By Kaitlyn Geiger
CCN Correspondent
BUCYRUS — The 73rd Annual Crawford Soil and Water Conservation District meeting took place Thursday evening at Pickwick Place.
The evening began with a meal catered by Katering Kountry Style, and the room was filled with lots of laugh and conversation.
The evening’s guest speaker was Stan Gehrt, a professor and wildlife extension specialist at The Ohio State University.
His presentation was titled, “The Adaptable Coyote,” based off his work in Chicago that deals with tracking coyotes in the Chicago Metropolitan area. During the past 18 years, they’ve marked around 1,200 coyotes, and have more than 500 radio-collared.
It is the largest urban study of its kind.
He talked about many different things about coyotes; they’re of the Canidae family, and they’re distinctly North American and during a range of 50-60 years, despite population control, they have expanded their numbers across the United States, into Canada and also are heading toward South America.
He talked about how many coyotes have become nocturnal in Chicago in order to stay hidden from people. He showed videos of coyotes who have learned traffic patterns and know not the cross a road until there is a gap in traffic, or the stoplight turns red.
During the rest of the evening, Liz Miller was recognized for her 28 years she spent with the Crawford SWCD, as she is retiring.
The SWCD’s 2018 Outstanding Cooperator award went to Schafer Farms, for being a cooperator since 1966. Different practices that they have done have included subsurface drainage, hardwood tree planting, grassed waterways and many more.
The Brause family of Sulphur Springs also was briefly recognized for winning the state of Ohio’s Conservation Farm Family Award.
Paul Hartschuh won the election and has been reelected to be a member of the SWCD board. He expressed his excitement to be reelected, as he likes the position and likes meeting all kinds of new people.