News

A Letter From the Interim Executive Director, Mary Steinmaus

On Monday, April 16, the Rural Action Board of Directors passed a resolution appointing me as Interim Executive Director. For the next 6 months, we have a unique opportunity to examine our current structure and look at ways we can reshape the organization that has been a big part of my life in Southeast Ohio since 1999.

I came to Rural Action in July of that year and became the Director of Community Development, a position I have held (and continue to hold) ever since. By that I mean that, although I am assuming the duties of Executive Director, I will still be working with many of the projects we all know well--Youth Act (our youth leadership development programming), the Environmental Learning Program, Arts and Cultural Heritage, and our work reshaping and revisioning the Rural Renewal Strategy.

This is a time of change and transition for Rural Action. I hope we use the coming months to think about our future in this region, and how our organization can work with the community to address its most critical needs. We are already moving in that direction. Many of our members participated in "listening sessions" in people's homes and we are starting to see common themes emerging and energy building around those themes. On June 16, everyone is inivted to attend a larger "Community Conversation" that will help us develop strategies for addressing those issues on a grass-roots community level. Plan to attend; we need your voices at the table.

I accepted this position because I believe Rural Action has an important role to play in the future of our region. The work of renewing and organizing communities to design the future of Southeast Ohio must continue.

Congratulations, Mary!

Retreat for Rural Renewal
Submitted by Sara Peach, AmeriCorps*VISTA for Rural Renewal

Good news! Rural Action will be sponsoring the Retreat on Rural Renewal in June. Join us for a community conversation about the future of Appalachian Ohio. It's Saturday, June 16, 2007 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Trimble High School in historic Glouster, Ohio. The Retreat is free but registration is limited to 150 people, so reserve your place today! The Rural Action Annual Meeting will also take place that day, during a short business lunch.

You can register using our easy sign-up form by clicking here.

More about the Conference on Rural Renewal

Over one hundred Rural Action members and friends will participate in the one-day Rural Renewal Retreat. Attendees will break into groups to brainstorm ideas for a better Appalachian Ohio. Then, you will start creating action plans to put those ideas into motion. Want to attend? Register now!

The Retreat is part of an ongoing process that Rural Action is undergoing as we think about our organization's role in the region over the next decade. As you know, Rural Action members have been working for 25 years to revitalize Appalachian Ohio. Originally, our programs grew out of the ideas and dreams of the people who live in Appalachian Ohio. For the past 15 years, our work has been guided by the Strategy For Rural Renewal, a plan written by local residents that covers everything from housing to jobs to environmental protection.

New Times, New Directions

In the fifteen years since its writing, Rural Action has accomplished much of the original Strategy for Rural Renewal, bringing $15 million into the region in the process. While we're proud of our success, there's still a lot of work to be done in Appalachian Ohio. That's why we're bringing the people of this region together again to write a new, updated Strategy that will direct our work for the next decade. We hope to see you June 16!

Buckeye Trail Maintenance Training
Submitted by Chris Tomazic, AmeriCorps*VISTA for Media

On Saturday, April 14, 13 people, including myself, met at the Sunday Creek Office in Glouster to learn a little about hiking trail maintenance from Andrew Bashaw, for Rural Action VISTA and current Regional Trail Coordinator with the North Country Trail. Andrew led us to a spot near Burr Oak Lake where the group installed two water bars (devices that divert water from the trail) and created a new trail to replace a flooded section.

Andrew Bashaw and Kaabe Shaw supervising the work.

The day was lots of fun despite intermittent rain. Andrew introduced us to special trail-building tools - pulaskis, mattocks, and macleods - that have their origins in firefighting. The work was not too intense, but it built in us an appreciation for the people who volunteer to maintain many of Ohio's hiking trails. Plus, while in the woods we saw the evidence of spring: trilliums in bloom! Thanks to everyone who participated and Sunday Creek for organizing the event. Check out the Calendar of Events for upcoming training sessions organized by Kaabe Shaw and Emily Boyer and Sunday Creek.

