Joint Annual Dinner for SWCD, Extension set for Jan. 24

Do you have an interest in viewing nature photos from around Indiana? Or maybe you would like to know more about the history of the Wabash River, located only a short distance from Putnam County?

You will have a chance to do both from the guest speaker at the Joint Annual Dinner for the Putnam County Soil and Water Conservation District and Purdue Extension Putnam County on Thursday, Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. at the York Auto Family Community Building on the Putnam County Fairgrounds.

The guest speaker for the Joint Annual Dinner will be Brendan Kearns, an enthusiast of the Wabash River, and the rich history that is tied to it.

An avid photographer, he captures nature’s beauty as it unfolds during his adventures on the river. An avid storyteller, he enjoys presenting about the Wabash River to anyone that will listen.

This love of the Wabash River has led him to his job as the Conservation Program specialist for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Healthy Rivers Initiative. In this position he helps to educate Wabash Valley residents about our important natural resource and conservation programs.

Brendan’s photography of the Wabash River and its wildlife can be seen on his Facebook page and his website BrendanKearns.com. One of his most famous videos “Asian Carp,” which captured this invasive species on the Wabash River in 2010, currently has more than 20 million views on YouTube.

The Putnam County Soil and Water Conservation District and Purdue Extension Putnam County decided to team up to let stakeholders from both organizations celebrate their successes and awards during this year’s Joint Annual Dinner. This celebration will take place on Thursday, Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. at the York Auto Family Community Building on the Putnam County Fairgrounds. The event is open to the public, although there is a $5 cost to attend.

Tickets can be purchased in advance by contacting Purdue Extension Putnam County (765-653-8411), the Putnam County Soil and Water Conservation District (653-5716 ext. 3), or Extension Board members.

Visit www.extension.purdue.edu/putnam or contact the local Purdue Extension Office by calling 653-8411 for more information regarding this week’s column topic or to RSVP for upcoming events. It is always best to call first to assure items are ready when you arrive and to RSVP for programs. While many publications are free, some do have a fee.

Upcoming Events

Jan. 8 – Cultivating Your Farmers Market Knowledge – Night 1, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Jan. 10 – Putnam 4-H Junior Leaders, Fairgrounds, 6:30 p.m.

Jan. 22 – 2019 Bi-State Gardening Conference, Covington, 6-8 p.m., $20. Register at https://go.illinois.edu/bistate.

Jan. 23 – Conservation Planning for Your Farm webinar, noon. Register at https://tinyurl.com/y83ma4k4.

Jan. 24 – Joint Annual Dinner between Purdue Extension and Putnam County SWCD, Fairgrounds, 6 p.m. Cost is $5.

Feb. 12 – Cultivating Your Farmers Market Knowledge – Night 2, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Feb. 20 – Exploring 4-H (Mini 4-H grade 2) kickoff, Fairgrounds, 6-7 p.m.

March 12 – Cultivating Your Farmers Market Knowledge – Night 3, 6:30-8:30 p.m.