Subject:                                     MASTER GARDENER ALERT:  Warrick County Fair, Job Offering, Continuing Ed, Forestry Workshop, Wesselman Park

Attachments:                          Spring Sem 08 Reg Form.pdf

 

Dear Master Gardeners,

 

I have several bits of business to go through...some offers for work, some options for continuing education, and 1 serious item pertaining to a proposed development at Wesselman Park in Evansville. 

 

1.  Warrick County Fair: 

We need 1 or 2 people to judge the garden crops for the Warrick County 4-H Fair.  Judging will be on Saturday afternoon, July 13, at the Warrick County Fairgrounds in Boonville.  You will probably be interviewing many of the 4-H members, to let them tell you how much they learned, etc.  If you are available and interested, please contact:

 Carla Kidwell

Extension Educator, 4-H Youth

Purdue Extension Warrick County

107 W Locust St. Ste. 111

Boonville, IN 47601

Phone: 812-897-6100 Fax: 812-897-6102

 

 

2.  Up a creek....

 

Wesselman Nature Society seeks Canoe Program Coordinator for 2008 season.  Full time potential exists for the right candidate.  The successful applicant will possess excellent organizational skills, be highly dependable and in good physical condition.  Background in outdoor recreation, environmental science, biology or education a plus.  Canoeing skills not required upon hire – training available.  Interested persons are encouraged to submit their resume to Susan Haislip, Director, Wesselman Nature Society, 551 N. Boeke Rd., Evansville, IN  47711 or shaislip@wesselmannaturesociety.org.  Position will remain open until filled.
 

 

 

3.  Weird Trees Wanted

 How many times have you been out in the woods or driving down the highway and said, “Look at that tree!  Gosh, I wish I had a camera!”  It could be that the tree has almost completely swallowed a sign or other object; or perhaps it has the most misshapen trunk you’ve ever seen; maybe its exposed roots make it appear as if it will run away at any moment; or perhaps it has been intentionally shaped to resemble something other than a tree.  Or maybe more than one tree that have grown inseparably together.   For whatever reason, this tree just stands out as………..different!

 

Since Arbor Day in 2000 we have been searching for Indiana’s WEIRDEST trees, and that search will resume for Arbor Day 2008.  These can be any species and of any size.  They can be located in the city, in the forest, in your back yard – anywhere – as long as the tree is still there.  We encourage people of all ages to submit entries.

 

Here’s all you need to do: take a couple of photographs of the tree, being sure to capture its uniqueness.  Send these non-returnable photographs to Sam Carman, Division of Forestry, 402 W. Washington, Rm. W296, Indianapolis, IN  46204.  Digital photos should be emailed to scarman@dnr.in.gov .  Along with the photos, be sure to include your name, address, phone number, and specific location of the tree, including county.  Based upon your photos, district foresters will narrow down the field to the “weirdest” tree for each county, and these will be included on the Divisions of Forestry’s website publication “Invasion of the Weird Trees”, which is updated every 4 years.  (To view our current “Invasion”, go to www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/pdfs/invasion2004.pdf.)

 

Entry deadline for this year’s search is April 15; so put on your hiking boots, get your camera, and WATCH FOR THE WEIRD!

 

(If you wish to receive volunteer credit for this, send me a copy of the picture.  You will get 1 hour for every weird tree...but remember that you are sending these to me, the King of Weird, so these have to be WEIRD to get credit – Larry).

 

 

4.  Forestry Workshop:

 Master Gardeners your input is desired. There is an opportunity for education.

 The Vanderburgh County Soil & Water Conservation District and the IDNR Division of Forestry are teaming to offer a Tree Care workshop in October. Two speakers involved will be our own Larry Caplan, and Shawn Dickerson (Master Gardener, City Arborist).

 The organizers are willing to customize this program to meet your needs.

 Please let the organizers know your interest by emailing Bonnie Bittner at bonnie.bittner@in.nacdnet.net

 Which workshop would you be interested in attending? 

 

The basic tree care is a 1-day workshop.

OR 

The Tree Steward Program is a 2-day workshop with a workday
(workday is ~3 hours). 

Do you want it on a weekend or weekday?

(Note:  we will try to avoid conflicting with the SWIMGA Garden Conference that we will be holding in October.  However, if you think combining the two events would be beneficial, suggest that to Bonnie Bittner as well — Larry).

