Central Chapter Events, May through August 2019
Saturday, May 18, INDY’S FIRST WEED WRANGLE!! Join Central Chapter Invasive SWAT Team, 9:00-12:00, Eagle Creek Park. If you would like to attend, please email Tom Hohman at hohmantr@aol.com so we know how many volunteers to expect.
Saturday, May 19, 1pm. Guided Hike at Indiana Audubon Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary with Audubon’s Amy Wilms. Easy 90 min hike on flat ground. With over 700 acres, the Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary (MGBS), owned by the Indiana Audubon Society, is known as the “hidden gem” in our state. Native wildflowers blanket the Sanctuary floor in April & May and are the highlight of hikers walking through the 10 miles of trails. Our hike will include walking around the low-stature prairie to begin the afternoon and then move into the cooler woods to see what is blooming under the massive trees. The wildflower trail will begin the hike in the woods that was planted by the Banta sisters, a hike to remember. Great accommodations for picnics, so come early or stay late. Space is limited for this hike, so please RSVP at inpscentralevents@gmail.com 3499 S Bird Sanctuary Rd, Connersville, IN 47331.
Saturday, June 8, 10:00 am -11:30am. RESCHEDULED Easy Hike at Ft. Harrison to Discover Recent Restoration Activities by Cardno, led by Crystal Renskers, Senior Scientist at Cardno and Dylan Allison, Ft. Harrison naturalist. Meet at the Delaware Pond parking lot. Entrance fee to the park is waived. Be sure to tell them at the gate that you are there for the hike. Space is limited to 15 hikers for this event, so please RSVP at inpscentralevents@gmail.com
Saturday, June 15, 10 am. Guided Hike at Laura Hare Preserve at Blossom Hollow. A moderate 2 hour hike through this CILTI preserve, guided by the CILTI naturalist.
History: This 149 acre property is part of the Hills of Gold Conservation Area. Blossom Hollow is part of a large unbroken hardwood forest block that is key for migratory birds and forest interior nesting birds. Few such areas remain in central Indiana. The property also contains high-quality examples of oak woodlands on ridges and slopes, as well as bottomland hardwood forest in creek valleys. Spectacular ridges on the property feature mature white and red oaks clinging to slopes covered with ferns and wildflowers. In addition, Blossom Hollow is home to three species considered rare in Indiana: the worm-eating warbler, hooded warbler and Eastern box turtle.
Due to limited parking available on the Blossom Hollow property, we ask that everyone meet at the McDonald’s in Trafalgar – 706 W Pointe Way, Trafalgar, IN 46181. Please arrive at McDonald’s no later than 9:50am. Space is limited to for this event, so please RSVP at inpscentralevents@gmail.com
Sunday, June 16, 2-4pm. Invasive Plants -Bad for our Parks and Woodland, presented by Tom Hohman. This presentation looks at why non-native, invasive plants are a threat to our parks and woodlands, gives examples of some of the most common invasive plants in central Indiana, and talks about how each person can help solve the problem. Tom is a past president of Indiana Native Plant Society (INPS) and currently on their board. He is also currently president of Indiana Parks Alliance, whose mission is to support and advocate for Indiana’s state parks and state owned nature preserves. This program is in partnership with INPS and the Nora Library. 8625 N Guilford Indpls.
===========
Sunday, June 23. Noon. Hike Geist Park. This hike is guided by Cardno’s senior scientist and botanist, Ben Hess. Geist Park is a bird watchers haven, as this peaceful 17-acre park is nestled along the banks of Fall Creek. The trail is only ½ mile long, however there’s a very interesting assemblage of floodplain woods and lacustrine fringe plants. Bring your binoculars if you like to see birds, butterflies and plants up close!
===================
Sunday, June 23, 2pm. Gardening with Native Herbs, Sue Arnold, Nora Library, 8625 Guilford Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46240. INPS meeting to follow presentation.
===================
Tuesday, June 25, 6:00-7:30. Why Native Plants for the Home Garden? The presenter, Tom Hohman, is a past president of Indiana Native Plant Society (INPS) and currently heads up the INPS Central Chapter volunteer efforts for removal of invasive plants from natural areas. Tom will give this presentation at Pecar Park Nature Center, 5203 East County Road 150 North, Avon. Pecar Park is a new nature park in Hendricks County, part of Washington Township Parks in Hendricks County.