Faces of Rural Action

Spotlight: Kaabe Shaw, Sunday Creek Watershed Coordinator
Submitted by Katy Sulfridge, AmeriCorps*VISTA for Media

The month of April has been a busy time around Sunday Creek Watershed Group, so this week’s Faces of Rural Action brings us to Kaabe Shaw, the Coordinator with Sunday Creek. Kaabe comes to Rural Action fairly recently, having been hired for his position in September. Kaabe has been busy ever since, with a list of projects that keep growing. Recent events and accomplishments include the construction of the Pine Run Stream Capture, which will eliminate 94-million gallons of clean water from entering the underground mine and becoming contaminated with Acid Mine Drainage. Sunday Creek is also working on providing 10 Watershed Leadership Trainings for the community, including two recently held on trail maintenance and floodplain awareness.

Kaabe is a graduate of Ohio University, holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Geography, as well as a Masters Degree in Environmental Studies. Prior to working with Sunday Creek, Kaabe spent several years working as the Duck Creek Watershed Coordinator in Washington and Noble Counties. Kaabe enjoys his position as a Watershed Coordinator, "because I felt like I could come in and keep that going and continue to make a difference by improving water quality and raising watershed awareness.”

Upcoming Events

Heal the Planet on Volunteer Action
Submitted by Chris Tomazic, AmeriCorps*VISTA for Media

This week on Volunteer Action, Rural Action's weekly radio show and collaboration with WATH 970AM, I, Chris Tomazic, and Katy Sulfridge will discuss a new radio venture with host, Ray Wagner. Heal the Planet has been in the works now for many months. The goal of the program is to spotlight local people who are working to, as the name suggests, heal the planet. This includes local organic farmers, students organizing litter pick-ups, citizens lobying government - the list can go on.

I invite you to tune into the show on Tuesday April 24 from 10:06 a.m. to 10:36 p.m. on 970AM. We'll be playing a pilot episode on the air then asking listeners to call-in with comments about the episode and suggestions for the show.

What Heal the Planet will become is still unknown. Perhaps it will be a brief, weekly feature on local radio stations. Perhaps it will be an addendum to Volunteer Action. Whatever it becomes, I'd like your input to move the project forward. Please tune-in and give me your opinion!

Disc Golf Tournament
Submitted by Chris Tomazic, AmeriCorps*VISTA for Media

On Saturday May 5, the Environmental Learning Program will host a fundraising disc golf tournament on the campus of Hocking College. Disc golf is a game much like "normal" golf, except with frisbees instead of a ball and club. Teams of two try to land plastic discs inside of metal baskets. Each player throws a disc, and the team throws again from the better location.

Adam Fitch, organizer of the tournament, has been soliciting the support of local businesses. Thus far, sponsors include Donkey Coffee, Athens Book Center and Don Wood Automotive, with many more likely to come on-board.

Hocking's course is only a few years old. It winds back among the hills adjacent to the campus, through the woods and horse trails. By May 5, the woods should be bursting with spring. It will be just as enjoyable a hike as it is a game of disc golf!

The cost for joining the tournament is $15 per person and $5 for children under 12 accompanied by an adult. Prizes are rolling in from sponsors. For more information or to register, call Adam Fitch at 740-767-4938. Also, visit the website for further tournament information and pictures of the course: http://elpdgt.blogspot.com.

Other Events
(taken from calendar at left)

04/19 - Invasive Plant Presentation, Athens County Master Gardeners' Club, 6pm, OSU Extension in Athens. Contact Tom Redfer at 740-767-4938 for info.

04/22 - Drive-It-Yourself Watershed Tour of the Meigs Creek Watershed, Miner's Memorial Park (SR 78 near Bristol in AEP ReCreation Land), call the Friends of the Lower Muskingum River office at 740-374-4170 for more info.

04/24 - SCWG, Flood Plain Training and Info Session, 7-9pm, SCWG office in Glouster, featuring Athens City Planner Bob Ickenberg, contact Emily Boyer at 740-767-2225 for more info.

04/24 - Volunteer Action, Chris Tomazic & Katy Sulfridge (Heal the Planet, radio initiative), WATH 970AM, 10:06am-10:36am.

04/25 - Sunday Creek Watershed Group Meeting, featuring a presentation by Mike Worley titled "Bluebirds 101." Call Emily Boyer at 740-767-2225 for more info.

