Beyond the Birdfeeder – Garden Design for Songbirds

At 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 22, landscape architect and wildlife biologist David Copps will conduct a free workshop titled “Beyond the Birdfeeder – Habitat Garden Design for Songbirds.”

Copps will describe the building blocks of songbird/wildlife habitat – meadow, thicket, and woodland patches – and ways to blend them to create landscapes that are attractive to songbirds and humans alike.  With creative vegetation management, we can enrich our yards and neighborhoods with greater numbers and varieties of our feathered friends.  The benefits and pleasures of songbirds include insect control; beautiful songs, colors and movements; and interesting behaviors.

This talk will be one of many at the 2nd annual Green Living and Energy Expo at Riversprings Middle School on Spring Creek Highway.  Other workshops of special interest to gardeners include “Rain Barrels” (11 am),  “A Walk on the Wild Side: Landscaping for Wildlife” (1 pm), “Build an Affordable Greenhouse” (1 pm), and “Landscaping with Climate Change in Mind” (3 pm).

At 10:00 a.m., children of all ages (and the young at heart) are invited to help plant trees on the Riversprings Middle School campus.  Willing participants should gather at the courtyard tent shortly before 10 am to plant donated live oaks, fringe trees, and other species.  Under the supervision of Master Gardeners Bill Petty and George Weaver, each team of youthful gardeners will dig a hole, position the tree, re-fill the hole, apply mulch, and water thoroughly.  While planting their trees, participating youngsters will learn about the benefits of trees and the correct way to plant a tree.

Four rain barrels, beautifully hand-painted by local children, will be raffled at Saturday’s Expo.  Two barrels were painted by COAST students.  Two barrels were painted by home-schooled children.  The rain barrels will be displayed and raffle tickets may be purchased near the registration area.  Tickets will sell for $2 each (or 3 tickets for $5) and can be designated for specific barrels.  One barrel will be raffled at 12:55 p.m.  Drawings for the remaining barrels will be conducted at 4:00 p.m.  Purchasers of raffle tickets need not be present to win.

On Saturday, April 19, multiple gardens will be among the sites to visit on the “Earth Day Tour of Green Homes and Gardens in Wakulla County.”  Several featured yards have been certified as wildlife habitats by the National Wildlife Federation.  Organic vegetable gardens are featured as well.  Tickets for the upcoming, self-guided tour can be purchased at the Expo.  Be sure to catch a preview of the homes and gardens on the tour at 2:00 pm this Saturday.

For more information about the March 22 Sustainable Big Bend Green Living and Energy Expo and the April 19 Green Tour in Wakulla, visit www.greenlivingenergyexpo.com .  Admission to the Expo is free.

This article originally published on March 17, 2007.

Written by :

Lynn Artz

 

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