Gardening for Wildlife Workshops, March 2013

Hi Gang,

Happy New Year! I am excited to share the dates (below) for my popular series of 5 property-owner, “Gardening for Wildlife” workshops (pdf). They’ll be held in March 2013, the perfect time to shake off winter and begin planning and planting (or enhancing) your property and wildlife garden.

Native plants and wildlife-friendly practices are the key and will be emphasized and detailed throughout.

I present a zillion one- to two-hour programs each year and maybe you’ve attended a few of these. I love teaching them, but (with only one or two hours) they are more one-sided presentations, me sharing fun natural history information and images with you, the audience.

These workshops offer the opportunity to be far more in-depth and interactive and are more likely to empower you, take you to the next level.

The 5-hour format (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) allows for:

• an interactive workshop atmosphere

• each workshop covers a unique aspect of wildlife gardening (in-depth)

• each workshop builds on the others, but is not repetitive (so you’ll want to attend all 5, if possible, to maximize your learning opportunity)

• resources (handouts and circulated books) will be shared and showcased

• you’ll learn how to utilize these resources (find answers to burning questions you may have)

• time for in-depth questions

• time for in-depth answers

• during a working lunch we’ll brainstorm (as a group) each participant’s specific challenges (you’ll draw a rough sketch of your yard and submit a photo of your sketch to project for this)

• time to get to know one another and learn from each other (of garden triumphs and tribulations, successes and pitfalls). Nothing beats collective experience and roundtable discussion

• each workshop will culminate in a site visit to a nearby backyard habitat where wildlife-friendly practices and design and plant selections will be showcased

So, what do you say! Will I see you in March?

Sign up today and begin getting ready for the workshops. Draw a rough sketch of your yard, indicating structures (and hardscapes like driveways, decks, etc.), existing habitats (lawn, forest, lone trees, shrub islands, gardens, bird feeding station, brush pile, etc.), and mark NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST on the sketch. Take time to note the sun’s path through your yard and where the sunniest areas are. Bring a wish list of the elements you want to add as well as the elements you need to work around.

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GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE WORKSHOPS with Pat Sutton (pdf)

at NJ Audubon’s Nature Center of Cape May
1600 Delaware Avenue, Cape May, NJ 08204 (609-898-8848)

1. Saturday, March 2, 2013 – How to Create a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife
2. Sunday, March 3, 2013 – How to Create a Pollinator Garden (for Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Moths, Bees, & More)
3. Saturday, March 9, 2013 – How to Create a Wildflower Meadow & Wildlife Pond
4. Saturday, March 16, 2013 – Battlestar Backyardia – Battling the Alien Invaders (How to Recognize and Deal With Invasive Species)
5. Saturday, March 23, 2013 – Landscape Design With Wildlife In Mind

Time: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 pm.

Where: The March 2, 3, 9, & 16 workshops will be held at the Cape May Bird Observatory Center for Research & Education, 600 Rt. 47 N, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 (and include a site visit to Sutton’s nearby wildlife gardens).  The March 23 workshop will be held at the Nature Center of Cape May, 1600 Delaware Ave., Cape May, NJ 08204 (and include a site visit to a Cape May wildlife garden).

Limit: 20 participants; preregistration is required (through NJ Audubon’s Nature Center of Cape May, 1600 Delaware Avenue, Cape May, NJ 08204; 609-898-8848).

Cost/workshop: $35 member of NJ Audubon Society, $45 nonmember (includes handouts).

Sign up for all five workshops for a discount: $125 member, $150 nonmember.

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