NEWS

News to Use Archive: Habitat and Pollinators

Becky Daugherty

Delaware County SWCD

John M Craddock Wetland Nature Preserve


The John M Craddock Wetland Nature Preserve was featured on the VisitIndiana.com blog on May 11, 2019. The blog was written by Chris Flook and includes interesting historical information, definitions, and descriptions. The blog mentions and has links to the Cardinal Greenway, White River Greenway, Red-Tail Land Conservancy, Kitselman Pure Energy Park, and of course, Mr. John M. Craddock. One of the links "guides trail users, nature enthusiasts, educators....", connects to hand drawn construction designs and construction pictures. Throughout the blog are beautiful photos of the preserve. The preserve covers 27 acres and includes wetland, woodland, and prairie. There is an ADA accessible walkway permitting everyone to enjoy the preserve. Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District is proud to have been one of many that supported the establishment of the preserve. We want to say THANK YOU to Red Tail for managing the preserve. The website to view the blog is "https://visitindiana.com/blog/index.php/2019/05/11/wetlandnature preserve-muncie/".


Bees - How can we help them?


Bees - How can we help them? Bees need three things - habitat, food, and water - just like you and me. And we need bees!! One in three bites of OUR food is a result of insect pollination. So what can we do? Food - Everyone thinks of flowers for honeybees for nectar and pollen, but plants are dependent upon bees for pollination to assure seed set to assure sexual reproduction. Trees, vines, legumes, grasses, and groundcovers, along with the flowering plants, are all important. Select a variety of plants, so blooms, i.e. nectar and/or pollen, are available throughout the growing season to feed bees. Remember to water plants during the summer heat to encourage blooms. Water - Shallow water areas in your landscape are helpful. First tip - keep it clean! Second tip - don't let the bees drown! Use gravel, wood, or a sponge in the shallow water for the bees to land on. Place this water source so it's not available to pets and away from pedestrian areas. Protect - Only use pesticides when and where needed (following label directions), use the least toxic pesticide available, and use as little as possible. Sprays and granules are better than dusts. Spray when plants are not in bloom or late in the day when the bees are not out.

Northern Bobwhites


The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) can provide technical and financial assistance to implement conservation practices to help bring Bobwhites (also known as quail) back to the Midwest. The Bobwhites population has dipped by more than 80% during the past 60 years. Contributing to this are the changes in land management over time. Cattle are grazed differently, agricultural practices have intensived, and woodlands have been removed - limiting the amount of weeds and brush available for habitat. Suggested conservation practices to help restore habitat are hedgerow, prescribed grazing, brush management, field border, fencing, access control, cover crops, forage and biomass planting, herbaceous weed control, prescribed burning, firebreak, tree and shrub establishment, and conservation cover.

Town of Albany receives Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District Tree Donation

Council members of the Town of Albany accepted four trees donated to the town by the Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District at September 25th council meeting.

The donation consisted of two River Birch, one Red Oak, and one Shagbark Hickory trees.



FREE Packets of Milkweed and Cover Crop Seeds Available for Pickup!!

FREE packets of Common Milkweed and Oat Radish Cover Crop Seed Mix are available in a bin outside the office next to the door. Come by anytime to pick some out! Our office is located at 3641 N Briarwood Lane, Muncie IN 47304.

**Brochures for the Annual Tree Sale are in the same bin**

Importance of Milkweed:

  • Monarch butterflies cannot survive without milkweed:
    their caterpillars ONLY eat this plant, and monarchs NEED milkweed to lay their eggs.

  • With shifting land management practices, we have lost much milkweed from the landscape.

Plant some milkweed in your yard to attract these beautiful creatures, which will also give them a helping hand!

Benefits of Oat Radish Seed

Mix: This seed mix is planted in the late summer or fall as a cover crop. Oat Radish Seed Mix is a soil tilth builder, winterkills for easy management, and is great for biomass and erosion control in your garden!

Packets to cover 50 sq. ft. or 100 sq. ft. are available for pickup. Call for more information if needed.

2017 Tree Sale

Our 2017 tree sale was once again a success with approximately one hundred trees and small fruit plants being purchased. The favorite tree this year was the Bur Oak, followed closely by Red Oak, White Oak, and Black Oak. The favorite fruit tree was the Contender Peach.

2017 Tree Sale


Cowan Schools received four trees donated by Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District. Mrs. Neal's Biology II class joined together to plant the trees on school property. Our tree sale was successful with 200 trees and plants purchased. The top selling trees were Red Oak, White Oak, Alleghany Serviceberry, American Elm, Thank you to all of our customers !!!!