04/26 - ELP Invasive Plant Information Session, 7 p.m., Wells Public Library (in Albany). Contact Adam Fitch at 740-767-4938 for more info.

04/30 - ELP, Backyard Habitats Workshop, 5:30-7:30, OSU Extension Office (West Union Street in Athens). Bob Placier, instructor with Hocking College’s School of Natural Resources will be speaking about bird interaction with native plants. Tom Redfern, Rural Action Sustainable Agriculture Program director will be speaking about pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and insects. Contact Adam Fitch at 740-767-4938 for more info.

05/01 - Volunteer Action, Guest TBA, WATH 970AM, 10:06am-10:36am.

05/01 - SCWG, Water Quality Monitering Training, 7am-2pm, Trimble High School, contact Emily Boyer for more info.

05/03 - Plant Sale at the RARE Center, 3-6 p.m. Includes a limited supply of heirloom pear trees $20 each. Call if you can't make it and have interest in a particular plant at 740-742-4401!

Volunteer Opportunities

Spring Garlic Mustard Pulls
Submitted by Tanner Filyaw, AmeriCorps*VISTA with Forestry

There will be many opportunities this spring to help remove garlic-mustard, an invasive introduced weed, from Strouds Run State Park, City-owned preserve land, The Ridges, and along the Hockhocking-Adena Bikeway. Doing so will help protect our native flora. Garlic-mustard reproduces prolifically, producing as many as 20,000 seedlings per square meter, displacing the diverse wildflowers and ferns that were there before the mustard invaded. Garlic-mustard also suppresses the fungal partners (called mycorrhizae) in the root system of most trees (and many other plants), which the trees depend on to help absorb enough water and minerals from the soil.

Everyone is welcome to participate in any of the events, whether or not you are affiliated with the sponsoring organizations. You do not need to notify anyone in advance in order to participate, but a contact person is listed below for each event in case you have questions. In general, heavy rain will cancel the outing but a light drizzle will not.

What to bring: drinking water, bag lunch or snack, sun protection, sturdy footwear, garden gloves (optional, but recommended if you are allergic to poison-ivy). No tools are needed; the mustard plants pull out easily. Dates of the pulls are April 21 and 28 and May 5. See below locations and times. Call Tanner Filyaw at 740-767-4938 for more info.


Other Volunteer Opportunities
(from calendar at left)

04/21 - Monday Creek Clean-up with the Boy Scouts, contact Matt Miller at 740-394-2047 for more info about volunteering.

04/21 - Huff Run Environmental Explorers Club "Clean Sweep" Litter Pick-up (in cooperation with Sandy Township), 9 a.m. to noon, meet at HRWRP office (8728 High St NE, Mineral City, Ohio), contact Michelle Shively at 330-859-1050 for more info.

04/21 – Garlic Mustard Pull, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (volunteers may come for a portion of the day only, signs will be posted directing late-comers to the work area), Strouds Run State Park (along and North of Haley Trail), meet at Dow Lake Dam parking area off US-50. Contact Tanner Filyaw at 740-767-2090 for more info. Students needing a ride can meet behind Porter Hall at 8:40. The vans will return at 4 p.m.

04/28 - Friends of the Lower Muskingum River Clean-up, 10 a.m., meet at the Stockport Lock parking lot. Trash bags & gloves will be provided and all participants get a free t-shirt! call the Friends of the Lower Muskingum River office at 740-374-4170 for more info.

04/29 – Garlic Mustard Pull, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., meet in the parking lot behind Hampton Inn next to University Mall. Contact Tanner Filyaw at 740-767-2090 for more info. Students needing a ride can meet behind Porter Hall at 8:40. The vans will return at 4 p.m.

Editor's Pic

Slur against Appalachians stirs furor
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR SPOKE OF 'INBREEDING'

PIKEVILLE -- Blame it on Don Imus, probably.

In the wake of insults to Rutgers University women that cost the CBS Radio talk-show host his job, sensitivity to political correctness reached a point where a well-regarded Columbia University linguist was apologizing for a quote about "Appalachian inbreeding" in The New Yorker magazine.

