September 2021 Newsletter
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Healing the earth, one yard at a time.
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Fall is the best time to plant!
Join us for our second annual Fall Native Plant Sale!
Saturday, October 2, 2021
10:00 am - 2:00 pm EDT
Grace Episcopal Church Parking Lot
20 Belvoir Ave., Chattanooga TN
Free and Open to the Public
For the safety of all, masks are required for this event.
Native perennials, ferns, grasses, sedges,
shrubs and trees will be for sale by
SIX regional native plant nurseries:
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Get to Know Your Grower:
Tales From The Nursery
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with Katy Ross,
Night Song Native Plant Nursery
Monday, September 13, 2021
6:00 – 7:30 pm EDT
Online via Zoom
FREE and open to the public
Join us for a conversation with Katy Ross from Night Song Native Plant Nursery in Canton, Georgia. Katy will share with us how she came to be a native plant nurserywoman, what she has learned over the years, and why she just can’t bring herself to propagate carnivorous plants!
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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. Classes fill quickly and pre-registration is required.
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Pollination:
Close Encounters of the Pollinating Kind
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Instructor: Emily Erikson, PhD
Saturday, September 11, 2021
9:00 am - 12:30 pm EDT
Online via Zoom
ELECTIVE class (4 credits)
This class will focus on understanding the interactions between native plants and insect pollinators. We will discuss the mechanisms of pollination, including how pollinators choose which plants to visit. You will learn about insect biodiversity in the Eastern US and how to identify some of the common native pollinator species in the region. Additionally, we will discuss why native plants are a critical resource for supporting declining insect biodiversity and how to create a pollinator-friendly habitat in your own community.
ONLY A FEW SPOTS REMAINING!
$25: Members of Wild Ones, Reflection Riding and/or TN Native Plant Society
$35: Non-members
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Saturday, October 9, 2021
9:00am – 4:30pm
Reflection Riding Arboretum &
Nature Center, Chattanooga, TN
Instructors: Richard Clements, PhD
& Mary Priestley
CORE Class (6 credits)
The goal of the class is to provide students with a basic understanding of botany which is critical to understanding how plants work in the natural world.
$55: Members of Wild Ones, Reflection Riding and/or TN Native Plant Society
$65: Non-members
Class size is being limited to ensure social distancing.
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Saturday, November 13, 2021
9:00am – 4:30pm
Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature
Center, Chattanooga, TN 37419
Instructors: Richard Clements, PhD &
Mary Priestley
CORE Class (6 credits)
This is the second Botany core course. Looking together at plant cell types, tissue types, and major vegetative structures provides a background for understanding light and water requirements, soil preparation, composting, etc. We will also explore reproduction by examining some of the strategies and structures that plants use to continue life from generation to generation. Specific topics include: plant cell and tissue types, vegetative and reproductive organs, asexual reproduction, genetics, seeds, flowers, pollination, and fruits.
$55: Members of Wild Ones, Reflection Riding and/or TN Native Plant Society
$65: Non-members
Class size is being limited to ensure social distancing.
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December 11, 2021
9:00am – 12:30pm
Online via Zoom
Instructor: Rachel Swenie
ELECTIVE class for the Certificate in Native Plants
(4 credits)
This class is an introduction to basic fungal biology and the roles fungi play in ecosystems, with an emphasis on mycorrhizal plant-fungal symbiosis. We’ll learn about different types of mycorrhizae, the ways mycorrhizal fungi interface with plant roots, and how mycorrhizal symbiosis benefits plant communities.
$25: Members of Wild Ones, Reflection Riding and/or TN Native Plant Society
$35: Non-members
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Reminder: Plant Natives 2021
Video Access Expiring Soon
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If you registered for the 2021 Plant Natives Symposium, you currently have access to the recordings of Symposium presentations by Doug Tallamy, Larry Mellichamp, Michael Gaige, Drew Lanham, Patricia K. Howell, Benjamin Vogt and Jim Costa.
If you registered for the Seminar with Tom Kimmerer, the video recording of his presentation is also available.
Please note that video access is available through September 21, 2021.
After that time, the videos will no longer be available.
If you need us to resend your password for the Vimeo portal to view these videos, please send a request, along with your name and email address to TNValleyWildOnes@gmail.com
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To help with these events,
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Seeds for Education
Mentors Needed
The Seeds for Education Grant Program (SFE) is looking for volunteers to support the planning, construction and use of native gardens in Chattanooga area schools. As a garden mentor you will help SFE grant recipients effectively develop a native garden that will be an educational and aesthetic asset to their school. If you are a Wild Ones member, love gardening, have experience gardening with native plants, and would like to help children enjoy gardening, you should consider applying to become a garden mentor. We are looking for mentors with some or all the following qualifications:
- Membership in Tennessee Valley Wild Ones,
- Enjoy working with educators and/or children,
- Commitment of one morning or afternoon per month,
- Commitment to one year of service,
- Willingness to complete an orientation program to prepare for the position.
