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To Our Volunteers
As 2019 gently comes to an end, Blue Thumb staff members will be putting together year-end totals to see how many new volunteers have come aboard, how many education events were held, and how many people showed up and participated in some type of Blue Thumb activity. A good question for each of us to ask is this: how many good conversations did we engage in with friends, families, and neighbors about the plight of our wildlife neighbors? Just a few ago, the decline in North America's bird numbers was making big news; did that enter into any of your conversations? Insect numbers are dropping, and without insects, what will happen to the bird populations? How will plants be pollinated? How will soil be aerated? Maybe you have chosen to stop putting pesticide on your lawn; is there a way you can let your neighbors know why you find this to be a good decision?
As I look at the Blue Thumb Program, I see accomplishments that make the world a better place. What I cannot know is how the lives of volunteers might be a testimony, a sort of instruction manual, to feeding the minds of those who live next door, or perhaps those with whom we work. When Blue Thumb was new, we talked about the possibility of a "culture shift" that could mean cleaner runoff and better habitat for wildlife, especially instream cover. We wondered what we would find as we placed test kits in the hands of eager, newly trained volunteers, especially what aquatic insects and fish might be living in streams. We felt that through our educational activities, we would find that streams that had too few species of bugs and fish might make a turn around to become streams somehow closer to normal. We do find this in some cases.
Education is so important, whether it is in regards to data from streams or continuously being willing to teach others about the importance of the environment for today and tomorrow. When we say others, we are talking about everyone around you. We share this world, ad we share the responsibility of caring for it. Some of the most valuable time you will spend, will be the time you take to explain to others the difference that efforts such as Blue Thumb is making. Voluntary efforts can make a difference, but only if enough people volunteer to make a change.
Like me, you have a voice. Your voice carries weight with your circle of friends, with those who join you for the holidays. The moment is here for you to be a voice for the voiceless, for you to find a way in your words and in your actions to be an influencer. We are coming to a unique moment in time. Let's join together to find the courage to be a little uncomfortable, to be a little inconvenienced, to be a little afraid even of what the masses might think. You do your part day in and day out by monitoring and by saying "yes" to education activities. Some of you do more. Let's also be willing to explain the value of driving a smaller car, of having some untidy native plants, of standing up for climate resilience. If not us, who?
Cheryl Cheadle Volunteer Coordinator
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Greetings from your Director!
As we move into the holiday season, I would like to take the opportunity to express how much I have enjoyed meeting and working with Blue Thumb volunteers over the past year. Not only are you dedicated citizen scientists, but in many cases, you are passionate educators and outspoken advocates for water resources in Oklahoma. You are a quirky and inspiring bunch. I look forward to meeting even more of you at our Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on December 7. Please come spend part of your day with us and give us an opportunity to express our appreciation in person.
Finally, I would like to invite you to share hopes and dreams you may have for Blue Thumb. We are always striving to make the program stronger and more effective. Some of the ideas we have bounced around include upping our technology game through mobile apps and web-based data viewers, expanding our groundwater screening program to include E. coli testing, and giving volunteers the option to collect more rigorous chemical data that could be included in the Integrated Reporting process (this is the process that results in the 303(d) or “impaired waters” list). Any of your feedback is welcome. Think big!
Rebecca Bond Blue Thumb Director
2020 Calendars are now available!
The Blue Thumb 2020 calendar is full of interesting information on water! If you normally snag some calendars to give to friends and family, consider grabbing a few more and provide them to local teachers. This way, they can get excited about water conservation and have all the Blue Thumb contact information. Show up for your QA session or contact a staff member to find a way to pick some up.
New Handouts!
One of the best ways to protect streams and rivers is by leaving these waterbodies within their protective riparian zones. Blue Thumb has updated pamphlets on stream protection with a special emphasis on riparian areas. We have three of these pamphlets: one that covers basic knowledge for everyone, one that talks about rural areas for the agricultural community, and one that discusses urban areas for the city and suburban dwellers. These will be printed and ready for distribution right after the holidays.
If you are involved in education events and would like some to hand out at these gatherings, please let staff know so that we can get you some. We will also be updating our informational brochure, and will gladly supply you with those if you would like to have some on hand.
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 Hey, Volunteers!
Starting December 16th, Water/Ways will be in Fort Townson. If you would like to assist, visit, or learn more about other events, please click below to see how you can find out more information regarding this amazing opportunity!
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 Many thanks to the volunteers who came to a Blue Thumb Education Mini-Workshop in 2019, the theme of which was basic pointers on using the EnviroScape. These were held in Norman, Ada, Wyandotte, and Tahlequah. It is likely an additional one or two will be held, so let Cheryl Cheadle know if you would like a mini-workshop to come your way. A new series will start in 2020, with a new theme. If you have any ideas, please let us know!
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 It's always important to recognize ways that you can help your lawn without harming the soil, and by extension, our local water ways:
- You can adjust your lawn mower height to 3 inches or more; taller grass shades roots and holds soil moisture better than short grass. Leaving the grass clippings on your lawn can also help hold in soil moisture!
- Reduce the use of herbicides and pesticides on your yard. This will help reduce the pollution from stormwater runoff.
- Fertilize responsibly! Test your soil! A soil test will let you know what type of fertilizer, if any, your lawn needs.
- Plant native vegetation that thrives in your local soil and weather conditions. Resist the urge to water it and just let it go brown during the dry season. Native plants will come back, as nature intended, when the rain comes. The deep roots of native plants also increase the soil's capacity to store water and reduce runoff.
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- Caterpillars are important to ecosystems, especially when they become butterflies. There's a Citizen Scientist opportunity available to help count caterpillars across the United States to get an idea on their populations.
- Want to learn more about the terrestrial bugs that live in your backyard? Want to see the biodiversity, the growth and life stages of some of the world's smallest creatures? Then look no further than the Citizen Scientist Collaborative Research Program called Bugs in Our Backyard!
- Bird populations have seen a decrease over the past decade. In order to keep an eye on them, scientists have put out the call for volunteers all over the world to participate in The Great Backyard Bird Count. You can help be a part of that effort!
- Don't forget about the "Stream Selfie" project from the Izaak Walton League, the #trashtag movement, and tick testing!
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