January 2023 Newsletter
Healing the earth, one yard at a time.
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.
Monday, February 13, 2023
6:00pm EST
Location TBA
FREE and Open to the Public

How do we plant for an uncertain future fueled by a quickly changing climate and drastically altered natural landscape? We will explore a rational and ecological-forward approach to planning and planting for a future that is driven by human-induced climate change and land degradation. Understanding the science of these issues and its implications can help us create resilience for biodiversity, our landscapes, and that natural world with which we co–habit.
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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

SOLD OUT!

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 State Community College TCAT Building

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





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 area. 

Deadlines for the submission of applications are March 15, 2023 and September 15, 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
Dr. 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.
White Oak Initiative.
Due to shifts in land management and ecological changes, older white oak trees are not being replaced by younger white oak trees at a pace that will support long-term sustainability. The White Oak Initiative is working to support the species that is so vital to the health of our ecosystem.

White Oak Webinar Series.
Free, oak-focused educational webinars.

Landowners for Oaks is a series of publications that provide important information about various kinds of oak trees and good forest management practices. Download publications.
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
Why Ecoregions?
Plants do not distribute themselves according to political boundaries like state or county. Plants grow where they can, based on soil type, rainfall, temperature, altitude, and past geological events like glaciation. And these environmental conditions do not follow state boundaries.

How Plants Control Their "Mouths"
Plants sense carbon dioxide to signal stomata to open and close in response to changing carbon dioxide levels. This article may make you want to go outside and kiss a few leaves!!

The Oldest Forest in Montana
When a forest gets to be this old and untouched, it becomes something more than a forest. It becomes what we would think of as a mind, with history, knowledge, memory, and foresight. It has a pulse, and a spirit incomprehensible to us—but we can feel it when we’re in its presence. 

Coming Soon to a Food Label Near You: "Bee Friendly" Certifications
Bee Better and Bee Friendly certifications offer similar stated goals—both want to see more diverse and flowering forage plants on farm landscapes and less pesticide exposure for pollinators—but they are markedly different in multiple ways.  

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

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 14, 2023
9:00am - 12:30pm EST
Live via Zoom
SOLD OUT!


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


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