Category: Monthly Meeting Recaps

October Meeting Recap – Growing Natives Through Seed Collecting

Our October 2017 chapter meeting on Growing Natives through Seed Collecting, presented by Jim Keenan did not disappoint! Mr. Keenan, who is chairman of the Wildflower Preservation and Propagation Committee and a certified ecological restoration volunteer with the McHenry County Conservation District, treated us to his tried and true strategies on the subject. It was a solid […] Continue reading "October Meeting Recap – Growing Natives Through Seed Collecting"

September Meeting Recap – Bees, Bugs and Butterflies

Joan Sayre,  macro photographer extraordinaire and Riverwoods Nature Photographic Society member, returned to our lecture line-up for our September 5 meeting after a two year absence. Many of us will never forget  her last presentation that contained those gorgeous photographs of our Lake County, Illinois early spring visitors, the American White Pelican and Common Loon. […] Continue reading "September Meeting Recap – Bees, Bugs and Butterflies"

July Meeting Recap – Made for the Shade

  Our July 11 chapter meeting program Made for the Shade was co-presented by Charlotte Adelman and Monica Buckley. Charlotte is the author of, The Midwestern Native Garden and the companion book, Midwest Native Shrubs and Trees. Monica is the owner of Red Stem Native Landscapes, a Chicago based company that creates landscapes using our […] Continue reading "July Meeting Recap – Made for the Shade"

June Meeting Recap – The Buzz on Native Bees

Our native bees are in trouble. Habitat loss, heavy pesticide use, urbanization and the effects of climate change are just some of the factors contributing to our native bee population declines. Today one quarter of all bee species are in danger of disappearing. Without pollination, 2 of 3 agricultural crops worldwide will not produce food. […] Continue reading "June Meeting Recap – The Buzz on Native Bees"

May Meeting Recap – Water Doesn’t Lie: A Native Plant Solution to Drainage Problems

  It was another well-attended meeting for our May 2017 chapter program. Amy Dickinson and Jim Futransky presented their informative and interesting story on how they managed stormwater runoff and flooding problems using rain gardens and bioswales.     Here is a couple who love their 1953 home on a 1+ acre near the Des […] Continue reading "May Meeting Recap – Water Doesn’t Lie: A Native Plant Solution to Drainage Problems"

April Meeting Recap – Traditional Landscaping Using Native Plants

It was a full house, with 65 people attending April Nielsen’s excellent presentation on creating a traditional looking landscape using native plants. She began the program talking about native plant ecology defining ‘natives’ as plants that have evolved and thrived here before European settlers arrived, going on to describe how our native species are perfectly […] Continue reading "April Meeting Recap – Traditional Landscaping Using Native Plants"