Please see our chapter page for further details on our next field trip (Saturday, August 23rd) and the upcoming October 11 conference featuring keynote speaker Douglas Tallamy.

A CONFERENCE ON NATIVE PLANTS AT THE KALAMAZOO NATURE CENTER ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11:
"GARDENING TO SAVE OUR INSECTS AND BIRDS"

Right now, fall seems safely distant, impounded behind weeks and weeks of glorious summer; but it’s not too early to mark Saturday, October 11, on your calendars. That day, at the Kalamazoo Nature Center, there will be a one-day conference—titled "Gardening to Save Our Insects and Birds: The Urgency and the Know-How"—directly relevant to our concerns about preserving and maintaining the biodiversity of the natural world. The conference has been organized by the Kalamazoo Area Chapter of Wild Ones, Native Plants and Natural Landscapes, with the generous help and support of several sponsors, including the Kalamazoo Nature Center, the Audubon Society of Kalamazoo, the Kalamazoo Environmental Council, the West Michigan Climate Action Network, the Southwestern Chapter of the Michigan Botanical Club, and the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy.

The keynote speaker is Douglas Tallamy, Professor of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology (and department chair) at the University of Delaware, and author of "Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens" (Timber Press, 2007). Tallamy maintains that because our nation lacks sufficient habitat to support its present diversity of native plants and animals, we must change the way we landscape our yards if we want to save our wildlife. We must replace our vast lawns and non-native ornamentals with the native plants that plant-eating insects, e. g., caterpillars, greatly prefer; for these insects perform the crucial task of transferring the sun’s energy up the food web to other insects and other creatures, including birds. In fact, 96 percent of terrestrial bird species feed a diet heavy in caterpillars to their young. The title of Professor Tallamy’s keynote speech, appropriately, is "Gardening for Life."

Starting at 8:15 a.m., people registered for the conference (registration details below) may pick up their conference packets and enjoy coffee and pastries; the conference begins at 9:00 a.m. Professor Tallamy’s keynote presentation, emphasizing his research on the superiority of native over non-native plants in supporting insects, birds, and other creatures, will last for an hour and be followed by a question period. The other morning session will be a panel discussion ("Sharing Our Yards with Creatures Great and Small") that pursues still further some of the important matters raised by Professor Tallamy. Panelists will include Tracey Kast (Kellogg Biological Station—birds), Steve Malcolm (Western Michigan University Biological Department—plants and insects), and Nancy Small (Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones—gardening with native plants). Panelists will seek to overcome popular misconceptions and to reassure gardeners uneasy about attracting insects to their yards. Approximately half an hour of this session will be devoted to questions from the audience.

At noon, box lunches ($7) will be available for those who have ordered them when registering (details below) and paid for them in advance (directions below); however, people are welcome to bring sack lunches or leave and come back. The afternoon—or "Know-How" part of the conference—is designed mainly to familiarize people with native plants particularly valuable to wildlife and easy ways of incorporating these plants into their yards and properties. PLEASE SPREAD WORD OF THE CONFERENCE AMONG YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS WHO CARE ABOUT THE NATURAL WORLD OR WANT TO HELP WILDLIFE BUT HAVEN’T YET EMBRACED NATIVE PLANTS.

The afternoon sessions will begin at 1:00 p.m. and include a presentation by Mary Ann Menck, owner of Mary Ann’s Trees and Shrubs ("Choosing and Placing Trees and Shrubs to Help Wildlife"), and another by the Kalamazoo Nature Center on native-plant restoration. The day will end (about 3:30 p m.) after two simultaneous break-out sessions: one by Ilse Gebhard ("The Monarch Butterfly and How You Can Use Your Yard to Help It"); the other by Nancy and Tom Small ("Choosing and Placing Wildflowers and Grasses to Help Wildlife").

The conference is free, and there will be no fee at the gate of the Kalamazoo Nature Center for conference attenders. To register for the conference, telephone the Kalamazoo Nature Center at 269-381-1574, starting August 1 and continuing through October 1 (unless seats are filled earlier). As seating is limited, please register early, and be sure to cancel your registration if you find you are unable to attend.

When registering, you’ll be able to order a box lunch for $7 (if desired), with choice of a ham, turkey, or veggie sandwich. The box lunch must be paid for in advance with a check to Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones, P. O. Box 20324, Kalamazoo, MI 49019. Your check must be received by Saturday, Oct. 4, and (for back-up purposes) should have your choice of sandwich written on it.

For a review of Tallamy's book, "Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens", please scroll down below the calendar section on this page.

Conference Schedule

THE URGENCY

• 8:15 Check-in for registered attendees. Coffee and pastries.


• 9:00 Welcome and introduction of speaker by Bill Rose, Director of KNC.


• 9:15 Keynote by Douglas Tallamy, Professor of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology (and department chair), Univ. of Delaware. Keynote title: "Gardening for Life."


• 10:30 Break.


• 10:50 Follow-up panel discussion, "Sharing Our Yards with Creatures Great and Small." Panelists: Tracey Kast (Kellogg Biological Station)—birds; Steve Malcolm (Western Michigan Univ.)—plants and insects; Nancy Small—gardening with native plants. Moderator, Tom Small.


• 12:00-1:00 Lunch. Box lunches ($7) may be ordered when registering and must be paid for in advance. People are welcome to bring bag lunches or leave and come back.

THE "KNOW-HOW"

• 1:00-1:40 "Choosing and Placing Native Trees and Shrubs in order to Benefit Wildlife." Mary Ann Menck.


• 1:50-2:30 Session by Kalamazoo Nature Center on native plant restoration.


• -----BREAK-OUT SESSIONS-----


• 2:40-3:20 "The Monarch Butterfly and How You Can Use Your Yard to Help Support It." Ilse Gebhard.


• OR


• 2:40-3:20 "Choosing and Placing Native Wildflowers and Grasses in order to Benefit Wildlife." Nancy and Tom Small.

Directions

Please visit the Kalamazoo Nature Center web site for directions. The map is located at the bottom of their home page on the right side.

    Aug 04, 2008 (Mon)    

21st biennial North American Prairie Conference, August 4 - 8, “Where the Prairie Meets the River,” Winona State University, Minnesota. For further details please visit the web site: bio.winona.edu/napc.

    Aug 23, 2008 (Sat)    

Field Trip - 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. - Jephtha Lake Fen Preserve, with Becky Csia.

Directions and further details to follow...

    Sep 06, 2008 (Sat)    

Field Trip - 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. - Wetland Restoration at Axtell and Arcadia Creeks, with Tom Small, Paul Olexia, Steve Keto.

Direction and further details to follow...

    Sep 14, 2008 (Sun)    

Wild Ones Annual Fall Native-Plant Exchange, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Tom and Nancy Small’s house and yard.

    Oct 11, 2008 (Sat)    

KALAMAZOO AREA WILD ONES ONE-DAY CONFERENCE: GARDENING TO SAVE OUR INSECTS AND BIRDS
At the Kalamazoo Nature Center from 8:30 AM to 3:30 P