Involved

On April 9, Richland Soil and Water Conservation District proudly hosted the Area 2 Envirothon at Cooke Family Wildlife Conservation Park, welcoming over 200 students from across Northeast Ohio. This annual competition challenges students in five key environmental categories: Soils, Wildlife, Aquatics, Forestry, and Current Environmental Issues (CEI). For 2025, the CEI theme is “Roots and Resiliency: Fostering Forestry Stewardship in a Canopy of Change” encouraging students to explore the vital role of forests in environmental sustainability.

Medals were awarded to the teams with the highest score in each of the testing categories. The station winners from Area 2 are:

• Aquatics: Laurel Gators – Green from Laurel School
• Wildlife: BBH Baobabs from Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School
• Soils: Boardman Channel Cats from Boardman High School
• Forestry: Beaver Leaf Legends from Beaver Local High School
• CEI: Beaver Leaf Legends from Beaver Local High School

The four teams with the highest overall score (all five station scores combined) will advance to the state competition at Wilmington College from June 2-4. The teams with the highest scores and going to state are:

1. Boardman Channel Cats from Boardman High School
2. Beaver Leaf Legends from Beaver Local High School
3. BBH Ginkgos from Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School
4. BBH Baobabs from Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School

We wish them all the best! The winning team from the state Envirothon will go on to represent Ohio at the international competition in Alberta, Canada from July 20-26.

Advisors were also able participate in the event by touring Fowler’s Woods with a representative from Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) or they could join an advisor team and also take the five tests. Advisor Team 3 won and was made up of the following members:

• Austin Saverko from Columbiana High School
• Caitlin Miller from Bedford High School
• Jodi Berger from Beaver Local High School
• Danielle Moon from Cardinal High School
• Chris Carman from Theodore Roosevelt High School
• Michael Cochran from Jackson Local High School

Overall, the Area 2 Envirothon was a tremendous success! Students not only expanded their knowledge of environmental topics but also sharpened their decision-making and teamwork skills – all while enjoying a fun, hands-on learning experience. Of course, no event is complete without great food, and participants enjoyed a well-earned lunch of burgers and hot dogs grilled by Crestview FFA volunteers.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors and many volunteers who made this event possible. Your support helps inspire the next generation of environmental leaders!

My marketing internship with the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District (Richland SWCD) was an incredible experience. Throughout my internship, I had the opportunity to help with social media management, content creation and community outreach. I assisted with marketing campaigns, designed promotional materials and helped create visual content used on social media as well as during community events. The projects I assisted with not only helped strengthen my skills in digital marketing, branding and public relations, but it also deepened my knowledge of environmental conservation and its impact on the community. One of my favorite moments from my time with Richland SWCD was when I had the opportunity to work with everyone in person at the Soil Open House. It gave me the chance to see a lot of my work come to life, and seeing first-hand how marketing plays a role in raising awareness for conservation efforts was both rewarding and inspiring. Overall, my experience with my internship has been instrumental in my professional growth, and I am very grateful to have contributed to the mission of Richland SWCD. 

Interested in interning with Richland SWCD? We’re looking for a summer 2025 marketing intern. For more information contact Theresa Sutter at sutter.theresa@richlandswcd.net or call 419-747-8685.

Volunteering with the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District (Richland SWCD) offers numerous personal benefits, including skill development, increased confidence, and a profound sense of purpose. It also fosters community engagement and strengthens social bonds, which leads to a more connected society. At Richland SWCD, our volunteers are driven by their concern for the environment and a commitment to conserving our planet’s natural resources. We currently have 73 individuals who assist in various ways, including precipitation, lake, and stream monitoring, office support, participation in workshops and community events, as well as photography. In 2024, their joint efforts saved the County General Fund over $45,000.

Our volunteers play an important role in monitoring the health of our watersheds by quickly notifying us of any issues. Without the hard work of our precipitation, lake and stream monitoring volunteers, the data we rely on would be unobtainable. This data serves as a vital resource for the public, governmental bodies, and our partners. The more monitoring volunteers we have, the more complete and accurate our data becomes.

We honor one volunteer each year at our Annual Celebration. In 2024, we recognized Robert E. Donaldson for his incredible contributions to our volunteer team.

We also host an annual picnic to show our appreciation for all our volunteers. This year’s picnic is scheduled for June 3 at South Park in Mansfield.

We are currently looking for new Lake Monitor volunteers. Training will be held on April 29 at 5pm at Pleasant Hill Lake Park. All equipment is provided, but volunteers will need access to the internet to post their data on our website. If you are interested in joining our volunteer team, please contact Theresa Sutter at sutter.theresa@richlandswcd.net or 419-747-8685, or visit our volunteer opportunities page.

For our full list of upcoming events – including Board Supervisor meetings – go to our calendar by clicking the button below!

Richland Soil & Water Conservation District (RSWCD) & Pheasant’s Forever Hire New Employees

New year, new staff!

In February, RSWCD hired on two new district technicians: Zoe Baumberger & Sam Foley. They will be the new faces of the stormwater permitting program (which the District manages for the Commissioners and the Village of Lexington) as well as the MS4 Program (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System). Pheasants Forever also recently hired Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist Rachel Coy.

Get to know our new team members by reading their bios below and join us in welcoming them! Feel free to send them a friendly email or stop by to say hello!

Zoe Baumberger
District Technician

Zoe is a proud native of Mansfield, Ohio, and feels incredibly fortunate to give back to her community in her new role with RSWCD.

Armed with a Bachelor of Science in Conservation Biology and Ecology, earned in May 2023, Zoe brings a deep-rooted passion for environmental stewardship to the role.

Beyond the office, Zoe finds joy in the simple pleasures of life: reading, painting, nurturing her garden, stealing moments for a nap, and exploring the outdoors with her two beloved canine companions.

Say Hello to Zoe

Sam Foley
District Technician

Sam lives in Mansfield, Ohio, with his 7-year-old son, Augustus, and his son’s mother, Kristi. They have a dog, Watson, and one cat, Louie.

Sam graduated from Shelby High School in 2008 and obtained his Associate of Science in Biotechnology from North Central State College in 2011.

One of Sam’s favorite things to do is cook, you can regularly find him in the kitchen. He is always eager to learn new things in life and is looking forward to working within the community.

Say Hello to Sam

Rachel Coy
Farm Bill Biologist – Pheasants Forever, Inc.

Rachel is the new Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist with Pheasants Forever covering Richland, Crawford, Huron and Seneca counties.

She graduated from The Ohio State University in December of 2023 with her bachelor’s in environmental science with a specialization in ecosystem restoration. Prior to starting her current position, she spent two years doing undergraduate research and extension work with Ohio State and has been a part of numerous natural habitat and farm research initiatives. She is looking forward to working with landowners on their goals of supporting wild landscapes.

Outside of work, Rachel enjoys reading, attempting to bake, and is a dog mom to her and her partner’s two pups. She spends most of her spare time with her little family enjoying the outdoors on hikes or inside watching a good movie.

Say Hello to Rachel