Ebinger
Sunday – May 21st -- Sunday Morning Half-Day Field Trip – Option 1: Wapsi Education Center and Sherman Park (northwest Scott County and southwest Clinton County, Iowa)
Sunday Morning Half-Day Field Trip – Option 2: Black Hawk State Historic Site (Nature Preserve) (in the city of Rock Island)
Fees and Registration
Full registration for the annual meeting will be $50 and includes the Friday Evening Mixer at Augustana College and the Saturday Evening Banquet at the Quad City Botanical Center.
Saturday only registration for the annual meeting will be $40 and includes the Saturday evening banquet only.
Silent Auction Items: Please bring items for the Saturday Night Silent Auction. Contact Randy Nyboer, aka The Prairie Doc, at myboer@inhs.uiuc.edu or (815) 273-3184 prior to the meeting with the name of the item and what it is worth, so that bid sheets can be prepared ahead of time.

Please remember to bring comfortable walking shoes and be prepared for all types of weather; trips will proceed rain or shine.
Payment should be made to Illinois Native Plant Society, 936 22nd Street,
Rock Island, Illinois 61201.
Questions should be directed to qc_inps@yahoo.com, or call Alec Schorg,
QC Chapter Secretary, at (563) 940-2157 after 5:00 p.m. daily.

To be held on August 10-12 at John A. Logan Community College, Carterville, Illinois. Save the date for a unique event that will focus on the restoration effort in the Cache River Wetlands. This symposium will include presentations by resource specialists on: Current research being conducted in the Cache, The unique natural history of the area, Ongoing restoration efforts; and Resource issues and restoration challenges.
In addition this event will include opportunities to participate in a Cache River Restoration planning workshop and network with a diversity of resource professionals and practitioners. Field trips are offered on Saturday, the 12th to a variety of Cache River restoration sites. This event is co-sponsored by: National Great Rivers Research and Education Center and the Cache River Joint Venture Partnership, which includes: The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and
the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. For more information contact Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge at 618-634-2231 or 618-634-2524 and the website at http://ctap.inhs.uiuc.edu/NGRREC/
symposium05.asp

Eligible projects include field trips for students to visit natural areas, natural history museums, and other natural resource related activities. Conservation education materials, including lesson plans, can be used separately. Funding for field trips up to $500 per class, per project Conservation education resources available at no cost, spring and fall grant application. - Contact IDNR at http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/education/CLASSRM/grants.htm or call (217) 524-4126.

Learn More at U of I Extension's Open House Saturday, May 13, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

University of Illinois Extension provides a wide array of public programming aimed at making life better, healthier, safer and more profitable for individuals and their communities.Learn more about the many exciting programs and how you and your family can benefit during the annual Open House on Saturday, May 13 from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Located at 4550 Kennedy Dr. in East Moline, the event will include a spring Plant Sale produced by the Master Gardeners featuring a huge array of perennials and expert advice on plant care, children's make and take kite activity, snacks, plus educational/information booths by Master Naturalists, 4-H, Food & Nutrition, a used book sale and more. The day culminates with the drawing of the winners of University of Illinois Extension Foundation Basket Raffle. Winners will be drawn for 10 different themed baskets, each valued at over $50. You could win a Bird Lover or a Nature Lover Master Naturalist Basket, Steps to a Healthier You Food and Nutrition Basket, Get Comfy or Get Connected 4-H Basket, Magic Container Garden or Garden Masters' Magic Master Gardener Basket, a Christmas HCE Basket, Gourmet U of I Extension Foundation Basket or the Relax & Enjoy U of I Extension Office Basket. Raffle tickets can be purchased
at $1 each or 6 tickets for $5. All proceeds support U of I Extension Programs. You need not be present to win and can obtain tickets in advance at U of I Extension Office. For more information about the Open House, call
309-796-0512 or visit the web site at http://www.extension.uiuc.edu/rockisland.

Teaching children about the environment, the ways of nature, weather, and the importance of plants is one of the most important things the adult generation can do and a number of University of Illinois Extension websites are making that job a little easier.

"We have a series of sites that are targeted toward third through fifth graders and are often used in the classroom," said Jane Scherer, U of I Extension urban programs specialist. "But they can also be used at home to inform in an entertaining, interactive way."

The sites are contained on Extension's Urgan Programs Resource Network under the Schools Online section at: http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/SchoolsOnline/ and http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/SchoolsOnline/22.html.

The All-Star River Explorers site used famed explorers of American rivers to guide users through a series of interactive lessons designed to share knowledge about nature, the environment, and the role and importance of rivers.

"Young people can learn about the basics of hydrology, how rivers are formed, and the important role rivers play in our lives," said Scherer.
Another site, A Walk in the Woods, is particularly valuable for youngsters who do not live near parks or nature preserves.

"This site can help children become more appreciative of nature and become more observant of their own environment," said Scherer.
The ever-popular topic of weather is covered in Weather One.
"This website discusses several areas of weather: clouds, seasons, air pressure, winds, global warming, and violent weather," said Scherer. "Activities have been included to give students hands-on experiences to work through."
U of I Extension's most popular website, The Great Plant Escape, can also be accessed through Schools Online.
"It is averaging over one million hits each month," said Scherer. "Many teachers use it in the classroom to help their students understand plant science and how the food we eat grows. It also includes instructions for how students can grow lettuce in a bag.

"All of these sites have interactive features that help attract and maintain young people's interest."