Green Bay Chapter

For information, contact BONNIE VASTAG 920-217-7737 norway995@gmail.com

Please note the time of our meetings has been changed back to 7 p.m. No December or January meetings.

Meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month at Green Bay Botanical Garden, 2600 Larsen Rd. See calendar for more details. During the summer, various activities including yard tours and plant rescues are offered.

Upcoming Events

GBBG Symposium - Dealing with Gardening Myths
February 27, 2010 at the Green Bay Botanical Garden
Wild Ones member Lynn Steiner will be a speaker at this GBBG event. See the Garden's web site for more details.

Rain Gardens: Protecting Water Quality
Pat and Ceci Kiefer, Stone Silo Prairie Gardens, De Pere, WI
March 3, 2010, 7:00 p.m. GBBG

As forests and agricultural land are replaced by cities and suburbs, increased storm water runoff becomes a problem carrying pollutants into local steams and lakes. A rain garden is one answer. These landscaped areas, planted with native grasses and flowers, have deep roots which soak up rain water. When the garden fills with a few inches of water after a storm, it slowly filters into the ground rather than running off to a storm drain. And - there’s the added attraction of a colorful garden which attracts birds and butterflies.
Landscaping for Birds
Marietta Nowak, Wild Ones member, East Troy, WI
April 7, 2010, 7:00 p.m. GBBG

Long-time Wild Ones member, Nowak is the author of Birdscaping in the Midwest which teaches gardeners that even small steps can improve bird habitat. Nowak guides gardeners through planning a variety of gardens using native plants. Prairie, woodland, ponds and rain gardens can be all designed to attract birds and other wildlife. This class is co-sponsored by the Green Bay Botanical Garden.
Note that there will be an entry fee for all non-members.
Growing a Greener Garden
April 14, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

This class at GBBG is taught by President Bonnie Vastag and Vice President Ceci Kiefer. Registration is through the Botanical Garden. Class size is limited to 30, and Wild Ones members qualify for the rate of $10.00.

Learn how to adjust your planting palette to be both beautiful and environmentally useful. From trimmed and tidy to carefree and bold, native landscaping can be as simple as a shrub with berries to attract birds, or a vast meadow of constantly blooming color appealing to butterflies. Requiring no pesticides or fertilizers and drought tolerant, native plants mean you are landscaping for the future.

Watch the GBBG web site for registration information. GBBG Classes
Healthy Kids Day at the YMCA
May 1

Contact Kate Hau if you can volunteer for this fun event!
Baird Creek Hike

See woodland plants in bloom. Date to be announced
Trail Clean-Up

We will be cleaning our section of the Mountain Bay Bike Trail again this spring. Bring your old shoes or waterproof boots and help us clean up the trail. A date and more details will be added soon.
GBBG Garden Fair
June 4-6

We will be selling native bare-root shrubs as a fundraiser for our chapter. Volunteers are needed to man the booth. Please contact one of the board members if you can help.
Flip My Lawn Makeover

Andrew Knapp, Ceci Kiefer, and Kate Hau have been busy preparing for the makeover of contest winner Kay Huxford's lawn. We will be planting on June 12 or June 19. Stay tuned for details.

Green Bay Wild Store

NEW! Chico Bags
The ChicoBag reusable shopping bag reduces your single-use-bag habit with a bag that fits in your purse or your pocket. We have the Karma and Nature bags available. The bags are $9.00 each.

Books
We have limited copies of Landscaping with Native Plants of Wisconsin for sale. This book is by Lynn M. Steiner, a native of Wisconsin and one of the Midwest's best-known garden writers. They are $25.00 each which is the normal retail price. (Lynn has sold these to us at a reduced price as a fundraiser for our chapter.)

The Midwest Book Review, May 2007
"Beautifully illustrated with color photographs -- an essential instructional guide to successful native-plant gardening in Wisconsin -- the definitive and strongly recommended reference for any Wisconsin gardener or landscaper wanting to utilize and incorporate Wisconsin native plants."

Description on Amazon.com:
"Aimed at beginners and veteran gardeners alike, this book is designed to help Wisconsin gardeners find, plant, and maintain the best native species for their specific sites, however modest or lavish. Gardening with native plants is an ever-more popular practice -- and for good reason. Naturally suited to a region's climate and soil, native plants tend to thrive, and to reflect a true 'fit' with the environment. The Native Plant Profiles section offers comprehensive descriptions of some 600 species of flowers and groundcovers, trees, shrubs, vines, evergreens, grasses, and ferns native to Wisconsin, as well as information on planting, maintenance, and landscape uses for each plant. With advice on the process of designing a natural garden that fits each lifestyle and family, the book will guide readers to the level of native plant landscaping that is just right for them."

