Spring Symposium – Registration Required

Posted & filed under Garden Tours.

Wild Ones Youngstown Area Chapter’s 1st Annual Spring Symposium is on Saturday, May 14th, 2022, which happens to be World Migratory Bird Day.

Time: 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. approximately maybe 5:00 p.m. depending on how many guests show up and how many questions the two speakers answer.

Location: 2101 Hubbard Road Youngstown, Ohio 44505 (corner of Hubbard Road and Holland Avenue).

Please note we are working on getting additional parking across the street at the Tire Shop and the other nearby businesses. This is a “standing / walking the garden” event, if you would like to sit please feel free to bring your own bag chairs, lawn chairs, etc. We realize some of our guests will not be able to stand for the entire event and thus are more than welcome to bring a chair.

Opening Ceremony: Ribbon cutting courtesy of Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber. Followed by a beautiful cake cutting ceremony thanks to Renee’s Royalties. Plus, amazing cupcakes, and a few other awesome garden themed desserts also thanks to Renee’s Royalties.

Please note we also have 10 adorable t-shirts courtesy of Shelby Bingham to giveaway to the first 10 kids that arrive at the event. We are working on “Welcome Packets” for all attendees with the information of other garden / botanical / environmentally minded organizations (if you would like to donate business cards, pamphlets, bourchures, merchandise, etc. just let us know).

Followed by presentations from guest speakers Joel Hunt, Program Administrator at Highway Beautification and Pollinator Program and naturalist, Julie Bartolone founder of WildYou.org.

Please note Dyngle Hopper Photography is trying to be on site that day to take photos of the event, its guests, and all the magic.

Concluded by a Native Seed Exchange / Native Seed Giveaway (working on acquiring the seeds).

This event is free and open to the public. However, registration is required due to the limited parking and limited garden space. Please contact Wild Ones Youngstown Area Chapter, Chapter President, Ashley Morrow via email at [email protected] or via phone at 330-719-4754 by Saturday, May 7th, 2022, to register for the event.

For more information about Wild Ones Youngstown Area Chapter please see below…

Chapter Description: serves Youngstown, Ohio, and surrounding areas, including Mahoning, Trumbull, and Columbiana Counties (however we have members all over including Texas).

Contact Email: [email protected]

Homebase: Youngstown, Ohio

Founded: September 20th, 2021

Chartered: January 26th, 2022

Website: https://youngstownarea.wildones.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wildonesyoungstownarea/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wild_ones_youngstown/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WildOneYoungs

This is the Magic Join Link: https://join.wildones.org/?chapter=1601 (if you or someone you know is considering joining Wild Ones).

From Our Family to Yours

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Hello and welcome to our humble website. We are still new to all this (content creating, social media marketing, zoom meetings, etc.) so please bear with us. We are so happy you decided to stop by and learn more about our little family, our tiny Wild Ones Chapter, and why it is so important that you plant native plants.

Our family is made up of Ashley, Ayden, Ray, Faith (Brindle on the left), Wall-E (Black in the middle), and Blue (Merle on the right). We have lived in Youngstown, Ohio for almost 3 years now. We reside in a gorgeous 1912 Craftsman Style home with a cobble stone front porch surrounded by lush plants and beautiful flowers. We cannot imagine living anywhere else. Soon we will have a little free library, and a giving box (for seeds and bulbs) thanks to our local Rotary Club.

Our Chapter is made up of 19 amazing, awesome, wonderful, supportive, and encouraging people. I cannot say enough good things about these individuals. They are truly remarkable! We are so lucky to have them as a part of our Chapter. We would love to have you as a member, too. Simply click here https://join.wildones.org/?chapter=1601 complete the brief application and pay the small fee (that is tax deductible).

If you have questions about the process, please feel free to email us at [email protected].

Did you know that native plants do not require fertilizers and require fewer pesticides than lawns? Hmm. What other plant knowledge can I blow your mind with? Did you know that native plants require less water than lawns and help prevent erosion? Cool, right? Also, did you know that native plants help reduce air pollution? Seriously. No lie. Did you know that native plants provide shelter and food for wildlife?

Little Free Library and Giving Box

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Justin and Frank hard at work.
Finishing touches…
Frank and Justin showing off their completed project.

Cannot thank Justin, Frank, and Elyane from the Youngstown Rotary enough. Their level of kindness, support, and generosity is unbelievable. Thanks to them our adorable little free library is installed! Along with our amazing giving box (mainly for seeds, bulbs, small gardening items, etc.). Bonus, they were sweet enough to add a hook for your dog(s) leash. So grateful for the three of them.

