- Toni Stahl,  Habitat Ambassador volunteer  www.backyardhabitat.info  and editor of the monthy Nature Scoop newsletter provides the following list of things to do in September.

 

“Backyards for Wildlife: Digging for Gold!” – Scroll down to page 7 in the Columbus Audubon Song Sparrow.

Now is a good time to clean bird feeders for winter.  Dip them in a 10% Clorox 90% water solution, and spray with water until all the bleach is gone.  Tom Sheley, Wild Birds Unlimited-Riverside, says to completely air dry them to get rid of the chlorine that would change the taste of the seed.  Clean again later in the season if gunk builds up. Here are some tips for Ohio Fall Yard Care.  When doing cleanup, keep in mind that most native butterflies, like other helpful, native insects, stay here in the winter and need cover.

Organic lawn Care – Apply corn gluten mid-August to mid-Sept as a pre-emergent weed control and natural fertilizer. Preen is using 100% corn gluten meal as the 100% active ingredient only in its Preen Organic Vegetable Garden product.  Approximately 4 weeks afterward, you can over-seed any bare or weedy areas.  Read details in the Columbus Dispatch.

We depend on bees to pollinate our foods, and they are disappearing. Think organic is safe?  Some organics are toxic to bees. Go to the table on page 2 of the Factsheet – notice that corn gluten I use on my lawn is in the green!

+ Nature “Stuff”
-  Register 9/2, Thurs, 9/22, 8:30-4, SE Ohio Tree Care Conference, ODNR, Athens
-  9/1-mid Sept, M-Sat 10-4, Sun noon-5, Native Butterfly House in Alliance, $2, Beech Creek Botanical Gardens
-  Fri, 9/2, 7:15pm, A Swift Night Out Galena, Darlene Sillick & Columbus Audubon
-  Fri, 9/9, 7pm, A Swift Night Out Dublin, Darlene Sillick & Columbus Audubon
-  Sat, 9/10, 10am-4pm, Monarch Day Celebration, Blendon Woods Metro Park Nature Center map, Westerville
-  Sat, 9/10, 9am-4pm EDT, Monarch Watch online live open house (scroll down)
-  Sat, 9/10, 10am, Cedar Bog Nature Preserve Tour, south of Urbana, scroll down at Wild Ones
-  Jim McCormac wrote an informational blog about his childhood front yard landscaping
-  Thurs-Sun, 9/15-18, Midwest Birding Symposium (Sat, 9/17, 2pm, Birders Going Beyond Birds by Jim McCormac), Lakeside
-  Fri-Sun, 9/9-9/11, Sunset Swift Night Out, by a large chimney tower where you have seen Swifts roost
-  See sunset times for Ohio, choose location, click on make calendar

Thom McCain writes:

Hey Music Lovers — Happy End of Summer!

We have a big treat for all of us. The Ladies of Longford — live in concert — Saturday August 29th, 8:00, $15.00 (students $5.00). Proceeds benefit the Adena Brook Community and the Clintonville Community Fund’s small grant program.

They’re back!!! The super talented and fun Ladies of Longford feature high energy and a beautiful sound -– great voices, fabulous playing. Your toes won’t stop tapping.

Their repertoire of traditional and contemporary Irish music with a twist of folk and bluegrass, will set your heart a reeling. When these five women take the stage the energy is something everyone notices. Ladies of Longford rock the central Ohio Celtic music scene and beyond to rave reviews. Do yourself a favor and don’t miss this concert. Do your friends and family a favor and bring them along. Do the Adena Brook Community and the Clintonville Community Fund’s small grant program a favor and support our community efforts to improve our urban environment.

Go ahead, visit the Ladies of Longford website (http://www.hildadoyle.com/LOL.htm) to sample their music and see them in action.

Jan and Thom McCain welcome you to our house concerts in Clintonville. We’ll be outside in the garden, under the setting sun, twinkling stars on the edge of the Overbrook Ravine (and Adena Brook). You can expect a gathering of good people and spectacular music. Grounds open 7ish. Bring a snack to share and a drink of your choice. Park on the street.

