Calendar of Events and Programs

Program Description: Gale will share when and how to plan for your 2017 native gardens providing year round color starting with spring. She will also cover what to plant under a Black Walnut Tree Juglans nigra.

Presenter: Gale E. Martin, co-owner of Natives in Harmony Nursery near Marengo Ohio is a trustee on the Ohio Prairie Association Board. Gale believes that the preservation of local-genotypes (plants) is of the utmost importance. Local-genotype means the strain is correct for the area. This is a very important detail. Natives in Harmony have multiple wildflower patches and prairie on the grounds which are used as the seed source for nursery propagation.

Important: We are not at our usual location.?

Program Description:?Wildlife in your garden--especially insects--can be natural pesticide alternatives. From mantids to beetles to wasps, spiders, and everything in between, entomologist Mary Gardiner tells you how to identify these beneficial bugs, how to enhance your home landscape as a habitat, and how to work with them to grow and enjoy your garden.

Presenter: Mary M. Gardiner, PhD, OSU Department of Entomology and author of Good Garden Bugs: Everything You Need to Know about Beneficial Predatory Insects,?received her?PhD from Michigan State University in 2008 and established the Agricultural Landscape Ecology Laboratory (ALE Lab) as an Assistant Professor in 2009. ?The ALE Lab is interested in understanding how the design and management of an urban greenspace or agroecosystem influences food web structure and function. They?are particularly interested in understanding mechanisms that explain the biodiversity-ecosystem function patterns found within these habitats. The?goal with this research is to advance the sustainability of food production and urban ecosystem management. They?are also actively engaged in outreach related to enhancing home landscapes, greenspaces and small-scale farms as habitats for beneficial arthropods and work with the public to survey lady beetle populations across the state annually. She?teachs two graduate courses: Insect Ecology and Evolutionary Processes and Presentation Skills for Scientists.

Book signing from 11:30 ? 12:00 ?Good Garden Bugs? is an easy-to-follow reference to beneficial insects that provide pest control, allowing your garden to grow full and bountiful. Mary?s quotes,? It?s easy to lose sight of how helpful insects can be.?

Program Description: The critical characteristics comprising vernal pools, other wetlands, and pond habitats will be discussed. The focus will be on the key factors that lead to the development of aquatic resources that contain natural habitat features and support a diverse natural flora and fauna. The importance of the land uses surrounding these aquatic resources and their dependence on intactness in adjacent habitats to reach higher levels of ecological condition will also be highlighted.

Presenter: Mick Micacchion

Mick Micacchion is a Wetland Ecologist with the Midwest Biodiversity Institute, a non-profit organization that evaluates and reports on aquatic resources including wetlands and also trains environmental professionals and others interested in aquatic resource assessment methods. He is certified by the Society of Wetland Scientists as a Professional Wetland Scientist and worked in the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency?s Wetland Ecology Group for many years where he developed methods for assessing the ecological condition of wetlands and the rules to protect them. He has sampled and evaluated the flora and fauna of over 300 of Ohio?s natural wetlands.

NOTE: Because our location is in Delaware County, some of you may be interested in carpooling. If so, please contact Barbara Altenburg at [email protected] or 614-638-0442.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

Wahkeena Nature Preserve, near Lancaster, is a 150-acre natural area managed by the Fairfield County Historical Parks. This popular outdoor classroom and quiet retreat for nature lovers is located on the southeastern boundary of glaciation in Ohio. The preserve hosts an abundance of plants and animals typical of the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau.

Ten of Ohio?s native orchids such as showy orchis and pink lady?s slipper and approximately 30 different kinds of ferns have been identified at the preserve. Wahkeena is also home to rhododendron and flame azalea, state threatened and state-endangered species respectively. Wahkeena is also home to more than 100 species of birds and 25 species of mammals, including the pileated woodpecker, numerous warblers and beaver. Wetland areas host a variety of amphibian and reptile species and provide excellent viewing for dragonflies and damselflies. Throughout the year, numerous wildflowers attract a rich assortment of butterflies and moths.

Wahkeena has a first-class nature center with displays on wildlife, geology, plant life and the area?s history. The nature center includes a gift shop with books on a wide range of natural history topics.

Tour Guide:

Our tour will be led by assistant naturalist, Tom Shisler.

