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All upcoming meetings will be held virtually (via Zoom). Please click on the Zoom link provided to join the program or register for free to join.
Meeting Schedule: 7:00 pm Welcome 7:05 pm Announcements 7:10 pm Program/Presentation |
All of our meetings and garden tours are free and open to the public. Please invite a friend! |
Wednesday February 16th - 7 pm
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© Rebecca McMackin
© Rebecca McMackin
This event is FREE but registration is required:
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Brooklyn Bridge Park, an 85-acre, organic park in the middle of New York City, was created with ecology in mind. The Park’s award winning piers host top notch recreation, from opera to outdoor films, all of it beautifully designed. But the piers also contain native woodlands, freshwater wetlands, salt marshes, and numerous meadows. These areas closely mimic native ecosystems and are managed with an emphasis on wildlife habitat. This talk will detail many of the strategies employed to design an ecological park, as well as the management techniques used to cultivate biodiverse parkland. If we can do it, so can you. Rebecca McMackin is an ecologically obsessed horticulturist and garden designer. By day, she is the Director of Horticulture at Brooklyn Bridge Park, where she manages 85 acres of diverse parkland organically and with an eye towards habitat creation for birds, butterflies, and soil microorganisms. In her imaginary free time, Rebecca writes about landscape management and pollination ecology, as well as designs the occasional garden. Her writing has been published by the New York Times, the Ecological Landscape Alliance, and the Landscape Institute. |
Wednesday, March 9th, 2022
Prairie Haven: Habitat Restoration on an Old Wisconsin Farm
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Marcie and Mike O'Connor bought an old farm in Wisconsin in 2000. Since then they've been working to restore it back to the prairies, savannas, and wetlands that were there before the land was settled. They've planted prairie in the old crop fields, cleared and expanded remnant prairies and savannas, and replanted and restored damaged wetland prairies and sedge meadows. Their goal is to create as diverse a native ecosystem as possible, and to encourage the return of native animals. Marcie keeps an extensive website about their efforts, and inventories and information about the plants and animals they find. www.prairiehaven.com Marcie became interested in plants when she was about 10 years old, and then earned a BA in Biology from Grinnell College. In the past she transformed most of their yards into various native habitats, but now she concentrates on habitat restoration at their farm. |
Wednesday, April 20, 2022
The Humane Gardener: Nurturing Habitat for Wildlife
Hosted by Wild Ones Prairie Edge and Big River Big Woods Chapters
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Why do we call some insects “beneficial” while others are “pests”? Why do we welcome some larger animals to our garden while calling others “nuisances”? Why are some plants considered “desirable” while others are “weeds”? In this myth-busting talk, learn how common growing methods divide the natural world into false dichotomies and perpetuate misperceptions about the wild species living among us. Discover practical ways to put humane gardening philosophies into action by protecting nesting and overwintering sites; eliminating unintended hazards; identifying and nurturing plants that provide food and shelter; restoring habitat with minimal disturbance to animals; and humanely resolving conflicts with mammals and other commonly misunderstood creatures. Nancy Lawson is the author of The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife, a habitat consultant, a columnist for All Animals magazine, and a frequent speaker on garden ecology. She founded Humane Gardener to pioneer creative planting strategies and animal-friendly landscaping methods. Lawson’s presentations at diverse venues—from national wildlife refuges and wildflower preserves to universities and state natural resource agencies—have inspired even seasoned horticulturists and wildlife experts to look at their landscapes in a new way. Certified as a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional and master naturalist, she partners with nonprofits in the national capital region, including Howard County Bee City, Audubon Society of Central Maryland, and Patapsco Heritage Greenway. Her book and garden have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Oprah magazine and other media outlets. |