Native Plant Society Webinar

 From the Native Plant Society

Join us Saturday, January 9th at 10:00 a.m. PST for the next in our series of webinars featuring Cactus and Succulent experts from around the world.

Program: Graham Charles: Matucana in Habitat and Culture

To register for the webinar in advance, click here
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email.

Graham Charles and Daisy

Program: Matucana in Habitat and Culture presented by Graham Charles

The cactus genus Matucana is a popular genus to grow and there are many diverse species available as seeds or young plants. Graham will talk about the history of the genus, the characteristics of the species, and where they grow naturally. He will introduce you to the best species to grow and tell you how to cultivate them. Having visited their Peru many times, Graham will show you some of the dramatic habitats where matucanas can be seen growing in the wild. 

Biography:

Graham Charles first started growing cacti and succulents at the age of 12 and joined the National Cactus and Succulent Society in 1962. Having graduated in Physics at Birmingham University, he started out on a career as a Marketing Manager specialising in publishing commercial catalogues of electronic and scientific equipment. 

He qualified as a cactus judge in 1972 and soon after, began to assemble his collection of documented plants. His specific interest has always been South American cacti and he has written many articles about these plants that have been published in various journals. He is enthusiastic about practical conservation, reducing the demand for field collected plants by growing seedlings from documented seed and propagating plants with provenance already in culture.

He has given about 1000 talks at BCSS branch meetings and conventions in Britain as well as at events in mainland Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the USA. He has made more than 20 visits to South America to study the plants in their natural habitat. For his contribution to the hobby, the CSSA made Graham a Fellow of their Society in 2005.

His first book Copiapoa was published in 1998 and he has since co-authored Cacti in Brazil with a group of enthusiasts from Germany and the Netherlands. There followed a book titled Cacti and Succulents about the hobby in general and intended for beginners and those wanting to progress their interest. Graham then served as a member of the editorial group for the New Cactus Lexicon, contributing many photographs to the picture volume. The completion of this book about Gymnocalycium was the result of three years research including visits to Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia. The next book project will be about Matucana due for publication in 2021.

Graham has organized an annual residential meeting since 2005 for cactophiles looking to expand their interest and knowledge. Known as the Cactus Explorers Weekend, it features talks about more unusual plants and places. Its journal, The Cactus Explorer, was launched in August 2011. It was the first free on-line journal in English for cactus and succulent enthusiasts and has achieved a large world-wide readership.

Graham met his wife Elisabeth at a cactus meeting and, for more than 30 years, they and their plant collections have shared a large glasshouse at their home in Rutland, near the historic town of Stamford, England.  
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A Note from Belle Star From the Rocky Mt. Seed Alliance

 

The Walking Wall

  The Walking Wall is a dry-stacked rock wall conceived by British artist, Andy Goldsworthy, and the Kansas City community in which it was created. The wall was originally 1500 feet, traversing various Kansas City sites, including a road where authorities blocked off traffic, and ending at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art where part of it would eventually reside. New sections of the wall were constructed from rocks pulled from the end of the installation as that section was dismantled. One local paper reported that what made the project exciting was the process "...on the way to experiencing, if not always understanding, what Goldsworthy was up to.”

   We have experienced some of our own surprise and curiosity watching the Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance (RMSA) evolve from its strong foundations, and redefining the ways it serves its mission. It has been a sobering process at times transforming past experiences into the building blocks of the future. 

   What an honor to be part of RMSA’s group of deep thinkers, spiritual seekers, and committed seed lovers. RMSA is an amazing expression of community, hard work, and dedication in the same
way as the Walking Wall. We didn’t always know how we would overcome our challenges, but we had faith in our organization and its supporters. And look where we are now! I am so proud and thankful to you all.

Creating Pollinator Habitats and Conservation Partnership Webinars

Dear Friends and Colleagues: I wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Our next Garden & Country Webinar will be on December 3^rd, 2020, at 11am Arizona time. We will learn about pollinator habitat conservation projects at Freeport-McMoran, Inc, and the pollinator garden in Miami, AZ with Ann George, Senior Biodiversity Scientist. Please join us and feel free to share this message.  Best to you, Chris

Creating Pollinator Habitats and Conservation Partnerships Webinar

Event Date: December 03, 2020 11:00am to 12:00pm

Online event link: https://arizona.zoom.us/j/87690324094

 

FMI Pollinator Garden in Miami, AZ

University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Gila County presents: Garden and Country Extension Webinar Series. A Zoom webinar (60-minutes or less) featuring a variety of horticultural and natural resource topics relevant to the environmental conditions and residential concerns of Gila County, Arizona.

