Thought of the Month: Our vision for the future is to become a widely recognized voice for native plants and sustainable landscaping, to raise public awareness of the benefits of native plants so that landscaping with natives becomes the norm; and to join with others to preserve native plants and biodiversity from loss due to development and other forces.
Call to Action: On July 15, the state’s Controlled Plants and Noxious Weed Committee is due to vote on whether to ban the propagation and sale of Callery pear and Japanese barberry in Pennsylvania. Both plants are frequent escapees along roads, abandoned fields, and forest edges and are out-competing and displacing native plants. Members are encouraged to submit a public comment in support of a ban. More information and a link to the page to submit a comment are available on our website.
Nominating Committee: Chapter members are invited to join the Nominating Committee to create a slate of officers for 2022. Members can self-nominate. The Treasurer is stepping down, so a new Treasurer will be needed. Elections will be held at the November chapter meeting. Job descriptions are available on our website. Several committee positions are open for the first time since we are a new chapter – Program Chair, Community Projects Chair, Publicity Chair.
Presentation — Pine Barrens Trip:
Jessie shared amazing photographs of the June trip to the Pine Barrens. The Pinelands National Preserve constitutes over 1 million acres in southeastern New Jersey. It is an International Biosphere Reserve. Due to its unique microclimate, it is home to over 850 species of plants. The group first toured a historic village that includes structures associated with an old charcoal operation, then walked a series of boggy trails through wetlands. Tour guide Matthew Ross from Longwood Gardens pointed out many unusual and rare plants. Seeing familiar plants growing in the wild was a valuable experience.
Presentation — Providing for the Dearth:
The “dearth” is a honeybee-keeping term that refers to the summer period when nectar sources can be lacking. Jessie shared photos of many natives that bloom during this period and provided nectar, water, and insect food for many native insects as well as honeybees.
Opportunities
o Members-Only Plant Sale – Members can take advantage of wholesale pricing on native landscape plugs from North Creek Nursery. Orders are due July 15. Visit our website for more information and instructions on how to order.
o Wild Ones SEPA Garden Tour — tour of a member’s garden in Chester Springs on Wednesday, July 21, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. RSVP to [email protected] for the address. Plant swap – bring a native, take a native.
o Garden Tour and Native Plant Sale – Wednesday, July 28, in Mechanicsburg. More details are posted on our website.
o Wild Ones SEPA chapter meeting schedule: Aug 4, Set 9, Oct 6, Nov 11, Dec 8
o Join the University of KY citizen science project: Citizen scientists are needed to assist with research into honeysuckle blight on nonnative invasive honeysuckles. For more information, visit our website.
View the recording of the meeting on our Youtube channel here: https://youtu.be/bPujcw7OGhE
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