For most of us involved in the Master Naturalist program, Norm Anselmi needs no introduction. Norm is a graduate of the very first MN training to occur in our county (and state) in the Spring of 2005. Since then, Norm has been an incredibly busy volunteer, registering an impressive 425 volunteer hours and 75 advanced training hours to date! Norm enrolled in the MN training out of a life-long love for the outdoors with hopes of getting his volunteer hours by primarily involving himself in outdoor programs. Norm contributes in a variety of ways including involvement in the Extension's Spring Eco-Camp for kids, various workshops for teachers and children at the Andress farm, tree sales and forestry workshops through the Rock Island County Soil and Water Conservation district, the Interstate Resource Conservation Development's Smart Bus, membership in the Quad Cities Native Plant Society, private and public prescribed burns, invasive species removals, as well as variety of other events.

Norm recently completed his entry level wild land fire fighters training through the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. He looks forward to participating in more prescribed burns in the area, having been trained. Norm has always been a lover of native plants and has approximately 130 native species in his own yard. He often donates cuttings and divisions of his own stock to local native plant sales and to other land owners. With so much knowledge and energy to provide to our programs, it's a good thing Norm retired in August of 2005 to make room for all of his MN pursuits. Many thanks to Norm for all the things he has done and continues to do for our local naturalist efforts!

- –by Stephanie Crandall

A new restoration service may be available soon in our area for both private landowners and public spaces. Several Master Naturalists have formed a Quad City Ecological Restoration Group with the hopes of providing various restoration services to public and private users, including invasive species control, native seed gathering and planting, and prescribed fire for appropriate sites. Members of the group were recently certified as entry level wild land fire fighters through the National Wildfire Coordinating Group and they hope to participate in restoration work at Blackhawk State Park and Nahant Marsh in Davenport in the future. They are currently discussing efforts to seek grants for equipment needs. They welcome any others who may be interested in this work to join the group (folks need not be fire-trained to participate). Interested folks can contact Marilyn Andress at horsekid1@frontiernet.net or at 309.537.9001.

Another successful Quad Cities Christmas Bird Count has come and passed! There were a total of six field teams out bird counting in our 15-mile diameter circle around the Quad Cities throughout the day on December 17th. All the numbers are not in yet compiled on what all was sighted that day, but my individual field party counted 60 species this year, which was 10 species more than we found last year, thanks to the awesome birding skills of Kelly McKay (compiler of the count), Steve Hager, and Marc Bolinger. The warm weather was a welcome addition to the day, but the lack of ice cover over the Mississippi led to a much lower eagle count than last year in our stretch of the river. Some new additions to my amateur birding list included 2 rough-legged hawks, a beautiful fox sparrow, and the Wilson's snipe. Our field party also spotted a group of thirty-eight wild turkey co-mingling with a number of Canadian geese in a harvested corn field and another group of fifteen well-camouflaged great blue herons sitting together on a rocky shore in Bettendorf. Once again this year, I learned more about what I don't know about birds on the count, but seeing and hearing all those feathered critters in one day is definitely enough to keep a person intrigued to keep looking and listening for signs of their whereabouts.

- Stephanie Crandall

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign recently announced the timely 2006 release of their new publication entitled Trees and Ice Storms: The Development of Ice Storm-Resistant Urban Tree Populations, Second Edition.

Publication Summary:

Severe ice storms occur every year in the United States and Canada, particularly in the Midwestern and eastern regions of the United States. Along with fires and wind, ice storms are a frequent and major natural disturbance factor in eastern deciduous forests. Likewise, ice storms are responsible for deaths and injuries of people and cause dramatic damage and tree loss to urban forests. Ice storms annually result in millions of dollars in loss, and potentially billions of dollars in losses for extreme and widespread ice storms. Damage to electric distribution systems, blocked roadways, and property damage from fallen trees and limbs pose safety concerns and disrupt normal community functions.

Tree species vary in their resistance to ice accumulation. Certain characteristics, such as weak branch junctures indicated by included bark, dead and decaying branches, a broad crown, and fine branching, increase a tree's susceptibility to ice storm damage.

Planting a diverse urban forest that includes trees resistant to ice storms and performing regular tree maintenance to avoid or remove structural weaknesses will reduce damage caused by severe ice storms. Management plans for urban trees should incorporate information on the ice storm susceptibility of trees in order to limit potential ice damage; to reduce hazards resulting from ice damage; and to restore urban tree populations following ice storms. Susceptibility ratings of species commonly planted in urban areas are presented in this publication for use in developing and maintaining healthy urban tree populations.

To view this publication online, visit http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/forestry/ publications/pdf/urban_community_forestry/trees_and_ice_storms_2006.pdf.

