January 2020 Newsletter
Healing the earth, one yard at a time.
Happy New Year! 
We have been busy putting together programs and activities
that can help you "save the earth, one yard at a time." 
We hope to see you at an upcoming meeting
and if you aren’t already a member of Wild Ones,
we invite you to join us in 2020 and beyond!
Upcoming Programs
Community Conservation Conversation
with Sandy Kurtz
and Mary Beth Sutton

Monday, January 13, 2020
6:00pm
green|spaces, 63 E. Main St., Chattanooga TN
FREE and Open to the Public

Plant Conservation & Research
at the Atlanta Botanical Garden
with John Evans, Conservation Horticulture Coordinator for the Atlanta Botanical Garden

Monday, February 10, 2020
6:00pm
green|spaces
63 E. Main St., Chattanooga TN
FREE and Open to the Public


Annual Symposium.
Native Plant Marketplace & Expo.
Native Plant Symposium
Native Plant Marketplace & Expo
Saturday, March 14, 2020
UTC University Center Auditorium

Guest Speakers:

Registration will be open soon.
Coming in 2020!
Basic Garden Roundtable: 
Native from the Beginning
Monday, May 18, 2020
Monday, September 14, 2020
Monday, November 16, 2020
6:00pm
green|spaces
63 E. Main St., Chattanooga TN
FREE and Open to the Public

Do you want to learn more about gardening with native plants? Bring your questions, victories, failures, your fears and your triumphs, for an informal garden roundtable with experienced native plant gardeners. We will offer pragmatic advice on design, plant selection, sourcing, and difficulties encountered from our combined experience.


Native Plant Garden Tour
Native Plant Garden Tour
Saturday, September 12, 2020

More information coming soon!
Save These 2020 Dates
February 5
8:45am - 3:30pm
Athens GA

February 17-18
Natural Design Workshop with Larry Weaner
Nashville TN

February 29
8:45am - 4:00pm
Macon GA

April 16-18
Reflection Riding Spring Plant Sale
Members Only: Thursday, April 16, 2-7pm
Public: April 17 & 18, 9am - 5pm
Earth Day Festival: April 18, 10am - 2pm

April 17-19
South Cumberland State Park

April 18-19

July 22-25
Cullowhee NC
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. Visit  www.TNValleyWildOnes.org/CNP  for more information.  Classes are open to Wild Ones members and non-members, whether or not you are pursuing the certificate.  


REMINDER:
CNP class sizes are limited and registration IN ADVANCE is required.


Winter Tree Identification
Saturday, January 18, 2020
1:00pm - 4:30pm
Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center
Instructor: Richard Clements, Ph.D
CNP Elective Class – 4 credits
SOLD OUT!

Just because winter is here and the local flora appears dormant or dead, there is still plenty of interesting botanizing to do. Although the leaves and flowers, which most field guides use to aid in plant identification, are missing, woody plants still have many characteristics which make identification a challenging and rewarding activity. In this course, we will look at how woody plants prepare for winter, what the “key” structures are for identifying winter plants, and get some hands-on practice.

Propagating Native Plants
by Seeds
Propagating Native Plants by Seeds
Instructor: Michael Martin, PhD
Saturday, February 15, 2020
8:30am - 12:00pm
Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center
ELECTIVE Class (4 credits)

Encourage native pollinators, birds, and other wildlife as you save water and other resources by using native plants in your landscape. You can buy them at local garden centers or nurseries, or better yet, propagate and grow them at home. Learn the secrets of native species propagation through seeds in this hands-on workshop. You will take home a flat of seeds for nurturing at home indoors under lights or outdoors.

Propagation of Native Plants
by Cuttings & Divisions
Saturday, February 15, 2020
1:00pm – 4:30pm
Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center
Instructor: Michael Martin, PhD
ELECTIVE Class (4 credits)

In addition to growing native plants from seeds, many plants are grown from stem and root cuttings, particularly woody shrubs like Azaleas. Learn how you can use basic methods to grow your own cuttings. Similarly, many native perennials can be divided in the spring to create new plants and this workshop will cover both techniques. This hands-on workshop covers the whys and how tos for native plant cuttings and divisions and participants will take home their classroom work to nurture until ready for planting.
“To love a place is not enough. We must find ways to heal it.”
― Robin Wall Kimmerer

Information for Wild Ones Members
Permanent Name Tags Available.
Order by January 13!
All current members of the Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones are invited to order PERMANENT name tags to wear at chapter events and volunteer activities. Name tags will feature the chapter logo, as well as your name. Each name tag will be approximately 3" wide by 2" high, with a magnetic closure on the back.

