Brown Bag Series #2 - February 13, 2019 - Attracting Wildlife
This second session will be February 13, 6 to 7 pm CDT Michigan City Public Library, 100 E 4th Street Michigan City, Indiana.
Two experienced speakers will share this event. Donna Pouzar will talk about the National Wildlife Federation’s Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program. This is a program that defines the needs of wildlife and how you can turn your yard into a Certified Wildlife Backyard Habitat.
Laura Henderson will speak on the benefits of planting native plants for both wildlife and the home gardener. Native varietal plantings benefit people and animals. February 13, 6 to 7 p.m. CST Michigan City Public Library, 100 E. 4th St. Michigan City, IN.
As we move closer together in our increasingly urban areas, native wildlife is being squeezed out and finding nothing to live on in our sterile landscapes. Scientists call the new close-cropped lawns surrounded by exotic plantings a food desert for wildlife. Wildlife, birds, deer and more, can only feed on the plants they share an evolutionary history with, and the new exotics don’t suit those needs at all.
Native plants have formed symbiotic relationships with native wildlife over thousands of years, and therefore offer the most sustainable habitat. A plant is considered native if it has occurred naturally in a particular region, ecosystem, or habitat without human introduction.
Exotic plants that evolved in other parts of the world or were cultivated by humans into forms that don’t exist in nature do not support wildlife as well as native plants. Occasionally, they can even escape into the wild and become invasive exotics that destroy natural habitat.
Native plants help the environment the most when planted in places that match their growing requirements. They will thrive in the soils, moisture and weather of your region. That means less supplemental watering, which can be wasteful, and pest problems that require toxic chemicals. Native plants also assist in managing rain water runoff and maintain healthy soil as their root systems are deep and keep soil from being compacted.
The two Purdue trained, experienced Master Gardeners are each experts in their field, and can help you choose the right plants for the right place in your yard, to enhance your life, as well as bring wildlife into your home space.
The cost is just $5 for the session, open to all, and it lasts one hour. Come join us for this fun and fascinating hour of learning that may enhance your life.
The Brown Bag Gardening Series features short, information-packed sessions presented by Master Gardeners, are held at a public location and everyone is welcome to attend. They’re held on a Wednesday, noon to one, or 6 to 7 p.m. These lessons are presented during the non-gardening months of January through April, so we don’t compete with the gardening time for anyone. Many people even attend during their lunch break from work for a quick gardening session and a chance to talk with other gardeners.
Our plans are set for an exciting set of Brown Bag Gardening Educational Sessions for 2019 during the months of January through April. Thanks to the help of several volunteers, we have some great learning coming up.
Don’t forget to mark your calendars with dates, times and locations, so you don’t miss this exciting series. They do count as education hours for your Master Gardener hours, and the cost is only $5 for each session, or $15 for the entire series, if paid at the first event. Coordinator: Karren Coplen
Save the Date!!
For more information, click here or on the 2019 Garden Show link on the top of the menu.
This fall, try a walk on the trails at any of La Porte County Parks.
