March 2013 - News & Events
| "The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof." - Barbara Kingsolver |
NEWS
| - NANPS Plant Sale Pre-orders - Volunteer Opps - Passing of a Pioneer - NANPS enters Wiki - NANPS Director, John Oyston adds more letters to his name - ScoopAssist wins recognition - NANPS Photo contest - New director at Guelph Arboretum - The Roots of NANPS |
| NANPS Plant Sale Pre-Orders It's almost spring and we are eagerly waiting the appearance of the pre-order page. Sorry, nothing to report, yet. The Scoop was biting at the wait-a-bit vine (Caesalpinia pyllanthoides), like you and was seriously thinking of filing a Freedom of Information request form to ascertain the reasons for the hold up. But, we couldn't get past all the paperwork. No, we must confess. It wasn't just the paperwork. We couldn't justify the $5 fee when it meant buying one less plant at the NANPS Annual Spring Plant Sale. The choice was obvious. After all, we are not only frugal; we are hopelessly, botanically bent. |
| Just as you would check the weather and your garden, keep checking the NANPS webpage for the first signs of a spring thaw and the sprouting of the pre-order page. |
| Volunteers – we have an app for that
Volunteer Co-ordinator, Joanne Fallowfield, does not live up to her name. Ms. Fallowfield is not a native plant lying dormant awaiting spring to do her thing. No – she is a power plant, has a fertile mind field full of ideas, and is busy organizing and energizing our volunteers. Joanne has been gearing up all winter and needs your help at various events to fulfill NANPS' mission of educating the public. |
| Budding Volunteers for CANADA BLOOMS
Canada Blooms has dug in with its companion plant, Toronto Home Show from March 15 to 24. Our NANPS booth is in flower from Wednesday March 20 to Sunday March 24 and we need your help to promote native plants at the biggest show of its type in Canada. This is our time to blossom and make a difference! |
| Ahh...but to sweeten the Pottia in an attempt to lure you out like a flower seduces a pollinator, we offer FREE admission to the Show! And then in turn, you can be the charmer to introduce visitors to the allure of native plants, wildlife gardens, NANPS' mission and the benefits of being a member. We have lots of attractive aids to help you so that you aren't just waving your hands around trying to describe the plants while running out of superlatives to fascinate, attract, enchant, captivate, coax...As Joanne affirms: "it's basically engaging with the public to raise awareness of why, what, when, and where we can use native plants and to support those who are native plant gardeners." |
| Transit (subway, streetcar, GO) is available. We regret we cannot reimburse you for your transportation expenditures. However, as a bonus, parking is free M-F, after 4 p.m. |
| Volunteers will be planted at the booths in 3 seasons (except Sunday): Spring: 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Summer: 1 – 5 p.m. Fall: 4:30 – 9 p.m. If you are interested, let Joanne know your preferred day and shift time a.s.a.p. |
| Pressing Need for Volunteers
No, it is not a team to press botanical specimens, but a Press Team to attend our events with the purpose of reporting about the occasion, and to take photographs of attendees, gardens, plants, activities, signs, etc. The results will be featured on our website and in articles for The Blazing Star and other periodicals as well on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. We need NANPSters who can write well. We need NANPSters who can take captivating photos. Is that asking too much? Nah! We know there are dedicated native plant enthusiasts in the field who see the big picture and are also passionate about getting the word out! Contact Joanne. |
| Wanted: Seedy Source-rer's Apprentices to apply for Seedy Saturday in Vaughan on Saturday March 2nd
It's a seedy place with seedy residents, only in the botanical sense. President Paul and Board member Eileen are slated to conjure up some magic with native plant offerings. It's a long performance, so if you can assist with a sleight of hand sometime between 10 – 3 p.m., they would be most grateful. They promise not to pull a disappearing act. Contact: Joanne |
| The Passing of a Pioneer
Michael Hough: He didn't just talk the talk, he planted the plants. Michael was a great promoter of natural processes and native plants who will be greatly missed. Here are a few snippets from an article about Michael: "The man who helped initiate Canada's first undergraduate degree program in landscape architecture. Who's chaired task forces and authored strategy reports charting the future of everything from the Don River to Lake Ontario's waterfront to the Niagara Escarpment." |
