Public Is Invited

Spring 2009 Newsletter

Thursday May 14, 7:00 PM Selby Hall, Rm 143,

Marietta College Presenter: Greg Schumacher Coming to us from the OhioGeological Survey, Greg Schumacher will describe how terrain first helped Confederate General John Hunt Morgan and his 2,000 raiders during their famous raid across southern Ohio in July of 1863, only to have their advance later slowed by the landscape and escape ultimately doomed by the Hockingport Sandstone cliffs.

Thursday, June 11 Meet at 6:30 PM at the Hermann Fine ArtsCenter parking lot at 4th & Butler Sts. Hosts: Tim and Carol Peterson A Spring Field Trip! Tim and Carol Petersonwho live on 80 acres surrounded by WayneNational Forest in northern Washington Countyhave invited us to see what life off the grid is like. No power lines here! We will car-pool,for the approximately 1 hour trip.

Geology and the Fate ofMorgan’s Raiders

Thursday, April 9,

7:00 PM Selby Hall, Rm 143, Marietta College Presenter: Bill Hilton, Jr. Bill Hilton, Jr. is from the Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History near York, South Carolina, the most active bird banding site in the Carolinas. He will be speaking about hummingbirds and will remind us where the hummers spend the winter.

Living ... ...Off The Grid

Marietta Natural History Society

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Don’t Forget ...The Annual Household Hazardous Waste

Collection Day (HHWD) is April 4, 9:00 AM -3:00 PM, at the Solvay Employee park.

Suggestions, Comments orContributions for the MNHS

Newsletter?Send them to the Editor:625 5th St Marietta, OH 45750

374-8778 spilatrs@marietta.edu

Outdoor EducationVolunteers Needed

Wanted: Women and men who would liketo share their enthusiasm for nature and

being out-of-doors with elementary schoolstudents. Join the Marietta Outdoor

Education Volunteer Guides and on mostTuesday mornings during spring and fallyou will have a fool-proof excuse for awalk in the woods on the trail behind

Washington County Career Center. Formore information, call Anne Jacoby,373-5512, or Marilyn Ortt, 373-3372.

Marietta City Bird WalksCommune with nature to start your

Tuesdays, from 6:30 to7:30 AM Leader: Lynn Barnhart

April 21 at Kroger Wetlandmeet in Acme Street parking lot

April 28 at Oak Grove Cemeterymeet at Wooster St. entranceMay 5 at KrisMar Woods

meet in parking area on Hillcrest behind Tractor Supply

May 12 at Kroger Wetlandmeet in Acme Street parking lot

Wear comfortable shoes and dress for theweather. Binoculars would be useful.

but are not necessary.

Kroger Wetland Field Trip May 7 at 7:00 PM Meet at the Kroger Wetland parking lot at for a leisurely walk through the area. Lynn Barnhart will be the leader.

Cosmos Connection. The CoolCosmos site, from the Universityof Toronto, Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics,

brings news and interesting information from the field ofastronomy. Look for signs of the big-bang on your TVscreen, contemplate the neutrinos permeating your body,thank past supernova for your existence, and understand

why days are getting longer (not shorter), as you age. Find these stories and more with podcasts at www.CoolCosmos.net.

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Recycled Paper 30% Post-Consumer

Earth Day Celebration 10 AM - 2 PM Armory grounds on Front St.

Green businesses, renewable energy, energyefficient vehicles, Simply Green (model home byRecover), hands-on activities, demonstrations,exhibits. Something for all ages! Celebrate theEarth and learn how we can tread more carefully.

IYA2009International Year ofAstronomy 2009 seeks toraise awareness and helppeople better appreciatetheir place in the universe. Take a look upward, andturn out unnecessary lightsto reduce outdoor lightpollution. Coming soon:visit to the new Anderson-Hancock Planetarium on theMC campus.

