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  • Home
  • About
    • About >
      • Staff & Supervisors >
        • Supervisor- Nominee Info Sheets
    • Donate/Affiliate Membership
    • Jobs & Internships
    • Newsletter >
      • News articles
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Strategic Plan
    • Contractor List
  • Programs & Services
    • Ag Stewardship/INfield Advantage >
      • Agriculture Resources
    • Drainage
    • Financial Assistance/Cost Share Programs
    • Invasive Species >
      • Invasive Trade In Program
      • Hamilton County Invasives Partnership
    • Map Resources
    • Native Plant Sale
    • Native Tree Sale
    • Rain Barrel Info & Sales
    • Rule 5 Submission
    • Soil Is Alive: Soil Health Trailer
    • Soil Maps & Surveys
    • Soil Testing
    • Stony Creek Feasibility Study
    • Photo Contest
    • Well Capping
    • Well Water Testing
    • Report a Polluter
    • Tool Loan Program
    • Video Resources
  • Urban Conservation
    • Backyard Conservation
    • Conservation Playhouse
    • Urban Agriculture >
      • Donate Your Vegetables
      • Garden Resources
    • Creating and Maintaining a Prairie
    • Restoring HOA Native Landscapes
    • Stormwater Landscape Maintenance Training
    • Rain Garden Info
    • Seed pack
    • Tree Info
    • Where to buy native plants & seed
  • Events
    • Workshops & Events
    • Rain on Main
    • Sustainability Workshop
    • Past events & recordings
  • Online Store

Hamilton County SWCD News

News article homepage

Nature's Savings Account: An Introduction to Soil Seed Banks

8/28/2023

 
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Invasive Jumping Worms Wanted

8/28/2023

 
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Invasive jumping worms (Amynthas spp.) are spreading all across North America. The worms thrash wildly and move in a snake-like manner; their feeding produces granular castings that look like coffee grounds on the soil surface. The worms can be distinguished from nightcrawlers by their quick violet movements and the white band fully circling their bodies. You might hear them referred to as crazy worms or snake worms as well. Jumping worms leech out all nutrients, provide nothing for soil and plants, and outcompete other worms. They will leave your top layer of soil barren and crumbly which will ultimately leave your plants to die from malnutrition and not being able to root properly.

They originate for Asia and spread from contaminated compost and potted plants. To stop the spread, make your own compost and inspect potted plants before purchasing. Do not use jumping worms for bait or vermicomposting.

To kill any jumping worms that might be present in pre-purchased soil, it is recommended that you place the worms in a plastic bag in direct sunlight until the interior of the bag reaches 105 degrees. You should verify the worms are dead.
​

If you believe you have found a jumping worm in your garden, report it to 1-866-NOEXOTIC or file a report at EDDMapS.org/indiana and attach a very clear picture.
​For more information, check out the below links:
  • https://www.purduelandscapereport.org/article/asian-jumping-worms-id-impact-and-prevention/#:~:text=Follow%20the%20steps%20we%20recommend%20on%20reportINvasive.com%3A%201,EDDMaps%203%201-866%20NO%20EXOTIC%20%281-866-663-9684%29%204%20depp%40dnr.IN.gov
  • https://extension.purdue.edu/news/county/whitley/2023/03/gardeners-urged-to-look-for-invasive-jumping-worms.html
  • https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/invasive-jumping-worms-can-change-their-world?_ga=2.112054660.1278558526.1692975643-2020676267.1692731526
  • https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/highly-invasive-jumping-worms-have-spread-15-us-states-180977566/
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Stop the Seed: Managing Invasive Species in the Summer

6/20/2023

 
One of the biggest challenges when managing invasive species is controlling the population before it goes to seed. Most invasive plants have hundreds or thousands of seeds each and once it releases them it exponentially increases the effort needed to control the population. This is especially important in newly established populations. Each viable seed that is allowed to enter the ground represents a potential new plant which will in turn produce seed unless stopped, therefore early management is key to reducing the spread and maintaining natural environments.


