From the (birding) news!

One of the many organizations that I am happy to promote is the Ohio Ornithological Society.  They bill themselves as "Ohio's Birding Network."  OOS (as we fondly call them) has a stellar website which includes current information, blog links, and a calendar.  You should check them out if you are interested in Ohio's birds and the birding scene. Go to www.Ohiobirds.org.

The Cerulean is the name of a beautiful blue warbler, a small bird that is a real poster child for conservation.
It is also the name of the OOS' newsletter.  It is packed full of good information.  Today I was surprised to see an article on page four- that looked really familiar!

In case you missed my presentation at Mid-West Native Plant Conference- this article is  a short-course on the topic.

If you are interested in reading the whole thing, go here.  Meanwhile, Click on the Cerulean logo in my side panel and  join the OOS.

You'll also want to sign up for Midwest Birding Symposium!  We have load of fun planned for Lakeside, Ohio this September.  Hope to see you there!

Turf Talk

Tonight  I had a wonderful time at the Mansfield Men's Garden Club.  We talked about something near and dear to most gardeners' hearts: their lawn. I spent much of my childhood riding the green wave, circling our yard with the mower.  It is what we suburbanites do.

 

What makes us want to dedicate our time, money and resources keeping a nitrogen-addicted monoculture up to the neighbor's standards?

Look around.  The lack of nature found on your Kentucky bluegrass should soon convince you to put your health and your time to better use.

Ohio's lakes are sporting dangerous levels of toxic algae.  Fed by phosphate from lawn and farms, blue-green algae is a serious liver toxin.  Lake St. Mary's is just one of the waterways that has been plagued with algae in the last several years.  Our government agencies are now in a scramble to do something about the farm and lawn chemical run-off feeding this aquatic nightmare.

Giving up our lawn chemicals would be a good start.  Better yet, think about reducing the size of your lawn.  Save money on gas, reduce your mowing time, and relax a little.  Go ahead, watch some birds or butterflies. You might even enjoy yourself.

Join us at the Midwest Native Plant Conference in Dayton in July to learn a bit more about "re-thinking your landscape" with native plants. I'll be doing a program on 'Lawn Alternatives'.  Or, put your spare time to good use and visit Shawnee State Forest with us in June for Mothapolooza.

I guarantee you won't miss your lawn.