If you're planning on a visit to Blackhawk State Historic Site this Spring to get a glimpse of their many wildflowers, be sure to stop by the museum as well to check out the new fur trade exhibit! Though there has been an exhibit on the fur trade in the museum for about twenty years, this new exhibit will have much more detailed information on the vital role that the fur trade served for the Sauk and Mesquakie in our area. The exhibit will explore the fur trade from three different perspectives: the fur trade as it related to the Indians, the fur traders, as well as its critical role in the global economy of the time. The exhibit is expected to open in March. For more information on the exhibit you can call the Hauberg Indian Museum at (309)788-9536.

Emerald ash borer has been found in several Illinois locations. Other invasive pests are likely to show up. Learn to identify and cope with these critters. Telenet Program offered at the Rock Island County Extension Office on February 13 at 1:00 p.m. and February 15 at 7:00 p.m. Contact Stephanie Crandall at 796.0512 to register. There is a $5 fee for the program.

Getting Ready for the National Ground Water Awareness Week,March 11-17, 2007. –by Kevin McCray, CAE, Executive Director, National Ground Water Association

Some 47 percent of the U.S. population depends on ground water, the water that fills cracks and other openings in beds of rock and sand, for its drinking water supply-be it from either a public source or private well. In rural areas, the number is about 96 percent. That fact alone justifies the need for National Ground Water Awareness Week, to be observed March 11-17, 2007.

But ground water is important to us in many other ways, as well.

Consider:

• Ground water provides much of the flow of many streams; often lakes and streams are "windows" to the water table. Ground water 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. ground water 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 83.3 billion gallons per day of fresh ground water for public supply, private supply, irrigation, livestock, manufacturing, mining, thermoelectric power, and other purposes.
• Ground water 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 55,000 people dedicated to providing and protecting our nation's ground water supplies.
• Irrigation accounts for the largest use of ground water in the U.S., about 65 percent of all the ground water pumped each day. Some 58 billion gallons of ground water are used daily for agricultural irrigation from more than 374,082 wells. Irrigation is a major reason for the abundance of fresh produce and grains that we all enjoy.
• One ton of ground water used by industry generates an estimated $14,000 worth of output.

These facts help us connect with the important role we each play as stewards, or protectors, of ground water. Man can adversely affect the resource. Fortunately, there are simple steps that will help protect ground water and the wells systems that distribute it.

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.

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.

These tips and more are available from sources such as a state ground water or water well association, NGWA, or from your county agricultural extension agent or state government agency with responsibility for ground water.

A convenient source for a broader understanding of our ground water protector role can be found at www.wellowner.org, a Web service of the National Ground Water Association.

National Ground Water Awareness Week is not a celebration, like the Fourth of July has become. Instead, we should use the week to reflect more deeply on ground water's value and its contributions to our lives.

The Alliance for Natural Resource and Outreach Service Programs (ANROSP). supports the development and maintenance of adult, natural resource outreach and service programs such as Master Naturalist, Watershed Stewards, and Conservation Steward. Our mission is to promote awareness and citizen stewardship of natural resources through science-based education and service programs. In order to represent the diversity of programs that compose our membership we need a new logo. We are providing a contest for new logo entries. Keep in mind the wonderful natural resources we have from coast to coast. Please visit our website for more insight of the alliance: http://www.nralliance.org.

Rules:

The rules are fairly simple, but they must be followed. Please read carefully.

1. Your art must not contain any trademarked or copyrighted images, or materials. Your submission must be an original design created by you or (your team).

2. Your art must be related to the theme as stated above and our ANROSP name. Design must be appropriate in content and nature.

3. Each group or person may enter up to 3 designs.

4. Your entry must fulfill all aspects of the entry specs (see below) in order to qualify.

5. Entries must be received no later than February 16, 2007, by Midnight PST. Any entries received after this date will not be accepted.

6. Participants do not have to be members of ANROSP to submit a design.

7. By entering your design, you agree to these rules and give the ANROSP permission to print and utilize your design, and understand that we have the right to alter your design if needed. You agree that we will publish your design on our Web site and in any other marketing or correspondence materials. You will receive no royalties for the reproduction of your design.

8. Winner will receive a framed print of a North American Panther cub and will be recognized as the winner in our website historical documents.

Guidelines & Specs:

These are the specifications to follow to enter your design. Please read carefully.

1. Your design must be a maximum of 3" x 3", no larger.

2. Your design must be submitted/saved as Adobe Illustrator eps file at 300 dpi.

3. Your design may contain only 4 Pantone colors (black is considered a color).

4. File must not exceed 5mb in size.

How to Enter:

Here's how to enter. Please read carefully.

1. E-mail your first and last name, mailing address and valid e-mail address to: gmallen@ufl.edu with the following subject line in your e-mail: ANROSP Logo Contest.

2. Attach your logo design to your e-mail.

3. You must have this statement in your e-mail: "I agree to the rules of the ANROSP logo contest.: If you do not, your entry will not be accepted.

