Greetings!
This is one of our favorite times of the HGCNY program year because we get to be outside looking at gardens.
 And don't miss the movie A Chemical Reaction, which we're sponsoring on Monday, July 26. FREE and open to the public. (More information in a separate article below.)
SUMMER TOURS
Show Me, Help Me Tours:
Sat. Aug 21 at 9:00 am - DeWitt: a late summer re-visit of Dave and Beth's garden to see how it has changed since early summer. We'll also visit Hope's garden (nearby). Please RSVP. Thanks!
Also, the Allens' Gardens:
Westvale: A tour of Janet's habitat
garden and John's edible garden:
Wed. July 28 at 6:30 pm
Sat. July 31 at 9:00 am
Sun. Aug. 1 at 3:00 pm
(See our Meetings page for more dates.)
UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS
Wed. Aug. 4 at 7:00 pm - Creating a Bird-Friendly Yard; DeWitt Public Library
Wed. Aug. 11 at 7:00 pm - Greening Your Yard; Liverpool Public Library
Janet Allen, President
Habitat Gardening in Central New York
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Mon. July 26 at 6:30 pm
Liverpool Library A Chemical Reaction is a documentary movie that tells the story of one
of the most powerful and effective community initiatives in the history
of North America. It started with one lone voice in 1984. Dr. June
Irwin, a dermatologist, noticed a connection between her patients'
health conditions and their exposure to chemical pesticides and
herbicides. With relentless persistence she brought her concerns to
town meetings to warn her fellow citizens that the chemicals they were
putting on their lawns posed severe health risks and had unknown side
effects on the environment.
Following the movie, we'll have a short presentation on how to have a decent lawn without these chemicals.
Free and open to the public.
Light refreshments will be served.
Don't miss it!
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Mind-boggling truth
about worms
Forest without worms  |
Forest with worms
Photos from Great Lakes Worm Watch
 | This information make take some getting used to. All our lives, we've
believed that worms are good news for soil. But now scientists are
finding that worms are a big problem for our forests. (Here are more photos of forests with and without earthworms.)
Worms not native in blue portion (Great Lakes Worm Watch)  | The fact
is that earthworms aren't native to our Great Lakes region, since the last glaciation wiped out any worms previously here. The worms we have now were
brought here by European settlers. They're degrading our forests and affecting the mammals, birds, and amphibians that live there.
Prevent spreading earthworms
* If you use earthworms as fishing bait, throw any unused earthworms in
the trash, not in the water or on the land (it is illegal to knowingly
introduce any exotic species!).
* If you use earthworms for composting (vermicomposting), before you use
the compost, freeze it solid for at least 1 week (a month is better).
This kills the earthworms as well as their egg cases (cocoons) which are
often more tolerant of drying and freezing than the earthworms
themselves. If you live in an area that gets sub-freezing temps for at
least a month straight each winter, you can do this by putting a bucket
of the compost in an unheated building for the winter.
* Don't transport leaves, mulch, compost or soil unless you are confident that there are no earthworms or their
cocoons present.
* If you use ATV's or other vehicles, be
sure to wash all soil from tire treads before transporting the vehicle.
For more information, visit Great Lakes Worm Watch, University of Minnesota.
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