May 2023 Newsletter
Healing the earth, one yard at a time.
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Native Plants, Rain Gardens
and Reducing Runoff in Your Yard
with Casey Dell, Mary Beth Sutton and Rosy Harpe
Monday, May 8, 2023
6:00 pm EDT
green|spaces
63 E. Main St., Chattanooga TN
Free and open to the public
RainSmart is a collection of programs through the City of Chattanooga’s Stormwater Resources aimed at helping residents become better educated on best residential land stewardship practices for water quality & stormwater reduction, as well as offering incentives for installing rain barrels, native plantings & rain gardens. Join us on May 8th to learn more about what you can do to create a rain garden using native plants.
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Gardening is for the Birds!
with Mary Ann Borge
Monday, June 12, 2023
6:00 pm EDT
Live via Zoom
(link will be provided closer to the time of the program)
Free and open to the public
Birds need food, shelter, nesting sites and nesting materials in order to survive. Learn how to make simple changes in your garden that will transform it into a year-round haven for birds by providing these essential elements.
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Do you want to receive a reminder email
in advance of our free public programs?
Under the Programs & Events tab, click on Calendar.
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Certificate in Native Plants Classes |
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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.
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Instructors:
Charlotte Freeman & Mary Priestley
Saturday, May 13, 2023
9:00 am – 3:00 pm EDT
Audubon Acres
900 N. Sanctuary Rd.
Chattanooga TN
CORE Class (6 credits for the Certificate in Native Plants)
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Native Landscape Management |
Instructor: John Magee
Saturday, July 8, 2023
9:00 am - 12:30 pm EDT
Live via Zoom
ELECTIVE Class
(4 credits for the Certificate in Native Plants)
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More 2023 CNP classes will be announced soon!
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Tennessee Valley Chapter
Third Monday Programs
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The Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones is resuming free public programs on selected third Mondays of the month. These programs focus on important and interesting plant topics that are likely of interest to a smaller group of people than our Public Meetings on second Mondays. These programs are less formal and include time for discussion. Please join us! |
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with Scott Goldman
Monday, May 15, 2023
6:00 pm EDT
green|spaces
63 E. Main St.
Chattanooga TN
Free and open to the public
Some of us have small home greenhouses and run plant swaps or plant distribution programs. Scott will share some tips on how to keep these operations healthy and how state regulations might impact those activities. Please come with your questions.
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Tennessee Valley Chapter
Members-Only Events
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Members-Only Hike
Kathy Stiles Freeland Bibbs County Glades Preserve
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Saturday, May 27, 2023
Zach Irick, hike leader
Free to members of Tennessee Valley Wild Ones chapter
A botanical “lost world” in the
Ketona dolomite glades of Bibb County, Brierfield, AL
Along the banks of the Little Cahaba River, before its merger with the Cahaba River, are several dolomite glade complexes which are as visually appealing as they are floristically rich in endemic plants. The preserve, a botanical "lost world," is home to unique plant communities and is located just south of Birmingham, Alabama.
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Saturday, June 17, 2023
10:00 am - 12:45 pm EDT
Private visits to gardens of Wild Ones members in the Chattanooga area.
Free to members of Tennessee Valley Wild Ones chapter
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Recently, our own Kristina Shaneyfelt visited Battle Academy at the invitation of Ms. Tarah Kemp, Culinary Integration Specialist and Founder of Cooking Up Learning. After Kristina's visit, Ms. Kemp wrote, "THANK YOU, Kristina, for your amazing knowledge on edible plants last week. It was absolutely amazing to see the kids so engaged and trying new plants they may NEVER get the opportunity to try again. Your visit was so impactful in multiple ways; I absolutely could not have done it without you! I hope we can continue this partnership in the future."
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More Programs, Classes & Activities |
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Regional Wild Ones Chapters |
Wild Ones is growing in Tennessee and the Southeast! Check out the events at nearby chapters! |
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The virtual webinars presented by Wild Ones, 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. |
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The Tennessee Native Plant Society hosts monthly Native Plant Seminars. These events are held via Zoom on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 pm Eastern (6:30 pm Central) and last about one hour. All members, and potential members, are welcome to join the seminars at no cost. If you miss the live seminar, you can usually watch the video by clicking on “VIDEO” next to the seminar listing on the webpage.
Coming up on May 16: Rita Venable
Bumble Bees of TN & What They Do
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These 4 free apps can help you identify every flower, plant and tree around you
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Anyone with a smartphone can snap a picture or record a sound to identify tens of thousands of species, from field bluebells to native bumblebees. Read more about the following apps: Seek, iNaturalist, Pl@nt.Net and Merlin Bird ID.
