Photo Winner - Ohio River
2022 science camp at Camp Oyo
Photo provided by Ohio Division of Wildlife
Photo Winner - Ohio River
Current & Upcoming Events
The Conservation Homestead:
Building a Sustainable Future
Program Series
Scioto SWCD is planning to hold a homesteading, self-sustainability skills and conservation focused series of public programs on the final Thursday of each month throughout 2025. The programs will be in partnership with local homesteaders and those practicing crafts and skills useful in self-sustainability. Our first program will be on March 27 from 6:00-7:30 PM and is titled 'Homesteading on a Budget'. The programs will be held at the USDA Service Center in Lucasville. The programs are free of charge but registration is required and space will be limited. To register call our office at 740-259-9231 ext. 4 or send an email with names of those attending and phone number to info@sciotoswcd.org.
Future months topics are being planned so if you have any suggestions on subjects you would like to see covered call our office or send us an email at info@sciotoswcd.org.
Wednesdays in the Watershed Hikes
Rural Landowners Workshop
Scioto SWCD and other partners are currently planning to hold a Rural Landowners Conference at the OSU South Centers in Piketon, Ohio on Saturday April 5. The program will be an all-day event. Final details are being worked out and we hope to publicize them and open registration shortly.
We are currently looking for interested vendors involved in any aspect of rural land management and land use related to livestock, crop production, woodlands or wildlife who would like to set up a table with their information at the event. If you offer land management services, seed sales or other related services and are interested call our office at 740-250-2862.
Scioto County Beekeepers Association
The newly formed Scioto County Beekeeper's Association will be holding monthly meetings on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 6:00 PM at the Lucasville USDA Service Center building. Please check and follow their Facebook page for the next scheduled meeting date and other updates and information. Scioto County Beekeepers Association | Facebook
Rain Barrels and Kits
Scioto SWCD currently has rain barrel kits for sale. The kit includes a 55-gallon food-grade barrel. The kit contains everything needed to connect to a roof downspout, except for a couple of tools, providing a way to collect and store rainwater runoff.
This can help with stormwater runoff as well as providing a source of water for watering plants and animals. The cost for the kit is $50 including tax. Due to the limited number of kits, there is a limit of 2 kits per person. If interested, call our office to check on availability.
Southern Ohio Grazing Council
The Council is a group of livestock producers in the southern Ohio region that periodically meet at producer's farms to discuss grazing operation management and related topics. If you would like to be added to their email list to receive information on upcoming events, send an email to conaway.adams.swcd@live.com. Include your name, address, phone number and email address.
Report Wildlife Sightings
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife is continually seeking reports of several different wildlife species within Ohio. Wildlife species that can be reported anytime are gray foxes, river otters, black bears, and other furbearers, including fishers, badgers, weasels, and bobcats, as well as other wildlife species found on the wildlife reporting system webpage.
These reports assist wildlife biologists and the Ohio Division of Wildlife in tracking wildlife populations.
Reports can be submitted to the Wildlife Reporting System at wildohio.gov and on the HuntFish OH mobile app.
Please contact your County Wildlife Officer to submit river otter and gray fox carcasses. Submitted carcasses can be from harvests or roadkill, although it is not permitted to collect roadkill carcasses. One can report the location of roadkill to their local wildlife officer.
An additional ODNR press release can be found at Report Furbearer Sightings to Contribute to Wildlife Research.
More information on individual wildlife species in Ohio can be found at the Ohio Division of Wildlife online Species Guide.
Ohio Landowner/Hunter Access Partnership
The Ohio Landowner/Hunter Access Partnership (OLHAP) Program is a way for Ohio hunters to get access to private properties. This program is funded in part by the federal Farm Bill under their Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) to implement programs encouraging hunting access on private properties. The OLHAP program is administered by the Ohio Division of Wildlife and uses funds to pay landowners for hunters to access their property. Participating landowners receive annual payment rates of $2.00/acre for agricultural lands and $30.00/acre for perennial wildlife cover, such as wetlands, grasslands, brushlands, and forest. Enrollment contracts are for 2 years, with the possibility of reenrollment. If you are a landowner interested in finding out more about the program or wishing to enroll your property or a hunter interested in finding hunting property, visit the Ohio Landowner/Hunter Access Partnership Program page to find out more.
You can also call our office for more information.
Public Notice:
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The Scioto Soil and Water Conservation District's Board of Supervisors will meet for the remainder of 2024 on the first Friday of every month, unless otherwise stated, at 8:00 AM at the USDA Service Center, 12167A State Route 104, Lucasville, Ohio. The Scioto Soil and Water Conservation District strives to work with local landowners, residents, businesses, organizations, and units of government in providing a partnership effort to help conserve, maintain, and improve Scioto County's natural resources. Anyone interested in conservation practices can find more on the District website at www.sciotoswcd.org or call the District office at 740-259-9241 ext. 4. The District was formed in 1946 as a legally organized subdivision of the State of Ohio that is governed by a volunteer Board of Supervisors elected by Scioto County residents. The 2024 Supervisors are Thomas Turner, Wheelersburg; James L. Pertuset, Portsmouth; Travis Garrett, Lucasville; David Otworth, Franklin Furnace; Matt Lewis, West Portsmouth. Meetings are open to the public and the media. If you would like to receive notices about special meetings, meeting topics or time and date changes for regular meetings, please contact the District Administrator.
Scioto SWCD 2025 Regular Board Meeting Dates
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January 3
February 7
March 7
April 4
May 2
June 6
July 11
August 8
September 5
October 3
November 7
December 5
Scioto SWCD
12167A State Route 104
Lucasville OH 45648
740-259-9231 Ext. 4
info@sciotoswcd.org
Scioto County Local Foods Guide
Scioto SWCD has compiled a local food and resource guide highlighting local food producers and local businesses where locally produced foods can be found. If you are a local, small farm or business producing or offering foods for public sale and would like to be added to the guide please send your information to info@sciotoswcd.org or call our office at
740-259-9231 ext. 4 and we will add you to the guide. This guide is a work in progress and hopefully the list of local food sources will be expanded so check back for further updates. The guide can be found on the Links page accessed at the top of this page.