Ok, Kristi, I'll take your challenge, but only because I love you. Our water districts are now the model for what should have been done in Georgia years ago (and was done here years ago.) When Georgia faced a really catastrophic drought, their governor suggested everyone pray for rain (I'm not kidding) and sued Florida. And hundreds of businesses went out of business because they had to suddenly and drastically restrict water. They had to do that because they hadn't been managing their water at all and suddenly, they were facing a drinking water shortage, something we'll never face here, because we have water management. Water management isn't perfect, and is often really imperfect _ like when they give away water to the bottlers. But we also let farmers use whatever water they have on their properties. You have to decide what property rights you want to protect. If we could trust everyone to only water their lawns as much as their lawns actually needed, maybe we wouldn't need water management. But the sad truth is, most people will water every day, in the middle of the day, and then overfertlize, to compensate for all the nutrients they are washing into the street each day. And that wastes water and washes pollutants into our waterways. So restrictions protect us from the stupid people. Laws against drunk driving and planting Brazilian peppers do the same. And the sad-sack reality is, if we want the stupid people to get with the program, we, the so-called enlightened ones, have to accept some restrictions. I think we are headed to water management in the style of the midwest states, and we need to beware of that. They sell water rights there, fight extended lawsuits over who stole what water upriver, and generally build lots of acrimony. Instead, I hope we can learn to use our water better. And the learning curve is steep. South Florida residents use more water per capita than anyone else in the state _ west Broward is the worst waster statewide _ and that is largely because we irrigate our lawns too much and stupidly. I know you're not doing that, Kristi, but lots of people are. I walk the dogs, at 5 p.m., before it's even close to dark out, and we have to detour to avoid sprinklers watering sidewalks. Come on! Those homeowners shouldn't be watering sidewalks, and they shouldn't be watering at 5 p.m. when it doesn't get dark before 8. As for water savings, I'm proud of my brown crunchy yard. It's what it's supposed to be this time of year. I have rain barrels and we ration flushes, and the dirty dogs' water certainly goes on plants. But I'm sure I wash too much water down the drain. At least I'm not drawing extra to maintain a "green" lawn that is anything but truly green.