Please contact Ceci Kiefer if you would like to buy a bag or a book. Ceci can be reached at 336-1662 or via email at Ceci@ssprairie.com. Ceci will arrange delivery. If the books are to be mailed, there will be an additional $3 charge. We will also have the bags and books available at our meetings for purchase.

We have 2 Seeds for Education Winners

Congratulations to members Ned Dorff, Washington Middle School in Green Bay, and Peggy Loritz, Westwood Elementary in De Pere, winners of Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education grants for their schools.

In April 2009, the elementary alternative education students at Washington began a 1,000 square foot native Wisconsin garden. Dorff said, “Winning the grant means that empty spaces can be filled with native plants as they develop a prairie plant community.” Loritz indicated the overall plan aims to develop a variety of ecosystems as an outdoor classroom. The goal this year is to begin the first phase with a Butterfly Garden.

The grants honor Lorrie Otto who originated the modern era of school garden projects in the 1970s in the Milwaukee area. Stone Silo Prairie Gardens, De Pere, will partner with Wild Ones to supply seeds and plants at a discount for these projects.

Winning photography runs in the Vastag family.

Harold Vastag, Bonnie (our new President), and their grandson Jordan won prizes for their photographs in the 2009 Wild Ones National photo contest.
Click on the photos to enlarge.

Harold's Blue Splendor in Wyoming won first place in the Scenery category and also won People's Choice.	Bonnie's photo collage Visiting Chiwaukee Prairie took first place.

Jordan won first and second place with his photos, Grandpa's Pond and Just Beginning, respectively.

Congratulations to all!

WILD Center Volunteers

If you would like to volunteer your time, the WILD center would appreciate your help. To find out when and how, please call WILD Center at 1-877-394-9453.
P.S. there's always lots of weeding to do!

Planting Updates

Have you been wondering how our plantings are doing? Check out photos from the National Railroad Museum and Franklin Middle School.

Watch a clip from It's Your Environment. Donna Van Buecken is interviewed by George Curtis; the clip includes video on the WILD Center.

Facebook

Check out our Facebook page

Flip My Lawn Contest

Read the full press release on the contest and winner.

Recent Events

February 3, 2010 - Randy Powers of Prairie Future Seeds in Sussex, WI
Plants, Pollinators, People: We're All Connected

Randy's presentation focused on how to plant a prairie and the importance and benefits of using native plants. Members learned how their yard represents the last chance for sustaining plants and animals that once were common throughout the United States.

November 4 - Annual Harvest Banquet

Our annual Fall Harvest Banquet was held at the National Railroad Museum at 2285 S. Broadway in Green Bay. Steve Lambert and Charlie Frisk gave a presentation titled "Preserving the Baird Creek Parkway".

October 7, 2009 @ 6:30 p.m. - Seed collection and propagation

Pat Kiefer of Stone Silo Prairie Gardens in De Pere enriched us with information on collecting seeds, the difference between stratified and scarified and planting/growing native seeds.

September 2, 2009 - Healing the Earth

Corrine Vercauteren, Environmental Services Director at St. Mary's Hospital, speaks about the green roof being installed on the new cancer center at the hospital and the environmental efforts of their organization.

Summer Prairie Yard Tour at Jack Swelstad's

August 5, 2009 @ 6:30pm - Approximately 30 people toured the Swelstad prairie. Thank you to Jack for hosting! Photos of the tour, provided by Bonnie Vastag, can be viewed here.

Calendar

Mar 03, 2010 (Wed)

"Rain Gardens: Protecting Water Quality" Pat and Ceci Kiefer, Stone Silo Prairie Gardens, De Pere, WI. Pat and Ceci will talk about how rain gardens can filter runoff. 7:00 p.m. at GBBG

Apr 07, 2010 (Wed)

"Landscaping for Birds" Marietta Nowak, East Troy, WI. Marietta will show how to make your yard bird-friendly. 7:00 p.m. GBBG

Green Bay Area Chapter Wild Ones Natural Landscapers, Ltd.
President Bonnie Vastag 920-217-7737 norway995@gmail.com	Vice President Ceci Kiefer info@stonesiloprairegardens.com
Education Coordinator Kate Hau khau0914@yahoo.com	Hospitality Carol & Bob Haglund bc_haglund@msn.com
Membership Ceci Kiefer info@stonesiloprairegardens.com Amanda Griggs agriggs@greenbay.k12.wi.us	Treasurer James Havel whavel@juno.com
Web Updates Janet Hinkfuss jmhinkfuss@hotmail.com	Past-President James Havel whavel@juno.com
Secretary - Open

Our chapter was organized in 1989 with a few people who wanted alternatives to traditional lawns. Today we have members from throughout Northeastern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Upcoming Events

GBBG Symposium - Dealing with Gardening Myths February 27, 2010 at the Green Bay Botanical Garden Wild Ones member Lynn Steiner will be a speaker at this GBBG event. See the Garden's web site for more details.

