OCR Text |
Show SUMMIT COUNTY NEWS PAGE A4 APRIL 6, 2012 Senior issues of Summit County 4\Rcs Conservation Corner Let's get moving Gardening is for the birds Welcome to a new monthly column provided by the members of the Summit County Senior Issues Working Group. A diverse group of community leaders make up the Working Group including the city and county governments, the Park City, Kamas, and Coalville Senior Centers, Mountainland Association of Governments, Summit County Health Department and the Park City Clinic. The goal is to communicate and enlighten our Summit County Seniors on the many available services and on day to day issues of living in Summit County. This month's topic is on the benefits of exercise. "Let's Get Moving!" (written by Dr. Bill Pidwell) English writer Aldous Huxley once said, "The goal is to die young, but as late as possible." We are always striving to find the secret cure to longevity, but what's really important is the secret to a long, high quality life. Over the past twenty years a significant amount of research has been done looking to find this secret to quality aging. One element that continues to prove worth- while is the idea of active aging. Keeping your body moving and increasing your heart rate is vital in prolonging life, but more importantly increasing a higher quality of life. Recent studies have shown incredible improvement in people doing at least moderate activity, (defined as cardiovascular exercise for 150 minutes per week). People with controlled high blood pressure, who begin an exercise program, increase their longevity by 60%. In those over 80 years old, moderate exercise increased longevity by 38% and up to 73% in those that exercise at a high intensity level. Similarly, depressive symptoms are decreased by 30% in people who exercise moderately and 50% in those who exercise with high intensity. In addition, you can cut your risk of dementia in half simply by exercising! Overall, the studies show that moderate exercise adds 5.8 years to your life while high intensity exercise adds up to 8.7 years. And the best part is that those are healthy, high quality, functioning years! So how do you get started? First, you need to meet with your primary care physician and make certain there is nothing limiting your ability to start an exercise program. Then it is up to you to get going. You might join a local gym that offers a variety of exercise options; many offer senior discounts. The Park City Senior Center offers classes and Kamas and Coalville are looking to do the same. There are also many ways to exercise at no cost. Start by simply trying to walk for 30 minutes a day. You can take a walk around the block, ride a bicycle, work out with an exercise video or park as far away as possible wherever you go. Every little bit helps. Do your body and mind a favor and keep up your exercise. It will keep you feeling young and not only extend your life but extend a high quality life. Let's Get Moving! Dr. Bill Pidwell is a founding member of the Park City Summit County Senior Issues Working Group and is a Principal Physician and Partner with the Park City Clinic now with two locations; Bonanza Drive and Round Valley Road. "Everyday activities... helping children reach their potential" CHERYL OVARD SCN Editor Many of us would thoroughly enjoy basking in a glorious garden filled with vibrantly colored flowers, exuding sweet fragrant aromas, while rich green grasses tickled our feet. Who wouldn't want to take a moment to watch butterflies floating effortlessly in the air, birds splashing in their own private bird baths, and squirrels stuffing their cheeks with endless amounts of seeds? The good news? You can create your own magnificent wildlife garden right in your own backyard. It takes some planning, but there is a lot of room for creativity and it's something the entire family can participate in. When attracting wildlife to your garden you'll want to keep in mind three specific criteria; cover, water, and food. Cover is simply a shelter for wildlife and can be anything from tall grasses to bushes and even dead trees. Believe it or not, dead trees are an essential component of a successful wildlife garden, as squirrels and owls use the hollowed cores as nest sites. Birds enjoy a variety of trees and bushes to perch and nest in. If you don't have mature trees in your yard you can buy or build a nest box; a man-made box provided for animals to nest in. Tall shrubs act as a windbreak and help protect butterflies and smaller creatures from harsh winds. Flat stones offer butterflies a place to rest and soak up the sun. Rock piles attract chipmunks, but you'll want to steer clear of these if you don't want to attract snakes or mice to your garden. When creating a rock pile you should place large rocks on the bottom and smaller ones on top, which will offer a quick escape to shelter if needed. The goal is to provide 0 ing - and "no matter what the score turned out" - it was great fun! Teachers at school can vouch for the improvements in students as they read or do homework with the volunteers - who become "friends forever" with the youth. Volunteering is fun! and being a Big Brother or Big Sister is one of the most rewarding and enjoyable things you will ever do. It's easy, too. Your Little can join you for the kinds of activities you already like to do, such as: shooting hoops; playing a board game; sharing a pizza; taking a walk in the park; or just hanging out and talking. Whatever it is, anyone any age can become a "Big Brother or Big Sister of Utah" to a youth in schools in the Summit and Wasatch Counties' program. Thanks to this program and the bowling activity, monies were donated to assist in meeting the needs of not only the program, but in giving children an opportunity to gain self esteem, improve their skills in classes at school, and making new friends. varieties and combinations that can work to attract wildlife in your garden - Forget-Me-Nots, Sunflowers, Indian Paintbrush, small trees like Dogwood and all species of Oak are good choices. It all depends on your tastes and what animals you want to attract. If you are just getting your garden started you can supply seeds and small grains to attract birds. Think about placing bird feeders, and nest boxes within view of a window so you can enjoy watching them while you