Interviewed by writer John Colapinto for an article titled The Interpreter, Columbia assistant professor Peter Gordon defended the intelligence of an Amazonian tribe he had been studying: "Besides ... if there is some kind of Appalachian inbreeding or retardation going on, you'd see it in hairlines, facial features, motor ability. It bleeds all over. They [the Piraha] don't show any of that."

The quote splattered against academic computer screens in Appalachia this week like a large cud of chewing tobacco.

Read the full article here.

Fun Fact

In honor of all the plant rescues and invasive plant pulls, here are some useful plant facts:

-Bananas are actually herbs. Bananas die after fruiting, like all herbs do.
-A pineapple is a berry.
-Eggplant is a member of the thistle family.
-Peanuts are beans.
-The rose family of plants, in addition to flowers, gives us apples, pears,
plums, cherries, almonds, peaches and apricots.
-There are more than 700 species of plants that grow in the United States
that have been identified as dangerous if eaten. Among them are some that
are commonly favored by gardeners: buttercups, daffodils, lily of the
valley, sweet peas, oleander, azalea, bleeding heart, delphinium, and
rhododendron.

These facts are courtesy of http://www.corsinet.com/trivia/.

Wishlist

Our only wish this week, is that you enjoy this beautiful spring weather!

News

A Letter from the Executive Director

Dear friends of Rural Action,

It has been an honor serving as the Executive Director of Rural Action for the last three years, and I want to thank you for your unending support for me, my family and Rural Action. While I will always value my time here, I recently received a career opportunity that I could not refuse.

I have accepted a rural policy staff position with Ohio Jobs and Family Services in the Columbus office of Director Helen Jones-Kelley. As a result, I will be leaving my position at Rural Action.

This was a very difficult decision to make, but this is a great opportunity for me. I will be staying in the Athens area and hope to stay involved with Rural Action in some capacity.

Your support for the new Rural Renewal Strategy and the 25th anniversary celebration of AOPIC/Rural Action is still needed. Please consider donating your time, money and renewed commitment to this work as the organization plans for the future.

I value every day I have spent serving you, the people of the region, and our streams, forests, farms and lively towns. I thank you for your support toward these efforts.

Peace to You!
Jane


Volunteer Plant Rescue and Tree Planting a Huge Success
Submitted by Matt Miller, AmeriCorps*VISTA with the Monday Creek Restoration Project

On Saturday March 24th, nearly 30 volunteers met at the Wayne National Forest headquarters building to undertake the first Plant Rescue of 2007. These volunteers, working under the guidance of Rural Action Sustainable Forestry personnel, removed an estimated 1500 native hardwood tree seedlings from the Nelsonville Hwy. 33 bypass area.

These seedlings, including tulip poplars, sycamores, prickly ash, and hickories were transplanted later that day to a reclamation site in Lost Run Hollow, off State Route 595 near New Straitsville. By planting trees in this area, the volunteers helped to stabilize the soils at the Lost Run site, where Monday Creek Restoration Project is implementing a grant-funded project to reduce discharges of Acid Mine Drainage into the main branch of Monday Creek.

Rural Action Sustainable publicly acknowledge and thank these dedicated volunteers. Forestry and the Monday Creek Restoration Project would like toDespite challenging work conditions, including deep mud and steep and slippery hillsides, this Plant Rescue was a huge success thanks to their efforts. The volunteers, who included students from Ohio University, did an outstanding job with this transplanting project. We would also like to thank Cheryl Coon of the Wayne National Forest and Phil Cantino of Ohio University for their assistance with and support of the project.

For more information about upcoming Plant Rescues and other Rural Action Sustainable Forestry events, contact Tanner Filyaw or Elise George at (740) 767-2090. For more information on Monday Creek Restoration Project meetings and events, contact Matt Miller at (740) 394-2047.


Youth Act Bake Sales a Success!
Submitted by Liz Bonny, AmeriCorps*VISTA with Youth Act

Two Youth Act programs held bake sales this past week. Trimble High School sold candy and baked goods after school on Thursday, making $36 in profit. The best selling items? Buckeyes! The funds will go toward purchasing Garbage cans for downtown Glouster, a project that the Trimble Youth Act groups are working on in partnership with Sunday Creek Watershed Group.