Although control methods and timing can vary slightly by species and geographic location, it’s generally best to either spray or cut invasive species in the early spring (March or April). This reduces negative impacts on desirable species while also ensuring the species is controlled before seed can be produced. Sometimes early spring control is simply not possible – maybe you weren’t able to identify it early on, missed a certain area, or were simply busy – that doesn’t mean all is lost. One possible method of slowing down invasion is to cut the seed head off, bag it up, and throw it away.
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​Before we start talking about how to control plants with mature seed heads it is important to understand what they are and how to recognize them on a plant. We are exposed to seeds regularly in daily life, but some seeds might not look how you would expect. It is easy to recognize sunflower seeds, bird seeds, or the seeds inside tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, etc., but take a look at these pictures to test if you would recognize where seeds are stored on these invasive plants.
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Many herbaceous invasive plants produce their seeds in the late summer, making it ineffective to spray or mow which might spread the seeds even further, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t still manage them. The best way to keep seeds from spreading in late summer on many herbaceous invasive species is to cut off its seed head or flowers. Unfortunately, this isn’t always practical or safe. When dealing with large populations or monocultures it is often easiest to simply spray the plant with herbicide until numbers are significantly reduced. As always, herbicide should be applied in accordance with the label using appropriate chemical application methods as outlined by Purdue Extension.In some cases – such as with Poison Hemlock - it is unsafe to cut the seeds off of a plant due to its toxic nature. For a more complete management guide regarding poison hemlock, please use this link from the Dubois County SWCD.

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​W​hen cutting the seeds off a plant, immediately put it into a yard waste bag without walking around or shaking the seed off of the plant (this will spread the seed). Additionally, it is smart to use shears, trimmers, or a knife which is sharp to minimize shaking the plant.  It’ is important to make sure that the bag is tied shut and there aren’t any holes or tears in the bag so that seed can’t escape and spread further. If your bag gets a hole in it or tears simply double bag it before disposal.

It’s important to remember that cutting seed heads off won’t kill the plant, but it does help to significantly reduce how fast it spreads to buy time until next growing season. A good practice after cutting seed heads is to spray the plant with an appropriate herbicide, this will kill the existing plant, opening up space for natives to colonize the area. After you have cut off the seed head and sprayed, cut, or mowed the plant to kill the plant you will need to keep an eye out for any new sprouts or missed seed heads and treat those accordingly. 

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Jacob Luken 
Urban Conservation Technician
Jacob.Luken@hamiltoncounty.in.gov

Email Jacob with any questions about invasive species management, identification, and other urban conservation topics.

STOP! Read! Plant!

3/23/2023

 
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Those "wildflower", "bee friendly", "meadow mix" seed packets may do more harm than good.  Before you purchase seed or plant that giveaway packet of flowers you received, take some time to make sure it is appropriate for our ecosystem and doesn't contain any invasive species.
​
Here are some things to consider
  • Native? To where? Seed packets and mixes may use the term "native" very broadly and include species that are simply native to North America. Species that are not native to Indiana may not actually be providing the food that OUR pollinators need. These mixes could even contain species that are not just not native to Indiana but actually invasive here. 

  • Where were the seeds collected?  Seeds collected in other countries or other parts of the US won't be well suited to our climate and growing conditions making them less likely to thrive.
    ​
  • What's in there? Cheap seed mixes often have filler species that are undesirable or downright bad! A study evaluating 19 packet mixes found 13 invasive species and 8 of the packets had noxious weed seeds. A few species (not comprehensive) to look out for as indicators are baby's breath, bachelors buttons, common tansy, oxeye daisy.

What you can do
  • Double check the species listed.  If scientific names aren't listed, that is a red flag -- destroy the seeds. Check the scientific names against Indiana native species lists. The Indiana Native Plant Society's online "Native Plant Finder" is a great start. 

  • Purchase from a reputable vendor.  Native plant nurseries located in the Midwest are going to be your best bet.  We keep a list of great sources for native plants and seed on our website.  Look for vendors from Indiana or nearby states. Quality vendors will have information about what "native" means to them on their website and likely information about invasive species and/or noxious weeds too.  There will probably be information about how their seeds or plants are sourced and grown, what chemicals they may or may not be treated with, and other information. They may also have resources related to planting and maintaining native gardens and even consulting services.   In addition to our webpage, Indiana Native Plant Society maintains a list of Grow Indiana Native vendors who sell native plants and no invasives and the Xerces Society has an online plant and seed vendor directory.

