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Our HGCNY custom is to not schedule a meeting in December. We invite you instead to spend some time on the last Sunday of the month (our usual meeting time) to search out something interesting in your habitat garden. Even though it's not prime gardening time here in the snowy North, our habitat gardens provide habitat -- food, water, cover, and places to raise young -- throughout the year. And yes, if we haven't neatened our yards too much, some creatures are indeed "raising their young" in the winter -- butterfly pupae or eggs overwintering in leaf litter, for example.
NOTE: FREE streaming of Symphony of the Soil!
Sat. DEC. 5 through Sat. DEC. 12 ***ONLY***
We had a wonderful turnout for our November meeting and we had very positive feedback on the Dirt! The Movie program. We hope it has whet your appetite for more on this critically important topic. The UN's Year of Soils is coming to an end, and in celebration Symphony of the Soil is again streaming their documentary at no charge on their website at symphonyofthesoil.com. People who viewed this movie last December at the start of the Year of Soils had rave reviews for this presentation. Don't miss it!
A season for giving
The holiday season is also a time for giving. Some suggestions for the gardeners on your list are below, but one particular gift will help preserve biodiversity and will help preserve a healthy planet: a donation to Wild Ones. Our national organization reached a long-awaited milestone of 4,000 members -- a big number for us, though small when compared to many national organizations. And since a percentage of our membership dues is returned to each chapter, donations to Wild Ones beyond our dues are always welcome. To continue programs, such as Wild for Monarchs, support seedling chapters, and, most important, to pursue our mission of preserving biodiversity, a strong national organization is imperative. You can make a tax-deductible donation to Wild Ones online or by mailing a check to Wild Ones PO Box 1274 Appleton, WI 54912 Have a wonderful holiday season!
~ Janet Allen, President, HGCNY Wild Ones Chapter
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| | Wegmans Guatemalan coffee is one example of certified Bird Friendly coffee, and Birds & Beans (available online) is another |
Gifts for habitat gardeners
Many people are discovering the joys of having less stuff! We appreciate the thought that goes into selecting gifts, BUT many of us most appreciate gifts that are consumable and support our larger goals. A Wild Ones membershipGive the gift of a membership in Wild Ones. Your recipient will not only receive the Wild Ones Journal but also will be part of a movement to preserve biodiversity.
Or if you yourself aren't already a member, request a membership from someone planning to give you a gift.
When shopping on Amazon ...
First go to Wild Ones and go to Amazon.com from that page. Amazon.com will donate a percentage of your purchase to Wild Ones.
Here are some other suggestions that habitat gardeners on your list might appreciate:
A gift certificate for native plants from nurseries that focus on native plants would not only be a welcome gift for your recipient but also supports native plant nurseries.
Bird-friendly coffee: Coffee is meant to grow in the shade, so shade-grown coffee is a good choice for coffee lovers. And by making sure it's certified as "Bird Friendly" (a certification provided by the Smithsonian Institution's Migratory Bird Center) you're also giving the gift of a winter home for the birds we enjoy in the summer. Learn more about this issue at the Smithsonian website. Habitat gardening books: Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallamy The Living Landscape by Rick Darke and Doug Tallamy
Noah's Garden by Sara Stein Native Plants of the Northeast by Don Leopold Attracting Native Pollinators by The Xerces Society Donations in the honor of your recipient or memberships:
Wild Ones (as noted in the greeting section above) is a great choice! Local organizations such as Baltimore Woods, the Finger Lakes Land Trust, or the Central New York Land Trust National organizations such as Monarchs: Monarch Butterfly Fund (our September speaker is on the Board), Birds: Cornell Lab of Ornithology or the National Audubon SocietyInvertebrates (pollinators, dragonflies, etc): The Xerces Society Bats: Bat Conservation International |
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| | A chickadee eating a seed he extracted from a hemlock cone |
The Canadian hemlock
It's nice to see some green in the winter -- even if it's only peeking out from under piles of snow. Canadian hemlock ( Tsuga canadensis) is one choice that can provide some green in the your yard year-round. It's a slow-growing tree that can grow in shade unlike many other trees. It may take 250 to 300 years to reach maturity but it won't take that long to become a large tree in your yard! It's a great habitat plant for birds. It provides shelter in the winter and food in the form of seeds in its tiny pine cones. This important part of our forest ecosystem is at risk, though, from the hemlock wooly adelgid, a small aphid-like insect from Asia. This pest was first reported in the eastern US in 1951 near Richmond, VA. By 2005, it was established in portions of 16 states from Maine to Georgia, where infestations covered about half of the range of hemlock. Areas of extensive tree mortality and decline are found throughout the infested region, but the impact has been most severe in some areas of Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. |
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Learn about birds this winter at the Bird Academy
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology Bird Academy has an amazing number of high-quality resources available online, including free and premium content available for all knowledge levels. You can learn everything from birding basics to college level ornithology. The Academy has sections on bird ID, conservation, feathers, evolution, and songs and calls. There are interactive graphics to illustrate concepts as well as fascinating videos. Just one example of the content available is this part of the section on Fancy Males: Ways to be Fancy. You'll see amazing videos of male birds with fancy plumes, songs, colors, and behaviors. But don't stop there. Learn more about how this fanciness evolved ... and more about birds. Learning more about birds at the Bird Academy is a perfect way to spend the cold, dark winter evenings! |
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Solstice Hike at Baltimore Woods
Sat. Dec. 19, 7 pm - 8:30 pm
A tranquil, lantern-lit hike through the woods to observe the longest night of the year. Learn about ancient solstice traditions and celebrate the return of the sun by exploring the sights and sounds of nature at night. Snowshoes will be provided. Dress warmly! This program is recommended for ages 8 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult. $6 for members; $9 for nonmembers Register on the Baltimore Woods website |
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| | Stopping by our yard for some chelone nectar to fuel its journey to Mexico |
Flight of the Butterflies at MOST's iMax Theater
It's a treat to see monarchs in our yards in the summer, but their annual migration to Mexico is one of nature's miracles.
A movie about this migration is playing at the MOST. Here's the description:
Weighing less than a penny, a monarch butterfly makes one of the longest migrations on Earth to a place it has never known. Join hundreds of millions of real butterflies on an amazing journey to a remote and secret hideaway, and one scientist's 40-year search to unravel the mystery of where they go each fall. Runtime - 45 minutes
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Join Wild Ones
We welcome everyone to our meetings, but we encourage you to become an official member. 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 organization, your membership is tax-deductible. It's easy to become a member, receive the bimonthly Wild Ones Journal, and support our mission. Just go to the Wild Ones website or call toll-free (877) 394-9453. |
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Join us on Facebook
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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Learn more: Habitat gardening
This is an example of a local habitat garden. It also includes links to more information and inspiration to get started on your own habitat garden. |
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Learn more: Edible gardening
This is an example of a local edible garden. It also includes links to more information and inspiration to get started on your own edible garden. |
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