Alexander Middle School sold baked goods at the Athens Kroger on Sunday, and made $150. The proceeds will go toward an incentive for the 8th graders at Alexander Middle School who are participating in the Recycling Program that the group has begun as a service learning project.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to make goodies for the sales and to everyone who purchased!


Partner Spotlight: Friends of the Lower Muskingum River
Submitted by Katy Sulfridge, AmeriCorps*VISTA for Media

Rural Action partners with several local organizations as a means of staying connected with the community. One such organization is the Friends of the Lower Muskingum River (FLMR), in Marietta. The organization has many upcoming projects and programs, and it seemed fitting to feature them in this edition of the Rural Rambler.

The Friends of the Lower Muskingum River is a partnership of organizations and individuals whose mission is to “restore, protect and maintain the physical, chemical and biological integrity of the Muskingum River and to protect and promote its natural, cultural, historic and socioeconomic resources.”

Currently, FLMR is trying to increase watershed awareness among the residents that it serves. Kim Klosterman, Outreach and Education VISTA says, “We have been giving approximately weekly presentation to schools, science fairs and after school clubs on a variety of topics ranging from the water cycle, turbidity, non-point source pollution and watersheds in general.” Working with students is only one aspect of the education, however. FMLR recently received a “Watershed Awareness to Watershed Action Grant” sponsored by the Ohio Dept of Natural Resources. FMLR will be partnering with the Washington Soil and Water Conservation District to apply decals to storm drains that read "Don't Dump-Drains to River" in Marietta, Belpre, Lowell and Beverly with the assistance of volunteers.

In addition to these projects, a grant from the Ohio Environmental Education Fund has made it possible to offer a series of workshops for watershed residents starting with a Drive It Yourself Watershed Tour of the Meigs Creek Watershed on Earth Day, Sunday April 22. The tour will will be held at Miner's Memorial Park, which is the home of 'Big Muskie' on SR 78 near Bristol in AEP ReCreation Land.

According to Watershed Quality Coordinator Kristyn Robinson, the theme for the workshop series is "The ABC's of Water Quality" In addition to the Watershed Tour, on May 12th there will be a workshop on Habitat Assessment, The series will continue on June 9th with a workshop on Biological Sampling, and July 14th there will be a workshop on Chemical Monitoring. The culmination of these workshops will be on June 23rd, where there will be an all day hike on the Buckeye Trail. These three aspects of monitoring in a one-day workshop will be covered during the hike. People who attend these three core workshops will be trained volunteer monitors who can help collect data for our new "Stream Team" volunteer monitoring project.

FLMR is also expecting to begin work on a 319 grant groundwater project over the summer that involves four local water districts; Tri County Rural Water & Sewer, the Village of Beverly, The Village of Lowell, and Putnam Community Water Association. These water districts have elevated nitrate levels in the groundwater supply above the EPA's "concentration of concern.”

The Friends of the Lower Muskginum River has been very busy in other areas of the community as well. “I must add that our land trust has been very busy over the winter,” says Robinson. “We have been using the Clean Ohio Fund for the purchase of additional river frontage, and we have received a donation of a piece of property in Fairfield Township along the Little Hocking River, preserving land along the river that was slated to be logged.”

For more information on the Friends of the Lower Musgingum River, or to volunteer, call (740) 374-4170, or visit www.muskingumriver.org.

Faces of Rural Action

Spotlight: Michelle Shively
Submitted by Katy Sulfridge, AmeriCorps*VISTA for Media

For this week’s Faces of Rural Action, we bring you a face that we don’t see around the Trimble office very often. Michelle Shively is an outreach and education coordinator VISTA with Huff Run Watershed, located in Mineral City, OH. Michelle comes to Huff Run from Kettering OH, but spent the last four years as a student at Ohio University.

Michelle is a 2002 graduate of Kettering Fairmont High School. After graduation, she continued her education at Ohio University in Athens by pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Geography. During her time at Ohio University, Michelle was involved with the community in many capacities. She worked for the Institute for Local Government Administration and Rural Development (ILGARD). Many of her projects involved southeastern Ohio watersheds.