Questions? Please email Kate George at tnvalleywildones@gmail.com if you are interested in applying for this volunteer opportunity. Thanks for your interest in becoming a mentor!
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Info for Tennessee Valley Chapter Members
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The last year has changed how we deliver programs and services for our members. We are now making plans for the future, and we need to know what YOU would like for the Tennessee Valley Chapter to provide.
If you are a member of the Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones, and you have NOT competed the recently-emailed survey, please let us know. We will email the link for the online survey for you to complete. Surveys must be completed by September 10th.
Thanks for providing your input!
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Online Programs & Fun Stuff
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Dr. Tallamy will share about his latest book The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees!
Dr. Tallamy will inspire you to treasure these trees and to act to nurture and protect them.
This webinar will be recorded and available to the public on the Wild Ones YouTube channel in the days following the event.
Dr. Tallamy is a Wild Ones Lifetime Honorary Director and professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, where he has taught insect-related courses for 40 years.
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Save the Date: October 20.
Webinar with Heather Holm
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Heather Holm will discuss her recently published book WASPS: Their Biology, Diversity, and Role as Beneficial Insects and Pollinators of Native Plants.
WASPS features approximately 150 species of flower-visiting wasps that occur in eastern North America, and the specific native plants and habitat each species depends upon.
Registration information on the October 20th webinar will go live in the coming weeks.
This webinar will be recorded and available to the public on the Wild Ones YouTube channel in the days following the event.
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Online Webinars & Conferences
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There are lots of opportunities to learn about native plants in online webinars, classes and conferences. Check out these:
Webinars
September 22-24, 2021
Presented by Deep Roots KC
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Middle Tennessee Chapter Monthly Meetings
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Learn more about gardening with native plants by checking out the monthly programs offered by our Wild Ones friends in the Nashville area. There are terrific online and in-person programs and activities.
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New Wild Ones chapters
are popping up all around us!
Check out existing and "seedling" chapters in:
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Plant Labels
Do you forget where you plant your new plants?
Do you wonder what's coming up in the spring?
Try using plant labels!
We particularly like those from Paw Paw Everlast Label Company.
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Benjamin Vogt and "Prairie Up!" is offering a fun selection of t-shirts for native plant gardeners.
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Large Scale Landscape Maintenance
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It can be extremely difficult to plan and budget for a continuing landscape maintenance plan after the installation of a large landscape. But, as we have all experienced, the maintenance plan is just as important as the original planting itself. In answer to this, North Creek Nurseries have created a basic outline for maintenance scheduling in the Mid-Atlantic for large-scale landscapes. This schedule includes time windows for site preparation, installation, first-year maintenance, and management for the mature landscape in the subsequent years.
Read more in this update from Northcreek Nurseries.
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The Largest Organism on Earth
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The largest organism on Earth probably isn't a whale or a giant octopus or anything else you might naturally think of first. It's a tree — or a group of genetically identical trees that stretches across more than 100 acres of Utah's Fishlake National Forest. it wasn’t until 2008 that researchers from Utah State University confirmed that the group of trees indeed was a single genetic individual, by collecting leaf and bark samples from the trees and analyzing their DNA.
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Birdwatching Tips: It’s Summer… Where Did The Birds Go?
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In the dog days of summer, birds seem to disappear—the dawn chorus wanes and an odd silence takes hold in woodlands. Many birds look bedraggled, no longer sporting their bright breeding colors. A lot of birders hang up their binoculars until fall migration. (July and August are typically the two lowest months for eBird checklist submissions.)
But there’s no reason to stop birding. The birds are still there, they’re just keeping a low profile, because they’re replacing their feathers. Knowing what’s going on in the post-breeding lives of birds can help you keep finding species late into the summer.
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Spectacular Slo-Mo Videos of Moths in Flight
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Spectacular videos by Dr. Adrian Smith— shot at 6,000 frames per second with a macro lens—document the unique flight maneuvers of seven moth species as they slowly lift into the air. Capturing both graceful wing movements and ungainly leg flailing, Smith records rare glimpses of the yellow underbelly of the Virginian tiger moth, the spiky mohawk of the white-dotted prominent, and the beautiful wood-nymph’s habit of scattering microscopic scales all with extraordinary detail.
