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For the month of February, I had a writing residency with the Fairhope Center for the Writing Arts in Fairhope, Alabama to work on a project about Alabama ecology. I took the picture of the sign above at the offices of the Alabama Forestry Commission when I attended the board meeting of Forever Wild, Alabama's state land preservation program. While it is true that much of Alabama is forested, 93% of Alabama forest is privately owned. Alabama ranks 43rd in the country for land preservation (Pennsylvania is 18th).
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This is important because Alabama is a powerhouse of biodiversity. Alabama actually has the greatest biodiversity of any eastern state and ranks fourth for biodiversity in the country. It is the number one state for aquatic species.
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That giant forest also includes fragile marshes and bottomland swamp. The management of all those acres affects the water quality of the streams and rivers that drain into the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta, one of the most biologically rich areas in the world, described beautifully by Ben Raines in his film, America's Amazon and his book, Saving America's Amazon.
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This is all a personal matter to me because I grew up in a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. Last week I checked out one section of woods I explored as a child. It has become an apartment complex. Its entrance is lined in blooming (highly invasive) callery pear trees.
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Many of us carry these stories about changes to our home places, accompanied by a helpless feeling that destruction is inevitable. Just like here, though, many Davids are in the long fight with Goliath in Alabama: Mobile Baykeeper, Georgia-Alabama Land Trust, South Alabama Land Trust, and Freshwater Land Trust, to name a few. While I was in Fairhope, the Nature Conservancy announced that it had reached an agreement to preserve almost 8,000 acres at the head of the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta. One of the main donors to that purchase, Patagonia's Holdfast Collective, shared that Alabama will be a funding priority for them.
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The collective action of many small groups is a powerful thing. Our small group will have lots of opportunities to volunteer this spring--we will have a complete calendar in next month's newsletter. If you want to find out sooner, sign up for our volunteer email list. You can do this here or come say hello at the Upper Dublin EPAB Environmental Open House this Saturday, March 9 from 10-12:00.
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top left to right: resurrection ferns on live oak; little brown jugs--a wild ginger (Hexastylis arifolia) that grows in the southeast; yaupon holly
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Come to our first community gathering on Saturday, March 23 from 9:00-11:00!
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Spring is almost here, and what better way to usher it in than to attend our first community gathering at Gwynedd Friends Meeting, 1101 DeKalb Pike, Gwynedd? If you have extra seeds that you would like to swap, bring them! There will be time for swapping and chatting over coffee and bagels. John Janick from Good Host Plants will share some of his experiences planting with native plants and answer questions, and a representative from Wyncote Audubon Society and Bird Safe Philly will tell us about easy ways to avoid bird collisions with our windows. I can't wait! Please RSVP to paige@journeywork.org.
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Pollinator Palooza
If you ordered plants for Pollinator Palooza, they will be available to pick up on Saturday, May 11 at three locations:
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* Gwynedd Friends Meeting, 1101 DeKalb Pike, Gwynedd from 8:00-10:00
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* Plymouth Friends Meeting, 2150 Butler Pike, Plymouth Meeting from 10:30-12:00
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* Abington Friends Meeting, 520 Meetinghouse Road, Jenkintown from 12:30-2:30
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I will be sending out an email in the next few weeks to confirm your pick-up location, and I will send out the planting design to all participants, whether you ordered plants or not.
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Journeywork won a grant!
The Hardy Plant Society/Mid-Atlantic Group has awarded $798 to Journeywork to begin restoring a wooded area used regularly by classes at Gwynedd Friends School.
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After clearing out some invasive shrubs, we will plant winterberry, Eastern red cedar, and paw paws as well as a variety of sedges and flowers such as golden Alexander, blue mistflower, and bee balm.
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Many thanks to the Hardy Plant Society/Mid-Atlantic Group and to newsletter subscriber Steve Aardweg for alerting us to this grant opportunity!
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Save the date!
Two other newsletter subscribers, Gail Blum and Diane Paul, are members of the Bucks County Branch of the Woman's National Farm & Garden Association and have sent along the details for their fantastic annual garden tour in Doylestown on Saturday, June 15. I went last year and learned so much--and bought a few plants!
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Tickets may be purchased here.
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Pollinator Partnership introduces a Pollinator Habitat Installation Guide to Guides
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Pollinator Partnership has produced a fantastic database of resources for creating habitat for hummingbirds, bats, butterflies and other pollinators. Scroll down to find the Northeast section.
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Doug Tallamy at Penn State Great Valley on Tuesday, May 7
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If you have not seen Doug Tallamy give his Nature's Best Hope talk, you have a chance to hear him in person on Tuesday, May 7 at 7:00pm. He packs lots of useful information and a few jokes into his excellent presentation. Tickets are free.
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If Journeywork inspires you to sheet mulch, start seeds, or plant some native plants in your yard, please send us a picture! Let's celebrate and support each other!
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Our wish list
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