Macomb County Master Gardener Association

Citizen Scientist Opportunity:
Got Monarchs nectaring?
The Xerces Society is interested in your data. Submit photos of nectaring monarchs here:

What is a Monarch’s Favorite Nectar Plant? Scientists are Seeking Your Observations Xerces scientists are seeking your observations to learn more about adult monarch nectar plant preferences. Our revised system for this community science opportunity has made it easier than ever to submit data about monarch butterflies and the flowers they are nectaring from.

Today is THEEEE day!

Registration is open for Foundations of Gardening. This is the educational component required to be an MSU Extension Master Gardener. No obligation to become an EMG, but we sure would love to have you!

https://www.facebook.com/100057066954386/posts/854403783138512/?mibextid=Nif5oz

Registration opens TODAY for the Foundations of Gardening class!

FOG is completely online, with evening live classes once a week. Remember when you had to drive to classes on slippery, dark streets? Now you can join us from the convenience of your couch!

From The Pollinator Partnership 🦋🦋🦋

Are you looking for a career in conservation? Pollinator Partnership is looking for two experienced and passionate professionals who possess the skills to lead and advance sustainable urban agriculture in Ohio and Michigan.

1. Full-time Project Coordinator
2. Part-time Outreach Coordinator

Click here to read the full job descriptions and apply by December 15, 2023! https://www.pollinator.org/careers %20Ag

The latest on invasive species.
As consumers, we can be educated, aware and avoid garden centers and nurseries that sell invasive species. Know better, do better.

"But commercial nurseries that sell hundreds of different invasives are actually the primary pathway of invasive plant introduction."

"In other words, everyday gardeners who buy plants at their local nurseries could unwittingly help perpetuate invasion and associated ecological harm in their literal backyards."

https://phys.org/news/2023-12-nurseries-exacerbating-climate-driven-invasive-species.html?fbclid=IwAR0NwXDvmGwX0PZ-VeK7cOv0xIfO7fFCTS3c68xb-d_teoQyiWg4JbxHUmc

Study finds plant nurseries are exacerbating the climate-driven spread of 80% of invasive species Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently published a pair of papers that, together, provide the most detailed maps to date of how 144 common invasive plants species will react to 2° Celsius of climate change in the eastern U.S., as well as the role that garden centers current...

2024 Plant Quest Registration!
Time to start education hours for next year! 🌱🌱🌱

2024 Plant Quest Join us as we go on the quest for native plants, new and exciting trees and shrubs and stellar plants that pack a punch with foliage!!

Education opportunity!

Join Michigan State University Extension in hosting nationally known experts to explore a vast selection of native plants for the residential landscape, exciting new plants, trees and shrubs for the forward-thinking gardener and colorful, show-stopping plants that have leaves that will light up your landscape!!

COST for the entire 4-part series
$40 early registration until Jan. 7th
$50 from Jan. 8th – Jan. 28th

Jan. 8, 2024 – 15 Plants You Wish You Had Planted this Year!
Jan. 15, 2024 – Taming the Wild – Native Plants for the Residential Landscape
Jan. 22, 2024 – Foliage, Foliage, and More Foliage: Using Leaves to Light Up the Landscape
Jan. 29, 2024 – New and Exciting Trees and Shrubs for Forward-Thinking Gardeners

Register at: https://events.anr.msu.edu/2024PlantQuest/
Registration deadline: January 28, 2024.

Have you heard about Vernal Pool Monitoring? Check out this upcoming meeting:

https://www.facebook.com/100064617764906/posts/736237065206879/?mibextid=Nif5oz

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT VERNAL POOLS? It's not too late to register!

The Michigan Vernal Pools Partnership will be hosting its Annual Meeting on December 6th, 2023! Free, virtual, and open to all, the Annual Meeting is our yearly opportunity to share & connect with the vernal pool community. Hear from vernal pool experts, educators, and enthusiasts on a variety of topics to get the latest updates on vernal pool work in Michigan and beyond. Agenda highlights yet to be announced.

