Forest Park Forever ecologist, Peter VanLinn III, speaking to Wild Ones
Forest Park Forever Park Ecologist, Peter VanLinn, presented a walking tour around the Deer Lake native restoration area which includes prairie, savannah, wetland and an education area with demonstration plants. Management processes were discussed. Ed Schmidt emphasized the importance of supporting projects as this for their native habitat value. Ed welcomed our 23 members and 3 guests.
Membership – Betty Struckhoff
A members-only benefit will be offered September 8. It is a local plant rescue where member can dig up numerous plants to transplant in the own yards.
Membership includes a free home landscape evaluation by Wild Ones. Because Wild Ones is a partner of the St. Louis Audubon’s Bring Conservation Home program which focuses on wildlife value and storm water management, our members receive a 50 percent discount on a home landscape assessment and consultation visit.
Prairie Day at Shaw Nature Reserve, September 15 – Marilyn Chryst
Marilyn Chryst and Peggy Whetzel will offer a learning experience geared toward children that is related to Wild Ones and prairies. A small number of our volunteers are needed to assist.
Landscape Challenge – Jeanne Cablish
Planting date: September 22. Volunteers are needed to help. Directions will be posted via email. Jeanne will post the landscape design on our blog.
We co-sponsor this yearly event with Grow Native! and Shaw Nature Reserve. Effective July 1, Grow Native! is now part of the Missouri Prairie Foundation.
Outdoor classroom in the Deer Lake restoration area of Forest Park
Website Blog – Brian Hall
Blogs are posted regularly to our website www.stlwildones.org.
Anyone may subscribe to receive email notices of new blog entries. Look for “Get blog updates by e-mail” on the right side of the home page.
Wild Ones Partners with Monarch Organizations – Ed Schmidt
Wild Ones has partnered with Monarchs Joint Venture organization and the Monarch Watch’s Bring Back the Monarchs Campaign. Per Executive Director Donna VanBuecken, the Monarch migration is expected to be low this year due to the drought. Monarchs will need all the help Wild Ones can give them in the future. The basis for the Bring Back the Monarchs Campaign is planting milkweed plants, so SAVE AS MANY OF YOUR MILKWEED SEEDS AS YOU CAN. The campaign will kick off in January 2013.
Volunteer opportunity in Kirkwood – Alan Hopefl
The Kirkwood Parks and Recreation Department is forming a volunteer group, similar to Forest Park Forever, to remove exotic and invasive plant species and replace them with native plants. The targeted parks are: Kirkwood, Emmenegger, Greentree (a prairie and wetlands restoration is planned), and Meramec Highlands Quarry. An informational meeting is scheduled for September 19, 7 – 8 pm at the Kirkwood Parks Operation Complex, 614 West Adams.
Next meeting
SATURDAY, October 6, 11 am. Yard tour at Joan and Larry Hummel’s property, followed by potluck lunch.
For directions see the meeting calendar.
Recorded by: Fran Glass, Secretary
Editor’s note: Here is an e-mail exchange following the meeting.
Hi Peter,
I wanted to get back to you to say thanks for the wonderful talk and walk around the native restoration area on the September 6. I trust several individuals thanked you, and I had several people express their appreciation for the event. So again, thanks! Do feel free to call on us if you need a crew for a project. I can’t promise what the response will be, but I think that after the positive experience of the meeting, we might be able to get some people out.
Best,
Ed Schmidt
President, St. Louis Wild Ones
Thanks Ed,
I have heard from a few of your folks and it’s great to know you all enjoyed the tour so much. It always makes those tours work while knowing I am talking to informed and passionate people who will use any little knowledge I can pass along to do their own good and spread the word and the work even further. I also appreciate all of the great questions your group had. I could certainly tell they were interested in what we are doing here in The Park. Thanks for offering up the potential for a crew to help with some projects in The Park. I cannot think of anything immediately, but I’m sure we will have something coming soon that would fit as a beneficial and educational project and I would be happy to have your group involved, so I may take you up on that. I look forward to working and talking with you and the rest of the Wild Ones in the future.
Cheers!
Peter VanLinn
Editor’s note: One upcoming volunteer opportunity is the annual honeysuckle removal project, typically the first Saturday in November. Stay tuned for more information.