  • Plant them right and be patient. Unfortunately, you can't just throw native seeds down and expect a beautiful garden.  You must prep your planting area, plant the seeds properly (not too deep), and maintain your planting.  Our prairie booklet is a great resource in all three areas and covers seed and plug planting for both large and small areas. Remember to have patience as well. Some native seeds require cold stratification which means you may need to stratify them yourself (learn more here) or allow them to stratify naturally over the winter before they germinate the next year.  Have patience. 
    ​
  • It's too late! I have invasive species!
    Don't worry, you are not alone.  Our Hamilton County Invasives Partnership (HIP) has a variety of resources available to you to help determine what invasive species you have and how to eradicate them.  We also have a variety of volunteer opportunities called Weed Wrangles where you can help remove invasive species from local parks and natural areas.
    ​Learn more on the HIP website.
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Free Native Seed Packets for Hamilton County Residents
​The SWCD has free packets of a quality 4 species native mix available at our office (limit 2 per person). Learn more about the packets here: https://www.hamiltonswcd.org/seedpack.html
​Our seed packets include:
  • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
    Bloom: June-August

  • Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
    Bloom: June-August

  • Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
    Bloom: June-September

  • Smooth Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve)
    ​Bloom: September- October

SWCD Native Plant Kits & Rain Barrels for sale

Prairie Grass Native Plant Kit

$135.00

Sold out

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Rain Garden Native Plant Kit

$135.00

Sold out

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Shade Garden Native Plant Kit

$135.00

Sold out

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On Sale

On Sale

Conservation Yard Signs

$12.00 - $20.00
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Prairie Wildflower/Pollinator Native Plant Kit

$135.00

Sold out

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Plant Natives T Shirt

$25.00
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55 Gallon Rain Barrel

$85.00

Sold out

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Hamilton County producers are eligible for a financial incentive to implement conservation practices

8/2/2022

 
Visit theoutcomesfund.com for more information and to enroll.
Email contactus@theoutcomesfund.com.
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The 2020 White River Mainstem Project

7/12/2022

 
David Bradway - Conservation Administrator 

State and local environmental agencies will sometimes undertake large projects that show results regionally rather than by city or county divisions. One such project was conducted in 2020 wherein a multi-agency crew surveyed the West Fork White River and White River from its headwaters in Randolph County to the confluence with the Wabash River. I was able to ask some questions of the group. Drew Holloway with the Muncie Sanitary District Bureau of Water Quality, Kevin Gaston with Indiana Department of Environmental Management, and Sandy Clark with Indiana Department of Natural Resources shared their insight from the work they completed. Links to the data and referenced websites can be found in the interview below. 
PictureWhite River through Rocky Ripple neighborhood.
Can you summarize the project?
  • Good water quality is required to support diverse fish communities. A 2020 survey involving three agencies, 21 full-time staff members, and four interns collectively sampled 65 sites along the White River encompassing 405 river miles. These sites consisted of three rounds of water quality monitoring (900+ sample bottles), 62 electrofishing sites and habitat evaluations (using nine boats, two canoes, two tote barges and one backpack electrofishing unit), and 12 macroinvertebrate sample sites. After processing 17,232 fish from 94 different species the results showed a resilient and overall healthy fish community; however, some reaches of the river had conditions unsuitable for healthy fish populations. Therefore, more work is still needed to reduce sediment and nutrient loads within the watershed. 
 
What was the initial goal of the project?
  • This project started with Kevin and I [Drew] discussing the possibility of working together in 2020 when IDEM was next scheduled to be working in the West Fork White River drainage. As our conversation grew, so did the scope of this project and we decided to loop in the IN DNR. When it was all said and done, our goal was to complete a one-year study of White River to get a better understanding of its biological communities and chemical water quality.
 
Were any outcomes gleaned through collected data for White River? Hamilton County?
  • One of our goals of this project was to share data with the public as quickly as possible and create interest for people living within the watershed. As a result, an interactive White River Project Storymap was created with all the data collected available to the public in an easy-to-use format. We also focused on reaching out to the media and local organizations to get the word out about the project and create awareness about the river.
 
