Gourmet gala coming
Food, wine and music are to set the tone for Franciscan Earth Literacy Center's Summer Harvest Gourmet Gala 6-9 p.m. Aug. 11.
The annual fundraiser's proceeds are to help support FELC's educational programming.
Chefs will be on hand to prepare food using chemical-free produce from Seeds of Hope Farm. Lucky Penny Farm plans to donate cheese and appetizers.
Entertainment is to be provided by Double B Strings.
Tickets are $80 each or $520 for a table of eight. For more information, call Linda Havens at (419) 447-0435.
SWCD asking for input
on Miller Farm flower beds
Danielle Vent of Seneca Soil and Water Conservation District is seeking community input on designing flower beds at Miller Conservation Farm.
Vent said a dedication ceremony for donors and volunteers is planned in August. Also, she said trails are in good shape and lots of fish of being caught out of the front pond.
Anyone interested in helping Vent, call her at (419) 447-7071.
Wildlife Council approves migratory bird season dates
COLUMBUS - Ohio Wildlife Council has approved the state's early migratory game bird hunting seasons for the fall, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
Sept. 1 kicks off the state's hunting season with the opening of dove, Canada goose, teal, rail, moorhen and snipe.
Dove season runs Sept. 1-Oct. 21 and Dec. 15-Jan. 2 with a daily limit of 15 birds and a possession limit of 30 birds.
Controlled dove hunts are to be offered at Fallsville, Rush Run, Spring Valley, Indian Creek and Bott state wildlife areas. Opening day drawings are to take place at noon Aug. 25 at the respective public area headquarters. Drawings for other hunts will take place on the day of the hunt at noon.
Maps and details are available at www.wildohio.com. Call (937) 372-9261 with questions.
Lakes initiative launched
COLUMBUS - Three state agencies have launched the Ohio Clean Lakes Initiative, a program geared to improve water quality and reduce harmful algal blooms in the western basin of Lake Erie. HABs are threatening the ecological integrity and economic impact of Lake Erie.
Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Department of Agriculture and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency developed the initiative based on the findings of a report the agencies released in March.
"Agriculture is important to Ohio; it is the No. 1 industry in our state," said ODA Director David Daniels. "The Ohio Clean Lakes Initiative focuses on reducing excess nutrients in our waterways resulting not only from agriculture, but from a variety of urban and residential sources, such as sewage overflow. Together, our agencies believe we can address the challenges facing Ohio's waterways through this program."
For more information on the initiative, visit www.cleanlakes.ohio.gov.
6 Lake Erie water samples test positive for Asian carp
COLUMBUS - Federal and state wildlife officials working in conjunction with academic researchers have announced six water samples taken from Sandusky and north Maumee bays tested positive for Asian carp environmental DNA in Michigan and Ohio waters.
The positive samples were among 417 taken from Lake Erie in August 2011, and more than 2,000 samples taken from the Great Lakes Basin since 2010.
The Lake Erie batch was recently analyzed and test results were confirmed by eDNA researchers this week. The six positive samples represent fewer than 1.5 percent of the Lake Erie samples.
In response to these findings, electro-shocking and netting has begun in Sandusky Bay, with no evidence of Asian carp found. However, additional testing and monitoring are planned.
The findings indicate the presence of genetic material left behind by the species, such as scales, excrement or mucous, but not the establishment of Asian carp in Lake Erie.
A video demonstrating how to identify bighead and silver carp can be viewed www.youtube/B49OWrCRs38.
Identification guides, frequently asked questions, management plans and an online reporting form are available online at www.wildohio.com.