 

 

5.   Wabash Valley Master Gardeners Association 2008 Spring Seminar: 
"Get Ready, Get Set, Go Garden"

 

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Girl Scouts Headquarters

1100 Girl Scout Lane (Next to the Family Y in Fairbanks Park)

Terre Haute, Indiana
Registration 8:00 8:45 a.m. EST
Seminar 8:30 am to 3:00 pm EST

Featured speaker is Dianne Noland, University of Illinois

Topics covered:

Preparing beds and hardscapes

Perennials with Pizzazz

Pruning Tips

Vegetable gardening

Displaying and judging flowers

Door prizes, vendors, lunch and continental breakfast

 

Open to the public

Registration fee: $20.00 by February 29, 2008

$25.00 after that date and day of seminar

 

Registration Brochure is attached to this e-mail.  If it didn’t get through, contact Larry.

 

 

6.  Wesselman Park Ball Field

 

There has been several items in the media lately about a proposed 9-field baseball/softball complex being promoted by the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau.  One of the locations being suggested is on Wesselman Park, where the current golf course is.  This has led to a lot of concern from neighbors and park visitors; and I have fielded some questions from Master Gardeners and other city residents.  If you have not heard anything about this at all, here are some links to local media reports about it:

 

Visitors Bureau unveils new plan to increase tourism:  http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?s=7421680

 

Location for Baseball Complex Undecided:  http://www.news25.us/dsp_story.cfm?storyid=4735&RequestTimeout=500

 

Play ball! Mayor silences complex concerns:  http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?s=7740622

 

Evansville Man Says Baseball Fields Would Hurt Wesselman Park:  http://www.abc25.com/dsp_story.cfm?storyid=4760

 

There are other stories to be found on local news websites, but this is enough to give you the gist of the controversy.

 

The reason I am reporting this in an e-mail to Master Gardeners is two-fold.  One reason is to provide you with some factual information.  The second reason is to caution Master Gardeners about getting involved in the political process.

 

I am a member of the Wesselman Nature Society Board of Directors.  We are the front line defenders of the Nature Preserve.  Our mission is to promote and protect Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve, a unique and valuable old-growth forest.

 

We (WNS Board) are currently NOT taking a stand on the issue of the proposed ballpark until we have received more information from the city.  We do not want to alienate the mayor, city council, or anyone else UNLESS we feel real harm will come to the Nature Preserve.  Currently, since we have ZERO information before us, we feel it is premature to be against the project AT THIS TIME.  As a board, we have sent a letter to the mayor, visitor's bureau, and the media, requesting more information, and requesting that the WNS Board be put on the list of people to be notified of any plans and proposals.

 

I personally think that it is good for neighbors and park-goers to want more information before the city makes a decision.  I think it's good for people in the neighborhood to raise questions about traffic, access, right-of-ways, safety, and so on.  And I am definitely in favor of examining plan details, when they become available, to see if the proposals will affect the Nature Preserve, such as with changes in stormwater runoff and drainage and the effect of the increase noise and activity on the local animal population.

 

But I don't think it's a good idea AT THIS TIME for any group, especially Wesselman Nature Society, and ESPECIALLY Master Gardeners, to draw a line in the sand and take an official stand.  We simply do NOT have a legitimate leg to stand on, as far as the effects on the Nature Preserve go, because we DON’T KNOW what the effects could be.  After the WNS Board receives some details, we will be able to calculate if there will be any negative effects, and what steps the Board will take next.

 

I would ask that if you feel like speaking up about this, either for or against, that you do so as a private citizen, NOT as a Master Gardener.  Purdue WILL NOT take a stand on a local issue involving city parks.  SWIMGA and the Master Gardeners are a group for promoting education about horticulture; we are NOT a lobbying group.  I will not be happy if anyone takes a stand on this AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MASTER GARDENERS.  What you do as a private citizen is up to you, and is protected by the First Amendment, but please, do not drag SWIMGA into it.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about this.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Larry Caplan, Extension Horticulture Educator
Purdue Extension Service, Vanderburgh County
 

13301 Darmstadt Rd.
Evansville, IN  47725
Ph:  (812) 435-5287      Fax:  (812) 867-4944
E-mail:  LCaplan@purdue.edu
SWIMGA Website:  http://www.ces.purdue.edu/ces/Vanderburgh/mastergardener

Larry Caplan, The Magic Gardener
Making Environmental Education Fun and MAGICAL!
http://www.ces.purdue.edu/ces/vanderburgh/magic/