Upcoming community events, biodiversity news, volunteers needed for conference, and more

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Community Outreach

We will have some opportunities this month to educate even more people about the benefits of native plants.

May 2: Earth Revival, 1-4 pm at Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church, Oak Park Visit: We will be there to share the good news about native plants, and how they can restore our connection to Earth. Earth Revival
May 3: Spring Festival--Trailside Kids Fest, 10 am-3pm There are a lot of fun things to do for children, and we will be there with our own activities. Please e-mail us if you would like to help out at our table. westcook@outlook.com
May 4: ProAction Cafe #2, 6-9 pm, Veteran's Room, Main Library, Oak Park: Come and build upon the discussions and projects that were started at the first cafe (new participants welcome!). Time for action now. Details: ProAction Cafe #2

Biodiversity in the News

There have been a few recent studies that support the work that we all are doing to create habitats.

This study on birds in urban areas confirms that our yards can serve as important habitats forbirds: http://conservationmagazine.org/2015/04/backyards-could-be-a-boon-for-urban-birds/
A recent study (based in Europe but could be extrapolated here) indicates that different species have different rates of extinction debt–it can take decades for us to really see the effects of habitat loss: http://news.mongabay.com/2013/0415-hance-biodiversity-debt.html
Scientists are beginning to understand the importance of biodiversity for ecosystems and the services we derive from them. Read: Biodiversity Promotes Multitasking in Ecosystems.

All of this work affirms our mission of trying to get as many native plants, shrubs, trees into as many yards as possible.

To learn even more, don't forget to register for our Living Landscape Conference featuring Dr Doug Tallamy, ecologist, entomologist, author of Bringing Nature Home, many scientific papers, and co-author of The Living Landscape.

We have seven other presentation led by local experts:

Designing with Native Plants (Trish Beckjord, Midwest Groundcovers)
Rain Gardens (Julia Bunn, The Spirited Gardener)
Native Plants for Green Roofs (Grace Koehler from Pizzo)
Small Trees and Shrubs (Conor Shaw, Possibility Place)
Native Host Plants for Local Butterflies (Denise Sandoval, Good-natured Landscapes and Monica Buckley, Red-stem Landscapes)
Beneficial Insects (David Lowenstein, PhD candidate UIC)
Rare Plants of the Chicago Region, Christopher David Benda (Illinois Native Plant Society)

Complete descriptions here: http://westcook.wildones.org/workshops/

VOLUNTEERS are still needed. Lend a hand for a couple of hours and receive free admission to the conference. Volunteer here: Signup Genius

Read Green Community Connections' interview with Trish Beckjord here: Meet Native Plant Expert

Bumblebee on Cup Plant. Photo by Adrian Fisher

Related community events:

Looking for Plants to Attract Pollinators?

You will find lots to choose from at the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory Plant Sale on Saturday, May 2, 8 AM to 4 PM, and Sunday, May 3, 12 PM to 3 PM, at the Oak Park Conservatory (members only on Friday from 2 PM to 6 PM). Rest assured that the conservatory does not use systemic pesticides, so your plants will be both attractive and healthy for wildlife. The conservatory is offering some native plants, such as cardinal flower and hyssop, and also some non-native garden favorites that attract birds, bees, and butterflies, including zinnias, alyssum, marigolds, mints, squashes, and sweet woodruff.

More information and a list of plants can be found here: http://fopcon.org/w/.

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