Be a CONSERVATION CRUSADER!

The Geauga SWCD invites all residents to be a Conservation Crusader!  Being a conservation crusader means promoting the wise use of our natural resources so they will be available for future generations.

A natural resource is defined as a material source, such as forests, soil, water, or a mineral deposit, that occurs in a natural state and has economic value. The District strives to conserve, protect, and enhance the natural resources of Geauga County by providing leadership, education, and assistance to all.  

The Conservation Crusader campaign is a collaboration of the Western Reserve Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Council, WKYC TV/Cleveland and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Northeast Ohio to encourage residents to practice healthy household and backyard habits which improve water quality and reduce storm water pollution.  Environmental stories and information are shared through twice a month segments on the Live on Lakeside television program, monthly videos featuring weather personalities, and a rotating banner ad on the Cleveland Yahoo weather webpage.

Click on a topic of interest below to explore the latests Conservation Crusader happenings in Northeast Ohio.

The Conservation Crusader was created in collaboration with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the National Association of Conservation Districts, and the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.  Funding for 2012 programming was provided in part by grants from the James P. Storer and Kent H. Smith Foundations.  Funding for 2013 programming is provided by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's Ohio Environmental Education Fund (OEEF).

 WKYC Weather Page 

Monthly Message Videos

2015 Segments

Keep our Water Cleaner while doing Warm Weather Chores! - April 2015

2014 Segments

Resolve to be a Conservation Crusader - January 2014

Reduce Household Chemical Waste - July 2014

2013 Segments  

Do the Right Thing - Pollution Prevention While Fertilizing - February 2013

Managing and Protecting Water Around Your Home - March 2013

Trees Work Hard for Conservation in Urban Environments - April 2013

Sustaining and Restoring Native Plant Communities - May 2013

Ponder About Ponds - June 2013

Agri-Tourism - July 2013

You Can Be Watershed Wise - August 2013

Maintain Streams Around Your Home - September 2013

Where Does Your Water Go? - October 2013

Sustain Wildlife in Winter - November 2013

Christmas Trees and Our Environment - December 2013

2012 Segments 

Backyard Conservation:  Lawns and Environment - June 2012

Everyone Lives in a Watershed - July 2012

Protect Streams Around Your Home - August 2012

Here's the Dirt on Healthy Soils - September 2012

Explore the Outdoors - October 2012

Winter Storm Water Pollution Solutions - November 2012

WKYC - Live on Lakeside

Environmental TV Segments

2013 Segments

Storm Water Polluton Solutions - 2/14/13

Amy Roskilly and Gator (Cuyahoga SWCD) 

More Trees, Please!  - 3/11/13

Carmella Shale and Dee Belew (Geauga SWCD)

Rain Gardens - 3/14/13

Kathi Vrable-Bryan (Mahoning SWCD) and Justin Rodgers (Mill Creek MetroParks)

Vernal Pools - 3/28/13

Colleen Sharp (Geauga SWCD)

Soil Testing - 4/11/13

Bob Griesmer (Geauga SWCD)

Tree Benefits - 4/25/13

Tom Munn (City of Hudson) and Sandy Barbic (Summit SWCD)

Critters in Our Creeks - 5/23/13

Don Emmert (Lake SWCD)

Native Plants - 5/30/13

Mary Slingluff (Geauga SWCD) and Lynn Vogel (Portage SWCD)

Conserving Water Quality-Ponds - 6/13/13

Nathan Robinson (AquaDoc) and Cathy Berg (Ashland SWCD)

Imagine My Northeast Ohio - 6/27/13

Jeff Anderle (NEO Sustainable Communities Consortium Initiative)

Lake Metroparks Activities - 7/31/13

Paul Palagyi - Lake Metroparks

Wetland Restoration - 8/8/13

Claire Posius - Cuyahoga SWCD

Great Lakes Restoration - 8/22/13

Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur

Tinker's Creek Watershed Festival - 9/12/13

Babette Oestreicher and Justin Czekay (Tinker's Creek Watershed Partners)

Taking Root for Clean Water - 9/26/13

Amy Roskilly (Cuyahoga SWCD)

Malabar Farm State Park - 10/10/13

Korre Boyer (Malabar Farm)

Sewage Treatment System - 10/24/13

Jill Lis and John Sabo (Lorain Cty General Health District)

Beneficial Bats - 11/7/13

Gail Prunty (Geauga SWCD) & Dan Best Geauga Park District)

Going Green with Live Christmas Trees - 11/21/13

Bob Stehli (Wintergreen Tree Farm)

Green Gifts

Natalie Gertz-Young (Lake Co. SWCD)

Post-Holiday Conservation - 12/26/13

Janine Rybka (Cuyahoga SWCD) and Kathy Rocco (Cuyahoga Soild Waste District)

Green Cleaning - 1/9/14

Amy Roskilly (Cuyahoga SWCD) 

Composting - 1/23/14

Kathy Vrable-Bryan  and Sarah Perrine (Mahoning SWCD)

 2012 Segments 

WKYC - Live on Lakeside (Good Company)

Conserving Your Backyard - 6/14/12

Fred Cash (Cuyahoga SWCD) and Dr. Brian Birrenkott (Scotts Miracle-Gro)

The Importance of Rain Barrels - 6/28/12

Amy Roskilly and Jared Bartley (Cuyahoga SWCD)

Cuyahoga River Birding Site - 7/12/12

Jan Rybka (Cuyahoga SWCD) and Harvey Webster (Cleveland Museum of Natural History)

Watersheds and Storm Water Management - 7/20/12

Crystal Dymond (Erie SWCD)

 Nothing But Rain Down the Drain - 8/16/12

Gail Prunty (Geauga SWCD) and Joe Reitz (City of Avon Lake)

Great Lakes Restoration Conference - 8/24/12

Jordan Lubetkin (Healing Our Waters) and Kristy Meyer (Ohio Environmental Council)

Make the Most With Compost - 9/14/12 

Gail Prunty (Geauga SWCD) and Lynn Vogel (Portage SWCD)

Portage County Land Lab - 10/11/12 

Joe Walsh Cobb and Michael Marozzi (Crestwood Schools)

Soil to Spoon - 10/18/12

Beth Knorr (Countryside Conservancy) and Denny Stoiber (Summit SWCD)

Watersheds - 10/25/12

Darrin Lautenschleger (Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District)

Mini-Gardens - 11/8/12

Katie Myers-Griffith (Countryside Conservancy) and Karmi James (farmer)

The CLEAN Project - 11/15/12

Brittany Emmert (Kent State University student) and Joseph Higgins (Cleveland State University student)