Michelle is responsible for organizing the environmental education outreach programs for Huff Run, including classroom presentations and field trips for local schools. They have an Awareness Day field trip each spring, and this year there are 215 seventh graders scheduled to participate. She also leads the Environmental Explorers Club, which is a club for children ages 7-13 that is focused on learning about the world around us.

Michelle will finish her VISTA term with Huff Run and Rural Action in July, and we wish her the best of luck!

Upcoming Events

Environmental Learning Program - Disc Golf Tournament

Submitted by Adam Fitch, AmeriCorps*VISTA with the Environmental Learning Program

(This article appears in this month's issue of The Spire, Hocking College's monthly news magazine.)

On Saturday May 5, Rural Action's Environmental Learning Program (ELP) will host the ELP Disc Golf Tournament on Hocking College's disc golf course near Shaw Hall. The ELP's mission is to foster a sense of wonder and stewardship for the earth among youth and adults through hands-on, experiential learning. ELP conducts summer watershed daycamps for children to learn about the effects of coal mining on waterways; it organizes childrens' activities at local fesitivals (Pawpaw Festival and Sustainability Festival to name a few); and it works with youth in and out of local schools.

Adam Fitch, AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer with ELP sees the tournament as a way to reach out to a new a growing population of youth. "What we're attempting with this tournament is to find new avenues of fundraising," says Fitch whose program funding comes largely from grants, which can be an unsure funding source. "Disc golf is an emerging popular sport - from college campuses to professional tournaments, even on an international level. The hope is that participants will learn about our work in the local area while supporting us and having a good time."

The tournament will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on May 5. Teams of two can show-up anywhere in that timeframe to play their game. If you've never played disc golf, it's fun and easy. Teammates attempt to throw frisbee-like discs into a metal basket. Each player throws towards the basket. Then, teammates decide which throw was better and start their next throws from that spot. "It can be very leisurely, or fast-paced," says Fitch. "It all depends on your preference."

The admission charge will be $15 per person or $5 for children under 12 years of age with an adult. Prizes are still in the works. There will also be one shot competitions, such as "closest to the pin" and "longest drive." For more information or to register, call Adam Fitch at 740-767-4938. You may also visit the website for the ELP Disc Golf Tournament at http://elpdgt.blogspot.com.


Buckeye Trail Maintenance Training
Submitted by Emily Boyer, AmeriCorps*VISTA with the Sunday Creek Watershed Group

Join Andrew Bashaw of the North Country Trail as he leads a Trail Maintenance Training session on Saturday, April 14. This training has been organized by Kaabe Shaw, coordinator of the Sunday Creek Watershed Restoration Project, and Emily Boyer, AmeriCorps*VISTA.

A portion of the Buckeye Trail runs through the Sunday Creek Watershed. Andrew Bashaw will show participants the proper way to create and maintain trails so that they have minimal impact on wildlife and watersheds. Participants will meet at the Sunday Creek office (69 High Street in Glouster) at 10 a.m. and will return there at about 2 p.m. Snack will be provided, but bring a brown bag lunch as well.


ReUse Benefit Concert
Submitted by Max Felsher, AmeriCorps*VISTA with ReUse Industries

On Friday April 6, ReUse will hold a benefit concert at The Union in Athens. Performers include J.D. Hutchison, Southeast Engine, Vintage Green, Adam Torres and Woody Pines & the Lonesome Two. This is an early show (it starts at 8 p.m.!) so you'll have plenty of time to enjoy some acts and get to bed early in preparation for Sunday's Garlic Mustard Pull (see the "Events Calendar" on the left sidebar).


Events Calendar
Submitted (and created) by Liz Bonny, AmeriCorps*VISTA with Youth Act

You may notice a Google calendar on the left sidebar of the Rambler. This new feature was created by Liz Bonny, AmeriCorps*VISTA, and Leslie Horner, Federal Valley Watershed Program Coordinator. The calendar will be continually updated to show all of Rural Action's events. We'll be pretty busy as spring and summer progress, so this new feature will (hopefully) make it easier for you to stay up-to-date on all of our work.

04/07 - Garlic Mustard Pull, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., meet at Dow Lake Dam parking lot on US-50, dress for the woods, BRING BAG LUNCH, contact Pete Kotses of Athens Bycicle at 594-9944 or pete@athensbicycle.com for more info. Light rain will NOT cancell event.

