[Pond-management-news] Pond clinics in the era of COVID

[Braig, Eugene]

Pondy/Lakey friends:

First, I hope you and yours are all well or as well as possible in these weird times.  My own work-related travel is forbidden until at least into early July when conditions will be reevaluated.  Oddly, even though my work days are now almost entirely conducted from a stool in front of a laptop on a stereo stand in the hinterland between my mudroom, great room, and kitchen, I seem to be as busy as ever-just differently so.  I am fortunate to have the resources at my disposal to do so.  My heart aches for those who cannot and whose hardships are resultantly greater than my own.  Even more so for those enduring (or whose loved ones are enduring) COVID-related illness.  My best wishes are with you all.

As you might expect, I was booked to speak at a number of county pond clinics around the state into summer 2020.  ...And then a novel coronavirus and the disease it causes disrupted plans on global scale.  I am reluctant to share the dates still on my calendar that are scheduled for later in the summer because I believe those dates to still be tentative at best.  I will write more as those dates approach and things come to feel more certain.

Still, ponds know no COVID.  And the people who live with ponds-now spending more time in the proximity of their own ponds-are perhaps more interested than ever in the well-being of those ponds.  As in-person, county-sponsored events began to be cancelled, I began promoting the notion that counties host live, internet-based pond clinics.  My first taker was Stark Co. where the Soil-and-Water and Extension offices collaborated to host a successful virtual pond clinic on the evening of April 23rd.  I presented remotely from my aforementioned stool.  (If any of you happened to be in virtual attendance, I do hope you enjoyed.)  Delaware Co. Soil and Water will be doing similar on the evening of May 5th.  Initial correspondence indicates that Butler Co. is working to do so soon as well.  Those of you with relevant contacts and interest, I encourage you to contact your local offices and put them in touch with me.  I would be happy to work with them to do similar with your county and to field locally relevant questions live.

While I personally prefer in-person interaction, on-line pond clinics do have at least one advantage: you can attend from anywhere where you have an internet-connected device, including the comfort of your own home...or even the "smart" phone in your pocket.  Delaware Co., just north of greater Columbus, is increasingly suburban.  My presentation for Delaware Co.'s pond clinic will specifically address ponds in residential neighborhoods.  If that topic interest you, I have permission to invite you to sit in.  I am thus attaching details; a link in the attached document will take you to the event's registration page.  I do hope some of you can join us.

If the topic of residential-neighborhood ponds doesn't interest you, more clinics are pending (Butler Co.'s, e.g., is likely to be me "Top-5 pond inquiries" overview).  I will write to this list as more dates are finalized.  And, of course, I still welcome you to facilitate a local event of local interest hosted by a local office near to you.  I am amenable and always at your service.

Also as always, you're welcome to write me directly (braig.1 at osu.edu<mailto:braig.1 at osu.edu>) with any of your pond/lake management questions.  Answering is my job...and I like my job.

Finally, expect two e-mails to follow for any students in your lives.

Be well out there.

Eugene


[The Ohio State University]
Eugene C. Braig IV Program Director, Aquatic Ecosystems
Ohio State University Extension School of Environment and Natural Resources
379a Kottman Hall | 2021 Coffey Rd. Columbus, OH 43210
614-292-3823 Office | 614-292-7432 Fax
braig.1 at osu.edu<mailto:braig.1 at osu.edu> osu.edu<http://osu.edu/>
http://senr.osu.edu/our-people/eugene-braig
My listserv: https://lists.osu.edu/mailman/listinfo/pond-management-news

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