December 2022 Newsletter
Healing the earth, one yard at a time.
Dear Wild Ones and friends,

As the end of the year (and my term as president) approaches, I want to wish you all a wonderful holiday season. Thank you to all of the current and incoming Board members, as well as all of the volunteers and those who come out for our programming! All of you make our Chapter the very best.

I am so excited about the coming year’s programming and the incoming Board members. From the Member Events such as socials, hikes and "Landscapes in Progress" (LIPs) and Certificate in Native Plants series, to Public Programming and the annual Symposium and Plant Sales, we have an amazing year in the works.

Sincerely,
Kristina Shaneyfelt
Free Public Programs
Monday, January 9, 2023
6:00pm EST
Live via Zoom

Live Zoom link for January 9th is available on our website

FREE and Open to the Public

Beloved poet Mary Oliver often acclaimed the healing power of trees to soothe and restore the spirit, noting “I would almost say that they save me, and daily." Now, scientific research has borne out the myriad health and wellness benefits associated with spending qualitative time in nature, forested areas in particular. Join us to learn more about connecting more deeply to the natural world through Nature and Forest Therapy practices.
Do you want to receive a reminder email
in advance of our free public programs?
If so, join our Meetup group.

For event details and Zoom links, visit TNValleyWildOnes.org
Under the Programs & Events tab, click on Calendar.

Certificate in Native Plants Classes
The Certificate in Native Plants program is designed to expand students' knowledge of botany, ecology, conservation and uses of native flora in the southeastern United States. The CNP offers a blend of classroom instruction, hands-on learning and guided hikes. Participants are required to complete four core classes, eight electives, and 40 hours of volunteering for approved native plant projects. Classes are open to Wild Ones members and non-members, whether or not you are pursuing the certificate. 

Design and Maintenance Considerations
for Building Bird Habitat with Native Plants
Instructor:
Preston Montague, PLA, ASLA

Saturday, January 14, 2023
9:00am – 12:30pm EST

LIVE via Zoom

ELECTIVE Class (4 credits for the Certificate in Native Plants)

Soils & Water
Instructor:
Andrea Ludwig, PhD, EIT

Saturday, February 18, 2023
9:00am – 3:30pm EST

Chattanooga Location TBA

CORE Class (6 credits for the Certificate in Native Plants)





Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones
Upcoming Members-Only Events

The following event is a free benefit for
Tennessee Valley Wild Ones members only.
Click the link for more details and to register.
Not a member? We'd love for you to join us.


Holiday Social
& Potluck Dinner

Tennessee Valley Chapter
Members Only

Monday, December 12
6:00 - 8:00pm EST



Tennessee Valley Chapter Happenings

Members' Native Plant Gardens:
YOUR Garden Can Help Others Learn
The Membership Committee is planning for our spring "Landscapes in Progress" (LIPS) events in March or April. Please volunteer if you can host a visit to your yard or property to share with native plant enthusiasts. Your yard doesn't need to be finished or perfect! LIPS is a great way to share ideas and learn from each other. 

Please contact Joyce Youngblood, jly1272@gmail.com or call 228-860-8061, if you have questions or would like to host a LIPS.

Chattanooga Area Pollinator Partnership
Announces "Seeds for Education"
2023 Grant Deadlines
Schools and community centers in the Chattanooga metropolitan area are invited to submit applications for "Seeds for Education" grants. Grant funds are designated for the enhancement of schoolyards and public community spaces with butterfly gardens and other pollinator habitats. These projects enrich the learning environment and provide aesthetic and environmental benefits. Grants provide assistance for all aspects of such projects. 

Cash grants of up to $750 are available for plants and seeds, and in-kind donations from Nursery Partners can help stretch these dollars. CHAPP can help you locate experts and information in the Chattanooga. 

Deadlines for the submission of applications are March 1, 2023 and September 1, 2023.

For more information, click HERE,

Chattanooga Area Pollinator Partnership
Wants You to MAP YOUR GARDEN
We would like to learn more about high quality pollinator habitat in our area and hope to measure efforts to increase habitat through a simple mapping program. If you would like to add your garden to this map, click here to fill out a simple form.

If you need help answering the question regarding what your garden provides, please review this page about the basics.

If you would like to remain anonymous, you may certainly do so. Simply provide a street name and zip code so we can place a general pin.

Other organizations around the country, including other Wild Ones chapters are engaged in similar habitat restoration projects. As these efforts coalesce, we plan to add our habitat map to larger regional and national maps.


