Earth Day

Did you know that Earth Day is on April 22^nd? It’s a day when we can do our part to make our planet a better place to live for all.

Here are some ideas for ways to can make a difference:

1. Join hundreds of others to collect litter at the Spring Litter Pickup on 4/22 from 9 a.m. – noon! Go to this link to find your location and to register you, your friends and family!
2. Plant a tree (or two) on Earth Day, and make sure they are native! Our employees will be joined by Duke Energy at Shor Park to do a little reforestation, hope you can do the same at your own house and share your photos with us! Tag them #plantwithclermont and be shared on our social media pages, and maybe our website or future newsletter! Be sure to focus on native! For a list of Ohio trees that are great to plant, check out this ODNR informational guide.
3. Pick a small goal or two – like ditching single-use water bottles, straws, and silverware or making a pledge to bring those reuseable bags to the store!
4. Become a more conservation-oriented homeowner by attending our free Landowner Conservation Series, which kicks off on 4/12 with the topic of Native Planting! Upcoming topics include tree health, stormwater pollution mitigation, removing invasive plants and more! Check the calendar and register online.
5. And to end on a fun one – shop used! Whether that is at an auction, flea market, thrift store or used gear supplier, shopping re-sale helps to keep things out of the landfills, and often helps you to end up with more unique finds in your closet and homes.
6. Don’t forget to hug your favorite tree!

Management Moment: Shor Park Conservation

CCPD staff recently completed a Callery Pear removal project at Shor Park! Callery Pear, or Bradford Pear, is an invasive tree species that outcompetes native trees. An estimated 1,100 pear trees were cut from a 1.5 acre section of Shor Park! The stumps were then treated with herbicide to ensure effective removal. The following week, staff members were able to collect the pear trees and chip the cut trees. These wood chips will now be used as whole tree mulch for landscaping beds and future tree plantings. Future removal efforts will be planned for Shor Park as time and staffing permits.

After finishing this project, staff were able to begin work on what will be a new trail that showcases our newly constructed wetlands. The trail will be approximately 0.37 miles and will be an ongoing project throughout the season. Keep an eye out for future updates!