| "And though he loves gardening, what Michael Hough is growing in his front yard in Moore Park is really a message — an edible manifesto, writ in vegetables. What it proclaims has less to do with advancing the cause of city farming than with questioning the skewed aesthetics and bylaw-enshrined design conventions that have made cookie-cutter clones of front yards throughout North America." |
| An interesting aside about Ontario Place and the hillside slopes which Michael had hoped would be allowed to progress from early pioneer species to a Lake Ontario woodland: "But the maintenance staff wouldn't let that happen. They kept going in and taking out any tree that seeded in. If they'd left it alone, by now it would have been a really marvellous woodland. But as it is, it's a fairly static landscape with the original plantings manicured and clipped and kept heavily gardened." (Scoop aside: It would be a further slap in the prettyface (Triteleia ixioides) if a casino was to be built on the site. Keep it natural!) |
| NANPS Entry Level at Wikipedia
Director John Oyston has been instrumental in the push to get NANPS entered into Wikipedia. We have been planted in their database, however, we are on tenuous ground. There could be a bit of a wikimpedia if we don't get enough recognition from sources other than our own. If anyone has connections to the media, please request that they do an article about NANPS, e.g., that we host Canada's largest native plant sale in the spring, or that we are promoting the return of native plants to urban areas. |
| NANPS Board member, John Oyston collects more letters
John has been elected VP (Vice President) by the Board. For now, he is still our Excursion Maestro while his protégé learns from the masterwort (Astrantia). |
| Photo Apps
ScoopAssist, Charles had an honourable mention in the OFA photo contest. It truly was a magical day in the forest! |
| NANPS photo contest - details
We would like to use photos for our website and perhaps also for merchandise or fundraising. Pick your best shots of North American native plants in winter and email them before the end of April. Voting is on Facebook. |
| A New Director for Guelph Arboretum
A new director has been appointed to the University of Guelph Arboretum. The largest and most comprehensive sanctuary of its kind in Ontario, it's home to more than 18,000 specimens in more than 30 plant collections as well as gardens, wetlands, nature trails and forests. |
| Prof. Shelley Hunt, a forest ecologist and faculty member in the School of Environmental Sciences (SES), has been named director of the Arboretum, effective Feb. 11. Prof. Jonathan Newman, director of SES, has served as interim director since Prof. Alan Watson stepped down from the position in 2012 after more than 20 years at the Arboretum. |
| Want to know more about the Roots of NANPS?
Silver Memories: A personal history of the first 25 years of NANPS Written by the founder and Honorary President Jim French. Contents include a detailed history of NANPS with articles by many of the people involved. There are historic illustrations, details of the purchase of our conservation properties, and lots of information about past NANPS events and activities. The booklet includes many beautiful full colour pictures. This beautifully illustrated booklet is available online or may be purchased for $12.00 including mailing and handling. Write to: Bulletins Plus, 2395 South Bay Rd. RR2 Lakefield, ON KOL 2HO |
| The 25th Anniversary Blazing Star is also online. |
EVENTS & WORKSHOPS
| See also The Local Scoop Calendar for details and more events |
| Seedy Saturday Vaughan
Saturday March 2 Vaughan City Hall, 2141 Major Mackenzie Dr., Vaughan 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Free, but donations accepted |
| National Invasive Species Awareness Week March 3 – 8 Good article to read |
| Green Roof Ecosystems: Designing green roofs with native plants: Mathis Natvik, MLA (see poster)
Thursday March 7 |
| Seedy Saturday Brick Works 2013
Saturday March 9 NANPS has a table. |
| Goodbye Standard Time, Hello Daylight Savings Time
Sunday March 10 At 2 a.m. switch from EST to EDT |
| Canada Blooms
March 15-24 (NANPS booth - March 20-24)
Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto Note: Yellow groove bamboo (Phyllostachys aureosulcata), a cold-hardy running bamboo is an invasive species. Find out more about this bamboo and others at the talk: The Wonders of Bamboo with Vincent Villanis (Ontario Bamboo) Saturday, March 23 at 1 p.m. (Grey Power, Garden Solutions Series, Rm 102, Hall A) |
| Seedy Saturday – Scadding Court
March 16 NANPS has a table. |
