The Habitat Organization is Growing in Ohio

Pheasants Forever Darby Plains Chapter

Pheasants Forever is dedicated to the conservation of pheasants, quail and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public awareness, education and land management policies and programs.

How do we achieve this mission across more than 45 U.S. states and parts of Canada? Through the dedicated efforts of our:

• 149,000 members
• Diverse staff – including more than 100 wildlife biologists
• Local chapters – more than 700
• Many non-governmental, governmental, nonprofit and corporate partners

The sum of these parts has made Pheasants Forever the recognizable leader in wildlife habitat projects accomplished and the leading advocate for wildlife habitat conservation. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent $708 million on 517,000 habitat projects benefiting 15.8 million acres nationwide, including thousands in Ohio. 

First Darby Plains Chapter 956 Banquet 

Saturday, March 31st, 2018

Doors open @ 5:30pm at the Madison County Fairgrounds

Join us for an evening of Food, Games, Prizes, Raffles, and Auctions. Proceeds stay with the local chapter and go where it's needed most as determined by local members. This helps to give Pheasants Forever a Four Star rating with Charity Navigator.

• Single Ticket $50.00
• Couples Ticket $75.00
• Youth Ticket $15.00 

*All tickets include dinner and 1 membership ($35 value), youth ticket includes youth membership*

Registration qualifies for a special early bird raffle if submitted by March 15st.

For information or questions contact:

Mike Retterer @ 937-631-1064 mretterer@pheasantsforever.org

or John Howard @ 937-631-5202 jhoward2762@gmail.com

Tall Grass Prairies, Water, and Flood Control

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/2017/09/26/237517/will-the-katy-prairie-save-houston-homes-from-flooding/

You could say that nobody predicted Hurricane Harvey, but the flooding in Houston, has been a known issue. In fact prior to 2017, "Houston has more casualties and property loss from floods than any other locality in the US." And they're going to keep that unwanted distinction for some time.  

This article appeared this June, months before Harvey: 

Houston fears climate change will cause catastrophic flooding: 'It's not if, it's when'

And this years before: 

Third Houston Outerbelt Would Turn Prairies Into Texas Toast

While in the end, Harvey was well beyond the scope of even the most hyperbolic weathercaster, the fact remains that many of the issues were known beforehand. 

http://www.houstontomorrow.org/livability/story/sierra-club-files-suit-against-grand-parkway/##Houston

“We may not be able to stop flooding but we ought to be able to better manage it,” said Mary Anne Piacentini, the executive director. “Our grasses are great water-holding reservoirs. Initial studies that we were doing with the Harris County Flood Control District show that our prairie grasses can hold up to about 8in of water.”

Her colleague, Wesley Newman, likens tallgrass prairies to an upside-down rainforest: the grass can grow to 6ft to 8ft above ground and two or three times as much below. “We’ve come to realise that the grassland, the tall grass prairie, is maybe even more important than the wetlands,” Piacentini said. “The more that we can restore, the more likely it is that we will be able to increase the water-holding capacity of what we do, and that affects directly downstream Houston.”

It turns out that natural spaces do more than restore the soul, but can protect our lives. Flood control is just one of the ways. I firmly believe that the way to smart conservation is through the water. Eventually, between the algae blooms and floods, people will have to pay attention. At least one hopes.