Native Pollinators

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“More than 700 species of native butterflies exist in North America. Butterflies, like all pollinators, are
closely linked to their environments, such that drastic changes in the ecosystem can be devastating to localized populations or species. A butterfly’s life has four stages: egg, caterpillar, pupa, and adult. The habitat needs of the butterfly vary from stage to stage, and each has needs that must be considered to provide suitable habitat. Leaves and branches of trees and shrubs, wildflowers, grasses, and soil serve as substrates for butterfly eggs. However, most butterfly species are limited to one or a few closely related plant species that can successfully serve as host plants for the caterpillars, and females must lay their eggs on or near the host plant in order for the caterpillar to survive. For example, monarch butterfly caterpillars eat only milkweed, and female monarchs will only lay eggs on or near milkweed plants. Caterpillars feed on the leaves, stems, flowers, or fruits of their host plants, which also serve to cover them from potential predators.” to read the entire amazing article go to the awesome article “Native Pollinators” in the Fish and Wildlife Habitat Management Leaflet from February 2006 available through Michigan State University.

1-800-WILDLIFE

Posted & filed under Local Resources.

Excellent resource / contact to have on hand….

Kate Haley Parsons

Wildlife Diversity Program Administrator (terrestrial)

ODNR Division of Wildlife

2045 Morse Rd. Bldg G-3

Columbus, OH 43229

1-800-WILDLIFE

Office: 614-265-6329

Email: [email protected]

Party for the Planet at Akron Zoo

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Hello everyone,

I would like to share this wonderful email from Katie Nahra with all of you…

“Hi, my name is Katie Nahra and I am the special events coordinator at the Akron Zoo. On Saturday, April 23, we are hosting “Party for the Planet,” an Earth Day celebration. We want to connect our guests to local organizations that are working to conserve and protect our planet! I am reaching out to invite your organization to participate in this event; would you consider sending 1-2 representatives to join us? (FYI Wild Ones Youngstown Area Chapter will be there).

There will be a “question hunt” where kiddos will go to different organization’s tables around the zoo to ask various questions about the environment, human impact on Earth and what we can do to help. The main goal of having you there is to educate and inform guests (mainly children). You can provide giveaways and handouts as well. (Yes, there will be Wild Ones publications, pamphlets, t-shirts, prizes, and brochures). 

Party for the Planet will be Saturday, April 23, 2022 and will run from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. This event is outside, rain or shine, with various placement throughout the zoo. (Not going to lie I would love to be near the elephants in honor of my step-daughter, Skilar and in loving memory of my cousin, Harriette). There is no fee to participate and we will provide a tent (for the uncovered locations), table and two chairs.

If you are interested in participating, please let me know by Friday, March 5, 2022, as spots are limited! If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me.”

Hope to see you all there!

Recap of Zoom Meetings

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Today I attended two very informative and helpful Zoom meetings. Both were with members of our National Chapter and members of other Seedlings / recently chartered Chapters.

There was so much amazing and useful information. Here is a new link that is very useful: https://join.wildones.org/?chapter=1601. Do not forget networking is key. Word of mouth is essential for growth. The more our community is involved the more we will succeed. Do you know of any other native plant societies or garden groups in our area? What groups or organizations align with our mission and values?  Are there groups on Facebook, Twitter, etc. that are similar to ours? If so, we need to reach out to them. We need to let these potential individuals, organizations, churches, schools, non-profits, and so on, know about Wild Ones (what we do, who we are, our mission, our values, etc.). Side note – please remember you can always email [email protected] (it goes to everyone at the National Chapter). Also, we need to reach out to bird lovers, passionate pollinator supporters (that is how I got involved), etc.! Do you know of any nurseries and / or greenhouses in our area? Does anyone have native plants, garden tools, outdoor sculptures, etc. that we could possibly donate to a community garden on behalf of Wild Ones Youngstown Area Chapter? I know this is a lot to take in, but I am trying to cover everything mentioned in the two Zoom meetings. I sent an email earlier today to current paying / official members with similar information. Stay warm, stay safe, and remember to water your houseplants.

Why Wild Ones Came to Youngstown

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Youngstown has so much to offer. There’s Oh Wow! Children’s Museum, Lanterman’s Mill, Birch Hill Cabin, Noble Creature Cask House, Covelli Center, and so much more. Youngstown has all the hustle and bustle of the big city and all the charm, beauty, and fresh air of the country. It is the perfect combination of urban and rural! Most days it is quiet enough to hear the birds, squirrels, racoons, and other little furry wildlife. Even with all the streetlights you can still see the amazing stars and awe-inspiring night sky.

Youngstown has a unique appeal and understated allure. The sense of community, family, and togetherness is remarkable. That is one of the many reasons we love living here. We also love all the historic homes and old trees. Why are you proud to live in Youngstown? Why do you call Youngstown home?

It is so nice to see the city grow (not just plants) and flourish. There are so many wonderful organizations (Mahoning Valley Historical Society, Salvation Army, Youngstown City Scape, and Flying High Inc.) devoted to improving the city, the environment, the local economy, and most of all its residents. Youngstown has so much to offer. That is why we wanted to bring Wild Ones to Youngstown. We believe Wild Ones and Youngstown need each other, can learn from each other, and can help each other succeed in ways previously thought impossible.