Wednesday March 13, 2019
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Native Landscapes for Bird Enthusiasts One of the best ways to bring birds to your feeders is to grow native plants. Adding native plants to your garden will attract and protect the birds you love while making your space beautiful, easy to care for and better for the environment. Join us as Kaitlyn walks us through the best, most bird-friendly trees, shrubs and perennials to plant in our region, along with how to establish a native garden that birds will love in your backyard. Kaitlyn O'Connor is the education and outreach coordinator at Prairie Moon Nursery in Winona, Minnesota. |
Wednesday April 10, 2019
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Earthworm Invasion in Northern Forest Ecosystems The northern forests from Minnesota to New England have no native earthworms. European earthworms have invaded many of these forests, where they transform soil structure by consuming the organic horizon (aka duff layer) and compacting the A horizon. These changes in soil structure lead to alterations in nutrient and water cycles within the soil. There are many important ecological cascades emanating from these invasions, including concerns for conservation of native plant and wildlife species, losses of forest and crop productivity, facilitation of invasive plant species such as buckthorn and garlic mustard, and soil and water quality. Lee E. Frelich is Director of the University of Minnesota Center for Forest Ecology. He received a Ph.D. in Forest Ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1986. Frelich teaches courses in Forest Fire Ecology and Landscape Ecology on St.Paul Campus, and has advised 23 graduate students. Frelich has authored more than 110 publications with 90 coauthors from 14 countries, including major works for Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press. He is listed among the top 1% of all scientists in the world in the Thompson-Reuters Essential Science Indicators, Ecology and Environment Category. Current research interests include fire and wind in boreal forests, old-growth hemlock and maple forests, invasive earthworms in forests, deer and moose browsing, patterns of tree height, and impacts of climate change. |
Wednesday May 8, 2019
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Wholistic Design with Native Plants
After a brief introduction to how to design with native plants, this presentation will use a range of case studies to illustrate by example how to design with native plants to:
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Through her education, professional history, and leisure pursuits, Nathalie has built the solid foundation in both science and design that equip her to provide state of the art sustainable landscape architecture services. Her passionate love of the environment, the life in it, and its regional beauty, combined with her analytical bent, persistence, and out-of-the box thinking, further equip her to provide clients with exceptional services uniquely suited for their projects.
Nathalie began working in sustainable design in 1994 after graduating from Hope College, Michigan, with biology and chemistry majors. She was a member of one of the first Wild Ones chapters in the Chicago area in the mid 1990’s. Before going back to school to earn a Master’s in Landscape Architecture, she earned a Naturalist’s certificate from Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies, in Michigan. After finishing her Master’s degree in 1999, she enjoyed providing sustainable landscape architecture services at The Kestrel Design Group for many years and continues to consult with Kestrel periodically. She also had the privilege of designing landscapes for Energyscapes for a year. After Energyscapes closed its doors in 2016, Nathalie started Pasque Ecological Design so she could continue to do the kind of work she loves to do.
Nathalie began working in sustainable design in 1994 after graduating from Hope College, Michigan, with biology and chemistry majors. She was a member of one of the first Wild Ones chapters in the Chicago area in the mid 1990’s. Before going back to school to earn a Master’s in Landscape Architecture, she earned a Naturalist’s certificate from Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies, in Michigan. After finishing her Master’s degree in 1999, she enjoyed providing sustainable landscape architecture services at The Kestrel Design Group for many years and continues to consult with Kestrel periodically. She also had the privilege of designing landscapes for Energyscapes for a year. After Energyscapes closed its doors in 2016, Nathalie started Pasque Ecological Design so she could continue to do the kind of work she loves to do.
Wednesday September 11, 2019
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Minnesota Butterflies and Their Native Nectar Plants
Travis Bonovsky will share a stunning series of photos to illustrate common Minnesota butterflies and the native plants that provide them nectar. Travis is a nature enthusiast and native gardener who uses photography to learn about our natural world. His writings and photos have been featured in Minnesota Conservation Volunteer Magazine, National Audubon Society, Birds & Blooms Magazine, KARE11 Weatherguide Calendar, Capture Minnesota and more. |
Wednesday October 9, 2019
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Landscaping with Edible Native Plants
Julie Noraker, an Elegant Edible Landscaping Educator from Gen 1:11 Farm in Andover will present on how to incorporate edible native plants into your home landscape. She will also take a closer look at specific plants, their medicinal properties, and edible uses like jams, jellies, breads, and more! |
Wednesday November 13, 2019
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Among Suburban Wildlife
There are hidden savannas, prairies, and forests in our backyards and parks. They are replete with predators and prey, herbivores and carnivores, parasites, and parasitoids in a network of life not unlike, in some ways, the savannas of Africa or the prairies of Yellowstone's Lamar Valley. But one has to look closely to find this diversity. This is a world dominated by humans that have destroyed or modified the habitats of a myriad of animals. Some disappeared under the onslaught of blacktop and manicured lawns, but others have adapted to our of backyards and parks and life there can be diverse. Gordon will share his adventures among that wildlife and the places that support them.
Gordon Dietzman grew up on a dairly farm in southwestern Wisconsin where he spent much time observing wildlife and creating wildlife habitat. He often ignored his farm chores to wander through the fields and woods of the Driftless Area. The love of the out of doors led him to a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in environmental interpretation. He has worked at the International Crane Foundation where he led education programming at ICF's headquarters in the Baraboo, Wisconsin area, but also worked on endangered species issues and preservation in Southeast Asia. He currently works as a park ranger with the National Parks Service, at least when he isn't wandering his backyard, area parks, (and national parks) photographing the wildlife with which we share our living spaces. |