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Spring Greening: Environmentally FriendlyWays to Save Some Green

by Keira Hambrick After the long gray months and thebiting cold of the past season, manyare cheerfully welcoming the shiftfrom winter to a warm spring. Again,the time has come for the annualhousehold rituals of spring cleaning.Homeowners throughout Marietta andacross the nation are preparing for thenew season by de-cluttering their homes,tidying up the dusty nooks andcrannies, and generally freshening uptheir home environments. This yearwhile you are brightening up yourindoor environment, there are manythings you can do to both save moneyand contribute to the improvement ofyour outdoor environment. Please consider the followingenvironmentally and wallet-friendly tips for rejuvenatingyour mood and environment for the coming seasons. While de-cluttering your home, you can do good deedsand save yourself, and the environment, some significantcosts. Running out of closet space? Consider donatingsome of your gently-worn garments to your local SalvationArmy, Goodwill, or other charity organization; even thoughyou may no longer need, fit, or appreciate some clothes,others in your local community would be grateful to havenew clothes for the chilly rains of spring. What about the clothes or fabrics that are too worn orstained to donate? Tear them up! By using old clothes,sheets, or other materials as cleaning rags, you can helpyourself and the environment in several ways. First, usingrags-which can be washed and reused-instead of buyingpaper towels, which can only be used once before beingthrown away, can save you money. By reducing yourdependence on paper products like paper towels, you can

also save some trees. Inaddition to saving money,

trees, and closet space, youruse of rags as cleaning clothswill also help to keep bothpaper towels and

rag-materials out of landfills! Moving on from the

closets to thefloors, reusableitems are also

morebeneficialthandisposableones.

Although single-use products like theSwiffer are popular, they are probably notsaving you any money, and are not

beneficial to the environment.Consider purchasing a mop with awashable, reusable mop head.

When you are done cleaning, youcan toss the head in the sink or

washing machine, hang it up todry, and reuse it! Over time,reusable mop heads can saveyou money and can keep onemore item out of the landfills.

Do you remember the wayyour grandmother cleaned

surfaces in the spring time? If shewas anything like my gran, she probably used vinegar,lemons, and baking soda for most of her cleaning tasks.Think of these cleaning methods as tried-and-true, not justoutdated modes. So, using your economically and ecologically friendlyreusable mop heads, what is a smart cleaning agent touse? A mixture of four cups of white vinegar, a gallon ofhot water, and a few drops of essential oils (likepeppermint, clove, lavender, or lemon), worksvery well on floors. When the water andvinegar evaporates, only the pleasant smellof the essential oil will remain; you canfreshen up your floors and air, naturally! So what else can you clean withoutexpensive cleaners that contain toxicchemicals? Furniture can be polishedwith a mixture of equal parts lemon juiceand olive oil. Instead of using expensive ovencleaners, which are laden with numerous toxins, just makea paste of baking soda and water, spread it over baked-ongrime, let sit overnight, and wipe away the next morning fora clean oven. Clogged drains? Forget the dangerouschemicals; pour a mixture of hot water and baking sodadown the drain. Not working? Pour vinegar down the drain,add dry baking soda, and cover with a plug or other object;the chemical reaction of the vinegar and baking soda willproduce bubbles which can break up obstructions. Molds and mildew can be cleared away using a ragsoaked in vinegar; vinegar and water work well as glasscleaner; and borax can be used as a natural disinfectantfor toilet bowls and other surfaces. As with other cleaningagents, try to avoid inhaling borax powder, and work in awell ventilated area if you are sensitive to vinegar fumes.

see Greening, page 5

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Citizen Science Opportunity The Ohio Biological Survey is sponsoring aninformal survey of Luna Moth, American Toad,Eastern Box Turtle and Beaver in 2009. Any timeyou see one or more of these four species, pleasereport it to the Survey OhioBioSurvey@rrohio.com. If you looked and did not see any of these specieswhere habitat seems appropriate, the Survey wouldlike to know that also. Please report the following information: Common Name; Date and time observed; Location(street address or descriptive - x miles north ofMarietta along SR 60, for instance); Comments. All records will be processed and incorporatedinto geographic information system maps and theresults will be posted in February 2010 BioOhio andin this newsletter.

