Richland SWCD names its top volunteer
MANSFIELD – The Richland Soil and Water Conservation District (Richland SWCD) has named Denise Tenison as its 2020 Volunteer of the Year. Tenison is a long-time precipitation, lake and stream monitor volunteer for Richland SWCD.
Tenison was born in Mansfield. She and her husband of 34 years, Denny, live outside Lexington and have two adult children.
Prior to 1998, Tenison conducted lake monitoring for the district while on Clear Fork Reservoir. She resumed volunteering again in 2015.
Tenison has been joined by her husband, Denny, and her daughter, Christina, on her volunteer activities. She kayaks to two sites on the Clear Fork to collect data twice a month. Tenison also developed an interest in daily precipitation monitoring in 2015 and began stream monitoring the past two seasons. She collects data at four different sites on the Black Fork outside of Shelby each month and has volunteered approximately 85 hours so far this year.
All data collected from volunteers across Richland County is entered into the computer for easy use and reference.
Paw paw tree seedlings were donated by Rob and Amy Workman and planted at the Stoller Road Trail at Clear Fork Reservoir in honor of Tennison.
Richland SWCD has a total of 77 volunteers. Together this year, they have contributed more than 2,200 hours, which has saved the general fund approximately $23,000. Volunteers contribute high-quality data that is used to track soil and water health in Richland County’s eight watersheds.
In addition to recognizing volunteers during its annual celebration on Nov. 5, the results of the SWCD board supervisor election were announced. Brian Alt was re-elected to a three-year term and Robert McConkie Jr. was elected to his first term. Both terms begin Jan. 1. They will join other board supervisors Fred Cooke, Lanny Hopkins and David Krichbaum.
Richland SWCD says its 2020 accomplishments include becoming a local sponsor for the Farmland Preservation Program. Two farms for a total of 310 acres were preserved in Richland County this year. The SWCD also started selling native plants and rain barrels and completed MS4 stormwater system mapping with the help from interns and a Richland Foundation grant.
The annual celebration may be viewed on the Richland SWCD Facebook page. Call 419-747-8686 or go to richlandswcd.net to learn how to volunteer and about programs and services provided by Richland SWCD.
WGU Ohio accepting applications for Choose Ohio First
COLUMBUS – Western Governors University Ohio has invited applicants to apply for the Choose Ohio First scholarship, aimed at helping increase the number of Ohioans holding advanced competencies in high-demand STEMM disciplines. WGU Ohio is a participating institution offering this scholarship in conjunction with the Ohio Department of Higher Education’s Choose Ohio First Scholarship program.
Designated Choose Ohio First programs focus on undergraduate and graduate degrees in education-to-career pathways for such in-demand fields as software developer, data analyst, systems administrator, information security and cybersecurity specialist.
The Choose Ohio First program includes a scholarship of $2,000 per six-month term with a $2,000 WGU Ohio scholarship match for qualifying programs.
Western Governors University was established in 1997 by a partnership of 19 state governors to offer students, particularly adult learners, the chance to go to college while working and caring for their families. In 2018, Ohio became the eighth additional state to join the WGU partnership, part of policymakers’ efforts to close Ohio’s skills gap with a new pathway for adults to seek careers in such in-demand careers as healthcare and nursing, business, teaching and information technology.
Choose Ohio First is an initiative by the Ohio Department of Higher Education to bolster support for the next generation of Ohio STEMM scholars and industry leaders. Participating institutions award scholarships to students based on need and merit.