All Wild Ones memberships include your family! Therefore, you may order a name tag for yourself, your spouse/partner, and other family members residing in your home.

Each name tag costs $10.00.

Please place your online order by January 13th, or order in person at the January 13th public meeting at green|spaces.
Volunteer Opportunities
Rain Garden Guardians
Do you want to learn more about rain gardens, gardening with native plants, supporting urban wildlife, stormwater pollution, green infrastructure design, plant i.d., or exotic invasive management? Are you interested in low impact exercise, more time outside, earning volunteer hours, picking up a new skill, or meeting people with similar interests?
Come visit on a Rain Garden Guardian Day for an educational tour or to volunteer! 

Upcoming dates:
1/9/20  Stringer’s Ridge Pumptrack
(note date change!)
1/23/20 Warner Park
2/6/20  Patten Rec
2/27/20 Renaissance Rain Garden
Local & Regional Happenings
A Day of Gardening
Saturday, February 22, 2020
9:00am - 2:00pm
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
822 Belvoir Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37412 

Presented by the Tennessee Federation of Garden Clubs, District III

A variety of topics will be covered, beginning with a panel discussion on how to help your garden survive the hot dry summer and fall in our area.

Other presentation topics will include:
  • Vines, such as Clematis
  • The Rose Rustlers
  • Volunteering as a Way to Increase Gardening Skills
  • Plant this! Not this!
  • Creating Color in the Garden Throughout the Seasons
  • Medicinal Garden for Good Health and Beauty
Chattanooga Natural Resources Assessment
The Regional Planning Agency has been working on a Natural Resources Assessment over the last year.

Please consider connecting with your City Council people to urge them to protect our natural resources, and protect everyday Chattanoogans from dangerous building practices.  If you're not in City Limits, talk with your local representatives about adopting similar protections. 
Interesting Information
Ten Amazing New Plant and Fungi Discoveries in 2019 - in Pictures
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has chosen its  top 10 species discovered in 2019 , celebrating the diversity of plants and fungi. From a bamboo-dwelling medicinal fungi to a snowdrop spotted on Facebook, this year’s picks represent the breadth of discoveries made by Kew and its collaborators around the world every year

Biodiversity: The best plants for attracting insects to gardens
You can do your bit for insects by growing lots of foliage in your garden, a study has found. "The main message is the more foliage there is, the more invertebrates you will have in your garden," said Andrew Salisbury, Royal Horticultural Society principal entomologist.

Light pollution is key 'bringer of insect apocalypse'
Light pollution is a significant but overlooked driver of the rapid decline of insect populations, according to the most comprehensive review of the scientific evidence to date.

Artificial light at night can affect every aspect of insects’ lives, the researchers said, from luring moths to their deaths around bulbs, to spotlighting insect prey for rats and toads, to obscuring the mating signals of fireflies.

Historic Battlefields are Finding New Lives as Parks and Wildlife Refuges
Across the US,  25 national battlefield and military parks  have been established to protect battlefield landscapes and memorialize the past. Increasingly, visitors to these sites are attracted as much by their natural beauty as their historical legacy.

A new book,  Collateral Values: The Natural Capital Created by Landscapes of War , describes the benefits to society when healthy natural habitats develop on former battlefields and other military landscapes, such as bases and security zones. Environmental scientist  Gary Machlis  coined the phrase “collateral values”—a spin on the military expression “collateral damage”—to describe the largely unintended and positive consequences of protecting these lands.

A Way to Garden Podcast:
How to Help Birds
Research on bird populations published in fall of 2019 was alarming: 29 percent of all birds in the U.S. and Canada have vanished since 1970, a drop of 2.9 billion birds in our lifetime. In this podcast, the leader of Cornell Lab’s Project FeederWatch, tells us more about changing bird populations—not just rare birds but blue jays and juncos and other familiar species—and also about how data from birdwatchers helps, plus best practices for feeding birds this winter and more.

Stay Connected
Visit Our Website at TNValleyWildOnes.org

Join our Meetup group to stay current about upcoming programs, classes and events.
"Like" our public Facebook page, and stay up to date on our events and interesting information about native plants and natural landscaping.
Join our Facebook GROUP, where you can ask questions about native plants, join discussions and learn more about native plants and natural landscaping.