Greening, con’t from page 4By using natural cleaning products, you can savemoney and reduce the number of chemicals towhich you may be exposing your pets orchildren. If you are just looking for a newcommercial cleaner, there are somemore environmentally friendly cleaningproducts available in stores like BrighterDay Natural Foods, in Marietta. Now that we've cleaned out the closets,saved some money on paper products andcleaning agents, what else can we do to savemoney and protect ourselves from harsh chemicals?Spring is a great time to air out your home andfreshen up your air. You can freshen the air insideyour home without clouding it with aerosols,artificial fragrances, and chemicals that candamage your lungs over time. Instead ofinvesting in expensive air fresheners, you cando three things to really tidy up the air in yourhome. First, open up your windows and let somefresh air from outside circulate through your home. Keeping windows open instead of turning on theair-conditioner is also a great way to save energy, money,and the environment. Mixing essential oils with water, andspraying them on carpets, curtains, or furniture is also asafe, inexpensive, and natural way to freshen fabrics andimprove the smell of your home-without expensive, cloyingchemicals. Finally, take care of your houseplants becausethey are working hard to purify your air! English Ivy, SpiderPlant, and Rubber Plants are among the most efficientair-purifying species to keep in your home. These plantsare also very easy to care for, and can add a lovely freshatmosphere to any room in your home. In the winter, thepresence of green plants in your home can also help toreduce your winter-blues. Spring is also a great time to evaluate how muchenergy you use in your home. You can hire a professionalto conduct an energy audit of your home, or you candetermine your own energy usage by doing a little research in your local library or on the internet. Byconducting an energy audit, you can see how much money and energy is going into your home, what you can do to improve your energy use, and

see how much money you can save! Several simple changes can be made to greatlyimprove the efficiency andvalue of your home. Tryreplacing or cleaning air

filters to cut down on heatingand coolingbills-and to reduceallergens in yourair. Considercaulking draftywindows anddoorframes or,

better yet, install more energy-efficient windows. According to the EPA, using a programmable thermostat

can save you $150 a year in energy bills, and canhelp to maintain constant, comfortableconditions in your home.

Have you had the same boiler in yourbasement for as long as you can

remember? By replacing your boiler unit, youcan reduce your energy use and bills. Youcan also decrease your water usage by

fixing leaky faucets and collecting rainwaterwith which to water your garden or

houseplants. Did you know that almost thirtypercent of the water you use in your home is goingdown the drain, with your money? Companies like

American Standard and Kohler now produce newtoilets which use as little as a gallon of water per flush,

saving you hundreds of dollars in the course of a year ofuse. With just a few improvements in your home, you canstart saving considerable amounts of money; nothing toscoff at during the nation's current economic conditions. This spring, take advantage of the opportunities tofreshen up your home and lifestyle; the benefits are farreaching. By simply being more conscious of andcommitted to your indoor and outdoor environments, youcan help the less-fortunate, save water and energy, savemoney, and help to protect your family from harshchemicals and irritants. Open your windows, beat the rugs,water your plants, and give those old-time, tried-but-truecleaning methods a try. By putting your home in order now,you can enjoy the rest of your year in a fresh and healthy indoor environment, do your part to conserve natural resources, and maybe even save enough money to go someplace warmer next winter.

[Keira Hambrick is a senior at Marietta College majoring in Biology and English.]

Benefits ofMembership

L Monthly programs

L Field trips

L Quarterly newsletter L Educational experiences for kids and adults

Invite a Friend to Join the

Marietta Natural History SocietyWood Thrush — Individual $15River Otter — Family $25Monarch — Friend $50

Why not give a gift membership?Mail check to address given below

The MNHS Missioni To foster awareness of and sensitivity to our environment and its biodiversityi To provide a place where people with these interests can gather for information and activityi To create a presence in our community representing these ideas

Marietta Natural History Society P.O. Box 983 Marietta, Ohio 45750 (740) 373-5285