Featured Topic: Creating Pollinator Habitats and Conservation Partnerships

Featured Speaker: Ann George is a conservation ecologist with over 13 years of experience working with domestic and international industry leaders and conservation experts on biodiversity management. Ms. George has provided guidance on emerging tools and technologies for natural resource management, as well as assisted active and discontinued operations with managing their property in an ecologically-sustainable manner. Ms. George conceives of, coordinates and helps implement voluntary biodiversity projects for Freeport-McMoRan, while leveraging those opportunities to for STEM and environmental education. In her role as Senior Biodiversity Scientist, Ms. George helps develop and facilitate productive relationships between Freeport-McMoRan and numerous non-profit and community partners to promote the longevity and  sustainability of conservation projects.

CMGA Annual Christmas Party

The Coconino Master Gardener Association and Coconino Cooperative Extension  

cordially invite you to our 

 Annual Holiday Party and Recognition Event 

Thursday, December 10, 2020 at 6:30 PM 

This year we're going VIRTUAL and we're combining the party with our recognition event. We can't hold our potluck but we'll showcase MG projects, hold a raffle, and recognize our new and seasoned Master Gardeners. 

 RSVP via Zoom registration by December 1(so we have time to mail you your raffle ticket and other goodies) Anyone that sends in a picture or video of their project or their garden gets a 2nd raffle ticket!

 https://arizona.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkdeurpjgiHdCniU_XNGbTU_10tNBnYAbk

Questions? Liz at lizgeorge928@gmail.com

  Or Hattie at hbraun@arizona.edu

Yellow Bluestem: An Encroaching Invasive Grass Webinar

Dear friends: Please join us on November 19, 11am in Arizona, to learn about the spread of the nonnative yellow bluestem grass in Arizona’s rangelands. Ashley Hall, Rangeland Management and Animal Science Extension Agent, will discuss identification, impacts and management implications of this relatively new invasive species. Sincerely, Chris

Yellow Bluestem: An Encroaching Invasive Grass Webinar

Event Date: November 19, 2020 11:00am to 12:00pm

Online event link: https://arizona.zoom.us/j/89689070806

University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Gila County presents: Garden and Country Extension Webinar Series. A Zoom webinar (60-minutes or less) featuring a variety of horticultural and natural resource topics relevant to the environmental conditions and residential concerns of Gila County, Arizona.

Featured Topic: Yellow Bluestem: An Encroaching Invasive Grass

Speaker Biography: Ashley Hall received her B.Sc. in Rangeland Ecology and Management with a minor in Geographic Information Systems from the University of Arizona (UA) in 2009 and a M.Sc. 2011. Her thesis focused on researching nurse plant-protégé interactions between two species of Bursage and Creosote, as well as creating a vegetation map of the Mohawk Mountains and San Cristobal Valley on the Barry M. Goldwater Range. After finishing her M.S., Ashley began working for UA Cooperative Extension as a team member of the Cooperative Rangeland Monitoring Program assisting the Bureau of Land Management in establishing a vegetation monitoring protocol.  Ashley worked for US Fish and Wildlife Service as the Invasive Species Coordinator for Arizona Refuges. She currently works for Gila County Cooperative Extension, focusing on Rangeland Management and Animal Science.

Presentation Description: Non-native species, like Yellow Bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum) negatively affect the habitats they invade in many ways including economically, environmentally, and/or ecologically. Yellow Bluestem is a perennial grass introduced to the United States from Europe and Asia in the early 1900s as a way to control erosion and as a forage species. In the past several years, this species has become an emerging invasive in Arizona. Yellow Bluestem has been shown to alter soil function and biota, suppressing the growth of native vegetation.. It out-competes native species because it can grow much taller than most native grasses, and creates a sod thick formation by reproducing through underground stems.  While this species was introduced in some parts of the U.S. to provide additional forage for grazing species, Yellow Bluestem is less palatable than natives and is not preferred by cattle, equine, or wildlife. Eradication of this species may require intense management efforts if a new population is not eliminated quickly.

Webinar Facilitator: Chris Jones, Extension Agent, University of Arizona Gila County Cooperative

Extension Zoom Link: https://arizona.zoom.us/j/89689070806 Please log in up to 10 minutes prior to the webinar.

Cost: Free

Registration: Not required

Christopher Jones, Extension Agent

Agriculture & Natural Resources Programs

University of Arizona

Gila County Cooperative Extension

5515 S Apache Avenue, Suite 600

Globe, AZ  85501

U.S.A.