How do sections of White River through Hamilton County look chemically, biologically, habitat?
  • We had a total of 8 sites throughout Hamilton County. Biologically, fish sites are scored using the Index of Biotic Integrity, which uses 12 metrics to determine the overall health of the observed fish community. The average score for our Hamilton County sites was a 45 (Good integrity class). Similar to our fish data, habitat is scored using the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index, which scores all aspects of a stream from the substrate to the riparian zone beyond the streams edge. The average score for these sites was a 71 (Good rating) as well.
 
Describe your thoughts on sport fishing in White River through Hamilton County.
  • The sport fishing opportunities throughout Hamilton County are great! We had some of our biggest Smallmouth Bass come from these sections as well as some nice Rock Bass and Bluegill. Smallmouth Bass up to 17 inches and Rock Bass over 10 inches were documented in the areas upstream of Noblesville. Access to the river is also good through Hamilton County and people can find public access sites on the IN DNR Where to Fish in Indiana website.
 
Do your findings show anything about the level of conservation work done in Hamilton County?
  • Water conditions in Indiana and across the country have seen great improvements since the passing of the Clean Water Act in 1972. However, monitoring water quality improvements on rivers presents a challenge as it is not just the result of local conditions but a combination of conditions upstream and from the entire watershed. Many tributaries in the Upper White River have high levels of E.coli bacteria and excess nutrients. Pollution sources in the watershed include nonpoint sources from agriculture and pastures, land application of manure and urban and rural run-off, as well as point sources from straight pipe discharges, home sewage treatment system disposal, and combined sewer overflow outlets. New emphasis has been placed on the river over the last couple years with major media stories about the condition of the river and calls for renewed focus on partners working together to continue work within the watershed. As conditions on the river have improved, we have seen an increase in recreational activities including fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and wildlife viewing. As more people find connection to the river, we hope conservation efforts will continue. Groups like Friends of the White River, The White River Alliance, and Hamilton County Parks and Recreation have made great strides in educating the public about how they can help the river by organizing trash cleanups and river outing events. Seeing a healthy stream with lots of diversity should invoke a sense of pride to anyone who lives, works, or plays along the banks of White River.

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Sixty-two sites along the West Fork White River and White River were sampled during the 2020 White River Mainstem Project.
​Any plans for similar projects on other streams?
  • This project got the attention of various groups across Indiana including universities and other monitoring agencies but at this time there isn’t anything planned. We were also asked about repeating the project after the “Dig Indy” sewer separation project is completed in 2025.
 For additional information on Hamilton County water concerns contact David.Bradway@hamiltoncounty.in.gov.

Invasive Species Spotlight: Canada Thistle

7/11/2022

 
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Taylor Wilson, Urban Conservation Technician
​​
Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) might actually be everyone’s least favorite garden weed. Brought to North America in the 1600’s on accident, this weed has become a widespread problem throughout the USA and beyond. It infamously colonizes natural areas, roadsides, and is also an incredibly aggressive weed in lawns and landscaping beds. You might know it best by remembering running through the grass barefoot and stepping on thistles that were forcing their way through the lawn.
Canada thistle’s aggressive nature is due to its root structure. The root structure contains both vertical roots (taproots) and horizontal roots (rhizomes). Because of this, generally several Canada thistle shoots (the above ground portion) are actually part of the same massive plant connected by root system. So, usually when you pull a thistle, you’re just pulling out one part of a larger plant.
I once heard Canada thistle compared to a hydra—for every thistle you pull two more pop up. This is due to the resprouting response of the root system, and this is why manual control of Canada thistle can be really difficult. 

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Identification
This Cornell University page walks you through the identification of this plant. We also have several native thistles!

