The Garden Club of Switzerland: September 2016

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Our Program Season Gets Under Way!

We're officially in gear for our 2016-2017 program season! Our first meeting is Thursday 9/8 at the Bartram Trail Library, 10-noon. We can't wait to see what programs our officers have lined up for us! Look for them to be posted on our calendar shortly!

Last month a few of us were able to have lunch and meet one of our newest members, Jeanne Powell-Hendricks. Although she's a relative newcomer to Florida, she's been a busy gardener with an avid interest in butterflies, especially monarchs! Welcome, Jeanne and Fran Ziolkowski.

After our last club event in May we found out that our club had won a National Garden Club award for our environmental video in support of the NGC President's Projects. This award was in addition to the FFGC awards our club won for its website and Dianne Battle's photography. Click the links in this paragraph to see the photos and videos. Remember you are currently viewing the award-winning website!

The District IV meetings have been announced. See the District IV site. www.district4ffgc.org, for these and other updates as they occur:

District IV Fall Meeting October 7th at The Garden Club of Jacksonville

Gardenfest: November 5 at the Duval County Extension Center

Environmental Studies ESS Course IV: January 18-19, 2017 Garden Club of Palatka

District IV Spring Meeting: Garden Club of St. Augustine May 5, 2017

For those of you who are interested in monarchs, we've posted an article on the monarch's summer activities in our Resources page with information from the Monarch Butterfly Migration Log in the educational website, the Journey North. For most monarchs in North America, breeding season is over and southward migration season has begun. Learn about the physiological changes this generation is undergoing in order to complete its journey to the wintering grounds in Mexico and to return to the US to breed the generation of butterflies that will undertake the journey north.

In contrast to the majority of monarchs, our local butterflies will stay here longer and travel less far. Our Monarch Committee hopes to visit a monarch breeding house built by local Master Gardener Woody Wilson and his wife Dian, this month, and to stop by Mike Adam's Monarch Waystation to see how the milkweed we donated to Saturiwa are doing! Stay tuned for our October blog posting!

It's peak breeding season.

PREVIEW OUR SELF-GUIDED TOUR!

We've been told how much our visitors love to walk through the garden. We appreciate that and are completing an upgrade that will allow guests to learn more about the plants and wildlife they see. We're installing signs that feature a QR code to access the native plant database with information on the over 50 plants we've planted, as well as the pollinators that utilize them. The URL to the website is www.AlpineGrovesNativePlants.org - We welcome your comments AND your photos. They can be shown at the kiosk by the garden entrance.
The QR Code is here:

If you need help using the image, refer to these help links
How to scan a QR code,

Scan a QR code with an Android phone,

or The best QR scanning aps.

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT OUR NATIVE PLANT POLLINATOR GARDEN?

We're working with the St Johns County Master Gardeners to upgrade and maintain the Freedom Butterfly Garden at Alpine Groves Park. Click the Resource link in the menu above to see what's happening. Our latest accomplishment is being awarded a Plant America Grant - Click the link here to see how it will enhance our garden. The Resources page also has a side bar column with sections the Document the Native Plant Garden and Forms for you to join our club or buy a commemorative brick for the garden walkway.

NEWS

The State Wildflower License Plate Gets a New Look. Show your love of Florida Wildflowers by purchasing a Florida State Wildflower license plate. The purchase raises money for wildflowers, wildlife and wild places. You can purchase a plate at your local DMV office or request one online with this link: Order Wildflower License Plate Online. More information on the purchase process and prices is at State Wildflower License Plate Information.

FFGC Announces Position Statements on Environmental Issues:

Neonicotinoids and implications for pollinators. Neonicotinoid usage has come under increasing scrutiny as a possible cause in bee colony colapse and other harms to pollinators. See the following news reports:

Are Pesticides to Blame for the Massive Bee Die-Off? PBS Newshour 11/24/15
Feds Propose Plan to Bolster Decline in Bees PBS Newshour 5/19/15
The Latest Buzz on Honeybee Colony Collapse PBS Newshour 5/3/15
Environmental Outlook: The Race Against Pests and Weeds Diane Rehm show 2/3/15

Lowes has announced a phase-out of neonicotinoid pesticides and pesticide treated plants in its Corporate Shared Responsibility Report (4/9/2015).

If you'd like to see neonicotinoids phased out completely, go to the Friends of the Earth Petition to the EPA to ban neonicotinoids and add your voice to the call.

Show your support for providing the monarch butterfly protection as an endangered species. Sign the Credo petition to the US Fish and Wildlife Service to do just that.

(Background: In response to a petition by scientists and environmental non-profits, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said [on 12/29/2014] that Endangered Species Act protection may be warranted for monarch butterflies. The agency will now conduct a one-year status review on monarchs, which have declined by 90 percent in the past 20 years. More Info is in the Xerces Society's Monarch Butterfly Announcement. (posted 12/30/2014)

Environmental tip: Save resources by shopping for local produce. See our Resources posting, Local Farms Come to You for more info.

Fresh and Local Recipes

Monarch Committee Report