Office Hours Monday - Thursday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM The Athens SWCD is a political subdivision of the State of Ohio, associated with the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) - Division of Soil and Water Conservation, and funded by county, municipal, and state funds. |
MISSION STATEMENT Provide leadership by promoting the wise use and enhancement of Athens County’s natural resources for current and future generations. |
2020 All Athens County Photo
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Athens SWCD
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Monthly meetings of the Athens Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) Board of Supervisors are held the 3rd Thursday of each month. Due to COVID - 19 restrictions, the meetings will be made available via Skype. Meeting information will be posted to this site monthly. If you have any questions, please call 740-797-9686.
The March Board meeting will be held Thursday, March 18, 2021 at 4:00 pm via Skype. |
2021 Tree and Wildlife Packet Sale
Thank you to everyone that placed an order through our 2021 Tree and Wildlife Packet Sale! A tentative distribution date has been scheduled for the last Friday in March. A postcard or email will be sent to confirm exact pick up date, location, and times at a later date.
Athens SWCD 2021 Spring Fish Sale
Athens SWCD is accepting orders for the 2021 spring fish sale. This sale is to stock new ponds or to replenish fish in existing ponds. To order, complete the order form and return to the Athens SWCD office with payment, no later than April 22nd. The fish will be delivered to the Athens SWCD office, located at 69 South Plains Road, The Plains, Ohio at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 29th. You must pick up your orders at this time! You will also need to bring unscented plastic trash bags and containers with some of your own pond water in them when picking up your fish. If you have any questions, please contact our office at 740-797-9686 ext. 5 or 1-800-582-8890.
Athens SWCD Election Results
Congratulations to Brenda Dahse on being re-elected and Gary Willison on being elected to the Athens SWCD Board of Supervisors. Brenda and Gary will each serve a 3 year term starting January 1, 2021. We would like to thank Jules David Sturbois and David A Swanson for their interest in running for the Board of Supervisors. Also, a huge "Thank You" to Scott Sanders for his dedicated service to the Board. Scott's term will end December 31, 2020.
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ATHENS SWCD 74TH ANNUAL MEETING AWARDS.....
Due to COVID 19, the Athens Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) Board of Supervisors have decided to cancel this year’s in person annual meeting. The health and safety of our attendees and staff are the Boards utmost concern. We will however recognize our award recipients on this website and on our Facebook page. The following will highlight our award winners. Please check back daily to see our next award recipient!!
Athens SWCD 2020 Forestry Cooperator of the Year Award
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The Athens Soil and Water Conservation District is proud to announce the 2020 Forestry Cooperator of the Year!
Harvey T. Berry is the owner and operator of Big Wood Tree Farm located on Harmony Road, Athens, OH. Harvey has managed this 160 acre property since February 2014. His positive attitude, thirst for knowledge and a passion for the outdoors keeps him driven. Wanting to do what is best for the woods and the wildlife, Harvey began working with the Athens Soil and Water Conservation District, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, and ODNR Division of Wildlife and Forestry. In this short amount of time, he developed a forest management plan that outlined his goals and management projects for the property and has completed the following conservation practices: 48.5 acres of grapevine control, 3 acres of brush management, developed structures for wildlife (40 brush piles and 10 downed tree structures), 2.5 acres of forest stand improvement (temporary openings), and 0.5 acre of conservation cover planting of a 21 species native wildflower mix. The definition of a cooperator is “to work or act together or jointly for a common purpose or benefit”. The definition could also be Harvey T. Berry. Congratulation Harvey! |
Click here to view the
Forestry Cooperator of the Year Award video |
Athens SWCD 2020 Conservation Educator of the Year Award
We are very proud to announce that Dave Swanson is our 2020 Conservation Educator of the Year.
