November 2023 News from TN Valley Wild Ones

November 2023 Newsletter

Healing the earth, one yard at a time.

Free Public Programs

Southeastern Grasslands Conservation

in the Chattanooga Region

with Zach Irick

Monday, November 13, 2023

6:00 p.m. EDT

green | spaces

63 E. Main St., Chattanooga TN

Free and open to the public

MORE INFO

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.

Evolution of

Flowering Plants

Instructor: Mary Priestley

Saturday, November 18, 2023

9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. EDT

Reflection Riding

400 Garden Rd.

Chattanooga TN

ELECTIVE Class

(4 credits for the Certificate in Native Plants)

Info & Register

More CNP classes will be announced soon!

Tennessee Valley Chapter

Members-Only Events

Holiday Social:

Tennessee Valley Chapter

Monday, December 11, 2023

6:00 - 8:00 p.m. EST

FREE for Tennessee Valley Chapter Wild Ones and family members

Join us for the 2023 Holiday Social and Potluck for the Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones. This event is free and open to Wild Ones members and family.

Please bring a dish to share. Beer, wine and other beverages will be provided.

So that we know how many people to expect, please register by clicking the button below.

Please bring a can or two of food to donate to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank... or consider bringing a cash or check donation payable to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank.

Come See Us this Weekend!

Come See Us at

the Hamilton County Fair

Wild Ones will be represented at the Hamilton County Fair this weekend. We have a table with the Master Gardeners and would love to greet any Wild Ones who can come.

Weekend hours are:

Saturday, November 11

11:00 am - 9:00 pm EST

Sunday, November 12

11:00 am - 7:00 pm EST

McDonald Farm

16705 Coulterville Road

Sale Creek, TN 37373

Info about the Hamilton County Fair

Tennessee Valley Chapter News

At the Annual Chapter Meeting on November 4th, the following members were elected and named as 2024 Board officers and committee chairs for the Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones:

Beverly Inman-Ebel, President

Jenny Hetzler, Vice President

Secretary: Randi Schlosser

Treasurer: Sally Wencel

Members at Large: Juanita Wade, Sherri Kent, Bill Moll

Volunteer Coordinator, Lena Hall

Immediate Past President: Kristina Shaneyfelt

Chattanooga Area Pollinator Partnership:

Angela Dittmar, Rosy Harpe, Lisa Pouncey

Retiring Chair, Sally Wencel

Certiﬁcate in Native Plants: Lena Hall, Charlotte Freeman

Certiﬁcate in Native Plants Manager, Pam Sohn

Retiring Manager, Marcia Stevens

Garden Tour: Assigned as needed

Marketing: Erin Thurman, Bianca Pratorius

Membership: Joyce Youngblood, Sherri Kent

Retiring Chair, Marti Owensby

Programs: Bill Moll, Gayle Tucker

Retiring Chairs: Dennis Bishop, Alison Hoﬀman

Public Information: Ann Brown, TBD

Retiring Chair, Lucy Scanlon

Symposium/Spring Plant Sale: Bill Moll, Beverly Inman-Ebel

Retiring Chair: Kristina Shaneyfelt

Revised bylaws for the chapter will be voted at the Holiday Social

on December 11th (see event details above).

Upcoming Calendar of Events

To view all upcoming programs, classes and events presented by the Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones, click below:

LIST View

MONTHLY CALENDAR View

More Programs, Classes & Activities

Chattanooga Parks & Outdoors Fall & Winter Activities

Chattanooga Parks & Outdoors has compiled a new guide with information about a wide variety of activities, including Planting Tips, Sports, Fitness, Park Stewards, Free Family Events, Public Art, and much more. It also includes information about Chattanooga's efforts to become a "National Park City."

View the Fall/Winter Guide

Rain Garden Workshop

with WaterWays and

Chattanooga Stormwater Resources

Sunday, November 12

1:00 - 3:30 p.m. EST

East Lake Park (Duck Pond)

3000 East 34th Street

Chattanooga, TN 37407

Free. Lunch provided.

WaterWays and the City of Chattanooga are hosting a rain garden workshop with native plants at the forefront of the discussion. At the workshop you will learn to build your own RainSmart-approved rain garden! The City's RainSmart program and WaterWays' RainSmart Yards program are both aimed at helping homeowners save money and reduce stormwater runoff in their yards in different ways (here's to reducing flooding and improving water quality for our city!).

Learn more about these programs with the links below, and sign up for the workshop by clicking below.

Webinar with Neil Diboll & Hilary Cox

Presentation of "The Gardener’s Guide to Prairie Plants" will be November 16th, 2023, 7:00 p.m. EDT

Join Wild Ones for a webinar featuring authors, Neil Diboll and Hilary Cox, as they present their latest book, "The Gardener's Guide to Prairie Plants".

This comprehensive compendium is a treasure trove of knowledge for gardeners looking to incorporate native prairie plants into their landscapes. Neil and Hilary will delve into the making and applying of this essential guide and share rich historical and ecological insights about prairie ecosystems.

Tennessee Environmental Council Seed Mixes

A new native pollinator seed mix available from the Tennessee Environmental Council. It's called the Curb Appeal Mix, and it is perfect for urban settings, small grassy patches next to sidewalks, parking lot islands, and more! And now is the best time to plant your pollinator garden for best blooms next spring and all summer long.

Browse Seed Mixes Available

Regional Wild Ones Chapters

Wild Ones is growing in Tennessee and the Southeast! Check out the events at nearby chapters!

View Middle Tennessee Events

View Smoky Mountains Chapter Events

North Alabama Seedling Chapter

Georgia Piedmont Chapter

FREE Webinar Recordings

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.

View Wild Ones Webinars

View Tennessee Valley Programs

Native Plant Seminars

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 p.m. 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.

November 21 – Dennis Horn, Tennessee Orchids

INFO & CALENDAR

Interesting Information

What Climate Change Does to My October Garden

In Middle Tennessee, October is supposed to mean golden light and falling leaves and clear nights cool enough to make you spread a blanket across the foot of the bed in case the chill turns to genuine cold. October doesn’t normally bring an explosion of butterflies. The time for butterflies is September, with its mild warmth and blooming roadside flowers — snakeroot, asters, ironweed and the splendid goldenrod — all in their fullest glory.

Leaning into Indigenous Knowledge of Climate Change

Native peoples attuned to the natural world have long collected detailed environmental information. Now scientists are cataloging these observations and learning how they’re affecting Indigenous communities globally.

Smitten with Seeds

Plants tend to be appreciated for their flowers, certainly! But what about their beautiful seeds and seedheads? Birds certainly appreciate them, so why not us? Along with being ecologically beneficial as a food source to fauna and economically beneficial in adding more plants to our gardens, seedheads can be aesthetically beneficial.

Photos from the Field

Goldenrod (Solidago) seedhead

Photo by Mike O'Brien.

Common Buckeye on White Aster

Photo by Mike O'Brien.

Cope’s Gray Tree Frog on Purple Pitcher Plant

Photo by Mike O'Brien.

Sleepy Orange Sulphur on Blue Aster

Photo by Mike O'Brien.

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.