eat breakfast or read the newspaper. Place a chair or two in quiet area of the garden in view of a bird bath or butterfly puddling pan. Plant some snapdragons in a hanging planter on your balcony along with some lavender or honeysuckle to lure in an awe-inspiring hummingbird. Just remember, if you offer seeds for birds you should continue to do so throughout the winter months as well. Often times they will rely on the food sources that you provide and it encourages them to come back year after year. On a final note, it's important to avoid using herbicides and pesticides in your garden areas. These chemicals can kill adult butterflies and other beneficial insects; as well as their larvae. Keep in mind that wildlife gardens take time to create but the benefits and rewards make the effort an exceptionally satisfying and worthwhile endeavor. If you have questions or need assistance with conservation planning on your land you may contact the NRCS Field Office in Coalville at (435) 336-5853 or Ogden at (801) 629-0575. NRCS is an equal opportunity employer and provider. c_r 0 Subscribe To The Summit County News! Don't Miss a Single Issue! 783-1471-336-5501 .1-3 a NO BATTERIES REQUIRED Subscribe Th die News/ 783-1471-336-5501 Rated PG-13 PRESSPAUSEFIAY. A look at how the digital revolution is making artists out of more people than ever before. - The New York Times At Summer .Adventure Camp, there is so much fun and learning to be had, everyone will want in on the action. From outdoor adventures to arts and crafts and projects that connect youth to the community, Deer Valley is the perfect place for all natural recreation. Camp is available Monday through Friday, June 11- August 24, 2012. ■ Bring this ad PRESS PAUSE PLAY Underwritten by: ■ ■ NanaWall Systems ■ Friday, April 6 - 8:00 PM Saturday, April 7 - 8:00 PM Sunday, April 8 - 6:00 PM PARK CITY FILM SERIES 1255 Park Avenue, Park City Call 435-615-8291 or www.parkcityfilmseries.org SMIN1IT LOUNIY ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ with you to get a v. a PCReft12 Winder Farms is our proud butter sponsor for our delicious popcorn ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ rararararo_o_o_rarl take home with them. The 6th Annual Summit Wasatch Bowl for Kids' Sake event raised almost $14,000 to support local children in our Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring programs this year. They had 17 bowling teams join us at Jupiter Bowlincluding teams from Park City Sunrise Rotary, Park City Police, American Eagle, the UPS store, and several of our Bigs and Littles from throughout Summit and Wasatch County. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah supported 156 children in Summit and Wasatch counties with professionally supported mentoring relationships in 2011 and hopes to support 177 children in our programs this year. "With an average cost of $846 to support a child in our program for one year, this event gets us a lot closer to reaching that goal!" stated Ericka Wells, Summit & Wasatch Counties Coordinator and Quality Assurance Coordinator. The opportunity to be together with these youth in a relaxed setting such as bowl- a variety of different areas for animals to enjoy, as well as, offer them protection. Water is an essential component to any garden. You can have the most well planned garden in the world, but if you don't offer a source of fresh water, your habitat can easily go untouched. Birds use water for many purposes including bathing, drinking and eating the insects that are attracted to it. Suspended bird baths are a good option because they protect birds from predators; namely the neighborhood cat. Butterflies enjoy puddling - drinking water and extracting minerals from damp puddles. You can place a shallow pan with coarse sand in the soil of your garden to encourage butterflies to drink, just make sure you keep the sand moist. It is vital to keep all water sources fresh and replace them regularly to ensure a healthy environment for animals to continually visit. Food is another key element in attracting wildlife. Flowers provide food for butterflies, hummingbirds, and honeybees. For those of us who don't always get around to mowing the lawn, the animals will thank you for it. Tall grasses provide seeds for birds and small mammals. Supplying native flowering plants is essential for survival and reproduction. Butterflies, for example, have co-evolved with native plants and they depend on one another during their lifecycles. Offering continuous bloom flowers in red, yellow, orange, pink, and purple clustered blossoms, like snapdragons, are a favorite of butterflies and hummingbirds. Pinyon Pines offer birds and squirrels yearround habitat protection and provide a good food source with their edible pine nuts. Ultimately there are many p rcliararararararall E Friendships made through Summit and Wasatch Counties' Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah can change a child's outlook on life - helping them become the leaders of tomorrow! Volunteers may start out just reading with a child in a classroom as did Volunteer as a Big Sister - Marie - did five years ago with Vesenia now a young 13-year old teenager. Vesenia enjoyed reading with Marie in class at school when she was only seven- nearly eight - years old. The reading sessions soon blossomed into painting at Marie's house, then on to other creative crafts and projects. They joined a book club, did cooking, and Vesenia and Marie are now inseparable! They love to be together, and bowling with their team on Saturday, March 31, with the other Big Brother Big Sister couples and friends, was no exception - they had a great time and were honored for their five years of "loving service and friendship" through this great program! The Jupiter Bowling Alley in Red Stone was filled with excitement as families and friends gathered as volunteers and "Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Utah" for a morning of bowling together for fun, and also entering a raffle to see if any donated prizes would be won if their ticket number was called and there were plenty of items to go around. Sponsors from both Summit and Wasatch counties donated gift cards, ski passes, t-shirts - and many other items which the students could BY JENNIFER WEST DEER VALLEY RESORT 435-649-woo I deervalley.com ° |