 |
|
Healing the earth, one yard at a time
November 2015 Newsletter
In this edition:
Upcoming Events:
Fall "Four Seasons" Hike - October 31
Annual Meeting - November 14
Holiday Potluck Party - December 14
Coming in January 2016 - Mushrooms!
Native Plant Symposium - March 5, 2016
Certification in Native Plants
Membership Directory
New England Asters
Photos from the Garden
Become a Wild Ones Member
|
|
Annual Meeting
Saturday, November 14, 10 am - 2 pm
FREE for Members Only
|
On Saturday, November 14th the Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones membership will gather at beautiful Greenway Farm to review 2015 and prepare for another great year in 2016.
We will preview information about programs planned for 2016 and elect officers for the coming year. You'll be able to learn about volunteer opportunities and get to know other members interested in native plant gardening. Morning beverages and lunch will be provided.
After lunch, we will have another fabulous native plant and seed swap.
For the swap, bring a native plant or some native plant seeds... and you can exchange with another member. This is a great way add some plant diversity to your garden.
The meeting will end with a nature walk led by Dr. Richard Clements, Professor of Biology & Environmental Science at Chattanooga State.
The Annual Meeting, including lunch, is FREE for all active members and spouses/partners. For details and schedule, click here.
The Greenway Farm is a 180-acre city park along North Chickamauga Creek in Hixson, TN, located off Hamill Road approximately 1 mile east of Highway 153.
To register and place your lunch order,
please click below and indicate if you would like
a standard, vegetarian OR gluten-free lunch.
|
|
|
Fall Four Seasons Hike
with Holli Richey
Saturday, October 31, 9:30 am - 1:30 pm
The "Four Seasons of Hikes" explores one local natural area in each of four seasons to see how our native plants change and vary throughout the year. Each seasonal hike is held at the Rock Creek Segment of the Cumberland Trail. This event will be the third of our four seasonal hikes and will be led by herbalist
Holli Richey.
Attendance is limited to 12 people. You do not need to attend all hikes. Please join us for this hike, even if you were not able to attend the spring or the summer hike. Click below to email us and reserve your spot.
|
|
|
Holiday Potluck Party
Save the date!
Monday, December 14, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.
More info coming soon.
|
Coming in January 2016 - Mushrooms!
with Tradd Cotter from Mushroom Mountain in South Carolina
|
Soul Mates For Life: Native Plants and their Fungal Partners
Friday, January 8, 2016
6:00 - 7:00 pm
Join mushroom expert Tradd Cotter, mycologist and founder of Mushroom Mountain, for a fascinating lecture on native plants and their fungal partners.
In order to sustain life on this planet, a complex matrix of organisms has evolved to orchestrate the balance. Plants and fungi have merged and continue to unveil the benefits of collaborating with nature. We have a lot to learn from these relationships, and understanding the respect they have for each other can teach us more than just soil biology. Our native plant communities are communicating through their own internet, reaching out to other organisms to help repair the ecosystems that perpetuate life on this planet.
Lecture to be held at UTC
$10/person
|
Mushroom Cultivation Workshop
Saturday, January 9, 2016
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
We're proud to partner with the Tennessee Aquarium to bring expert Tradd Cotter to Chattanooga for a workshop at Crabtree Farms.
You'll leave this half-day workshop understanding the best ways to cultivate delicious mushrooms at home or on your farm. This class will energize your efforts and maximize your production. Topics include: life cycle of fungi, woodland mushroom farming, indoor production and organic pest management.
All Ages (with Adult Supervision)
Limited to 30 participants
$30/member
$40/non-Member
|
Save the Dates!
Registration information will be available soon.
|
|
|
Celebrating the Bounty of Southeastern Gardens
March 5, 2016
Registration Now Available
Make a note on your calendar and make your reservation now! Our fifth annual native plant symposium is scheduled for Saturday, March 5, 2016 at the UTC University Center Auditorium.
The keynote speaker will be Dr. Larry Mellichamp, retired Professor of Botany and Horticulture at the University of North Carolina. Larry is an expert on native trees and shrubs, and he is the author of several books, including The Winter Garden, Bizarre Botanicals, and Native Plants of the Southeast. He is a very engaging speaker and will be giving two talks at the Symposium -- "Best Southeastern Natives for the Home Landscape" and "Bizarre Natives."
This year, we will have a variety of vendors and exhibitors, including native plant nurseries. Speakers will have their books on hand, and you can have them signed at the Symposium.
For more info about the symposium, additional speakers and talks...
and to register,
click the buttons below.
|
|
Certification in Native Plants
Many of our members began the Certification in Native Plants two years ago when Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center took the lead in a three-way partnership. Reflection Riding has asked the Tennessee Valley Wild Ones to lead this program moving forward. Our committee has met several times, and some exciting classes have been outlined. It is our intent to restart the program in September 2016.
For those who have partial classes and/or volunteer hours, those will be honored and we have the records. For those who completed the program, you will receive your certificate in 2016. If you have questions, suggestions, or concerns please contact Beverly Inman-Ebel at
[email protected]
as she co-chairs the Certification in Native Plants Committee. Thank you for your patience and input of time.
|
|
Membership Directory
A number of our chapter members have requested a Membership Directory, so that it will be easier to meet other members, connect with each other, arrange carpools, and share information.
Chapter member Matt Grubbs has volunteered to help compile the Directory, which will be available electronically to active members of the chapter only. We respect your privacy, so before publishing the Directory, we will give you the choice to include your contact information, opt out on specific information, or opt out completely.
In the near future, you will receive an email from Matt, giving you the chance to update your contact information and to select what information is shared. Please look for this email and respond promptly. We hope to have the Tennessee Valley Membership Directory available by the end of the year... and remember, it is for chapter use only and should NOT be shared outside our group.
|
|
As the temperatures cool and the changing color of the leaves intensifies, plants in the Aster (Asteraceae
) family continue to offer a bright display and food for flower visitors.
Learn more about asters now in bloom. Click below to read the blog article with stunning photos by Mary Ann Borge.
|
|
Photos from the Garden
There have been a number of sighting of Monarch butterflies this past month.
Here are a few photos from Tennessee Valley Wild Ones member Mike O'Brien.
|
|
| Spotted Apatelodes Moth Caterpillar on Redbud |
|
|
| Common Checkered Skipper and Honey Bee |
|
|
| Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly on Pineapple Sage |
|
|
Become a Wild Ones Member!
Join the Tennessee Valley Chapter
|
|
See what's happening on our social media sites:
|
Wild Ones: Native Plants. Natural Landscapes is a national non-profit organization with over 50 chapters in 13 states that promotes environmentally sound landscaping practices to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration and establishment of native plant communities. Please read more information about Wild Ones at www.wildones.org.
The Tennessee Valley Chapter presents guest speakers, field trips and other special events throughout the year, as well as an annual native plant and natural landscaping symposium in early spring.
|
|
|
|
|
|