When: Wednesday, December 6th, 2023 from 12:30-4:30

Who should attend: Anyone interested in vernal pool conservation in Michigan or beyond, including researchers, scientists, state and federal agencies, local government representatives, businesses, members of the Vernal Pool Patrol (or those interested in monitoring/citizen science), teachers and students!

https://mivernalpoolsannualmeeting.eventbrite.com

One of the fore-mothers of gardening:
Interesting to see the text predicated with 'Done by a Lady'. As well as her acknowlidging Urban Gardening way back when.
The original text was a struggle to read, not even going to lie, lol. Different spelling of words and the use of 'f' vice 's'. Interesting, nonetheless.

https://gardenprofessors.com/people-and-plants-7/?fbclid=IwAR2qvb6il554XXfN6yjKcA42DpYzfq6Ne8ANozz672WcUg50WjmQ7YefzQY

People and Plants In this late fall edition of People and Plants we’ll take a look at an early American female botanist, Martha Daniell Logan. Martha Logan’s signature. Courtesy of The South Carolina His…

VOLUNTEER OPP:

Avoid those email reminders from your VC Ambassadors and get a jump on your volunteer hours:

https://www.facebook.com/100064839964079/posts/736710988500227/?mibextid=Nif5oz

Save the Date !

Horticulture Trivia 🌱🌱

January 22, 2024 7:00PM - 7:45PM

Registration Deadline: January 22, 2024 - 03:45PM

Zoom

Contact: David Lowenstein

This is a chance to test your knowledge about all things plants, insects, and garden related in Michigan. There will be 30 multiple choice question/answers during this live event and a prize awarded to the top two scorers. Trivia night is open to gardening enthusiasts, trivia lovers, Extension Master Gardeners, or anyone else who wants to play.

How it works: After registering, you will be sent a Zoom webinar link for this event. You will need a second device (phone or tablet) to answer the live trivia questions using a polling website called Kahoot. During the first few minutes of the event, there will be a demonstration of how to join and submit answers. Scoring is based on the correct answer and the speed at which an answer is entered. Please arrive by 7:05 p.m. to join the trivia game on time.

Cost: $5
Free for the first 50 Michigan Extension Master Gardeners (your certification will be verified after registration)

Prize: Top two scorers will receive a $25 electronic gift cards to the garden center or seed company of their choice. If you are a winner from a previous trivia this season, you are not eligible to win a second prize.

Sponsor: Thank you to the Macomb County Master Gardener Association and Ball Horticultural Company for sponsoring this month's trivia!

January 2024 Horticulture Trivia Join MSU Extension for the fourth of our Winter '23-'24 monthly trivia series about gardening.

Congratulations Master Gardeners Jean Persely and Pam Gors on completing this program!

Friday funny 😄

Save the Date !

Lakes Online Early Bird registration still open !

Course Overview
Introduction to Lakes Online is designed for interested individuals, decision makers, local leaders, resource professionals, and lakefront property owners interested in gaining knowledge about inland lakes and connecting with others who have a similar interest. In this introductory course, participants increase their knowledge and understanding of the following six topics:

Lake ecology
Watersheds
Shorelines
Aquatic plant management
Michigan water law
Community involvement
Course instructors include Bindu Bhakta, Erick Elgin, Paige Filice, Julia Kirkwood, Dr. Jo Latimore, Brad Neumann, Mary Reilly, and Dr. Lois Wolfson.

2024 Course Information
Course Format
Six-week class with participants advancing through the program together
Access to new units will be provided on a week-by-week, unit-by-unit basis with each new unit opening on Tuesdays at 8:00 AM eastern. Access to future units will be based on completion of the previous unit’s quiz. The quizzes are made up of 10 multiple choice and true/false questions.
Once a unit is available to view, it will remain open.
What to expect
Every week a new unit exploring an inland lake topic will be released on our website. Participants will explore course topics through video lectures and activities such as readings and exploring interactive websites. Many units also include a discussion forum, prompting participants to interact with others and the instructional team. For those looking to dive deeper into a topic, we also provide numerous additional resources. Each unit takes approximately 2 hours to complete.

