“Our Native Plants & Habitats” Meet & Greet August 31

Stuart Goldman, far right, with MNA Stewards and Intern at the Newaygo Prairie Nature Sanctuary. Stuart will speak at the August 31 Meet & Greet. (photo by Sally Wagoner)

Native plant gardeners, preservationists & other native plant “experts and nerds” are invited to network, share and learn about native plants and habitats at the “Meet & Greet” to be held on August 31 at 5:30 p.m. It will take place at Waters Edge Golf Course, 1100 Ramshorn, Fremont, 49412.

The event is free. Guests will pay for their own food or beverages during the gathering. Registration is required to assure a seat. To register email the Newaygo County Environmental Coalition (NCEC): [email protected]. You can also go to NCEC2 Facebook Page and register under “Events”; or call NCEC at 231-519-3419.

“The purpose of this get together is to meet others who share an interest or passion for native plants and bio-diverse habitats,” explains Ken Hoganson of Big Bluestem Farm. “We can learn from each other, share resources, and create a network of healthy habitat advocates to help each other and our environment.”

A featured guest speaker will be Stuart Goldman from the Michigan Nature Association, who manages the restoration of our local Nature Sanctuaries in Newaygo County. Stuart will discuss the importance of native habitat restoration, what it takes to keep them healthy, and how community members can volunteer for essential sanctuary workdays this fall.

“The sanctuary workdays are a great way to learn about the unique and threatened prairie habitats in Newaygo County,” states Stuart. “We depend on the local community to take ownership of these special places, and to help keep them healthy.”

Other guest speakers will be Rod Kroll, a local community member with an expertise in the insect world and the important role they play in the pollination of our native plants; Ken Hoganson, owner of Big Bluestem Farm, a native plant farm near Bitely; and Sally Wagoner of the Newaygo County Environmental Coalition who will discuss how our local organizations are supporting our environment through preservation, restoration and recreation.

“We also want to share information about the Homegrown National Parks movement,” added Sally Wagoner. “This is a grass-roots call to action to regenerate biodiverse ecosystems one yard at a time. It is for homeowners to be part of creating a connected network of native habitat oases that can support our pollinators, insects and wildlife as they attempt to live and thrive in a world that currently disconnects their food and habitat sources.”

More information about the event can be found on the Newaygo County Environmental Coalition website calendar: www.nc-ec.org. NCEC is a non-profit organization which endeavors to be the Environmental Resource Hub of Newaygo County.
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“We are really looking forward to this first time meet & greet ‘native plant nerds’ event,” added Ms. Wagoner. “It will take our shared concern and efforts to beautify our yards and landscapes with native plants to help our pollinators and our environment thrive.”

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