Welcome to The International Year of Forests 2011
Foray! Get in the thicket of things!

"Rare Native Woody Plants of Ontario"
with Sean Fox
A photo tour of rare woody plants with maps

Tuesday February 1, 2011
2nd Fl. Studio
Doors open 7:00 p.m. Start time 7:30 p.m.
Members: $10
Non-members: $12

Sean Fox has an extensive background in horticultural science with a particular emphasis on native plant conservation. In his current position as Assistant Arboretum Manager at the University of Guelph, Sean is responsible for the upkeep of the arboretum's diverse plant collections and conservation programs..

"Unique Native Plants of the Malcolm Bluff Shores, Niagara Escarpment"
with Mark Carabeta
Tuesday March 22 – TBG, 2nd Fl. Studio

"Native Plants in our Day to Day Lives. Changing the Culture."
with Martin Galloway
Tuesday April 5 – TBG, Garden Hall

Thursday, January 20, 7 p.m.
600 William St., Cobourg (the former Kraft Building) - North entrance.
Ken Towle will discuss the work being done to preserve and revive the tallgrass prairie across the Rice Lake Plains on the Oak Ridge Moraine. Ken Towle is a Terrestrial Ecologist with the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority and has been heavily involved in Tallgrass Prairie restoration efforts. Donations will be accepted.

Thursday, January 27, TBG – Floral Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Writers and conservationists alike recommend native plants for drought tolerance and pest and disease resistance in a home garden. But is this true? Belinda Gallagher, Head of Horticulture at the Royal Botanical Gardens and former owner/operator of Triffids plants (closed September 2008), will discuss the definition of native, what provenance means, how to choose the right native plant for the right situation and when NOT to plant them.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Public $20/ Students $15/ TBG members free.

This should be interesting. Perhaps what Belinda really means to discuss is why native plants of Europe are not the answer for North American gardens and vice-versa. Or perhaps she will discuss the scourge of invasive pests decimating our native flora and that they can be thwarted by planting non-native plants that have the ability to withstand the constant assaults. Hmmm…what with a former business named "Triffids"…totally suspect! You remember the movie, "The Day of the Triffids", don’t you? Hmmph! Alien sympathizer!

Wednesday February 2 & Thursday February 3
The launch will take place at United Nations Headquarters during the high-level segment of the ninth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests in which Heads of State and Ministers are expected to participate. The programme will include high-level panel discussions, media activities, film screenings, the issuance of the United Nations commemorative stamp series for the International Year, and other public events currently under consideration.

The theme of "Forests for People" celebrates the central role of people in the sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of our world’s forests. The iconographic elements in the design of the logo depict some of the multiple values of forests and the need for a 360 degree perspective: forests provide shelter to people and habitat to biodiversity; are a source of food, medicine and clean water; and play a vital role in maintaining a stable global climate and environment. All of these elements taken together reinforce the message that forests are vital to the survival and well being of people everywhere, all 7 billion of us.

Get the Jump on Spring - Toronto Botanical Garden's Annual Horticultural Open House

Saturday February 19, TBG, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Presented by volunteers representing Toronto Botanical Garden, Ontario Horticultural Association and Toronto Master Gardeners.

Celebrate and attend the annual event with lectures, demonstrations and a floral design competition. Get free advice from Master Gardeners, purchase plants and garden supplies and visit with representatives from local horticultural societies.

Tuesday, February 22, TBG – Floral Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Celebrated Canadian writers Wayne Grady and Merilyn Simonds fell in love while measuring an ancient balsam poplar. The fascinating intertwining of the lives of trees and people has been a constant theme in both their books and their lives. The couple lives in a 200-year-old stone house north of Kingston, surrounded by 15 acres of woodland, in what is known as the Frontenac Arch. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Public $20/ Students $15/ TBG members free.

