By SUSAN MYKRANTZ

Ohio Correspondent

LONDON, Ohio — If you are looking for calm and quiet during the hustle and hurry of next week’s Farm Science Review (FSR), check out the 67-acre Gwynne Conservation Area at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center.

Each year, Gwynne focuses its exhibits and programs on topics such as expanding the grazing season and attracting pollinators to the farm. Dave Libben, a district conservationist and chair of the planning committee for Gwynne, said the committee is made up of people from around the state with different areas of interest and expertise – but they all have a common goal of promoting conservation education and wildlife management.

He said one of the changes this year was staggered plantings in the native prairie areas to provide more color over a longer period of time and attract more pollinators to the area. They also added 15 beehives around the cabin area to give visitors a chance to learn about attracting pollinators to their homes.

Another change is the addition of a forage demonstration plot showing the benefits of double-cropping rye or grazing radishes, millet and other forages to extend the grazing season in the summer, when other forages slow down, or in the fall to ration hay supplies going into winter. Libben will be a presenter during an FSR session on grazing cover crops.

Gwynne includes a soil pit to give students and educators the chance to see a soil profile to help prepare them for judging and Envirothon contests. There will be soil scientists on hand to answer questions as well.

Marne Titchenell shares Libben’s excitement about all of the things Gwynne has to offer. She explained the committee chose to offer more diversity in its talks, offering tips on wildlife management, attracting pollinators and even sessions on native species.

Titchenell, Ohio State University wildlife program specialist, said a session on threats to Ohio’s bat population is geared toward giving residents an insight to challenges facing the animals, especially in the wake of White Nose Syndrome, which continues to devastate the bat population in the U.S. and Canada.

She said while some people don’t like bats, they still play an important role in controlling insects such as mosquitoes. The talk will touch on research that is being done to help control the spread of the disease as well as what residents can do to help.

Titchenell will also lead a session on common snakes and frogs in Ohio. “We have about 30 different species of snakes and 15 different species of frogs and toads here in Ohio,” she noted. “With the farm ponds in Ohio, people may want to know what they have living in their ponds.”

She said conservation efforts to improve water quality are critical to maintaining the diversity of amphibians that call Ohio home.

Many more sessions

Gwynne will again offer sessions on chainsaw use. Each day, the Woodland Demonstration Area will include “Chainsaw Maintenance, Sharpening and Safety” at 11 a.m. and “Chainsaw Cutting Techniques” demonstrations at 12:30 p.m.

On Sept. 18, topics in the Cabin include “Native Plants,” followed by “Midwest Cover Crop Council Resources,” “If A Tree Could Talk; What Can A Fungus Tell Us About Our Woods,” “Maple Syrup Production For The Beginner” and “Ensuring Your Woodland’s Future.”

Topics in the Wildlife and Aquatics area include a demonstration by the K-9 units at 10:30 and again at 1:30. Then there are “Managing Aquatic Vegetation,” an Ohio EPA stream ecology/electrofishing demonstration, “The Ever Flipped Pond: Better Water Quality through Aeration” and “Deer Fencing.”

Forage and Grazing topics include “The Role of Prairie Grasses for Livestock and Quail,” “Grazing Cover Crops,” “Versatility of Warm-Season Annual Grasses” and “Year-Round Grazing.”

Topics in the Woodland Amphitheater include “Mushrooms: What Are They and How to Identify Them,” “Trees and Taxes,” “Resistance! The Future of Elms and Ash” and “Invasive Species Update.”

On Sept. 19, topics in the Cabin include “Managing Wildlife Habitat Along the Edges: Challenges and Opportunities,” “Ponds and Law: What You Need to Know,” “Soil Properties and Plant Diversity Under Native Prairies,” “Converting Your Yard into an Edible Landscape” and “Deciding if a Timber Harvest Makes Sense for You and Your Woodland.”

Topics in the Wildlife and Aquatics area include “Chronic Wasting Disease in Whitetail Deer,” “Aquaponics in the Classroom: Teaching Real World Skills Through Conservation,” “Important Steps for Safe and Successful Prescribed Fire on Private Land,” “Is My Pond Toxic? Managing Against Harmful Algal Blooms” and “Beyond The Food Plot: Managing Weeds for Wildlife.”

Forage and Grazing topics include “Winter Stock Piled Forages,” “Grazing Cover Crops,” “How Important is Soil Sampling?” and “Grazing Alternative Forages.”

Topics in the Woodland Amphitheater will be “Mushrooms: What Are They and How to Identify Them,” “Ohio’s Property Tax Programs for Woodlands,” “The Basics of Tree ID” and “Woody Invasive Species Identification and Treatment.”

On Sept. 20, topics in the Wildlife and Aquatics area include “Is My Pond Toxic? Managing against Harmful Algal Blooms” and “Attracting Insect-Eating Birds to Your Farm.” Forage and Grazing topics include “Summer Grazing” and “Grazing Warm-Season Grasses.” Topics in the Woodland Amphitheater include “Self-Guided Invasive Species Updates.”

Also at the Gwynne Area, visitors can check out demonstrations of the National Archery in the Schools Program from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. daily, and high school students can see demonstrations by OSU’s Department of Agricultural Communication, Education and Leadership beginning every half-hour from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. daily.

“If you are looking for a relaxing, beautiful place to visit during the Review, visit the Gwynne,” said Titchenell. “We also have a great barbecue vendor with good food and short lines; that is an added bonus.”

All activities at the Gwynne Conservation Area are included with admission to the FSR, which is $7 in advance, $10 at the gate and free for children 5 and younger. Tickets may be purchased at county extension offices and participating agribusinesses.

Free wagon shuttles will run from the west end of the FSR’s main grounds to the nearby Gwynne site from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. FSR hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 18-19 and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 20.

The FSR is sponsored by the OSU College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. For more information, go to https://fsr.osu.edu