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Dr. Leopold is Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Environmental and Forest Biology at SUNY ESF.
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What better way to start 2015 than to again welcome Don Leopold as our speaker presenting Native Plants for Sustainable Landscapes. Prof. Leopold will highlight native herbaceous and woody species that are no-maintenance, long-lived, adapted to extreme conditions (e.g., salinity, alkalinity, drought, shade), attractive to wildlife (especially birds and butterflies), are deerproof, or/and produce food for people. The information presented will be applicable to home gardens as well as urban projects and larger scale restoration of degraded industrial landscapes. An overview of how native species are found in natural plant communities, and how knowing about the ecology of natural communities can be used to select plant species, will also be discussed. WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 25 at 2:00 pm WHERE: Liverpool Public Library ( Directions) Free and open to the public, so bring a friend or two! Janet Allen, President
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Curl up with a good book this winter
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 It will be a while before we're out gardening, so this is the perfect chance to catch up with some inspirational and informational reading. The top recommendation is the new book by Rick Darke and Doug Tallamy called The Living Landscape: Designing for beauty and biodiversity in the home garden. Here are a few reviews: "Offers guidance for creating beautiful landscapes that will be durable and 'support life without sacrificing' aesthetics." ~ Publishers Weekly "With beautiful photos and many examples, they argue eloquently that gardens can be civilized, lovely and even elegant while incorporating local plants and creating habitat for birds and the entire ecosystem in which they live." ~ Chicago Tribune  Noah's Garden by Sara Stein
Along with the cutting edge work of Tallamy, it's good to also get back to one of the books that started the native plant movement. Stein tells the fascinating story of the evolution of her property in Westchester, NY, whose topsoil had been scraped off to be used for the 1939 World's Fair. It also tells of the evolution of her own ideas as she learned to "un-garden," transforming the ornamental landscape she had created back to its original state after realizing that all the wildlife she had formerly enjoyed had disappeared. A very enjoyable book full of anecdotes. Stein was an Honorary Board Member of Wild Ones.  Insects and Gardens
by Eric Grissell Although this award-winning book (written before Tallamy's research) doesn't recognize the benefits of native plants, the author convincingly -- and with an enjoyable sense of humor -- describes the essential role of insects in the garden. You'll never look at insects the same way again! Beautifully illustrated. (And now he just needs to learn more about native plants...) |
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Five surprises about monarch
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 The Smithsonian reported on Five Surprises that Emerged from Monarch Butterfly Genomes. Surprise #1: Monarch butterflies evolved not from tropical butterflies as had been previously thought, but from the north. Surprise #2: The earliest monarchs were probably migratory. Previously, it was thought that migration evolved to deal with the temperate climate of North America. The research indicated that "these little butterflies have been flying up and down North America for millions of years." Surprise #3: Migratory ability is tied to a single gene -- one that makes the NON-migratory monarchs the stronger fliers. However, the mutation that makes the migratory monarchs weaker might also make them more energy-efficient. In other words, "migratory monarchs are the marathon fliers, whereas the non-migratory monarchs are essentially the sprinters."
Read about two more surprises at Smithsonian.org...
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Ithaca Native Landscape Symposium
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The 7th Annual Ithaca Native Landscaping Symposium takes place Friday March 6th and Saturday March 7th, and you can register for either day or for both. The theme is Process...and Progress?An excellent lineup of speakers:
Steve Young - Chief Botanist for the New York Natural Heritage Program
Robin Kimmerer - SUNY-ESF professor and author
Joy Kuebler - landscape architect
Ken Parker - Native Plant Consultant for Seneca Nation of Indians
Jim Sterba - reporter and author of the highly acclaimed book Nature Wars
Larry Weaner - nationally recognized landscaper and inspiring speaker
Josh Cerra - Landscape architect speaking on the Lab of Ornithology's YardMap project
Rick Manning - architect involved in Ithaca's green and historic landscape restoration
Dan Segal - Owner of The Plantsman and National Board Member of Wild Ones
The Symposium is for landscape architects, designers, educators, Master Gardeners, government employees, homeowners, gardeners, naturalists and anyone else eager to learn more about this growing movement. Learn more and register for either or both days ...
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Cornell Cooperative Extension is offering FREE training for citizen scientists to identify, monitor, and report Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA). Citizens who appreciate hemlock trees and forests can help by learning how to identify HWA and report possible infestations during one of three winter hikes. Additional training will be offered to instruct participants in how to use the New York iMap Invasives program, an online tool that allows anyone to learn about and report invasive species so that land managers can rapidly respond to new infestations. The hikes and training will take place: Sat. Jan. 17, 9-10:30 Bahar Nature Preserve, Niles Sat. Jan. 31, 9 -10:30 Green Lakes State Park, Fayetteville Sat. Jan. 31, 11-noon NY iMap Invasives Training, Onondaga Free Library Mon. Feb. 16, 9 -10:30 Bear Swamp State Forest FREE, but registration is required.Families are encouraged to attend and snow shoes may be available for youth on a first come first serve basis. Please call (315) 424-9485 ext. 231 or email kaf226@cornell.edu to register. For more information
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Winter Fun at Baltimore Woods
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 Here's just a few of the many happenings at Baltimore Woods for any age. Check the Baltimore Woods website for more details about these events and others. Call (315) 673-1350 to register. Nature's Little Explorers 6-week Winter Series: Jan 7 - Feb 12 Wed. or Thurs. 10-11am Ages 3-5 with adult Foxes Jan 17, 2-3 pm For the whole family. Winter Family Play Day Jan. 31, 1-3 pm FREE! Owl Prowl Jan. 23, 7-9 pm. Join a naturalist for a nighttime hike. Dress warmly and bring a flashlight. Snowshoes provided. |
Since HGCNY is a chapter of the national organization Wild Ones, when you become a member of Wild Ones, you're automatically a member of HGCNY, too. And since Wild Ones is an official not-for-profit, your membership is tax-deductible.
It's easy to become a member, receive the bimonthly Wild Ones Journal, and support our mission.
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As more of us participate on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/hgcny, this will become a useful resource for asking (and answering!) local HGCNYers' questions about habitat gardening.
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 Visit Our Habitat Garden website for information on providing habitat, earth-friendly gardening practices, plants, and various creatures here in Central New York. |
Visit Our Edible Garden website to see an example of a local vegetable and fruit garden. An edible garden is a perfect complement to your habitat garden.
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