LOCAL

LOCAL
Pesticide update sessionin New Wilmington
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- Local producers are invited to attend a pesticide update session Monday from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Deerfield Farms Service location.
The meeting has been approved by the state agriculture department for two credits of core and two credits of category 01 toward updating a private or commercial pesticide applicator's license.
The meeting is free, but registration is preferred by contacting the farm service at (724) 946-3551.
OHIO
Ohio ospreys settleon Amazon River
COLUMBUS -- A pair of ospreys that nested and raised offspring at Alum Creek Lake in Delaware County this summer have reached their wintering grounds in South America, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
The female of the pair, which left Ohio first, is currently in Brazil, about 18 miles southeast of the city of Tabatinga. The male has arrived at a location 50 miles northwest of the city of Tefe in Brazil. The birds are currently more than 300 miles apart.
The birds' southern migration has been tracked by satellite transmitters that were attached to them this summer as part of an effort to study the ospreys' migration patterns. Their movements have been posted on the division's Web site at ohiodnr.com/wildlife/Resources/osprey/migration.htm.
These birds have traveled more than 3,500 miles in their journey south. The female left Sept. 2 and reached her current location on Sept. 29. The male left a week later, arriving at his wintering area Oct. 6.
Both birds are residing near the Amazon River, an excellent source of fish, which is the ospreys' main source of food. They will stay close to their current locations until sometime in March when they leave for their northern migration. Most ospreys that return to Ohio arrive in late March or April.
Ospreys, also known as fish hawks, are slightly smaller than an eagle and are found in many countries around the world. They have yellow eyes, light crown feathers, dark brown plumage on top and white on the underside.
This year, a record 37 osprey pairs produced 62 chicks in Ohio, up from 47 chicks produced from 30 nests the previous year. The division began reintroducing the osprey in the state in 1996. Before the reintroduction project, the last known osprey nest in the state was at Buckeye Lake in 1941.
High acorn production
COLUMBUS -- Ohio's bumper crop of acorns this fall will provide a vital food source for more than 150 forest wildlife species, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
"Acorns and other types of nuts are more abundant this year than anytime in recent memory. People are telling us that this is the best acorn crop they've seen in years," said Mike Reynolds, forest wildlife biologist with the Division of Wildlife.
A significant acorn crop leads to healthy wildlife populations as acorns are high in energy and fat and are critical food resources for many animals during the winter.
The Division of Wildlife is currently participating in a multistate, ongoing research project to estimate regional acorn production throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. Wildlife biologists hope to use the acorn production information gathered in the study to forecast wildlife harvest and reproductive success rates on both a local and regional basis.
Wildlife training
COLUMBUS -- Ohio educators are invited to become trained Project WILD and Aquatic Project WILD facilitators during a workshop sponsored by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. The workshop will be held Nov. 9-10 at Atwood Lake Resort and Conference Center in Carroll County.
The popular international wildlife education programs combine conservation and environmental education materials focusing on wildlife. The curriculum is designed for classrooms of all grades, youth groups, nature centers and other educational outlets.
Workshop registration forms can be downloaded at ohiodnr.com/wildlife and mailed to the ODNR Division of Wildlife, Project WILD Coordinator, 2045 Morse Road, Bldg. G, Columbus, OH 43229. Cost for the workshop is $50 and includes food, lodging and materials.
Participants must commit to hosting at least one educator training workshop within a year of this training.
The Atwood Lake Resort and Conference Center is located at 2650 Lodge Road in Dellroy, west of Carrollton.
PENNSYLVANIA
Youth essay contest
HARRISBURG -- Young hunters ages 12 to 18 from throughout Pennsylvania are reminded all entries for the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Youth Essay Contest must be postmarked no later than Oct. 31.
The theme for the contest is: "How I Support Wildlife Conservation!"
The prize list features grand-prize winners in the junior (ages 12-15) and senior (ages 16-18) divisions taking expense-paid trips to Texas and Wyoming, respectively, provided by the Pennsylvania chapters of Safari Club International (SCI).
Entrants must be Pennsylvania residents, have successfully completed an accredited hunter-trapper education course and possess a current hunting or furtaker license.
Entries must include: full name; mailing address with zip code; telephone number and area code; year, state and county where hunter-trapper education course was successfully completed; current hunting or furtaker license number; and age and date of birth.
Essays must be printed or typed double-spaced and contain no more than 300 words. Mail entries directly to: Pennsylvania Game Commission, Hunter Education Youth Essay Contest, 2001 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797.