Introduction to Lakes Online Introduction to Lakes Online is a six-week online course specially designed for lake users, lakefront property owners and lake managers interested in learning about inland lakes. From the comfort of home or office, participants have 24/7 access to six online units complete with closed-captioned vide...

Final reminder .. are you an Extension Master Gardener ? Today is the last to enter your volunteer and educational hours. Midnight tonight is the deadline!

https://msu.samaritan.com/custom/502/volunteer_menu

Still looking for education hours?
This is on the last day of the EMG hours season - get it done and enter your hours:

https://www.facebook.com/100064587645706/posts/729838285845753/?mibextid=Nif5oz

Registration opens next week !

Registration is opening at the end of next week! Mark your calendars!

LAST CHANCE for 2023!!

Horticulture Trivia Night - December 2023
Dec. 18, 2023
7-7:45 p.m. ET
On Zoom

Prize: Top scorer will receive a $25 electronic gift card to the garden center or seed company of their choice.

Cost: $5
Free for the first 50 Michigan Extension Master Gardeners (your certification will be verified after registration)

December 2023 Horticulture Trivia Join MSU Extension for the third of our Winter '23-'24 monthly trivia series about gardening. This is a chance to test your knowledge about all things plants, insects, and garden related in Michigan.

Time to start prepping for winter sowing, here is a excellent, simple article from our friends at Illinois Extension.

Winter seed sowing URBANA, Ill. – Winter-sowing is a cost-effective and low-maintenance way of starting plants for the garden. Creator of the winter-sowing method, Trudi Davidoff puts it in simple terms: starting plants outdoors, in winter.

What are your favorite tools? 🧰⚒️⛏️🪚✂️
Any new tools on your Santa list? 🌱👩‍🌾👨‍🌾🎅

https://www.facebook.com/100077599220798/posts/368560375740600/?mibextid=Nif5oz

Now that Thanksgiving is over, everyone is ready to shop for others! If you have a gardener who you are buying for, here is a list of Extension Master Gardener favorite tools:
https://mgnv.org/mg-in-the-garden/emgs-share-their-favorite-tools/

And if you are new to gardening, stick to the basics with this list:
https://extension.illinois.edu/gardening/get-your-tools

Also consider ergonomics when buying garden tools: (photo from University of Missouri ext. article)
https://extension.missouri.edu/news/consider-ergonomics-when-buying-garden-tools-4904

Using arborist wood chips to kill the existing lawn is a terrific way to start a new bed! Always nice to see the science in main stream media.

What’s the fastest way to kill your lawn? Science says forget the cardboard Cardboard is crucial for sheet mulching to kill a lawn, but critics say there's no science proving it works. All you really need, they say, is lots of wood chips.

Wishing you a blessed thanksgiving with your family and friends 🍁🦃

What is IPM?

What is IPM? - Regional IPM Centers What is IPM? Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a science-based, sustainable decision-making process that uses information on pest biology, environmental data, and technology to manage pest damage in a way that minimizes both economic costs and risks to people, property, and the environment. Transc...

Really interesting map of the frequency of fires pre-1850.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=760103416114582&id=100063447926307&mibextid=Nif5oz

Fire was Frequent in the Great Plains Before 1850

Estimated Fire Frequency (Years Between Repeated Fires) shown on the map.

Data for Fire Frequency Model
- Weather & Climate Data
- Fuel Physical Chemistry
- Tree Ring Fires Scars (170 sites)
- Charcoal Deposits

Map from Guyette et al. 2012 Predicting Fire Frequency with Chemistry and Climate
https://bit.ly/GuyetteFireMap

Anyone else getting the lawn cut this beautiful weekend? 🌾🌾🌾
I've been cutting my lawn lower the last few cuts. Here's hoping this is the last mow of the season. 🤞🏻
ETA: Here is a resource from our Minnesota friends about cutting shorter at the end of the season:
https://turf.umn.edu/news/q-fall-lawn-care