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Sept. 18 Webinar – Debra Knapke on Fall Garden Management

by | Sep 12, 2023 | Backyard Conservation, News, Pollinators, Wildlife

FLOW is pleased to present Debra Knapke, The Garden Sage, as our Sept. 18 webinar speaker. Debra is an avid horticulturalist, teacher, author, and eclectic gardener, who shares her extensive knowledge of sustainable gardening with organizations all across the U.S.

As fall approaches it is very tempting to follow the established practices of garden and yard cleanup, but these common practices are not necessarily beneficial for wildlife and sustainability. Debra will share information on rethinking our fall garden cleanup as garden management, with ways we can work with nature instead of against her. She will share some of her favorite resources for those who want to learn more. Be sure to visit her website at http://debrathegardensage.com/

This webinar will not be recorded. Please register at the link. Time is 6:00 – 7:00 pm, EDT, and there will be time for questions.

 

REGISTER NOW

Fall asters

Native asters provide late season nectar for pollinators

 

fall foilage

Fallen leaves are an important resource for next year’s generation of beneficial insects

 

Native Edible Plant Walk with David Williams – Aug. 5 at Sawmill Wetlands

by | Jul 26, 2023 | Backyard Conservation, News

Native Edible Plant Walk with David Williams

Saturday, August 5, 10:00 – 11:30 am

At Sawmill State Wildlife Education Center (Sawmill Wetlands)

2650 Sawmill Place Blvd Columbus, OH

No need to register! Please wear closed toe shoes.

Join David Williams of FLOW for a walk around Sawmill Wetlands, learning about edible plants found in Ohio, and how to responsively harvest them, and some of their historical significance. If you missed David’s webinar in February, this will be a great way to learn more about the food growing around you!
 
 

Wild nettles are an edible herb rich in vitamins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 31 Webinar – David Tomashefski – A Time for Bumble Bees: Native Plants in the Garden and a Pollinator’s Life Cycle

by | Jul 26, 2023 | Backyard Conservation, Pollinators, Wildlife

 
 

“A Time for Bumble Bees: Native Plants in the Garden and a Pollinator’s Life Cycle”

Webinar July 31, 6:00 pm – 7:15 pm

 

Please register HERE

By David Tomashefski

This presentation uses the life cycle of bumble bees as a starting point for examining an assortment of native plants that are perfect for the home garden. We’ll look at the development of the bumble bee nest and see how the selected plants give the bees what they need – and vice versa – throughout the growing season. For each plant we’ll also examine other wildlife benefits that the plant provides, and see how features such as flower shape, nectar chemistry, and even stem diameter are ideally suited for supporting certain pollinators. And the sum-total of all of these specialized plant – animal interactions is a tremendous amount of biodiversity that we can all enjoy and care for in our yards.
 
Bio: I’m a lifelong nature enthusiast with a special interest in bird watching, Ohio plant communities, and gardening. I recently started working for Meadow City Native Plant Nursery, in Cleveland, as an Education Specialist. Prior to joining up with Meadow City I was a Research Associate in the Soil, Water, and Environmental Lab at OSU for 10 years. I have an MS in Natural Resources with a specialization in Ecological Restoration from OSU. I’m excited to be sharing information on native plants and pollinators with FLOW!

 

 

Please note: FLOW’s office is moving! After June 30th, you can reach us at 1404 Goodale Blvd., Suite 100, Columbus OH 43212

 

 

 

April 24 Webinar – Give your trees a better start in life

by | Feb 17, 2023 | Backyard Conservation

Give your trees a better start in life – by Ryan McCarthy

Monday, April 24 – 6:00 – 7:00 pm
via Zoom

Click here to REGISTER

Ryan McCarthy will be talking about restoration efforts along a stretch of the Olentangy behind the Fawcett Center. OSU students in collaboration with FLOW removed thousands of invasive honeysuckle and callery pear trees and then planted bareroot tree seedlings there a few years ago. He will talk about how those seedlings did: which species grew better, and under what conditions. Find out what they learned and how you can use that information to increase the survival of trees under your care.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 6 Webinar – Columbus Urban Heat Island Study

by | Feb 9, 2023 | Backyard Conservation

Columbus Urban Heat Island Study – by David Celebrezze

Monday, March 6 – 6:00 – 7:00 pm
via Zoom

Click here to REGISTER

A well-known environmental and human health risk is the effects of heat in cities, particularly areas where there are few trees but lots of parking lots, buildings, and pavement.  David Celebrezze of the City of Columbus will discuss the August 2022 project to collect data from Columbus neighborhoods and assess temperature differences.  He will also discuss potential steps cities and individuals can take to mitigate the effects of heat as the climate becomes warmer.
 

Summary page of the 2022 Heat Watch report

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feb. 27 Webinar – Foraging in the Watershed

by | Feb 1, 2023 | Backyard Conservation

Foraging in the Watershed – by David Williams

Monday, Feb. 27 – 6:00 – 7:00 pm
via Zoom

Click here to REGISTER

Have you ever walked past a stand of Sumac or Elderberry or through a grove of Hickory, Maple, or Oak? Have you trod close enough to the water to see Cattails or deep enough in the woods to see blooming Spicebush or through the prairie and the alluring colors of Bee Balm and Cone Flowers? If you answered yes to any of these then congrats! You’ve seen a Native Edible Plant! Join us to learn how to identify more plants and how to properly harvest them. You’ll also learn more about America’s native sugar producer, the Maple tree! Did you know that it takes roughly 35 gallons of sap to get a gallon of syrup? FLOW volunteer David Williams will lead us through these topics and more.
 
Serviceberries

Serviceberries or Juneberries are a tasty treat.

 

collecting maple sap

Maple syrup lovers are collecting sap from Ohio’s Maple trees now!