Native garden giveaway entices wanna-be gardeners
Keweenaw Wild Ones’ native garden giveaway has already attracted more than 40 applicants and climbing.
The contest was established in honor of Houghton’s successful effort to become a Bird City.
Winners will be announced by June 1, 2026. Recipients will receive
- Preliminary site assessment
- Advice on how to prepare your garden site for planting
- A 38-plant native garden from U.P. Native Plants, which will fill a 40-square-foot space, or the equivalent from Keweenaw Wild Ones plant sales or Kismet Gardens, in Baraga.
- Advice on planting and caring for your garden
- A free Keweenaw Wild Ones garden sign
- Continuing information and advice via Keweenaw Wild Ones Facebook group
The application deadline is May 15. There’s still time to …
It’s official
Houghton has been named a Bird City, the only city in the Upper Peninsula to be so recognized.
And that’s not all. It’s the only city in the state to achieve High Flyer status, indicating that it has gone above and beyond the minimum Bird City requirements.
Awarded by a network led by the American Bird Conservancy, Michigan Audubon, and Environment for the Americas, the Bird City designation reflects the tireless work of local partnership, stewardship, and care for the birds that pass through here.
Visit Keweenaw spearheaded the effort, and the Wild Ones Keweenaw Chapter joined several other local organizations in support. In particular, WOK’s work to fight invasives and encourage native plantings demonstrates a local commitment to supporting a bird-friendly environment.
Spring on the Wing Saturday, May 9
Houghton celebrates World Migratory Bird Day and its new designation as a Bird City with Spring on the Wing, a series of birdy events set for Saturday, May 9.
WOK will staff a table at the Stopover event, set for 11 a.m. till 2 p.m. on the waterfront, near the Portage Lake District Library. In addition to providing information on native plants, we’ll be helping kids (and anyone else) fold origami birds and other wildlife.
Another (!) grant for the bike park garden
Not content with receiving $525 from the Wildflower Association of Michigan,, Roz Heidtke has also earned a $750 GroMoreGood Grassroots Grant, courtesy of The Scott Miracle-Gro Foundation and KidsGardening.
Roz applied for the grants on behalf of the Hancock Trails Club, which partners with the city in managing the Maasto Hiito trail system. The funds will be used to build a native garden within the new Hancock bike park’s tangle of tracks.
As part of the grants’ education requirements, Roz and Marcia Goodrich will help present a short unit on native plants for Leanne Laakonen’s science classes at Hancock High School. During the week of May 11, they’ll give a “Why Natives?” talk and guide students through the process of starting a native garden, from site preparation through choosing plants and design.
Symposium a resounding success
The Ninth Annual Keweenaw Native Plant Symposium drew a record number of participants.
A total of 203 people logged onto the Zoom presentations, about two-thirds of the more than 300 registrants. Many were members of other Wild Ones chapters.
They heard featured speaker Heather Holm talk on soft landings; Aaron Anderson of the Xerces Society on supporing beneficial insects and controlling mosquitos; and Michigan Tech’s RJ Laverne on planting the right tree in the right place.
What else is up
- Marcia gave a presentation, “Why Wild Ones?’, to the Hancock Home Study Club on May 5. She spread the native plant gospel and reviewed the things WOK does in the community. (We do more than you might think.) Thanks to Jan Handler for the invitation. It was also nice to see the friendly faces of Allyson Jabusch and Diane Opie in the crowd.
- Sheri Hagwood, Karen Kayce, and Marcia will represent Wild Ones at Houghton Elementary’s Farm Club event, set for June 3 and organized by teacher Lily Venable. We’ll talk about the value of native plants and help students pot black-eyed Susans they can bring home to their families.