Plant Natives 2023! Speaker & Schedule Preview:

March 17 Seminar:
Nature Journaling with Janisse Ray

March 18 Symposium:
Thomas Ranier, keynote speaker
Janisse Ray
Dr. Kristen Wickert
Adam Bigelow
Leslie Edwards

More Programs, Classes & Activities
FREE Webinar Recordings
The virtual webinars presented by Wild Ones during the past year, as well as virtual public programs presented by the Tennessee Valley chapter are available online. They are excellent educational resources for learning about landscaping with native plants.
Tennessee Tree Day 2023 will occur on Saturday, March 18th, 2023. This year, there will be 150 local pick-up sites for your convenience, with the goal being to distribute 100,000 native trees to be planted across Tennessee and bordering states. We hope you will plant at least one tree if you have a place to do so!

Click the button below and follow the directions to reserve trees.  Remember that some species are limited, so reserve your trees now for the best selection. 
Interesting Information
The Serviceberry:
An Economy of Abundance
by Robin Wall Kimmerer

In this essay, Robin offers an alternative approach to providing for our needs. As she harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy. Distinguishing a system of accountability, gratitude, and joy from one of competitive hunger, profit, and demand, she asks: how can we learn from Indigenous wisdom and ecological systems to reimagine currencies of exchange?

Outdoor cats are an invasive species and a threat to themselves, scientists say
A free-roaming cat is not a happy cat. In fact, according to a new study in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, free-roaming domesticated cats are a downright menace to local wildlife — and this is the case largely due to the irresponsibility of their human owners. The new research contributes to an ever-growing body of literature on how humanity's love for cats is changing the natural world.

Join Wild Ones
Becoming a Wild Ones member shows your commitment to the native plant movement and is a great way to connect with a helpful and knowledgeable native plant community that will prove invaluable in your native garden journey!

Benefits of a Wild Ones membership include:

  • Access to the current electronic issue of the quarterly Wild Ones Journal
  • Invitations to workshops, garden tours, seed exchanges, plants sales, and stewardship project
  • Discounts for partner educational webinars such as NDAL, etc. and Wild Ones chapter programs
  • Participation in an annual national photo contest
  • Access to the Wild Ones Member Center for learning resources
  • Participation in Wild for Monarchs and Native Garden recognition programs
  • Involvement in citizen science and networking with conservation partners
  • Receiving Wild Ones National e-Newsletters
  • Invitation to Wild Ones' private Facebook discussion group and the national Wild Ones Annual Member Meeting
  • Networking opportunities and camaraderie with like-minded people who care about native plants and our planet

Additional benefits for members of the Tennessee Valley chapter:

  • Discounted admission to all Certificate in Native Plants classes year-round.
  • Discounted admission to the annual Plant Natives Symposium in the spring.
  • Free admission at members-only programs, including local and regional guided hikes, garden visits (Landscapes in Progress), the annual meeting, an annual plant swap, and other member social events.
  • Access to the chapter's Member Directory, so you can connect with other members.
  • Annual Welcome Party and Orientation for new members.
  • Monthly email Member Update, with news about chapter activities.
  • All members of the family who live at the same address are entitled to member benefits!

Your membership dollars help forward our mission of promoting the restoration of native landscapes by allowing us to:

  • Provide free, educational resources and learning opportunities that are open to the public from respected experts like Wild Ones Honorary Directors Doug Tallamy, Neil Diboll, Heather Holm and Donna VanBuecken
  • Support the efforts of over 65 local Wild Ones chapters in 23 states
  • Publish a quarterly, award-winning, online journal featuring current native plant information and resources
  • Share free, professionally-designed native garden templates for multiple regions in the United States.
Upcoming Calendar of Events

Monday, December 12 at 6:00pm
6:00pm EST
green|spaces
63 E. Main St., Chattanooga TN


FREE Public Program
with Nadine Phillips
Monday, January 9, 2023
6:00pm EST
Live via Zoom


Certificate in Native Plants elective class
with Preston Montague
Saturday, January 11, 2023
9:00am - 12:30pm EST
Live via Zoom


Certificate in Native Plants core class
with Andrea Ludwig
Saturday, February 18, 2023
9:00am - 3:30pm EST
Chattanooga Location TBA


FREE Public Program
with Dylan Hackett & Scotty Smith
Monday, February 13, 2023
6:00 EST
Chattanooga Location TBA


March 17: Seminar
Nature Journaling with Janisse Ray
March 18: Symposium
March 25: Native Plant Sale & Expo
Registration will be open soon.




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