Phone: (928) 402-8586

Sacred Ground: Gardening for Change Webinars

 

Growing both food for us and habitat for wildlife, gardening can save the planet. AWF is partnering with Arizona Interfaith Power and Light for a series of webinars to inspire and galvanize about the vital importance of gardens for people, wildlife and the planet. Speakers include Dr. George Brooks of the Arizona Green Chamber, Darren Chapman of the Tiger Mountain Foundation, AWF's own Nikki Julien, and more.

Click here for the Nov 22 @ 4pm webinar

Click here for the Dec 6th @ 4pm webinar

Patricia Sanchez

Society Administrator

Arizona Native Plant Society

arizonanativeplantsociety@gmail.com

CMGA November Meeting

 

Coconino Master Gardener Meeting Agenda 

Thursday, November 12, 2020 at 6:30pm

Zoom Meeting

 

6:30-6:35pm   Welcome-Sue Madden, President

·         Volunteer Hours

6:35-6:40pm   Introduction of Speaker—Sue Madden

6:40-7:45pm   Education: Geoff Wood:  Garden Art or Art in the Garden

7:45-8:25pm   Business Meeting:

MG Coordinator Happenings—Hattie Braun

·         Updates on Meetings, Events, Seed Library, Garden Resources

·         Other

 

Election of Officers - Sue Madden

Nomination Slate

·         President - Frank Branham

·         Vice President - Pam Garcia

·         Treasurer - Aundrea Guerrette

·         Secretary (second year) - Pat Haeuser

CGMA Meetings – Sue Madden

·         December 10, 2020 Zoom - Holiday Party & Master Gardener Recognition

·         January 14, 2021 - Cindy Murray; Getting Acquainted with our Garden Birds and More

·         February 11, 2021 - 2020 Grant Presentations

Financial Report – Jeff Best

Next meeting:              December 10, 2020

Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance

 

 

GLOBAL SEED SUMMIT NEXT MONTH

GlobalSeedSummit.com - Share

The Global Seed Summit is a 4-day event where seeds will be celebrated. RMSA’s Bill McDorman will be teaching about seed saving each day and this is an incredible opportunity to get into the roots of saving seeds with a seed elder. In addition to seed saving education, five notable seed visionaries will be joining the discussion on seeds, seed sovereignty, healthy food systems, seed diversity, and more in this upcoming Summit.

Register for your free pass here.

Flagstaff Sustainability Events

 Attached are 3 flyers from the Flagstaff Sustainability Department, that may be of interest for those gardeners who are also recyclers. The first is the annual Fix-it Clinic which will happen on Saturday October 10th, from 10am-2pm. Second is the Drop Off Day and Shred-A-Thon on Saturday October 24th. In addition to drugs you can bring any hazardous waste items such as batteries or paint. Last of all on October 15 at 1015am they are having an online contest for Flagstaff's 15 Minute Makeovers.

Events this year are with the covid virus in mind - outside, socially distanced, masks required. Check out the links for details.

Fix-it Clinic

Drop Off Day/Shred-A-Thon

Flagstaff's 15 Minute Makeovers

Native Plant Society Meeting

Tuesday, October 20, 7pm via Zoom Michelle Cloud-Hughes: ‘The horror of man and beast’: a relatively painless introduction to the Cylindropuntia (chollas) of Arizona Arizona has the highest diversity of Cylindropuntia (cholla) species in the U.S., however their prickly nature, generally similar appearance can make proper identification a challenge. In this presentation, I will provide a general overview of the cactus genus Cylindropuntia (chollas) and in-depth descriptions for the cholla species of Arizona. I will also discuss the most common naturally-occurring hybrids, along with recent genetic research and taxonomic changes. Michelle Cloud-Hughes is a botanist and restoration ecologist specializing in desert flora and ecosystems. She worked for the Soil Ecology and Restoration Group at San Diego State University from 1997 to 2013 and spent most of those years doing restoration work in the central Mojave Desert at Fort Irwin National Training Center. In 2010 she started her company, Desert Solitaire Botany and Ecological Restoration, and since then has been involved in many rare plant surveys and other botanical and restoration projects throughout the southwestern U.S and Mexico. She has been doing morphometric and genetic research on Cylindropuntia with Dr. Marc Baker of Arizona State University for over 10 years and loves sharing the results of that research at every opportunity. This presentation will be pre-recorded, and I will be available for questions both during and after in the chat rooms.

Plants for the People Plant Sale

Molly McCormick Plants for the People Great news! We got an update from the grower and can extend the order deadline until Sunday, October 4 at 5pm. We are thrilled to give you the weekend for careful garden planning. See the attached order form, download, add the number of plants you want to Column A and email back. The plants have hyperlinks to descriptions. More information about many of these plants here. Or just let us know what you want and we can add it to the order. Plants will be delivered sometime next week for pick up October 9-18 (this is also an update). We'll send out an email as soon as the plants arrive. For those of you who have already placed an order, we'll be in touch next week with your final order amount and delivery details. Feel free to share this email with your friends! 🍁 Happy Fall Gardening! Molly & Jeff www.plantsforthepeople.us 928-821-5100 Go to their site for plants and ordering.

