SHF Seminar

Calling all Hill Farmers! Let's use our yards to support our ecosystem -- to feed pollinators and other wildlife, and to manage water runoff. Many of us are interested, some are actively working on it. Let's get together to learn more, support one another, and prepare for spring! This 90-minute meeting will include a presentation by Wisconsin Master Naturalist Alex Singer on what he's done over the past decade to turn his suburban yard into a homegrown national park, with plenty of time for Q&A. If you want to stick around, seeds, soil, containers, and tools will be available for those who wish to learn how to start native plants outside over the winter. As Doug Tallamy says, "We can each make a measurable difference almost immediately. We have never been so empowered"

Presenter: Gail Epping Overholt, Hill Farmer and natural resources educator at UW-Extension in Milwaukee and in Duluth Superior and recently retired from the UW-Madison Arboretum. This is the second meeting in what we hope will be an ongoing collaboration of Hill Farmers focused on sustainability and planting for biodiversity. In February we focused on the principles of Home Grown National Park. In this meeting we will focus on one aspect – the rain garden. Rain gardens help absorb stormwater, recharge ground water, improve pollinator and bird habitat, and provide year-round interest. We will learn about the basics of rain gardens, including design and plantings. Come at 1:00 to get settled and visit with neighbors. Gail’s presentation will start at 1:30 followed by Q&A and discussion. When we talk about rain gardens it will be helpful to focus on one or two specific scenarios. If you would like to volunteer your property as a scenario, let me know in advance and we can discuss details.