Next Meeting: Tuesday, May 16, 2017

6:30 pm-7:00 pm | Social
7:00 pm-8:45 pm | Program
Wood Lake Nature Center
6710 Lake Shore Dr S, Richfield, MN 55423
All meetings are free and open to the public.

BACKYARD PHENOLOGY:

Tracking Nature's Cycles and Seasons in a Changing Climate
Dr. Rebecca Montgomery 


Dr. Montgomery, professor in the University of Minnesota’s Forest Resources department, explores how nature’s calendar tells us about changes in the environment due to climate change. Her field research on phenology of Midwest trees and herbs will be shared, inviting participation in observing phenology as part of a new art/science collaborative. 

Join us for a spring walk at Wood Lake Nature Center from 5:45-6:30!
REMINDER: 
Tuesday, May 16th is the last day to place your order for our 2017 Native Plant Sale!!!

 You can submit your order and payment at the meeting tonight at Wood Lake Nature Center (6:30-8:30 pm),
or drop it off today at Welna II Hardware, 2201 E. Franklin, Minneapolis between 8 am and 6:45 pm today, Tuesday May 16th.

Check out the beautiful and purposeful collections we have put together for this year, including a brand new butterfly host collection, butterfly food plants, boulevard, prairie, and woodland flats. We are also offering individual favorites, including native forbs, grasses, ferns, and shrubs. Click here for the order form.
Be sure to stop by for even more Native Plants donated by Wild Ones members, available at the plant sale Pick-Up:
Sunday, May 21, 2017, 
from noon until 3 pm
4009 Minnehaha Ave S, Minneapolis
(next to Visual Expressions)

 If you cannot make the scheduled pickup, please call our message center at 612-293-3833 or send an email to our sale coordinator, Marilyndjones@gmail.com.


 Also see the 2017 Native Plant Sale page for the growing selection of native plant signs to identify and educate with your native plant garden! They will be available for sale at the May meeting, as well as at the pick up site for our Native Plant sale.

 If you will be donating native plants from your garden for the 2017 plant sale, please label each pot with both the common and Latin names, or email Holley Wlodarczyk with that information by Saturday, May 20th.

 And... in case you missed the fun and informative April Table Topics meeting, you can catch up on some of the vital information shared just in time for spring planting!

 Vicki Bonk: Attracting Pollinators to Your Yard Using Native Plants and Spring and Fall Habitat Garden Care for Pollinator Conservation 
Nathalie Shanstrom: Converting Lawns to Native Plant Landscapes: Basic Steps
More coming soon!
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Next Meeting: Thursday, April 20, 2017

NEW DATE, TIME AND LOCATION!

6:00 pm-6:30 pm | Social
6:30 pm-8:30 pm | Program
Diamond Lake Lutheran Church
5760 Portland Ave S, Minneapolis MN
All meetings are free and open to the public.

5th Annual Table Topics

Native Plant Gardening Basics

Table Topics is an opportunity to gather information and discuss a variety of topics—from site and soil preparation, plant selection, garden maintenance, creating wildlife habitat, and managing invasive species. Tables are hosted by local landscaping professionals or Wild Ones members with a depth of experience. You can also download a Table Topics poster to share!

Landscaping with Native Trees and Shrubs
Erik Olsen, Outback Nursery & Landscaping 

Focus on selecting native trees and shrubs of Minnesota that are suitable and versatile for natural landscaping in urban and suburban settings  

Planting a Pollinator Garden
Vicki Bonk, Nokomis Naturescape Coordinator 

A discussion of the essentials on native plant gardening for pollinators including habitat requirements, plant choices and seasonal garden care.

Where to Begin: 
Converting Lawns to Native Plants/Gardens 
Nathalie Shanstrom, Pasque Ecological Design 

Have you been thinking about converting some of your lawn to native plants, but don’t know how to start?  This table talk will cover the basics, including planning, site preparation, installation, and maintenance.

Tough Plants for Tough Spaces: 
Creating Thriving Eco-Gardens in Challenging Spaces
Roxanne Stuhr, Owner of True Nature Design 

There are a multitude of plants; particularly Natives, which can turn tough spaces into great gardens, invite pollinators into your landscape, and provide you with a multitude of other benefits too.  You will get a brief introduction into where to begin, and then we will talk about how to get there.

Creating Wildlife Habitat in your Yard 
Liz Stanley, Bloomington Homeowner 

Liz will share her experience establishing a suburban wildlife habitat including essential elements of food.water/shelter, and offer tips based on best practices and lessons learned over the past 10 years.

Managing Gardens without Chemicals 
Julia Vanatta, Co-President of Wild Ones Twin Cities 

Gardening with little to no pesticides is a noble goal. However, it is possible to manage without many of the pesticides sold in the garden centers by changing our gardening practices and gaining a better understanding of the ecosystem in our garden. Learn what to do and how to minimize your chemical impact on the environment.

Landscaping Options and Rain Gardens for Managing Wet Areas
Craig Stark, EcoScape Sustainable Landscaping 

Hydrophilic native plants for rain gardens, bio-retention basins, bio-stales, shoreline restorations, or that stubborn wet spot in your yard. Also to include some stormwater retention and infiltration techniques.

Coming to a Prairie Near You! Recognizing and Removing Terrestrial Invasives
Dawn Littleton, Invasive Plants Program Coordinator, U of M Extension 

Be on the lookout for 2017’s premiering invasive species. This session will begin with a brief discussion of the devastation caused by current invasions of these species and the turn attention to preventing this damage by reporting and/or quickly eliminating “Eradicate list” species. Identification techniques will be described and demonstrated.
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This year we are offering 5 different native plant collections - including new, specially designed butterfly host plant and butterfly food plant collections - as well as 16 individual native plant favorites!  Download the order form here.

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Special thanks to our March presenter, Heather Holm, and everyone who joined us for a fun and immensely informative program!
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Check out the 2017 NOKOMIS NATURESCAPE calendar. We hope to see you there!
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NEW MONARCH WATCH CITIZEN SCIENTIST PROJECT
Monarch Watch is seeking the immediate assistance of hundreds of monarch enthusiasts in collecting observations of monarch in their area during the spring and fall. This project is an attempt to assemble quantitative data on monarch numbers at critical times during the breeding season. The data from these observations will be used to assess their value in predicting trends in the population. Click here for more information.

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Next Meeting: Tuesday, March 21, 2017

6:30 pm-7:00 pm | Social
7:00 pm-8:45 pm | Program
Wood Lake Nature Center
6710 Lake Shore Dr S, Richfield, MN 55423
All meetings are free and open to the public.

Selecting Native Trees and Shrubs that Support Pollinators

Heather Holm

Local author and pollinator expert Heather Holm discusses the habitat and food requirements of birds and bees, and which of the native trees and shrubs provide flowers for bees, and insects, seeds, or fruit for birds. She will also describe natural communities related to those native woody plants, and cover the range of influences that cue pollinator visits--flower structure, resources and phenology. 
Books will be available for sale and signing.
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