04/07 - Garlic Mustard Pull, 1 p.m to 5 p.m., meet on the steps of the Ridges auditorium, dress for the woods, BRING BAG LUNCH, contact Phil Cantino (594-3338, cantino@ohio.edu) or Loraine McCosker (lm146403@ohio.edu) for more info. Light rain will NOT cencell event.

04/08 - Garlic Mustard Pull, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., meet in the parking lot behind Hampton Inn, next to University Mall, dress for the woods, contact Tanner Filyaw (740-767-2090, tanner@ruralaction.org), Phil Cantino (594-3338, cantino@ohio.edu) for more information.

04/09 - Seed starting day for the garden at the RARE Center, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., volunteers needed, potluck lunch, contact Elise George at 740-767-4938 or elise@ruralaction.org for more info.

04/10 - Volunteer Action, "Volunteering with AmeriCorps," WATH 970AM, 10:06am-10:36am

04/14 - Native Plant Rescue, Wayne National Forest Headquarters, 9:30am-3:30pm, contact Tanner Filyaw at 740-767-4938 or tanner@ruralaction.org for more info.

04/14 - Buckeye Trail Maintainance Training by the Sunday Creek Watershed Group, 10am-2pm, Burr Oak State Park, with Andrew Bashaw of the North Country Trail, contact Emily Boyer at 740-767-2225 or emily@sundaycreek.org for more info.

04/14 - Friends of the Lower Muskingum River Clean-up, 10 am- 2 pm, meet at the Beverly Lock parking lot at 10 a.m. Trash bags and gloves will be provided. Bring a potluck dish to share for a potluck picnic. Call the FLMR office at (740)374-4170 for more info.

04/14 - Household Hazardous Waste Day, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Solvay Advanced Polymers Employees Park on Rt.7 between Marietta & Belpre. Call the Friends of the Lower Muskingum River office at 740-374-4170 for more info.

04/17 - Volunteer Action, Deanna Bragg & Billie Handa, American Cancer Society, WATH 970AM, 10:06am-10:36am.

04/17 - Sunday Creek Watershed Group, Flood Plain Training and Info Session, 7 to 9 p.m., SCWG office in Glouster, featuring Athens City Planner Bob Eichenberg, contact Emily Boyer at 740-767-2225 or emily@sundaycreek.org for more info.

04/19 - Invasive Plant Presentation, Athens County Master Gardeners' Club, 6 p.m., OSU Extension in Athens, contact Jeff Hardin or Tom Redfern at 740-767-4938 for more info.

04/21 - Huff Run "Clean Sweep" Litter Pick-up (in cooperation with Sandy Township), 9 a.m. to noon, meet at HRWRP office (8728 High St NE, Mineral City, Ohio), contact Michelle Shively at 330-859-1050 for more info.

04/21 & 04/22 - Garlic Mustard Pull, location/time TBA, contact: Tom Redfern or Jeff Hardin at 740-767-4938 for more info.

04/22 - Drive-It-Yourself Watershed Tour of the Meigs Creek Watershed, Miner's Memorial Park (SR 78 near Bristol in AEP ReCreation Land), call the Friends of the Lower Muskingum River office at 740-374-4170 for more info.

Membership Update

Spring has brought with it new blooms and new members! Thank you to the following members for joining in our work to promote economic, environmental and social justice in Appalachian Ohio:

Andrew Bashaw
John and Karen Beasley
Elizabeth Kruse
Susanne Smithers

As always, we also value the continued support of our renewing members:

William and Rebecca Black
Cheryl Blosser

Volunteer Opportunities

Spring Garlic Mustard Pulls
Submitted by Tanner Filyaw, AmeriCorps*VISTA with Forestry

There will be many opportunities this spring to help remove garlic-mustard, an invasive introduced weed, from Strouds Run State Park, City-owned preserve land, The Ridges, and along the Hockhocking-Adena Bikeway. Doing so will help protect our native flora. Garlic-mustard reproduces prolifically, producing as many as 20,000 seedlings per square meter, displacing the diverse wildflowers and ferns that were there before the mustard invaded. Garlic-mustard also suppresses the fungal partners (called mycorrhizae) in the root system of most trees (and many other plants), which the trees depend on to help absorb enough water and minerals from the soil.