GBBG Symposium - Dealing with Gardening Myths February 27, 2010 at the Green Bay Botanical Garden

Rain Gardens: Protecting Water Quality Pat and Ceci Kiefer, Stone Silo Prairie Gardens, De Pere, WI March 3, 2010, 7:00 p.m. GBBG

Landscaping for Birds Marietta Nowak, Wild Ones member, East Troy, WI April 7, 2010, 7:00 p.m. GBBG

Growing a Greener Garden April 14, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Healthy Kids Day at the YMCA May 1

Contact Kate Hau if you can volunteer for this fun event!

Baird Creek Hike

See woodland plants in bloom. Date to be announced

Trail Clean-Up

We will be cleaning our section of the Mountain Bay Bike Trail again this spring. Bring your old shoes or waterproof boots and help us clean up the trail. A date and more details will be added soon.

GBBG Garden Fair June 4-6

We will be selling native bare-root shrubs as a fundraiser for our chapter. Volunteers are needed to man the booth. Please contact one of the board members if you can help.

Flip My Lawn Makeover

Andrew Knapp, Ceci Kiefer, and Kate Hau have been busy preparing for the makeover of contest winner Kay Huxford's lawn. We will be planting on June 12 or June 19. Stay tuned for details.

Green Bay Wild Store

We have 2 Seeds for Education Winners

Winning photography runs in the Vastag family.

WILD Center Volunteers

If you would like to volunteer your time, the WILD center would appreciate your help. To find out when and how, please call WILD Center at 1-877-394-9453. P.S. there's always lots of weeding to do!

Planting Updates

Have you been wondering how our plantings are doing? Check out photos from the National Railroad Museum and Franklin Middle School.

Links

Watch a clip from It's Your Environment. Donna Van Buecken is interviewed by George Curtis; the clip includes video on the WILD Center.

Facebook

Check out our Facebook page

Flip My Lawn Contest

Read the full press release on the contest and winner.

Recent Events

November 4 - Annual Harvest Banquet

Our annual Fall Harvest Banquet was held at the National Railroad Museum at 2285 S. Broadway in Green Bay. Steve Lambert and Charlie Frisk gave a presentation titled "Preserving the Baird Creek Parkway".

October 7, 2009 @ 6:30 p.m. - Seed collection and propagation

Pat Kiefer of Stone Silo Prairie Gardens in De Pere enriched us with information on collecting seeds, the difference between stratified and scarified and planting/growing native seeds.

September 2, 2009 - Healing the Earth

Corrine Vercauteren, Environmental Services Director at St. Mary's Hospital, speaks about the green roof being installed on the new cancer center at the hospital and the environmental efforts of their organization.

Summer Prairie Yard Tour at Jack Swelstad's

August 5, 2009 @ 6:30pm - Approximately 30 people toured the Swelstad prairie. Thank you to Jack for hosting! Photos of the tour, provided by Bonnie Vastag, can be viewed here.

Calendar

GBBG Symposium - Dealing with Gardening Myths
February 27, 2010 at the Green Bay Botanical Garden
Wild Ones member Lynn Steiner will be a speaker at this GBBG event. See the Garden's web site for more details.

GBBG Symposium - Dealing with Gardening Myths
February 27, 2010 at the Green Bay Botanical Garden

Rain Gardens: Protecting Water Quality
Pat and Ceci Kiefer, Stone Silo Prairie Gardens, De Pere, WI
March 3, 2010, 7:00 p.m. GBBG

Landscaping for Birds
Marietta Nowak, Wild Ones member, East Troy, WI
April 7, 2010, 7:00 p.m. GBBG

Growing a Greener Garden
April 14, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Healthy Kids Day at the YMCA
May 1

GBBG Garden Fair
June 4-6

If you would like to volunteer your time, the WILD center would appreciate your help. To find out when and how, please call WILD Center at 1-877-394-9453.
P.S. there's always lots of weeding to do!