butterfly

Wild Ones logoWelcome to the
Central New York chapter of Wild Ones

Habitat gardening is gardening to provide habitat for wildlife ... but also to create a more interesting, healthier environment for people, too!

In Habitat Gardening in Central New York, we learn from Central New York experts and from each other about such topics as:

  • how to provide habitat for birds, butterflies, and other creatures
  • good (and poor) plant selections for Central New York
  • citizen science
  • and MORE!

We also

  • share plants and seeds
  • visit local Central New York backyard habitats
  • and MORE!

Meet other like-minded habitat gardeners ... AND help restore habitat and native plants in Central New York

Summer tours and programs

Our regular season programs are informative, but one of the best ways to learn about habitat gardening is to see them! We offer a number of opportunities for this. First, you can attend our official tours - one at a home, one at the zoo's habitat garden, and one at a natural area (Clark Reservation State Park) that features both native and, unfortunately, invasive plants. Second, you can arrange with some of our HGCNYers to tour their gardens at a mutually agreeable time. Third, one of our HGCNYers will offer scheduled tour times throughout the summer. Come to as many of these tours as you'd like. Finally, if you'd like to hear presentations about habitat gardening, visit us at the State Fair on Friday, Aug. 28 and Saturday Aug. 29. Details on our Meetings page.

Get a meeting reminder and habitat tips by email

If you want to be on the email list to be notified of upcoming meetings and events (generally about one email a month, sometimes two) send your name and email address to hg.cny /at/ verizon.net (substituting the @ sign).

Pollinator videos

 

Do you have a bumblebee nest?

Then you can valuable information! To participate in this University of Georgia research, please fill out this survey, then email it to nestsurvey@yahoo.com.

Habitat gardening blogs

We're bringing our gardens into the 21st century and blogging about them! We're starting a group blog (contact us if you'd like to be one of the group blog authors), and some members have their own blogs: Janet (so far).

Resources for more information

Would you like to invite more birds, butterflies, toads and other little creatures into your yard? Would you like your yard to be more earth-friendly? Learn the basics of providing habitat for wildlife, and make your yard more enjoyable for people, too. Here are resources to learn more...

Here's one example of a local habitat garden called Stewardship Garden, but there are many different styles and types.

Bringing Nature Home Tallamy book

Highly recommended book! Watch for the new edition due May 2009!

Bringing Nature Home by Douglas Tallamy is highly recommended! You'll have renewed appreciation for the role of native plants in our gardens - and for reasons that may surprise you.

You can be a citizen scientist!

Stewardship Garden has information on citizen science projects, but below are a few of special interest at the moment.

BudBurst

Help scientists learn more about global warming by becoming a citizen scientist! A new citizen science program, Project BudBurst, asks citizens to collect data on when their plants first bud out or flower (details vary depending on the kind of plant being studied.) It's free and easy to participate. For more info…

The Great Sunflower Project

Bee Sunflower

By watching and recording the bees at sunflowers in your garden, you can help scientists understand the challenges that bees are facing. It takes less than 30 minutes. It's easy, and they will send free Sunflower seeds for planting. No knowledge of bees required! For more info…

Gardener's Guide to Global Warming

The National Wildlife Federation has developed a guide and some fact sheets concerned your landscaping and global warming.