Central Chapter
Serving primarily the Oklahoma City metro area. Meetings are typically the 1st Thursday of every month on the OSU-OKC campus, Room 196, Kirkpatrick Horticulture Building, 400 North Portland Ave, OKC. Doors open at 6:30 for socializing and seed swap (if you’ve got ‘em); presentations begin at 7:00. For those that can’t attend in person, this year we will offer a virtual option.
News from Chapter Chair:
The ONPS is excited to sponsor Dr. Doug Tallamy back to Oklahoma on February 4th and 5th, 2022. He is the author of Bringing Nature Home, and multiple other books, highlighting the absolute and unequivocal need for planting and utilizing native plants around our homes, landscapes, and environment. Be sure to mark your calendar to save the dates; more information will be forthcoming and in the next issue (winter) of the Gaillardia. As a prelude to the Tallamy talk, the Central Chapter is focusing a lecture series on native plant restoration or establishment.
The upcoming fall schedule:
Our August 19th talk will be given by Brandon Baker, staff biologist, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC). Mr. Baker was charged with converting over 700 acres of formally Bermuda grass pasture, on the Cross Timbers Wildlife Management Unit, to a prairie of native forbes and grasses. He will discuss how the successful conversion has proceeded and why it is so critical to wildlife.
September 2nd; Doug Schoeling, a fish and wildlife biologist with the USFWS, will give an overview of his agency’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. He’ll present some of the Oklahoma native grassland restoration projects that have been completed, highlight a few current ventures, and discuss some cost sharing opportunities for property owners/ managers wishing to restore land back to natives.
October 21st; Jenna Messick, assistant professor of Biology and Herbarium Curator at the University of Central Oklahoma, will give a timely (think, just right for fall planting/ seed harvesting) talk on Native Plant Seed Germination; What Works and Why.
November 11th: Kyle Johnson, staff biologist, Oklahoma Department Wildlife Conservation, will give a presentation on a couple of award winning private lands native plant/ prairie restoration projects that merited ‘best of the year’ recognition by the ODWC.
Our meetings are held at the OSU-OKC campus, room 196, Kirkpatrick Horticulture Building, 400 North Portland Ave, OKC. Doors open at 6:30 for socializing and seed swap (if you’ve got ‘em); presentations begin at 7:00. For those that can’t attend in person, this year we will offer a virtual option; simply go to the ONPS website (oknativeplants.org); a link to view the real time presentation will get you there.
We’re all ready to shake off some of the pandemic doldrums and get back to a semblance of normality. The in-person and virtual presentations are open to all; membership in the ONPS is not required. Hope you’ll plan to join us, as the ONPS resumes in person events and meetings.
Patrick Bell
Chair, Central Chapter, ONPS
News from Chapter Chair:
The ONPS is excited to sponsor Dr. Doug Tallamy back to Oklahoma on February 4th and 5th, 2022. He is the author of Bringing Nature Home, and multiple other books, highlighting the absolute and unequivocal need for planting and utilizing native plants around our homes, landscapes, and environment. Be sure to mark your calendar to save the dates; more information will be forthcoming and in the next issue (winter) of the Gaillardia. As a prelude to the Tallamy talk, the Central Chapter is focusing a lecture series on native plant restoration or establishment.
The upcoming fall schedule:
Our August 19th talk will be given by Brandon Baker, staff biologist, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC). Mr. Baker was charged with converting over 700 acres of formally Bermuda grass pasture, on the Cross Timbers Wildlife Management Unit, to a prairie of native forbes and grasses. He will discuss how the successful conversion has proceeded and why it is so critical to wildlife.
September 2nd; Doug Schoeling, a fish and wildlife biologist with the USFWS, will give an overview of his agency’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. He’ll present some of the Oklahoma native grassland restoration projects that have been completed, highlight a few current ventures, and discuss some cost sharing opportunities for property owners/ managers wishing to restore land back to natives.
October 21st; Jenna Messick, assistant professor of Biology and Herbarium Curator at the University of Central Oklahoma, will give a timely (think, just right for fall planting/ seed harvesting) talk on Native Plant Seed Germination; What Works and Why.
November 11th: Kyle Johnson, staff biologist, Oklahoma Department Wildlife Conservation, will give a presentation on a couple of award winning private lands native plant/ prairie restoration projects that merited ‘best of the year’ recognition by the ODWC.
Our meetings are held at the OSU-OKC campus, room 196, Kirkpatrick Horticulture Building, 400 North Portland Ave, OKC. Doors open at 6:30 for socializing and seed swap (if you’ve got ‘em); presentations begin at 7:00. For those that can’t attend in person, this year we will offer a virtual option; simply go to the ONPS website (oknativeplants.org); a link to view the real time presentation will get you there.
We’re all ready to shake off some of the pandemic doldrums and get back to a semblance of normality. The in-person and virtual presentations are open to all; membership in the ONPS is not required. Hope you’ll plan to join us, as the ONPS resumes in person events and meetings.
Patrick Bell
Chair, Central Chapter, ONPS