Monday, February 28, TBG, 7 – 9 p.m.
Presenter: Sean Fox
Ontario is home to some noble elm trees that have managed to survive through several decades of devastation caused by Dutch elm disease. Learn more about how the University of Guelph Arboretum is working with these survivors to help bring the elm back to prominence. Sean is the Assistant Arboretum Manager, Horticulturist and Elm Recovery Project Coordinator at the University of Guelph. TBG members $23.01/ Public $30.09

Wednesday April 6, TBG – Floral Hall, 7:30 p.m.
The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, honorary patron of NANPS, gardener extraordinaire, faces the challenge of turning a difficult space into a delightful garden and, not surprisingly, succeeds magnificently. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Public $20/ Students $15/ TBG members free.

Friday April 8, 2011, 6 - 7 p.m.
Almost everyone knows our ecosystem is in crisis, but we can bring back the natural order of things, one garden at a time. That’s the hopeful, empowering message Douglas Tallamy delivers as he shows us how to look at our gardens in a completely different way. His unbridled enthusiasm for the beauty and usefulness of helpful bugs and critters and the native plants that support them change your mind about what belongs in your patch. If you missed his presentation at the joint NANPS/TBG event last October, here’s your chance to connect. Note: not confirmed on the ROM site at press time. Stay tuned to The Local Scoop website for updates.

Saturday May 7, Markham Civic Centre
Speakers:
Vicki Beard - "Making it Work. How to Create Pollinator Habitat in Your City"
Colleen Cirillo - TBA (Colleen’s talk about invasive species is untitled at the moment, so let’s go with the interim title suggested by The Local Scoop – "Space Invaders").

The Plant Sale Committee requests photos of attractive native plant combinations that members would be willing to share for the plant sale to provide inspiration for customers. Photos of a single species are also welcome. These are needed for the website plant database, especially for species where there are no images, presently. Credit will be given. Photos can be emailed to plantsale@nanps.org or burned on CD and mailed to:
NANPS
PO Box 84,
Station D
Etobicoke, ON M9A 4X1

Volunteers are needed for setup on the Friday before, during the sale, and for the cleanup afterwards. Email volunteer@nanps.org or phone 416-631-4438.

PLEASE VISIT www.nanps.org

New Service for speakers and gardening groups - Great Garden Speakers

GreatGardenSpeakers.com is a new one-stop shop speaker’s bureau for anyone looking for a speaker with expertise in gardening, nature, conservation, ecology, horticulture, or design. Conceived by five fulltime garden communicators--Amy Stewart, Debra Prinzing, Mary Ann Newcomer, Nan Sterman, and Scott Calhoun, GreatGardenSpeakers.com was created to connect inspiring speakers with audiences. Special features of the site include "Coming to a City Near You" tour schedules, and the already popular "Audience Review" feature.

Speakers pay a small fee to be listed on the site, but Great Garden Speakers does not act as an agent or charge a commission.

Groups that book speakers are invited to sign up for a free e-mail newsletter that will provide updates on new speakers that have joined the site, new topics or book releases, and other updates. The website is free for groups to use, and the site's organizers encourage comments and suggestions. For more information, contact info@greatgardenspeakers.com

Mondays, January 17- March 7 (8 weeks) from 1- 4 p.m. at Swansea Town Hall. Everyone knows how to use a pencil, and coloured pencils allow us to add glowing, transparent colour without water or brushes. Prerequisite: Botanical Art 101 or equivalent experience.

Saturdays, 1- 4 p.m. at the ROM from January 22 to February 26 (6 weeks). Focus on the beauty of natural botanical forms as you refine your drawing skills. Develop your ability to see shapes, judge angles, draw in proportion and represent form through tonal value. This course is appropriate for all levels and can be taken multiple times at increasingly higher levels.

The views expressed are of The Scoop and do not necessarily reflect The Local Scoop, its parent company (NANPS), subsidiaries, affiliates, verticals, hangers-on or even those of the Spokesplant.

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