*You will receive a confirmation e-mail from the Communication committee.

Voting:

Voting will take place February 19-28, 2007. The winner of the contest will be announced some time after March 1, 2007. These dates and times are subject to change.

The 2007 Quad Cities Lawn and Garden Show will take place on March 23-24. If you are interested in volunteering for the event at the Master Naturalist table, please contact Stephanie Crandall at 796.0512 or scrandal@uiuc.edu to sign up!

Becoming a frogwatcher is easy. Just follow these four simple steps.

Step One: Learn about frogs and toads in your local area. Find out which species are nearby by reviewing a field guide or the list on the Frogwatch USA website at www.nwf.org/frogwatchUSA/. Then learn to identify their calls.

Step Two: Choose a site to monitor and register it online. Learn which kind of wetlands in your neighborhood would be good to monitor for frogs and toads. Fill out an online sign-up form or contact Frogwatch USA to sign up by U.S. mail. In order to contribute data to Frogwatch USA, you must first register your site and yourself as an observer.

Step Three: Learn the monitoring protocol and go frogwatching. This is the best part. Read detailed instructions on how and when to monitor anurans.

Print out a datasheet, grab your equipment, head on over to your registered site and start listening. Visit www.nwf.org/frogwatchUSA/ content_protocol.cfm for Frogwatch USA monitoring protocol.

Step Four: Submit your field observations. Be sure to report all your data. It is just as important to report that you do not observe any frogs or toads calling during one or more of your nightly sessions.

For more information on how to become a frogwatcher, visit www.nwf.org/frogwatchUSA.

Charlene Carmack will speak on Environmental Impact Statements at the Tuesday, February 13th Master Naturalist meeting. Charlene is an employee of the Rock Island Army Corps of Engineers and works in the Department of Economic and Environmental Analysis. All are welcome to attend. Any committee reports can be sent to Stephanie Crandall (chair for the meeting)

at scrandal@uiuc.edu.

The Rock Island County Extension Office will be hosting a Farm Conservation Telenet Program for land owners, agricultural producers, and agency personnel. Participants will receive the most current information regarding basic provisions, economic incentives, technical support, and sign-up information for a variety of conservation programs. The program will take place on Tuesday, February 20th from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

The program is free and open to the public. For more information or to register call the Rock Island County Extension Office at (309)796-0512.

Co-sponsored by:

Eagle View Group of the Sierra Club and Unitarian Church, Davenport, IA

2:00 – 8:00 p.m. (doors open at 1:30)

Unitarian Church: 3707 Eastern Avenue, Davenport

Food provided by Greatest Grains

Schedule:

Sanctuary (upper level)

2:00 p.m. An Inconvenient Truth (90 minutes)

4:00 p.m. Who Killed the Electric Car? (90 minutes)

6:00 p.m. Too Hot Not to Handle (60 minutes)

Community Room (upper level)

2:00 p.m. Tallgrass Prairie (60 minutes)

3:30 p.m. Edens Lost and Found – Chicago (57 minutes)

5:00 p.m. Crapshoot (52 minutes)

6:30 p.m. Life Running Out of Control (60 minutes)

Lounge (lower level)

2:00 p.m. Affluenza (56 minutes)

3:30 p.m. Escape from Affluenza (56 minutes)

5:00 p.m. Buyer Be Fair (57 minutes)

6:30 p.m. Up Close and Toxic (45 minutes)

Board Room (upper level)

(Short movies will run continuously)

The Meatrix II (8 minutes)

Baked Alaska (26 minutes)

Ecological Footprint (30 minutes)

Radically Simple (35 minutes)

Sierra Club Chronicles (30 min. each)

February 21 at 7:00 p.m. – Home Energy Conservation Telenet at the Rock Island County Extension Office

Home energy conservation is a hot topic. Three aspects of conservation will be discussed: evaluating a home's use of energy; management of the home and behavior changes that can conserve energy; and how to prioritize to get the most benefit from money spent on conservation efforts.

Cost of the program is $5. For more information or to register contact the Rock Island County Extension Office at 796-0512.

If you're looking for an early sighting of Spring this year and you don't mind a trek up to Lee County, make your way up to the Franklin Creek State Natural Area to view one of the earliest flowering plants in our region, the skunk cabbage! The brownish-purple flowers emerge in early March and can be found along the Mills Creek Trail at Franklin Creek in wetter areas of the forest and along creek beds. The park has about 4.5 miles of hiking trails winding around Franklin Creek for you to enjoy. In addition to the skunk cabbage, you'll find several large natural springs, hardwood forests, and bedrock outcroppings. Franklin Creek State Natural Area is located in Lee County, one mile northwest of the village of Franklin Grove and eight miles east of Dixon just north of Illinois Route 38. For more information about the park and a site map, go to the Parks & Recreation link on the Illinois Department of Natural Resources page at http://www.dnr.state.il.us/.