Management
As mentioned above, manual control of Canada thistle can be very difficult—but is possible with years of consistent work. The goal is to “starve” the root system by removing green growth consistently, taking away the plant’s ability to photosynthesize. Herbicide treatment is usually far more effective and works more quickly, but may not be ideal for some areas.
An in-depth explanation of Canada management can be found here at this Purdue Extension page.
​

Noxious weeds
Canada thistle is one of the declared “noxious weeds” in Indiana and falls under the Destruction of Detrimental Plant law. Purdue Extension’s explanation of this law is listed below:
"Plants mentioned in this law are the noxious weeds listed in the code for county weed control boards. This law also empowers the township trustee to act to investigate and control the noxious weeds. A 48- hour notice can be issued notifying the property owner that the township trustee wishes to come on the property to investigate any noxious weed problem. Once a problem has been determined, similar to the weed board’s requirements, a five day notice has to be given to the property owner to start actions to control the noxious weed. If no action is taken the township trustee can either notify the county weed control board, if there is one, or initiate control measures themselves at the expense of the land owner. Once a bill has been sent to the property owner through registered mail or hand delivered, it has to be paid in 10 days. If the bill is not paid after 10 days it may appear on the land owner’s taxes that year."
 
Where to report
You can report instances of Canada thistle to the township trustee in the township the land is located in. Alternatively, you can always report it directly to the park, school, land manager, parcel owner, etc. To see who owns the parcel, you can utilize the county GIS program. On interstates and highways, you can report any invasive species via their online reporting system.


Come check out the Garden Tower!

7/7/2022

 
Lucy Carlstedt - Hamilton SWCD Conservation Intern

What is a Garden Tower?
 Located at the front entrance of our building, you will see a tiered terracotta-themed planter with a variety of produce and herbs. This is called the
Garden Tower 2™, which features 50 different planting “cells”, presenting endless opportunities for virtually any type of plant, vegetable, or fruit you may desire. Additionally, there is a chamber that runs from the top level to the bottom, where you can put compost through the top and it will disperses down and throughout to nurture the plants.

​At first glance it may seem tedious to water each
plant, but the truth is that it’s a lot easier! You generously water all around the top tier and the existing plants intake exactly what they need. The remaining water filters down, and the process is repeated in each layer until it reaches the bottom. To ensure you’re providing enough water, check the bottom rows of the tower for dehydration and viability of the plants. This makes the upkeep very simple and practical. 
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Top view of the Garden Tower.
How can I get one started? ​A Garden Tower is very similar to your average garden bed, but with a larger price tag so it is not a necessary purchase. There are many less expensive alternatives that you can succeed with. These steps can be applied to any planting medium as well as plant or seed type. Depending on how your green your thumb is, one route is to start the seeds indoors, which is what I did in the spring. In years past, we’ve also purchased seedlings and transplanted them into the tower. If you’re an intrigued beginner such as myself, I’ll let you in on the guidelines I followed: 
  1. Materials: We purchased a variety of 14 types of seeds, a seed starter tray, and 4 biodegradable pots for any seedlings that outgrow the starter tray faster than the others, and we decided that no herbicides or fertilizers will be used. With the understanding that not all seeds survive, not all seeds start at the same time, and there are 50 planting sites, we wanted to be prepared for all outcomes. 
  2. Planning: The seed packets provided the time frame to plant them indoors, with respect to the day of the last frost. So, on my calendar I made sure to document the time frames for each seed type and which ones I can start indoors in the starter seed tray. Some seeds said 6 to 8 weeks while others were 8 to 10 before the last frost. So, in the end I planned to start 7 types in the starter tray. 
  3. Indoor planting: With very minimal knowledge of gardening, I was able to use these first indoor seeds as my “guinea pigs”. I was able to gauge if I watered too much or not enough, as well as to induce the humidity with the provided humidity lid, or if I needed to tilt the lid for more oxygen. I noticed that my jellybean tomato and bell pepper seedlings were out growing the others and decided to move them over to the biodegradable pots and keep them indoors with the other seedlings. This made it easier for the transplanting process.  
  4. ​Outdoor planting: Once it was time for all the indoor seeds to go outside, and the weather was warm enough for the rest of the seeds, I planted and transplanted everything to the tower. There were some other seedlings there from years past that I had left so I could see their turnout, which mainly ending up being weeds. However, I marked the outside of the cells and transplanted the seedlings over to the tower while also planting some of the seeds from the indoor types to see the success rate of the same type of plant either started indoors or outdoors. 
  5. Maintenance: Now, we are watching the seedlings grow and react to their newfound environment, as well as watching out for dehydration and developing vegetables. The tower is watered by our judgement, but also at a minimum of once a week. Often, I will go out and check on the plants to make sure they are remaining in their space and are in good health, as we won’t be able to harvest the vegetables and herbs until the end of the summer.  
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Seed starter tray
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Side view of Garden Tower
What now? ​Whether you decide to utilize the garden tower, a garden bed, or even start just one potted plant to try it out, anyone can do it! Gardening is a fun way to challenge and improve your skills, and you can watch yourself grow as a gardener as your plants grow too. It may seem overwhelming, so please stop by for more details, questions, and to check out our garden!  
For more information, see this website:  https://www.gardentowerproject.com/pages/how-it-works