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There Are Stories of Animals Being Quirky...
The internet has been besotted with this eagle since he decided to incubate a rock.
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Female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata)
The male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly is yellow with four black "tiger stripes" on each forewing. The female Tiger Swallowtail’s tail end of her lower wings are more vividly colored, with strongly pronounced cells of orange and a greater degree of iridescent blue. Females may be either yellow or black, making them dimorphic. The yellow morph is similar to the male, but with a conspicuous band of blue spots along the hindwing, while the dark morph is almost completely black. The wingspan is 3.1 - 5.5", with the female being the larger sex. Southern individuals are larger than northern ones. Photo by Sarah Hoffmann, taken in the garden of Wild Ones member Alison Hoffmann.
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Fire Pink (Silene virginica)
Fire-pink is a 1-2 ft., short-lived perennial with long, narrow, opposite leaves and bright-red, tubular flowers. Five petals flare out from the flowers’ tubular bases, and each petal is notched into two, sharp-pointed lobes. Bright red, long-stalked flowers bloom in loose clusters at tops of slender, weak, or reclining stems. A common name for members of this genus is Catchfly, which refers to the sticky hairs or exudates which trap insects. Photo by Mike O'Brien.
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White Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus)
Fringetree is a small deciduous tree in the Oleaceae (olive) family. It is native to the eastern U.S. Its genus name comes from the Greek chion meaning snow and Anthos meaning flower. It generally grows from 12 to 20 feet tall and wide, with a multi-stemmed rounded habit, though it can be trained into a single trunk. This plant grows best in full to part sun with the best foliage in partial shade and the best flowering in full sun. Photo by Mike O'Brien.
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Gray Treefrog on Rhodendron catawbiense
The gray treefrog varies in color from greenish-gray to gray-black depending on their background environment. These frogs are expert at camouflage and may have a mottled pattern resembling lichens, although they tend to be more greenish during the breeding season. Gray treefrogs are relatively small, ranging from 1.5 to 2 inches in length with a maximum length of about 2.5 inches. They prefer wooded habitats with trees and shrubs near to water sources. Photo by Mike O'Brien.
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Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
Mountain laurel is an evergreen, many-stemmed, thicket-forming shrub or sometimes a small tree with short, crooked trunk; stout, spreading branches; a compact, rounded crown; and beautiful, large, pink flower clusters. Its flowers are very showy. They are bell-shaped, white to pink with deep rose spots inside, and occur in flat-topped clusters. The leaves are oval, leathery, and glossy, and change from light-green to dark-green to purple throughout the year. The stamens of the flowers have an odd, springlike mechanism which spreads pollen when tripped by a bee. The wood has been used for tool handles and turnery, and the burls, or hard knotlike growths, for briar tobacco pipes. Photo by Mike O'Brien.
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Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)
The green anole is a tree-dwelling species of anole lizard native to the southeastern U.S. A small to medium-sized lizard, the green anole can change its color to several shades from brown to green. The toes have adhesive pads to facilitate climbing. The male dewlap (throat fan) is three times the size of the female's and bright orange to pink, whereas that of the female is lighter in color. Males can form a pronounced dorsal ridge behind the head when displaying or when under stress. Females and juveniles have a prominent white stripe running along their spine, a feature most males lack
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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:
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Access to the current electronic issue of the quarterly Wild Ones Journal
- Invitations to workshops, garden tours, seed exchanges, plants sales, and stewardship project
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Discounts for partner educational webinars such as NDAL, etc. and Wild Ones chapter programs
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Participation in an annual national photo contest
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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
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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:
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Discounted admission to all Certificate in Native Plants classes year-round.
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Discounted admission to the annual Plant Natives Symposium in the spring.
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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.
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Annual Welcome Party and Orientation for new members.
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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:
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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
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Support the efforts of over 65 local Wild Ones chapters in 23 states
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Publish a quarterly, award-winning, online journal featuring current native plant information and resources
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Share free, professionally-designed native garden templates for multiple regions in the United States.
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Upcoming Calendar of Events |
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To view all upcoming programs, classes and events presented by the Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones, click below: |
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Get More Involved with Us! |
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The Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones is 100% volunteer run!
Here are a few ways you can get more involved in the chapter
and in our Chattanooga Pollinator Partnership.
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Follow our chapter on social media: |
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Follow Wild Ones on social media: |
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NOTE: Please do not unsubscribe!
This is the only method you have for receiving important communications from
the Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones!
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