Arid Southwest Cities’ Plea: Lose the Lawn

Thanks to Nathan Zenser for forwarding this article from the New York Times. By IAN LOVETT Published: August 11, 2013 LOS ANGELES — This is how officials here feel about grass these days: since 2009, the city has paid $1.4 million to homeowners willing to rip out their front lawns and…

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Monarch butterfly expert to speak in St. Louis

By Ann Earley Wild Ones members have the opportunity to hear from a leading authority on monarch butterflies when Chip Taylor, founder of Monarch Watch, will speak in St. Louis on Saturday, September 7. His topic will be “Monarch Conservation — Challenges and Opportunities.” This event, sponsored by the Missouri Prairie…

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Possible Wild Ones chapter in southern Illinois

There will be a brainstorming/planning session after the October meeting in Alton to discuss the possible formation of a Wild Ones chapter in southern Illinois.  The meeting and discussion are open to the public, so members are encouraged to invite friends, and others with an interest in being a part…

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Ann Earley on TV

Wild Ones member Ann Earley was interviewed on KSDK this spring about the Zoo’s citizen science program to collect data on frogs and toads.  The information is then reported to Frog Watch USA. Read the transcript of the interview. Ann is also coordinating our chapter’s participation in the Wild for Monarchs…

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Thoughts on landscape design

by Betty Struckhoff On August 7, Wild Ones members were treated to a wonderful front yard native garden in Chesterfield.  It was fun to see our makeover in 2011 and how it has developed over two years (and how two active children have grown along with it).  Part of the…

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Preview of our September meeting

Native plants in urban and suburban environments intercept storm water, reducing runoff into storm sewers and streams. Trees do the same, as do some man-made materials designed for the purpose. All are incorporated into the Operation Brightside demonstration garden, site of our September meeting and described in the latest issue of Conservation…

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Native plant bake-off

Shaw Nature Reserve is holding a cooking contest during the fall Wildflower Market: Friday, September 6, 2013 from 4 p.m. till 7:30 p.m. at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO Attention all foodies. We would like to present you with a challenge! Bring us your best creation, to be judged by…

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July 2013 meeting minutes

President Ed Schmidt welcomed thirty-one members and seven guests, including 5 members and 2 guests from Illinois, to this month’s yard tour and meeting.  Program Chan Mahanta hosted a yard tour at his home in North St. Louis County.  Following the tour, he described how, as a young boy in…

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Response from CityArchRiver2015

This is a follow-up on the plan to replace the declining ash trees near the Arch with London plane trees (Platanus x acerifolia). Some members of Wild Ones who contacted CityArchRiver 2015 to express concerns about the use of a monoculture of non-native trees received this response from Ryan McClure, Communications Director….

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2013 Landscape Challenge Winner Announced

by Ed Schmidt The winning property of this year’s Landscape Challenge has been chosen.  A team of Wild Ones members and a representative from Grow Native! processed the 13 applications and visited promising properties on a recent evening.  All applicants this year have participated in Audubon’s Bring Conservation Home program,…

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