===============
Saturday, June 29, 10 am. Guided Hike and Summer Orchid Hunt at Laura Hare Preserve at Blossom Hollow. Search for native orchids and learn about this beautiful natural resource preserved by CILTI, through the lens of their executive director, Cliff Chapman.
History:
This 149 acre property is part of the Hills of Gold Conservation Area. Blossom Hollow is part of a large unbroken hardwood forest block that is key for migratory birds and forest interior nesting birds. Few such areas remain in central Indiana. The property also contains high-quality examples of oak woodlands on ridges and slopes, as well as bottomland hardwood forest in creek valleys. Spectacular ridges on the property feature mature white and red oaks clinging to slopes covered with ferns and wildflowers. In addition, Blossom Hollow is home to three species considered rare in Indiana: the worm-eating warbler, hooded warbler and Eastern box turtle.
Due to limited parking available on the Blossom Hollow property, we ask that everyone meet at the McDonald’s in Trafalgar – 706 W Pointe Way, Trafalgar, IN 46181. Please arrive at McDonald’s no later than 9:30am. Space is limited to for this event, so please RSVP at inpscentralevents@gmail.com
============
Sunday June 29 (also!) 12-4pm
First Pop-up Garden Tour of the Season
If you’re getting started converting your lawn to native plants, you’ll want to tour Karen Smith’s garden in Clayton, Indiana for inspiration. Karen and her husband bought the four-acre property three and a half years ago with a large mowed lawn. Since then, they’ve been busy getting rid of the grass and planting native flowers and trees, raising chickens and vegetables, keeping bees, and restoring a native habitat that might someday attract quail.
They’ve been working with an EQIP grant from the USDA and sought advice from Quail Forever, a group that seeks to conserve habitats for quail, pheasant and other animals.
Karen has planted her small prairie with seeds and plugs of Joe Pye weed, marsh milkweed, queen-of-the-prairie and rattlesnake master. Beyond it, she’s growing serviceberry, buttonbush and spicebush. A tree line (planted with starts from the state nursery) is starting to take off at the back of the property. It’s a great example of how to take a typical suburban lawn and convert it to native plantings and a wildlife habitat. 1777 E. County Road 400 South, a few miles south of Danville in Hendricks County. Park in the long driveway or on the grass.
Before or after the tour, stop at the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds and Conference Center in Danville. The Master Gardeners have invited us to take a self-guided tour of their 150-foot-long pollinator garden at 1900 East Main Street. Look for it on the west side of the conference center. There are 80 kinds of native plants (all labeled). Well worth the trip if you’re nearby at Karen’s garden!
=============================
Sunday, July 21. Why Indiana Native Plants. Why do we insist on bringing in exotic plants from all over the world for our gardens when our own native plants are far better suited for that use? This presentation will look at advantages of native plants for our home gardens. The presenter, Tom Hohman, is a past president of Indiana Native Plant Society (INPS) and currently heads up the INPS Central Chapter volunteer efforts for removal of invasive plants from natural areas. Pike Branch Library 6525 Zionsville Rd.
Sunday, July 28, 2-4pm. Native Plant Buzz Session: Engaging HOA’s in Native Landscaping. Spirit Lake Condominiums Clubhouse, 6740 Spirit Lake Dr, Indianapolis 46220.
Panel:
Mary Durkin, hostess, Spirit Lake Condominiums
Megan Dillon, Urban biologist, IDNR
Brenda Howard, Senior Ecologist, DPW, Indianapolis
Clair Lane, Urban Conservationist, HCSWCD
Dan McCord, Hamilton County Urban Conservation Association
=================
Mark your calendars now for the next two garden tours: Saturday, August 10 at Bobby Kimball’s and Laura McCloughan’s gardens in Westfield and Noblesville and Saturday, August 31 at Sarah Gray’s garden on Eagle Creek Reservoir. Details, times and directions to follow.
================
August: Sunday, August 18, 2pm. The Effects of Climate Change on Indiana Native Flora and Fauna, Emily Wood, Indiana Wildlife Federation, Executive Director. IWF Offices, 708 E Michigan St, Indianapolis, IN 46202.