for native plant gardeners and stewards in Essex (& Kent & Lambton too)

A few announcements and upcoming events:

Mon, February 22nd, 7:30 PM
Rare Woody Plants Of Ontario
Lambton Wildlife
Sarnia and Area
Sean Fox, Arboretum Manager, University of Guelph Arboretum, will talk about the threatened and endangered trees and shrubs in Ontario, particularly in Southern Ontario. The Arboretum has a number of significant projects, including a mature seed orchard and an extensive gene bank. There is a lot of discussion about protecting endangered animals, but they rely on the health of the habitat provided by trees and shrubs. This is an Indoor Event. Indoor Chair: Krista Cowieson (519-869-6483) Meeting are held the last Monday of the month at 7:30pm Where: YMCA Careers & Learning Centre, 660 Oakdale Ave., Sarnia ( just north of the 402, east of Colborne Rd., off Guthrie Dr. W. and Court St. ) Guest are welcome

Weds Feb 24th, 7:30 pm
What's Native, What's Not - Understanding the connection between plants, our environment and ourselves
Essex, Essex County.
Kinsmen Field House on Fairview Avenue
The Essex & District Horticultural Society will present their guest speaker, Dan Bissonnette of The Naturalized Habitat Network of Essex County & Windsor.This new presentation will explore the comparisons between native and non-native plants, cultivars and hybrids, as well as our perceptions toward them and how our decisions as gardeners can affect the environment as a whole.

Now accepting registrations!
The Naturalized Landscape Course
The Naturalized Habitat Network of Essex County & Windsor

"This adult evening course, which has benefited over 600 area residents, provides the best of traditional landscape concepts with an emphasis on planning and design. In addition, we offer insights on using native plants, attracting wildlife and creating a landscape that is suited to your needs. All levels of landscaping experience are welcome, from beginners to advanced. The cost of registration is $50, tax exempt. Each course is offered on a weekly basis, over a period of six weeks. All classes begin at 7:00 PM and typically last about 2 hours. This year, we are offering this course at three locations:
Beginning Monday, March 8 – Windsor
Beginning Tuesday, March 9 – Amherstburg
Beginning Wednesday, March 10 - Leamington
Most classes are limited to an average size of 18 people, so advanced registration is required. To register or find out more, call us at 519-259-2407"

May 1st
Native Plant Sale
Lambton Wildlife
1276 Lakeshore Rd, Sarnia
Attract birds and butterflies to your yard by planting native wildflowers.

May 28-29th
Carolinian Canada Forum 2010
Exploring our Watersheds
Carolinian Canada & Ontario Nature
Lambton College, Sarnia, Ontario

Partners: Carolinian Canada Coalition, Ontario Nature, Lambton Wildlife Inc., Sarnia Urban Wildlife Committee, Friends of Pinery Park, Sydenham Field Naturalists.

Forum includes:

• Coastal Greenways / Big Picture in Carolinian Canada
• Species at risk in aquatic ecosystems and watersheds
• Social Marketing
• The Green Economy & Climate Change
• Conservation Action Planning – Recovery Update
• Policy & Planning Sessions
• indoor sessions and workshops
• Natural Highlights of Sarnia-Lambton and North Kent County: virtual tour of three watersheds, Ausable, St. Clair and Sydenham Rivers; sponsored cruise of the St. Clair River; tours of Walpole Island, the Ausable River at Rock Glen and Pinery Provincial Park and constructed wetlands along the Sydenham River

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Thanks to a grant from the Essex County Stewardship Network, The Naturalized Habitat Network of Essex County & Windsor can now offer the presentation "What's Native & What's Not" to all non-profit organizations in Windsor & Essex County. This presentation is about 40 minutes in length and can modified to different venues and circumstances. This presentation can also be offered to groups outside of Essex County, which would include a nominal mileage fee. If you would like to arrange a presentation for your community group, contact us at 519-259-2407.

The network has also published the following resources:

• The Naturalized Gardener's Handbook for Windsor & Essex County
• The Native Seed Identification & Cultivation Guide for Southern Ontario

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Also, I still hope you might find something useful in this post I wrote last fall about resources in your/my/our area / the place I call "back home." :)