Water Safety for Pets

7/7/2022

 
Makayla Reel, Office Coordinator 
​

​Be cautious of water quality.​  It is possible to contract illnesses from dirty water. Giardia is a common illness to contract from dirty pond/lake water. The symptoms are unpleasant to cope with and it is not easily eliminated. Giardia is an intestinal infection caused by parasites. Many other parasitic infections camp out in lake and pond water. It is also worth mentioning that many diseases are zoonotic meaning it can be transferred to humans. 
Picture(aboutmorkies.com)
​How hot is too hot for your pet? With these hot summer days, it is important to listen to your dog and play with them properly to ensure your pets do not get heat stroke or heat exhaustion. Dogs cannot sweat like humans therefore their only way to cool down is panting. Even fans are not an efficient way to cool your dog down, they do not cool down your dogs’ body temperatures fast enough once on the road to heat exhaustion.

​Avoid sidewalks and asphalt as shown in the diagram below, if the air temperature is 77 degrees the asphalt temperature is 125 degrees! A good test for the asphalt is touch it with your bare foot if it is too hot for you to stand on it is too hot for your dog. It only takes 5 seconds to burn your pets’ paws on the pavement. It’s safest to walk your dog in the grass as much as possible or wait                                             till nighttime or early morning to walk.

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(Image credit: Heartguard Plus)
​Leeches, ticks and turtles OH MY! Snapping turtles are the most common widespread turtle species in Indiana. From below your dogs’ paw can look like a tasty snack. Be sure to do research about the body of water you want to explore before going. You want to educate yourself on the types of species that may lay in wait.
​Ticks are always a sign summer is here, it is important to know how to remove a tick properly from your dog to ensure you get all the parts of the tick. If you leave the head it can burrow into your dog and make them very ill. There are tools you can use to help ensure you get all parts of the tick off your pet. Educate yourself before venturing in heavily wooded areas.

​And finally leeches, they have been used in medical practices since the 19th century. However, if they attach themselves to your pet you want to make sure to get them off before they make your pet sick. 
Taking your pet to ponds/lakes/rivers to swim and enjoy the summer sun is not a bad thing the main point is to educate yourself on the surroundings and wildlife that may live in those spots.

Happy Swimming!
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Makayla's pet Finnegan

Indiana Native Plant Finder Database

6/20/2022

 
Diane Turner - Conservation Technician and Outreach Assistant ​
The Indiana Native Plant Finder is a valuable database tool will help you choose garden-worthy Indiana native plants that fit your site and support pollinators. Originally focused on garden-worthy Indiana native plants and their relationships to pollinators, this database has grown to include many Indiana native species, including those that are wind pollinated.

​The aim for this database is to provide gardeners, landscapers, restoration specialists, botanizers, school children, and the interested public with a reliable source of information about plants native to Indiana and photos showcasing their beauty. 
The Native Plant Database provides the following filters to help with your needs. 
          plant type                                       pollinator type
            light                                                aquatic
            moisture                                         container friendly
            bloom color                                     pollinator magnet
            bloom season                                   caterpillar magnet
            plant height                                    garden friendly
           ​spring ephemeral


​Check out the Indiana Native Plant Database here. 
Native Plant Finder
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​
​Once users choose a particular native plant species, they may click on a plant to link to a printable species page with plant characteristics, notes, resources, and additional photos. See examples below of native species printouts.  
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soil.water@hamiltoncounty.in.gov
317.773.2181
1717 Pleasant St. Suite 100
Noblesville, IN 46060
Established in 1968
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Photo used under Creative Commons from andurache