Congratulations to the 2021 Conservation Award Winners!
|
2021 Outstanding
|
2021 Outstanding Student
|
2021 Cooperator of the Year
Metroparks Toledo is being recognized as our 2021 Cooperator of the Year. They partnered with Lucas SWCD and Toledo Spirits on a unique project in the summer of 2021 to plant and harvest heritage red corn for whiskey production. The seeds were planted on 2.5 acres in May at Blue Creek Conservation Area (BCCA) in Whitehouse Ohio. The corn was dried by the Blue Creek Seed Production Team and will be ground at the Grand Rapids Mill before the corn goes into whiskey distillery.
Recently at BCCA, Metroparks installed 4,000 feet of two-stage ditch on Mosquito Creek. Also on Mosquito Creek, Metroparks rehabilitated the receiving wetlands before exiting into Blue Creek. This project has been a partnership with the University of Toledo. For decades, Metroparks Toledo has permitted Lucas SWCD to run a demonstration farm at Blue Creek for best management practices including conservation tillage, cover crops, diverse crop rotation, and nutrient management. |