David Swanson is a native of West Virginia and an Instructor in the School of Natural Resources at Hocking College. He has been teaching at Hocking College since 2007. David teaches courses in wildlife resources management and biological sciences. He is a graduate of West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Resources Management and a Ph.D. in Forest Resources Science. He earned a Master of Science in Range and Wildlife Management from Texas A&M University – Kingsville. He is a Certified Wildlife Biologist through The Wildlife Society. David serves on the Assessment Council, Credentials Committee, Natural Resources Cross-Curricular Committee, and the Natural Resources Education and Outreach Committee. Before teaching at Hocking College, he was a Forest Wildlife Research Supervisor with the Ohio Division of Wildlife for 14 years.
He says that the best part of teaching is his ability to really use a ‘hands-on’ approach with his students at Hocking. He loves to get them outside with projects. Dave also has been a longtime volunteer conservation programmer for Athens SWCD. He has assisted us in training Envirothon teams, at the Athens County Fair and the Waterfest events.
In his spare time, he loves to hunt, fish, garden, visit National Parks and local outdoor venues. and spend time with his family. Congratulations Dave!
David Swanson is a native of West Virginia and an Instructor in the School of Natural Resources at Hocking College. He has been teaching at Hocking College since 2007. David teaches courses in wildlife resources management and biological sciences. He is a graduate of West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Resources Management and a Ph.D. in Forest Resources Science. He earned a Master of Science in Range and Wildlife Management from Texas A&M University – Kingsville. He is a Certified Wildlife Biologist through The Wildlife Society. David serves on the Assessment Council, Credentials Committee, Natural Resources Cross-Curricular Committee, and the Natural Resources Education and Outreach Committee. Before teaching at Hocking College, he was a Forest Wildlife Research Supervisor with the Ohio Division of Wildlife for 14 years.
He says that the best part of teaching is his ability to really use a ‘hands-on’ approach with his students at Hocking. He loves to get them outside with projects. Dave also has been a longtime volunteer conservation programmer for Athens SWCD. He has assisted us in training Envirothon teams, at the Athens County Fair and the Waterfest events.
In his spare time, he loves to hunt, fish, garden, visit National Parks and local outdoor venues. and spend time with his family. Congratulations Dave!
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2020 ATHENS SWCD
Scholarship Award Congratulations to the 2020 District Scholarship Recipient: Wesley Radford Alexander High School Son of Danny and Lisa Radford |
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2020 ALL ATHENS COUNTY PHOTO CONTEST
Congratulations to the 2020 All Athens County Photo Contest Winners!
Grand Prize Winner: Kristen McIntosh - "Frog in the Waterhole".
Honorable Mention: Tami Wires - "Blue Bike and Cherry Blossoms".
Congratulations to the 2020 All Athens County Photo Contest Winners!
Grand Prize Winner: Kristen McIntosh - "Frog in the Waterhole".
Honorable Mention: Tami Wires - "Blue Bike and Cherry Blossoms".
5TH GRADE POSTER / ESSAY CONTEST
The theme for the 2020 5th Grade Poster Essay Contest was... “Where Would We BEE, Without Pollinators?” All living things require food which, directly or indirectly, comes from plants. It is estimated that about 75% of flowering plants need pollinators to produce their fruits and seeds.
Congratulations to:
1st Place - Zaden - Nelsonville York Elementary
2nd Place - Jensen - Nelsonville York Elementary
3rd Place - Makaila - Nelsonville York Elementary
The theme for the 2020 5th Grade Poster Essay Contest was... “Where Would We BEE, Without Pollinators?” All living things require food which, directly or indirectly, comes from plants. It is estimated that about 75% of flowering plants need pollinators to produce their fruits and seeds.
Congratulations to:
1st Place - Zaden - Nelsonville York Elementary
2nd Place - Jensen - Nelsonville York Elementary
3rd Place - Makaila - Nelsonville York Elementary
1ST GRADE COLORING CONTEST WINNERS...
1st Place: Olive - Alexander Local School |
2nd Place: Piper - Alexander Local School |