Chapters in Ohio

Join us for a social in the Notso Grimm Garden, with light refreshments.  In classic Grimm fairy tales, travelers wander dark forests unsure of what lies ahead. In the Notso Grimm garden, the story unfolds differently.  Wander the paths to see where pollinators, birds, and native plants find a welcoming home. 

From our host:

I can’t change the world, but I can change my yard. Cliché, yes… But it is what I believe. Surrounded by green carpet with no benefit whatsoever to our ecosystem, I decided I would make my yard the neighborhood “garden bed.” Starting with the front, I took out all the grass and laid paths upon cardboard and mulch. Then I started planting. At first, I was standard with lots of hostas. I still have an over abundance of them and always will. But I needed something for the other seasons, so bushes started coming in. Height and texture (and I admit, clearance) drove me in my selections. I am also a big buyer of natives through our local extensions, but I needed something more immediate than seedlings. Evergreens are my basics, with showier bedazzlers around and under them. 

Join naturalist and Dayton Area Wild Ones board member Mandy at Hills and Dales Metropark in Kettering to hike the wetland boardwalk trail.  This is listed as a best birding area, so bring your binoculars!  Park at the PawPaw Camp.  No reservation is required, and the event is cancelled in inclement weather.

Make a bee watering station and learn how to support pollinators' needs. This event will include a presentation as well 

Please read the important note about driving directions below.

Join Dayton Area Wild Ones and former Director of Conservation for Five Rivers MetroParks Dave Nolin at Huffman Prairie to collect native plant seeds, which will be used for the site's ongoing restoration. Prairie seed collection, made possible by volunteer efforts like this, has been going on for 40 years. Seeds are collected through the summer and fall and then processed, stored, and planted--usually after a burn.

At this event you will also learn about when individual prairie seeds are ripe, how they are stored and planted, and how the prairie is managed.

We will be going into the prairie, so there is risk of exposure to ticks, chiggers, and poison ivy. Long pants and bug spray is recommended, and volunteers should bring their own water and gloves. There is a pit latrine near the work site.

If you have extra paper grocery bags, please bring some to help with seed collection.

In the event of rain, we will reschedule to Sept. 4 at 10 am.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Most mapping programs will provide inaccurate directions by routing you onto restricted roads within WPAFB.  The safest way is to put “Twin Base Golf Club” into your mapping program. This will bring you to a public entrance, Gate 16 A, then follow these directions: 

1.    From OH-444, enter WPAFB at 16a onto Communication Blvd.  Drive 0.2 mile.
2.    Turn LEFT at the intersection as you approach a closed gate.  Drive 0.4 mile.
3.    Turn LEFT on Hebble Creek Rd. at T-intersection. Drive 1.0 mile.
4.    Make a SHARP RIGHT onto Marl Rd. (narrow, tree-lined road).  Drive 1.0 mile.  You will pass an overflow parking lot on the left.
5.    Take another RIGHT to stay on Marl Rd. and drive about 200 feet
6.    Take a slight RIGHT onto Pylon Rd.  Once you are on Pylon Rd., the parking lot will be on the right and the trailhead on your left.  

Google coordinates to Gate 16 A are provided in the link below.

Board Member and Founder of Miami Valley Wild Ones Charlie Stevens has been nativizing his large back yard on the outskirts of Oxford for decades.  One issue that has continued to impact the landscape is erosion caused by stormwater runoff.  Join the homeowner as he is given advice and practical remediation steps form the staff of Butler County Soil & Water Soil & Water District.