Spring Wildflower Hike

with Leon Bates

Saturday, April 2, 2016 Depart Chattanooga at 9:00 am EST Wild Ones MEMBERS ONLY Limited number of spaces available Leon Bates will lead Wild Ones members on the 2016 Spring Wildflower Hike to Shakerag Hollow near Sewanee, TN.  The wildflower display should be spectacular, with trillium, larkspur, phlox and much more.   The Shakerag trail, constructed by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) in the 1930s, has diverse native flora with huge trees and abundant streams and waterfalls.  This hike location is so unique that it merits designation as a personal "bucket list" hike for Wild Ones members. NOTE: This hike is currently FULL.   To add your name to the waiting list, email us at [email protected].

Plant Conservation in Tennessee

with David Lincicome

Monday, April 11, 2016 --  6:00 pm green|spaces, 63 E. Main St., Chattanooga TN FREE and open to the public David Lincicome will provide a brief overview of the State Natural Areas Program, highlight a few of the rare plant recovery projects in progress, and discuss the idea of starting a Plant Conservation Alliance in Tennessee, modeled after efforts in Georgia.   David Lincicome is the Natural Heritage Manager with the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation, Division of Natural Areas.  He is based in Nashville.     For info on Tennessee Natural Areas, click HERE. Click HERE for info on plant conservation efforts in Georgia.

The Program Committee of the Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones, co-chaired by Marti Owensby and Bill Moll, has been busy putting together the schedule for 2016 programs.  Details on some programs are still being finalized.  The latest information will be published on our website as soon as it becomes available.

The CNP Committee, co-chaired by Beverly Inman-Ebel and Sally Wencel, held a planning retreat in late February to work out the details for a new schedule of "Certificate in Native Plants" classes.  Some exciting new learning opportunities will be coming soon!

By the end of April, the class schedule for 2016 will be available, and classes will start again this summer.  There will be several full-day "core" classes offered, as well as a wider variety of half-day "electives."  Classes will be open to the public, and registrants do not have to be working toward the Certificate to attend the classes. Registration discounts will be available to members of the three partner organizations -- Wild Ones, Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center, and the Tennessee Native Plant Society.

The CNP began in 2014 at Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center.  The Certificate in Native Plants is awarded to individuals who complete the class and volunteer requirements for the program.   At the March 5 Plant Natives 2016 Symposium, the first five "graduates" of the program were recognized with their Certificates -- Valarie Adams, Louise Gilley, Lena Hall, Clare Hetzler and Lucy Scanlon.  The Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones will assume administrative responsibility for the CNP when it is relaunched this spring.

Many of you may have seen Catherine Zimmerman when she spoke about "Meadowscaping" in Chattanooga in 2012.  Catherine, along with Doug Tallamy (our symposium keynote speaker last year) is now putting the finishing touches on a film called  Hometown Habitat, Stories of Bringing Nature Home.  It will be  a 90-minute environmental, education documentary focused on showing how and why native plants are critical to the survival and vitality of local ecosystems.

Hometown Habitat will provide a tool to reach out, inform and bring attention to the serious implications of land care practices which result in habitat loss. The film is solution driven, profiling people and projects that excite, motivate and inspire others to use native plants in their landscapes of all sizes.

We plan to show the film here in Chattanooga on April 19th.

This documentary is being made possible by support of individuals like us across the country.  For more info and to provide support, click HERE.

The Tennessee Native Plant Society has published its 2016 hike schedule. Members of Wild Ones are welcome to attend as guests. Click HERE for schedule.

Mark your calendar for the Reflection Riding Native Plant Sales:

Spring Plant Sale -- April 14-16

Fall Plant Sale -- September 8-10

In addition to our Facebook Group, where there is discussion about native plants and sharing of plant photos, we also have a NEW open and public Facebook page. On this page, we share information about upcoming programs and events, as well as links to interesting information about native plants and related topics.  Please be sure to "Like" our new Facebook page and check it often for updates and news.

As our chapter continues to grow, to add more programs, and to relaunch the Certificate in Native Plants classes, we've decided to make our registration process a little easier. By this spring, we will be using EventSpot software for you to register for all paid classes, members-only events, the annual symposium, and other special events and workshops.  Programs that are free and open to the public will continue to NOT require pre-registration.  The new software will make registration and payment simpler, and you'll immediately be emailed a ticket and detailed program information.  You'll also be able to easily see if a program is sold out.

Please be patient with us as we implement and learn this new process.  Since we are an all-volunteer organization without any paid staff, we hope that this new process will be more user-friendly and give you information in a timely manner.

You'll still be able to stay in touch and ask questions by emailing us at tnvalleywildones @gmail.com.

Thanks to everyone who was able to join us at the Plant Natives 2016! annual symposium on Saturday, March 5th.  Speakers Larry Mellichamp, Ron Lance and Tony Glover gave very interesting and informative talks, and nearly twenty vendors and exhibitors provided a huge variety of native plants, botanical drawings and other useful connections and resources for the nearly 200 people who attended.   We feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from some of the leaders in the native plant field and to share the day with a great group of people interested in native plants.

A big thanks goes to Dennis Bishop, 2016 Symposium Chair, and his amazing Committee members who took care of everything --- from program planning to speaker arrangements, registration, check-in, door prizes, marketing, publicity, vendor coordination and support, greeting and hosting.  

Congratulations to Paola Zannini, Anita Greenwell and Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center, who were awarded the second annual Landscaping/Habitat Recognition Award.  This award recognizes individuals and organizations  whose exemplary use of native plants demonstrate the mission of Wild Ones: to promote environmentally sound landscaping practices which preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration and establishment of native plant communities.

In the coming weeks, we'll be looking at the symposium evaluation forms and start planning for our SIXTH annual symposium -- Plant Natives 2017!   If you're interesting in being on the 2017 Symposium Committee, please email us and let us know.

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