In the article, there are links for more close-ups of moths, beetles, and other insects
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Book Reviews:
Wasps: Their Biology, Diversity, and Role as Beneficial Insects and Pollinators of Native Plants
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WASPS is the first full-color, illustrated guide featuring approximately 150 species of flower-visiting wasps that occur in eastern North America, and the specific native plants and habitat each species depends upon.
Here are some recent reviews:
Though this book centers on wasps of the midwest and eastern part of the US some western wasps are also covered. Excellent illustrations and the first few chapters cover all aspects of the life history of solitary and social wasps. Outstanding book, if you want to learn all about wasps and the importance of these insects to our natural world. -- Sher
Stunning pictures and in-depth information on how to identify wasps. It is packed with interesting information about their behavior and I learned a ton. I would highly recommend this book if you want to learn about native wasps species, their life cycles, the native plants the adults visit, and a lot more. -- Tracy L.
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What's Happening Outdoors Now
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Helenium autumnale
(Tall Sneezeweed)
Helenium autumnale, commonly called sneezeweed, is an erect, clump-forming, native perennial. Easily grown in average, medium to wet soils in full sun. Typically grows 3-5' tall on rigid, distinctively winged stems which branch near the top. Features clusters of daisy-like flowers (2" diameter) with distinctive wedge-shaped, bright yellow rays (three-lobed at the tips) and prominent, dome-like, dull yellow center disks. Flowers appear over a lengthy late summer to autumn (sometimes to first frost) bloom as indicated by species name. Although not required, plants may be cut back in early June (at least six weeks before normal flowering) to reduce plant height and to encourage branching, thus leading to a more floriferous bloom, healthier foliage and less need for support.
Photo by Mike O'Brien.
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Eupatorium serotinum
(Late Boneset)
Eupatorium serotinum is closely related to Tall Boneset but has several distinguishing characteristics. It tends to grow taller (5' or more), has long-stemmed, coarse-toothed leaves with a single prominent vein running their lengths and the flower heads are denser, with 12-15 blossoms. These small white flowers are popular with a wide variety of bees, flies, butterflies and beetles.The foliage is bitter so is not often eaten by deer and other mammals. Late Boneset prefers full sun or partial shade in medium soils from wet-mesic to dry and blooms in late-summer through fall. Native habitats include black soil prairies, moist meadows, and areas near drainage ditches. The overall size of the plant is very much dependent on soil moisture levels, and often during a drought, the lower leaves may become discolored or fall off. (Source: Prairie Moon Nursery)
Photo by Mike O'Brien
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Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly nectaring on garden phlox
The spicebush swallowtail is found throughout the eastern half of the United States from southern Canada south to southern Florida (except the Miami area and Keys) and west to Texas. It is less common farther west from the Mississippi River.
Photo by Mike O'Brien
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Snowberry Clearwing Moth, newly emerged.
Note the much smaller hindwings, seen through the forewings.
Photo by Mike O'Brien
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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!
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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
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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 60 local Wild Ones chapters in 20 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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Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones
Upcoming Event Calendar
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CNP Elective Class
with Emily Erikson, PhD
Saturday, September 11, 2021
9:00am - 12:30pm EDT
Online via Zoom
Get to Know Your Grower:
Night Song Native Plant Nursery
with Katy Ross, Night Song Native Plant Nursery
Monday, September 13, 2021
6:00 – 7:30 pm EDT
FREE and open to the public
Saturday, October 2, 2021
10:00 am - 2:00 pm EDT
Grace Episcopal Church Parking Lot
20 Belvoir Ave., Chattanooga TN
FREE and open to the public
Masks are required for this event.
CNP Core Class
Saturday, October 9, 2021
9:00am – 4:30pm
Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center,
Chattanooga, TN 37419
Instructors: Richard Clements, PhD & Mary Priestley
CNP Core Class
Saturday, November 13, 2021
9:00am – 4:30pm
Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center,
Chattanooga, TN 37419
Instructors: Richard Clements, PhD & Mary Priestley
CNP Elective Class
December 11, 2021
9:00am – 12:30pm
Instructor: Rachel Swenie
Online via Zoom
Plant Natives 2022!
Symposium
March 12, 2022
Plant Natives 2022!
Spring Native Plant Sale & Expo
March 19, 2022
Under the Programs & Events tab, click on Calendar.
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Stay Connected with the Tennessee Valley Chapter
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Follow us on Instagram at
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"Like" our public Facebook page, and stay up to date on our events and interesting information about native plants and natural landscaping.
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Join our Facebook GROUP, where you can ask questions about native plants, join discussions and learn more about native plants and natural landscaping.
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Join our Meetup group to stay current about upcoming programs, classes and events.
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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!
This is needed to keep our emails out of your SPAM folder.
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