It’s election time!
Not that election, Keweenaw Wild Ones’ board election in September, and we’re looking for a few good candidates. Serving on WOK’s board is a great way to make a positive impact on your community, plus it’s fun.
It’s easy. We meet just once a month to brainstorm ways to connect people and plants for a healthy planet. To find out more about serving on the board and becoming a force for nature, email [email protected] .
Plant of the Month
This fall, we’ll be spicing up our board meetings with a Plant of the Month feature. Before each meeting, a WOK member will give a very short (five minutes?) presentation on a native plant, perhaps one they’ve been growing in their yard.
So take some photos of your favorite plants now, before the snow flies. More info, including a signup sheet, will be forthcoming.
Walks, Rambles, and Lunch
Since our last meeting, Wild Ones took a hike at Hunter’s Point Park in Copper Harbor with botanist Alex Graeff, left, who introduced us to some rare plants found only in this volcanic lakeshore habitat.
Ecologist Karena Schmidt guided us through the Sand Point Restoration Area, a huge sweep of stamp sand near Baraga being resurrected by the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and partner agencies. And we visited WOK member David Hunter’s Kismet Gardens and enjoyed a potluck lunch.
Fall Plant Sale Looms
Faced with a surfeit of plant riches, we will be holding a second online plant sale in mid-September. Late sales like this coincide with fall planting and give us a chance to offer slower-growing seedlings we started last winter. Among the special offerings will be native purple clematis (found on Isle Royale), hairy mountain mint, and orange coneflower. Stay tuned.
On a similar note, we had a great members-only sale Aug. 17, with about 15 members purchasing over $500 worth of plants. Thanks to everyone who participated, despite the dreary weather.
Garden Updates
Craig Waddell and Vicky Bergvall have been posting copper plant ID tags at the Kestner Garden and working toward filling it in with more plants.
Trees are ready to plant at Glad Tidings Assembly of God, report Polly Havins and Karen Cayce. So much space is available there that any plant donations would be most welcome.
The Northern Lights Clubhouse garden is thriving, says Polly, and would also benefit from additional plants. Good thing WOK has such a large inventory this year…
Ruth Gleckler is looking down the barrel of a buckthorn infestation at Hecla Cemetery, in Laurium, and will likely be calling a work bee to help remove it.
WOK’s First Foray into the Classroom
WOK members David Hunter and Marcia Goodrich joined forces July 30 to teach Keweenaw CAPE kids about native plants. David developed a slide deck and led the lesson, with Marcia as his assistant. Afterward, we helped the students make seed balls with clay, compost, and the seeds they’d learned about in the lesson. (Photo from seed-balls.com) It was a great experience, and I hope we get to do it again.
Take the next step: Be an officer
Keweenaw Wild Ones is searching for members interested in serving as officers. These are the folks who take chapters to the next level. In particular, we are recruiting
- a social media officer, who can raise our profile on Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms;
- a membership chair, who can focus on retention and recruitment; and
- a program chair, who will work with the president to identify and schedule events.
If you think you might be a good fit for any of these positions, please contact Marcia at [email protected] . Let’s have a cup of coffee and talk about it.