This is a news release from June 2005, from the NJ Audubion Society: For immediate release Contact: Eric Stiles June 15, 2005 (908) 766-5787 ext. 13 Kathleen Bird (609) 392-1181 or (609) 273-7750 Groups Urge Restoration and Protection of NJs Rarest Wildlife Habitats Conservation Partnerships with Private Landowners Essential to Saving Key Grassland Habitats, Critical Species Federal, state and nonprofit conservation officials joined forces today to highlight the importance and process of restoring New JerseyÂs rarest habitats  grasslands and other habitats in early succession such as shrublands. Landowners have an essential role to play in preserving New JerseyÂs most critically endangered habitats and can benefit financially by voluntarily conserving critical natural resources on private pastures and farmland, the experts said. "New JerseyÂs grasslands have reached a critical juncture. Strong, voluntary partnerships are needed to protect these areas and prevent the large number of threatened and endangered species from disappearing from New Jersey," said Eric Stiles, vice president of conservation and stewardship for New Jersey Audubon Society. "Grassland conservation is a private-public partnership, based on financial rewards to willing landowners, and involving state and federal agencies." New Jersey has lost agricultural and grassland habitat at an alarming rate, from nearly 1 million acres in 1972 to less than 850,000 acres in 2001, based on the latest available state data. And in just a six-year period  from 1995 to 2001  nearly 26,000 acres of agricultural lands were lost to development. "Grasslands and other early successional habitat are New JerseyÂs most critically endangered habitats," Stiles said. Eric Schrading, Senior Fish & Wildlife Biologist and Private Lands Coordinator for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service based at its New Jersey Field Office in Pleasantville, said, "Much of the land in New Jersey is privately owned, so protection of our essential natural resources depends on partnerships with willing landowners. Agricultural grasslands, which provide shelter, safety and nourishment for grassland birds, are the most rapidly disappearing land type in New Jersey." "Since they lack trees, the agricultural landscapes of pastures and farmland that contain New JerseyÂs grasslands are easier and cheaper to develop and often targeted first by developers," New Jersey AudubonÂs Stiles said at a press conference today at the ecologically important and strikingly beautiful Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge in the Sussex County community of Sussex. The Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge was chosen for the event to demonstrate the successful grassland restoration and management practices occurring there. The refuge is a gem in an expansive, historically agricultural area of the northwestern part of New Jersey. Nearby Wantage and Vernon townships in Sussex County and Pohatcong in Warren County feature enormous tracts of grasslands hosting critical bird species whose populations are in jeopardy. Critical habitat for grassland dependent species, also found throughout other areas of New Jersey, has been rapidly disappearing due to development. As habitat dwindles, bird and other species decline. The U.S. Department of AgricultureÂs Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the New Jersey Department of Environmental ProtectionÂs Endangered and Nongame Species Program are providing financial and other incentives to farmers to restore native habitat and to manage their lands to benefit wildlife. New Jersey Audubon Society, the stateÂs oldest and most respected conservation organization, is advocating grassland preservation and restoration of native vegetation that provides habitat for species that are listed as threatened, endangered or of special concern by the state. Landowners can learn about how they can manage property of any size to benefit wildlife through a new handbook, "New Jersey Audubon SocietyÂs Guide to Incentive Programs for New Jersey Landowners." It is a clearinghouse for information about state and federal programs that provide financial and technical assistance. The guide is available on NJ AudubonÂs Web site at: www.njaudubon.org/Conservation or by calling (908) 766-5787. "State and federal habitat management programs provide a win-win situation for farmers and for natural resources," said Kim Korth, a biologist who oversees the Landowner Incentive Program under the state Department of Environmental ProtectionÂs Endangered and Nongame Species Program. There has been a dramatic loss of grassland and other early successional habitats statewide and major impacts to the species that use them. Forty percent of the birds on New JerseyÂs endangered list rely on grasslands, while almost 30 percent of birds listed as endangered, threatened or of special concern are considered early successional species. Over 85 percent of New JerseyÂs listed insects including butterflies rely on grassland and early successional habitat. New Jersey still contains important grassland and early successional habitat including habitat for the largest single populations of frosted elfin and arogos skipper globally," said Korth, referring to species of butterflies. Established native vegetation such as Indian grass, little bluestem, big bluestem and switchgrass have many benefits, including needing less treatment, such as fertilizer and lime, than traditional grasses. "Tall native grasses have provided habitat to grasshopper sparrows, bobolinks, northern harriers, upland sandpipers and more," said Tim Dunne, biologist with the U.S. Department of AgricultureÂs Natural Resources Conservation Service based in Clinton. Most farmers traditional hay and pasture crops are cool-season grasses and legumes such as timothy hay, rye grass, orchard grass and alfalfa. These get their first cutting in late May or early June  timing that corresponds to the peak nesting season for grassland birds. As a result, breeding bird pairs selecting these hayfields are doomed to fail. The result is the destruction of habitat and further declines in both the number of individual birds and the number of species. Habitat management to benefit wildlife includes farmers creating buffers, filter strips and other areas that are undisturbed during the nesting season, said Dunne. NJ AudubonÂs Eric Stiles added, "Without adequate protection, creation and management of their nesting habitats, grassland birds will continue to decline in New Jersey until they are locally extinct. Federal and state incentive programs offer some hope. "Grasslands are top priorities for these programs. But in order to succeed best, these programs must focus on areas where converting to grasslands is the most feasible. ThatÂs not all. In addition, effective management is needed on lands owned by nonprofit conservation organizations and by federal, state, county and municipal agencies in regions where grassland management should be a top priority," said Stiles. The Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge was established by an act of Congress in 1990. It hosts more than 200 species of birds, as well as a variety of plants and other animals. While the refuge was created primarily to provide habitat protection for migratory waterfowl that inhabit its wetlands, it manages native, warm-season grasslands. They provide critical habitat for important threatened and endangered bird species including bobolinks and savannah sparrows that inhabit the uplands. If you Google "grassland" and "endangered" or "Threatened" you should find lots.

I love The New England Wildflower Society. For me, I often find the need to use several online resources as a guide to plant selection for my woodlands as well as my wetlands. Illinois is not all that progressive in this area. A combination approach of utilizing different sources has helped me considerably to insure I am making the most responsible choices. Illinois Native Plant Society http://www.ill-inps.org/ Wild Ones, Lake to Prairie Chapter http://www.for-wild.org/chapters/lake2prairie/ National Audubon Society. Lake County Chapter Wetlands Campaign Illinois Bluebird Project http://www.audubon.org/ International Carnivorous Plant Society www.carnivorousplants.org Chicago Wilderness Coalition www.chicagowilderness.org/ Native Fish Society http://www.nativefishsociety.org/ The Nature Conservancy http://nature.org/aboutus/ Chicago Botanical Gardens www.chicago-botanic.org/ Illinois Dpt Of Agriculture http://www.agr.state.il.us/ McHenry County Defenders http://www.mcdef.org/ Many of these organizations offer seminars and workshops which is great! Many also host native plant sales and McHenry County Defenders has probably the best native plant sale I have seen in a long time.

I am by no means an expert. I only have used it for regular thrips. The correct info is on the product label information which is very lengthy. I have highlighted some of the info you need. As a basic answer tho. You only do two applications of conserve at least 7 days apart before rotting to a different product which should have a different mechanism of action (so NOT a class 5) The dilution calculations are given for 100 gallons but once you divide it comes up to about 1 oz per 10gallons or 3ml per gallon. I use a 15 gallon sprayer which makes dealing with measurements easier. If you have a smaller garden you can get a syringe and use the milliliters. Full disclosure I have stopped spraying for thrips and after a few years of introducing natural predators to me garden I have as good results as when I was a garden slave spraying every other week. Dosage for fire ants comes out to the same so I used those. Again no expert here. please read the entire label