| Biodiversity in the City Workshop
Thursday March 28 (Register before Mar. 21st) Black Creek Pioneer Village 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. What is urban biodiversity? Why should we protect biodiversity in urban areas? How can municipalities manage urban biodiversity? Free (light lunch included) |
| Native Alternatives to Ornamental, Exotic Plants Talk
Thursday March 28
U of Guelph Arboretum 7 p.m. Hosts: Waterloo Wellington Wildflower Society, Guelph and Wellington County Master Gardeners, The Arboretum and Healthy Landscapes, City of Guelph. Speaker: Sean James |
| Pollination Guelph Pollination Symposium
Saturday April 6 Speakers and workshops Registration is $40 ($30 students/seniors) if pre-registered by Wednesday, March 27, 2013 or $45 ($35 student/senior) after March 27/at the door. |
| Canadian Pollinator Conservation 2013: Next Steps
Wednesday April 10 9 – 4 p.m. Pollinator Partnership Canada. Join government agencies, land managers, NGOs, conservation authorities, industry representatives and academics in a meeting to discuss the next steps in pollinator conservation in Canada. Topics will include current hands-on conservation work in Canada including large-scale restoration projects, the status of pollinators in Canada, and policies related to species protection. On-line registration will be available by early February. $40 including lunch. |
| When Good Plants Go Wild: John Oyston, NANPS Director
Wednesday April 17 7 – 9 p.m. Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG) NANPS members $10 NANPS guest (accompanied by member) $25 TBG members $25 Public $32 Buy Tickets Garden plants can invade wild areas. How do you deal with invasive species at your home or cottage? John will be talking about invasive species with particular reference to those which are sold in nurseries and planted by gardeners who do not realise the problem they may be causing. He will also talk about removing invasive species already existing in your garden or rural property. |
| Invasive and Native Plant Tours
Saturday April 27
TBG will host two exclusive tours for NANPS members and their guests: 1:30 – 3 p.m. The Invasives Tour: foraying into Edwards Gardens and Wilket Creek 3:30 – 5 p.m. The Natives Tour: Focus on "Nature's Garden" (Eastern Canadian Shield) and on the brand new native Woodland Walk, where NANPSters can assist with the planting at the end of the tour! |
| Book before April 12th by contacting Sue Hills by phone at 416-397-1366 or by email. (Note: The tours are limited to thirty people each. Unreserved places will be offered to the public on April 13th.) |
| The cost is $8 per person per tour. Pay either at time of booking or pay on the day of the tour. Meet at the main entrance to The Dembroski Centre for Horticulture, at the south west corner of the TBG parking lot. Tours take place rain or shine! |
| Plant Identification Workshops at RBG this summer (June – September)
Royal Botanical Gardens offers botanical identification workshops for conservation and environmental professionals, ecologists, and horticulturists. Courses are also suitable for graduate students, amateur botanists and master gardeners. Through illustrated lectures and hands-on practical sessions, RBG's botanists demonstrate key identification characters for tricky plant groups and share their expert tips for identication. Participants study plants in the field and in the classroom using herbarium specimens and RBG's extensive botanical resources. |
| Wetland Graminoid Identification (grasses, sedges, rushes), June 20-21
Grass Identification Workshop, July 11-12 Fern and Allies Identification Workshop, July 25-26 Aster and Goldenrod Identification Workshop, September 12-13 Non-members: $275, RBG Members: $250 and Students: $200 To register - click on bar on left: Botanical ID workshops |
| Details of all events are on the Scoop calendar. |
| To ensure delivery of The Scoop, please add scoop[at]nanps[dot]org to your email address book or Safe List. |
| 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. |
| You have been sent this message because you are a current NANPS member or perhaps you were a member in your plant life. We do not trade or sell any of the information collected - we just plant you in our database and send email blasts to keep you informed of all NANPS events. |
| Please email scoop@TheLocalScoop.org if you would like to change your e-mail address in our database. |
| If you would prefer not to receive news about NANPS in the future, we will try to understand. You may unsubscribe from future mailings by replying to this message with the words "remove me" in the subject line, and we will take you off our list immediately, if not before. |