Everyone is welcome to participate in any of the events, whether or not you are affiliated with the sponsoring organizations. You do not need to notify anyone in advance in order to participate, but a contact person is listed below for each event in case you have questions. In general, heavy rain will cancel the outing but a light drizzle will not.

What to bring: drinking water, bag lunch or snack, sun protection, sturdy footwear, garden gloves (optional, but recommended if you are allergic to poison-ivy). No tools are needed; the mustard plants pull out easily. Dates of the pulls are April 7, 8, 21 and 22. See the "Events Calendar" to the right for locations and times. Call Tanner Filyaw at 740-767-4938 for more info.


"Garden Day" at the RARE Center
Submitted by the Folks at the Rural Action Research and Education Center

Nestled on 68 acres of rolling land near Rutland in Meigs County, Ohio, the National Center for the Preservation of Medicinal Herbs is a not-for-profit research facility and preserve.

The Center is a project of Rural Action's Sustainable Forestry Program. It was founded in 1998 by Frontier Natural Products Co-operative, which transferred the management of the center to Rural Action in 2000. Advised by a council of manufacturers, retailers, herbalists, environmentalists, media, growers and researchers, the Center cultivates and studies medicinal herbs that are at risk of extinction, and has been an annual participant in the Landowner Conference: Income Opportunities for Small Farm and Woodland Owners.

And now, the RARE Center needs your help. There is lots of spring work that needs to be done in the gardens and green house, from general cleaning and maintenance to seed-starting. Please come to the RARE Center (at 33560 Beech Grove Road, Rutland, Ohio 45775) on Monday, April 9 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to help. Bring a dish for a potluck lunch. Call Elise at 740-767-4938 to register and recieve directions.


Native Plant Rescue
Submitted by Chris Tomazic, AmeriCorps*VISTA for Media

The Native Plant Rescue has begun another season of preserving the natural history of our region (check out "Volunteer Plant Rescue" in the News section). The next Plant Rescue will be on Saturday, April 14. Volunteers should meet at the Wayne National Forest Headquarters on US-33 at 9:30 a.m. Lunch is provided! The rescue will end at 3:30 p.m.

The rescues are always tons of fun! Spring is a superb time to wander around the wonderfully topographical forests of Southeastern Ohio. Plus, this will give you the opportunity to learn or practice your plant identification skills. Who knows, you may even find some mushrooms! Dress for the woods and bring a shovel if possible. Contact Tanner Filyaw at 740-767-4938 or tanner@ruralaction.org for more info.

Editor's Pic

Learning Guitar for Free (for Now) on YouTube

All Things Considered, April 2, 2007 · Let's say you want to learn to play guitar — but you don't have the time or money for lessons.

Why not try YouTube? A number of people teach guitar on the video-sharing Web site, offering lessons for free.

In the past few months, two teachers have posted around 200 videos that demonstrate everything from basic strumming techniques to the opening riff of "Sweet Home Alabama." So far, people around the world have watched the videos a total of more than 3.5 million times.

To read more and listen to the broadcast click here.

Fun Fact

Today in history:

1581: Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I

1818: The United States Congress adopts the flag of the United States with 13 red and white stripes and one star for each state (then 20)

1850: Los Angeles, California is incorporated as a city

1949: Twelve nations sign The North Atlantic Treaty creating NATO

1964: The Beatles occupy all top five positions on the Billboard singles chart

1975: Microsoft is founded as a partnership between Bill Gates and Paul Allen

Wishlist

We’d like to say a special thank you to Jeff Shaner, who responded to our last Rambler wish for a couch. The Monday Creek Restoration Project office in New Straitsville will soon be much cozier thanks to your contribution.

Have you been reading our wish list week after week, just waiting for your chance to donate? If so, this is your chance: our sustainable forestry team is wishing for donations of granola and bottled water for the upcoming garlic mustard pulls. They need enough for fifty people. If you can contribute granola or water for this event, contact Tori Patterson at 740-767-4938 or tori@ruralaction.org.