Looking for Weeding Volunteers

 I'm putting together a Master Gardener volunteer event to help with an important project through MNA and The Arboretum to stop the spread of a nasty federally listed noxious weed, diffuse knapweed. 

Knapweed is beginning to outcompete many very cute native plants along the Flagstaff Urban Trail near Coconino HS. Luckily this population is still managble. Jan and I think that with some Master Gardener power we can help free our native plant friends from this nasty weed invasion! 

When: Saturday October 3rd, 2020

Where: Near Coconino HS along the Flag Urban Trail (FUTS)

Time: 8:00 am- 10:30 am (we will build native plant ID into this event!)

This will be an outdoor, spread out, socially distanced, masked event. Slots are limited so sign up early!

Please RSPV to Gayle Gratop (gaylejennifer2@email.arizona.edu) by Thursday October 1

Bark Beetles in AZ Webinar

 

Bark Beetles in Arizona Webinar

Event Date October 01, 2020 11:00am to 12:00pm

Online event link: https://arizona.zoom.us/j/97026764316

 

Signs, Symptoms, and Identification of Native and Non-native Bark Beetles

University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Gila County presents: Garden and Country Extension Webinar Series. A Zoom webinar (60-minutes or less) featuring a variety of horticultural and natural resource topics relevant to the environmental conditions and residential concerns of Gila County, Arizona.

Featured Topic: Bark Beetles in Arizona: Signs, Symptoms, and Identification of Native and Non-native Bark Beetles

Featured Speakers: Aly McAlexander is originally from Oregon. After graduating from high school, she attended Southern Oregon University where she obtained her undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Ecology and Conservation. While an undergraduate, Aly worked as a seasonal wildland firefighter for the USDA Forest Service in Northern Washington. After graduating, Aly worked on a timber crew in Montana and Colorado. She received her Master’s degree in Botany in June of 2017 from Colorado State University. A majority of Aly’s coursework was focused on Forest Pathology; her thesis research was A survey of foliar fungal endophyte communities of Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine populations in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. After graduating Aly worked as the arborist for Manitou Springs Public Works. Then in the February of 2020 she was offered the position of Forest Health Specialist with Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.

Webinar Overview: This presentation is a general overview of the bark beetles found in Arizona. We will discuss both native and nonnative bark beetles found in Arizona; as well as go over the signs and symptoms associated with these beetles. By the end of the presentation, attendees will be able to more accurately identify bark beetle infestations and determine which beetle is the culprit. We will also review management options and discuss the new Healthy Forests Cost Share Program the Department of Forestry and Fire Management is offering to private landowners.

Webinar Facilitator: Chris Jones, Extension Agent, University of Arizona Gila County Cooperative

Extension Zoom Link: https://arizona.zoom.us/j/97026764316 Please log in up to 10 minutes prior to the webinar.

Cost: Free

Registration: Not required

 

Christopher Jones, Extension Agent

Agriculture & Natural Resources Programs

 

University of Arizona

Gila County Cooperative Extension

5515 S Apache Avenue, Suite 600

Globe, AZ  85501

U.S.A.

 

Phone: (928) 402-8586

Email: ckjones@email.arizona.edu

North American Native Plant Society Meeting

     

Greetings to all native plant enthusiasts:

The North American Native Plant Society (NANPS) invites you to our first-ever ZOOM AGM on October 24, 2020! Digital cross-pollination in this time of COVID grants us the wonderful opportunity to meet you and hear about what is happening with native plants in your local region across the continent. In this time of safely staying apart, we believe this is exactly the time to come together and share best practices and experiences and develop those connections that will hopefully grow and endure past the pandemic.

  Date: Saturday, October 24, 2020

Time: 1-3 p.m. EDT (2:30-4:30 p.m. NDT, 2-4 p.m. ADT, 12-2 p.m. CDT, 11a.m.-1 p.m. MDT, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. PDT, 9-11 a.m. AKDT)

 Registration: free for members and non-members on Eventbrite.ca (NANPS AGM 2020)

 Event Schedule:

 1:00-1:45 pm: Business part of meeting. All welcome to participate but only members can vote. 

 1:45-2:00 pm: Land acknowledgment and presentation about the organization and its activities. 2:00-2:45 pm: Moderated group chats from various regions across North America

2:45-3:00 pm: Native Plant Garden Video Contest and closing remarks.