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2023 August Email to CPC Members
Native Sedges Workshop in Alapaha Dr. Richard Carter of Valdosta State University will conduct a 2-day workshop on native sedges on August 19 - 20, at the Gaskins Forest Education Center in Alapaha. The first day of the workshop will be classroom-based, starting at 10:00 am; the second day will be field-based, starting at 9:00 am. Downloadable classroom presentations will be provided to people who are registered before the event. The class is free.
Dr. Carter teaches Botany and Plant Systematics and is VSU Herbarium Curator. He has published “An Introduction to the Sedges of Georgia.” The workshop is a joint event presented by the Coastal Plain Chapter GNPS and the Georgia Botanical Society. To register, contact Heather Brasell at heather.brasell@gmail.com.
Location: Gaskins Forest Education Center, 3359 Sawmill Rd., Alapaha, GA 31622 Time: Sat., Aug. 19, 10 am; Sun., Aug. 20, 9 am Bring: Wetland footwear (for field trip), water, food, bug spray and hat Facilities: Restrooms are available at the Gaskins Ed. Center; Limited overnight accommodation in cabins, available for people driving a long way.
Great Southeast Pollinator Census Several locations will host Great Southeast Pollinator Census activities. On Fri., Aug. 18, and Sat., Aug. 19, activities at Gaskins Forest Education Center begin at 10 am with instructions from DNR and Quail Forever representatives. Monarchs Across Georgia will provide kids' activities. Counting continues until 2 pm on both days.
The Okefenokee Swamp Park will conduct GSEPC activities on August 18th and 19th, from 9:15 am to 11:00 am. A brief educational program will begin at 9:15, with participants conducting the census after that time. Participants are welcome to conduct the census independently any time during the event or stay with the group. Admission is free for this event only.
The Thomasville Pollinator Garden will be counting on Sat., Aug. 19, from 11 am - 3 pm. The garden is always open, so any one could go anytime either of the two days.
You can also do the count at home, following instructions posted here. Brush up on simple insect ID tips using their guide, so you’ll be ready!
Plant Sales on the Horizon Two native plant sales are scheduled for Sat.,Sept. 23. One will be in Darien, Ga., at the Coastal Wildscapes fall plant sale, located at the Ashantilly Center. The other will be in Albany, Ga., as part of the Water, Wings, and Wildlife Festival at the Flint RiverQuarium.
Amy Heidt and Paul Sumner can use some help in upsizing plants to prepare for fall sales. Contact them if you can help on early mornings at cpcgnps@gmail.com.
Backyard Bog Garden—Jimmy Lindsey Photo above: Here is another CPC member’s creative approach to incorporating natives in the landscape.
Even if you have a small yard, it is still possible to have an interesting native plant feature in that yard! With the tray of an old, worn out wheelbarrow, I created the perfect soil environment for a small (very small) pitcher plant bog. Our home air conditioning unit provides an excellent, low maintenance, continuous supply of water that has sustained this bog for almost a decade. Pitcher plants (Sarracenia alata, native to Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas), yellow hatpins (Syngonanthus flavidulus), pine lily (Lilium catesbaei) and a few ferns, including ebony spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron) and southern shield fern (Christella normalis), have brought an interesting look to this otherwise uninspiring little area!
Save the Date: Fall Meeting, Nov. 4, 2023 The Coastal Plain Chapter annual meeting is set for Nov. 4 at Altama Plantation Wildlife Management Area, near Brunswick. We have confirmed that Dr. Jaap De Roode will speak. Dr. De Roode teaches biology at Emory University, where his research focuses on evolution of parasites and their hosts, particularly those affecting monarchs and their protozoan parasites. DNR Wildlife Biologist Eamonn Leonard will speak about the habitat restoration project at Altama Plantation WMA and will lead us on a short field trip to see the site and the greenhouse operation in the afternoon.
State Botanical Garden Classes The SBG in Athens offers classes toward a Certificate in Native Plants. Classes are also offered for the Plants and Pollinators Specialization. For for further information, email Cora Keber ckeber@uga.edu or call 706-542-6156. Aug. 12: Plant Conservation; Online. Second session on Aug. 15 Aug. 19: Native Plants and Insect Pollinators, Roswell, Ga.
CPC Board Meetings: The next Meeting is Sept. 20, 2023, at 7:00 pm via Zoom. Board meetings are open to all CPC members. Contact Mary Alice Applegate (maryalice.applegate@gnps.org) to request a link. Minutes of meetings are available upon request.
CPC Board of Directors
Mary Alice Applegate, President
Jimmy Lindsey, Vice President
Katie Antczak, Secretary
Elizabeth King, Treasurer
Heather Brasell, Past President and CPC Education Committee Chair
Paul Sumner, CPC Membership Chair
Amy Heidt, CPC Propagation Chair
Gail Farley, Representative, East Coast
Mary Beth Cary, Representative, West Georgia
The Coastal Plain Chapter of the Georgia Native Plant Society focuses on native plant species and ecosystem issues in the Coastal Plain region of Georgia.