Driving Directions:

From the corner of Main and Broad Streets in Lancaster, Ohio, head west on Main Street for approximately 2 blocks, then turn left onto Memorial Drive. Continue on Memorial Drive for 1? miles until it turns into Logan-Lancaster Road. Remain on Logan-Lancaster Road for about 3 miles, then turn right onto Tarkiln Road. Take the first left onto Old Logan Road and continue on this road for about 2? miles. Turn right onto Pump Station Road, continuing on for about one-half mile. Wahkeena Nature Preserve will be on the right.

For carpool information contact: Barbara Altenburg [email protected] 614-638-0442

Our annual plant sale, coordinated by president Cecelia Jokerst, will again take place in Clintonville behind the Whetstone Recreation Center. This will be a great place to find native plants for your gardens.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: 

Cedar Bog Nature Preserve was the first nature preserve in Ohio purchased with state money and is considered by many to be Ohio?s premiere natural area. Owned by the state of Ohio, the site is operated by the non-profit Cedar Bog Association for the Ohio History Connection.

Cedar Bog is a National Natural Landmark, one of only twenty-five in the state of Ohio ? recognized for its national significance. It ranks the highest of any site in the state on the Ohio Floristic Diversity Index for its great diversity of plants. 

Tracy Bleim, site manager, will provide a PowerPoint presentation,  Identifying Spring Wild Flowers, and give a guided tour. We will have a one-hour walk on a boardwalk with benches. 450 acres nature preserve - see Ohio as it was 10,000 years ago.

Pack a lunch and bring plenty of water to drink. 

For carpool information contact: Barbara Altenburg [email protected] 614-638-0442

Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm has two sections, Allwood Nature Center and Allwood Farm. Allwood was farmed from the early 1800s until 1957 when Marie Aull gave the land to the National Audubon Society. Seventy acres of Aullwood land is farmed; the rest is in a process of change. The landscape of Aullwood will continue to change with succession.

Prairies: Center Prairie, Fertile Crescent, Knoop Prairie, Center Gardens
Woodlands: Second Growth, Old Growth, Wet Woods, Pine Plantings
Wetlands: Wet Meadow, Wet Woods, Farm Wetlands

"We will meet at the Nature Center at 1000 Aullwood Rd, Dayton, OH 45414 for a short presentation and then begin our guided tour"

Presentation:

?Butterfly Gardening?author, Christopher Kline, will present ?Butterfly Gardening with Native Plants: How to Attract and Identify Butterflies? from 10am-11:30am. A book signing with Chris will take place from 11:30 to 12:30

Library Activities for Family and Children:

Other activities will take place from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm

Today we will visit the garden of our president, Cecelia Jokerst. She will show us what she has done to date in her newer location as well as share plans for the future. Bring a lawn chair and food to share. This will be a nice time to relax with members and see how native plants can be incorporated into a home landscape.

Program Description:

Lynn will tell us how to incorporate natives in any planting, whether residential or commercial, by matching the plant to the site. 

Presenter: Lynn Emler-Fleak

Growing up on a farm in northwest Ohio in the 50?s, Lynn's favorite spot was an old beech tree with spring beauties and trout lilies underneath. Having never gotten over her love of our native plants, she has always used them in her own gardens and those that she has designed. Lynn was a master gardener in Delaware County for 10 years, and is now the horticulturist for Tartan Fields Golf Club in Dublin, where she continues to use natives as much as possible.

Program Description: 

Tisa will discuss how (and why) to incorporate pollinator-friendly native plant material in residential landscapes

Presenter: Tisa Watts

Tisa is owner and designer of Columbus Garden Coach. She has over 15 years of experience in landscape design, installation and ? DO IT YOURSELF? project management. Her passion is using science-based gardening techniques and wildlife-friendly plants to help her clients get the GREAT, eco-friendly yard they desire.

Program Description:  We will have a demonstration on how to prune the trees in our landscape and will learn the reason why keeping up with pruning will benefit both the trees and us. A list will be provided of the best native trees and shrubs to have on your property and why they are beneficial.

Presenter:  Sharon Treaster

Sharon is an Ohio certified volunteer naturalist and active beekeeper

Program: Our speaker, Jennifer Windus, will share how to identify between what is native flora to Ohio and what is considered invasive and why!

Speaker: Jennifer Windus recently retired from ODNR after more than 31 years, with experience in the Divisions of Parks & Recreation, Natural Areas & Preserves and Wildlife. She supervised several employees and established monitoring projects for many rare plants and plant communities on state nature preserves. For the past 12 years, she worked for the Division of Wildlife where she coordinated land management activities, land acquisition and access agreements, rare plant surveys and the development of management plans. Jennifer also serves on the Boards for the Ohio Invasive Plants Council as Vice-President.