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| Spicebush berries
Lindera benzoin |
Two-thirds of all the migrant songbirds observed in one study were found in shrubs and understory trees -- the layers most often missing in the typical residential landscape.
~Janet Marinelli, "Rest Stops for the Weary"
For our first meeting of 2016 we welcome back JIM ENGEL, owner of White Oak Nursery, to talk about Top Native Shrubs and How to Use Them in Your Landscape. Not all native plants are equal in their value to wildlife and the gardener. Some are better than others for supporting wildlife, and some have unique characteristics that are useful for specific landscape situations and challenges -- dense shade, foundation plantings, ground covers, etc. Siting plants in the landscape is just as important as the plants that are used. Jim will look at the aesthetic features of different native shrubs and their suitability for difficult sites.
WHEN: Sunday, January 31 at 2:00 pm
WHERE: Liverpool Library, 310 Tulip St., Liverpool (Directions)
Our meetings are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Come and bring a friend!
National News: Join the Wild Ones Facebook group Wild Ones has created a Facebook group for dues-paying members to share information like articles, photographs, videos, and so forth. To join the group go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/wildonesnativeplants/ and once you there, click "Join Group" in the upper-right corner. Wild Ones is expecting a large number of requests initially so please be patient while they verify your Wild Ones membership. Happy New Year!
~ Janet Allen, President, HGCNY Wild Ones Chapter |
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Resolve to be a hummingbird in 2016!
If you had an opportunity to see Dirt! The Movie at our November meeting, you know this refers to the parable Nobel Laureate Dr. Wangari Maathai related in the movie. As the hummingbird was carrying water in her beak to douse the forest fire, she answered the larger animals standing on the sidelines questioning her efforts: "I'm doing the best I can." Like the hummingbird -- and like Wangari Maathai herself -- we can do our best this coming year to plant native plants and use earth-friendly gardening practices. (And we may even be able to influence onlookers questioning why we're doing so!) Hear her tell the entire story on the Green Belt Movement website. |
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| Wilsons warbler looking for insects
in an oak tree |
Resolve to plant trees
We already know that trees provide habitat and that some species, such as oaks, are especially good habitat plants since they support large numbers of insects that in turn support a healthy food web.
Trees also store carbon
Trees are also especially important for their ability to sequester carbon. The Living Landscape by Rick Darke and Doug Tallamy lists native plants for each region that perform various ecological functions, one of which is sequestering carbon.
These are the trees they list for our region that are especially good for this purpose:
Maples: Red maple (Acer rubrum), Sugar maple (A. saccharum)
Hickories: Pignut hickory (Carya glabra), Shellbark (C. laciniosa), Shagbark (C. ovata)
American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)
Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica)
White Pine (Pinus strobus)
American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Oaks: White (Quercus alba), Swamp white (Q. bicolor), Burr (Q. macrocarpa), Chestnut (Q. montana), Red (Q. rubra), Black (Q. velutina)
Basswood (Tilia americana)
Elms: American (Ulmus americana - blight-resistant variety), Slippery (U. rubra)
It takes a while for trees to mature to their full carbon-sequestering potential, so resolve to plant at least one tree this year!
The Man Who Planted Trees
The Man Who Planted Trees is an inspiring Academy Award-winning 30-minute video based on the classic novel by Jean Giono, who donated the story to all humanity. You can read the text of the story on Wikisource.
Real people who plant trees
Knowing the multi-faceted, far-ranging impact of trees, many people (including the photographers featured in the Dirt! movie) have been inspired to plant trees.
Here are the stories of just a few:
* Forest Man - a Majuli Islander who has single-handedly planted a forest larger than Central Park (video) * Senegal begins planting The Great Green Wall against climate change in
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Resolve to be a citizen scientist
One of the easiest ways to participate in citizen science is with The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), an annual effort to take a snapshot of our bird population. It is a collaboration among Cornell Lab, Audubon, and Bird Studies Canada. The website has lots of resources to get you started.
The GBBC was the first online citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real-time. Since it began in 1998, more than 100,000 people of all ages and walks of life have joined the four-day count each February to create an annual snapshot of the distribution and abundance of birds.
In 2015, there were 147,265 bird checklists submitted and 5,090 species observed
This year, the GBBC is Friday Feb. 12 through Monday Feb. 15. You can count as little as 15 minutes on one day or as much as you want on any or on all days.
The GBBC is a perfect introduction to citizen science and to bird identification as well as a gratifying experience for experienced citizen scientists or birders.
If you're new to bird identification, Cornell's Merlin is a worthy digital assistant and adjunct to traditional bird identification books. And if you can manage to get a photo of your unidentified bird, Merlin's Photo ID is excellent! |
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| | Photo_ CC - Peter Manidis |
Owl Prowl at Baltimore Woods
January 23: 7-9pm
Join a naturalist on a nighttime hike in search of these magnificent and secretive birds. Dress warmly, and bring a flashlight. Snowshoes provided.
Recommended for ages 8 and up.
$6 for members, $9 for nonmembers
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Spring Break Camp at Baltimore Woods
Monday, January 18th, 2016 from 9am-4pm Complete Guide to Snowball Fights
Get ready for an action-packed day of winter camp at Baltimore Woods! From packing the perfect snowball to making an impenetrable fort - you won't want to miss this one!
Children spend the day playing and exploring in the woods, fields and streams as well as participating in indoor activities such as arts and crafts and games, movies and guest speakers.
Camp counselors are trained environmental educators or local certified teachers who are responsible for groups of 12 campers each.
Pre-registration and a family-level membership are required for all camps.
For children in grades K-8. $45 per child.
To register and to learn more about this and other Spring Break Camps visit
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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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