Spring is Here!

Spring is in the air, and you would know that if you have a Blue Thumb calendar. Are you using your Blue Thumb calendars? Each month there is awesome information on every month that can be great conversation starters. The first two pages of the 2020 calendar lays the groundwork for a better understanding of the value of our water resources. Let your calendar help you with education.

Speaking of calendars, the calendars of Blue Thumb staff members are filling up! Be watching your email for requests for help. We might need you to simply come along and help out, or we may have a need for volunteers who will take a leadership role. Maybe you have an idea of how YOU can make a difference in your own watershed. How can Blue Thumb support you? Let's make 2020 the year great things happen!

Cheryl Cheadle
Volunteer Coordinator

To our Monthly Monitors:

Howdy Howdy from your QA Officer,

With all the rain events thus far in 2020, you might need to look around at your monitoring site instead of just going to your "usual" spot you collect. When weather causes significant changes in flow, it is a good idea to take a look upstream and downstream of your site. Have things changed? Changes can be minor, like a slightly different location for a run, or major, like new channels or heavily eroded banks. These changes should be noted on your data sheet, and documented with photographs. Creeks are pretty dynamic and can change from month to month in response to weather or the landuse. You might need change with the creek's changes.

We ask that all volunteers collect their water samples on the upstream side of a riffle. If your riffle is completely underwater, then you can most likely collect anywhere there is free-flowing water. Perhaps you have unusually high flow; you can collect your samples from the creek's edge as long as you feel safe doing so. You may also collect from a low water bridge. We don't want you to go to your "normal" spot if it is unsafe to do so, or if the water there is too shallow or too deep or there is no water there. In times of drought, there may not be any water at all at your usual site, but there may be water upstream or downstream.

Be safe, enjoy your site, monitor, send me your data.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about this topic or anything else, please feel free to contact me or any Blue Thumb staff.

Kim Shaw
Blue Thumb QA Officer

Last Chance! Apply for a Friends of Blue Thumb Grant!

Blue Thumb Volunteers! You still have a chance to apply for a Friends of Blue Thumb grant for education activities! The deadline has been extended to March 11, 2020. Volunteers can apply for grants up to $300. In the past, volunteers have received grants for purposes such as staging creek cleanups, putting together Blue Thumb exhibits, or paying for registrations to environmental conferences. Sometimes teachers have requested funds to buy waders for students. If you want to apply for a grant, request the grant application and instructions from Kurtis Koll. Follow instructions to complete the application, and send the completed application back to Kurtis. Take advantage of this opportunity to do good work for the streams and rivers of Oklahoma!

Blue Thumb Volunteer Trainings

Duncan:
Fairgrounds
March 28 and 29

Yukon:
Mabel C Fry Library
May 2 and 3

Sign up here!

Education Mini-Academies:

Northwestern OSU Science Building, Room 208 709 Oklahoma Blvd, Alva March 9, 2020 at 6:00 pm*

Oklahoma Co. Conservation District 4850 N. Lincoln Blvd, Suite #200 Oklahoma City March 24, 2020 at 6:00 pm*

*Quality Assurance Presentation from the 12/07/2019 Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon will be offered.

Contact Cheryl Cheadle to attend and for more information.

Hey, Volunteers!

Want to take a trip out West? The Smithsonian Water/Ways exhibit is at its last stop in Oklahoma in Altus at the Museum of Western Praire until April 22. If you haven't had the chance to check it out, this is your last chance!

Look at a list of events here!

Mini-Workshop at the Glenpool Public Library:

Soil, Water, and Ways... to Make a Difference:
Saturday, March 7, 2020
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Mini-Volunteer Training at the Tulsa County Conservation District:

Learn how to staff an exhibit for the Tulsa Conservation District (held March 12-15):
Tuesday, March 3
4:00 pm OR 5:30 pm

Contact Cheryl Cheadle to attend and for more information.

Blue Thumbs, not Blue Lawns!

As we begin to look forward to spring lawn preparation, please consider our pollinators. Before you spray, consider these facts about spring plants.

• Dandelions promote water infiltration. Their tap roots go deep into the soil and provide food for soil microbiology. Their flowers provide food for pollinators and small animals coming out of winter. You can also enjoy the edible leaves and blossoms.
• Clover comes in April (or sooner) and will disappear before your Bermuda grass takes off for the summer. Clover provides nitrogen for the next season Bermuda grass. The flowers are also great sources for bees and pollinators.

These plants seem to be weeds, but are, in fact, an important part of our ecological systems. Keeping a green lawn because of plants instead of a blue lawn because of herbicides can help improve water quality and ecological quality.

Amy Seiger
State Soil Health Coordinator

Want to join Blue Thumb and gain invaluable knowledge about freshwater ecosystems and streams? Then join us this summer as a Blue Thumb intern! Check out more information and how to apply by clicking here!

• Help track the Monarch butterfly population with scientists around the country with eButterfly!
• Join the Sam Noble Museum with help identifying Chytrid in reptiles and amphibians's new Citizen Scientist Project.
• Help investigate the health of freshwater systems globally with Earthwatch!
• Don't forget about the "Stream Selfie" project from the Izaak Walton League, the #trashtag movement, and tick testing!

Oklahoma Conservation Commission

Oklahoma Conservation Districts

Project WET

Friends of Blue Thumb

Soil Health Program

Department of Environmental Quality

EnvironMentor

Macroinvertebrate ID Website