Please respond to this email and send checks to Thom McCain for $15.00 in advance to guarantee your spot, we have plenty of seating. House Concerts @ Glenbrook, 146 Glenmont Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43214. 614-268-6189; thom@mccainlimited.com; www.mccainlimited.com/glenbrook

A endangered species medicinal rain garden is going in at the Beuter home, 600 Glenmont Avenue. The location is their front yard. The original plan was to plant tomorrow (June 20th) but the thunderstorms today cause a change in planning.

Please stop by next Saturday, June 27th, for the planting. Jim Roberts from Watershed Organic Lawn Care will be available to answer your questions. The Beuters welcome visitors.

Donations from The Michael Hazelroth Rainy Day Fund support this garden.

Join us!

Jim Roberts of Watershed Organic Lawn Care will install a shade rain garden at the Beuter home, 600 Glenmont Ave., between 10:00 a.m and 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 20th.

This rain garden is funded through the Michael Hazelroth Rainy Day Fund.
Judy Robinson
judyrob59@gmail.com

With funding from the City of Columbus, FLOW will once again offer our popular rain barrel workshops and cost share program. Rain barrels are a great way to conserve water and reduce your utility bills while at the same time helping to protect the Olentangy River and its tributaries.

The two-hour workshops are free and open to the public. Columbus residents who attend a workshop will be eligible to purchase a rain barrel at a cost share price of $30. Residents of other municipalities may participate in the workshop, but, due to funding restrictions, they will not be eligible to receive the cost share price.

Due to the high demand in previous years, we have switched to a new registration system. Registration will begin at 12:01 AM on June 1, 2009 and will be on a first come, first served basis. No registrations will be received prior to that time. We recommend registering as early as possible in the process, as space is limited and workshops will fill quickly.

To register, complete the attached form and email to hdean@olentangywatershed.org, or call 614-267-3386 and leave your name and phone number.

Please spread this information to your contact lists.

Heather Dean
Watershed Coordinator
Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed
614-267-3386
www.olentangywatershed.org

About 50 neighbors shared the annual community potluck!

May 15, is the potluck! The weather looks like it will be beautiful. About 50 people say they’re coming. That sounds like a delicious evening.

Where:
Whetstone Park of Roses, parking lot by roses and shelter house.

When:
6 – 8 PM. We’ll eat right away. This potluck was designed to be easy to duplicate! There will be table cloths on the tables. The rest we create together!

Bring:

a dish to share
your own plate and silverware
your own drink

Ohio Wildlife Center and resident wildlife will start about 6:45 PM.

FUN!

See you tomorrow,

Because of a forecast of Thunderstorms on Saturday, we are going to move our Planting Day to Sunday, May 17th from 1-5pm.

Thank you for all of your support!

James Kutnow
Assistant Dean of Experiential Education
The Graham School
3950 Indianola Ave
Columbus, OH 43214
614.262.1111
www.thegrahamschool.org

James Kutnow writes:

Below is an announcement that we recently posted in our parent newsletter. If you think that there are members of the Adena Brook Community that would be interested in chipping in for our “Planting Day”, we would be honored and very grateful.

Thanks!

WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Please come and help on “Planting Day” for The Rain Garden at The Graham School on Saturday, May 16th.

We will begin at 8am. Food and Drinks will be provided! If you can, please bring your work gloves, a shovel and garden rake!

Rick Tilton writes:

A reminder that all people who enjoy biking, from the beginner to the most experienced cyclist, are encouraged to join us Saturday, May 30, for BikeColumbus. Rides of 7, 20 and 50 miles. Pre-registration is encouraged and will soon be available on the Consider Biking web site. Event is presented the by Mayor Coleman, the City, the Institute for Active Living in Columbus Public Health and Consider Biking. Sponsors include AEP, Ohio Health and Trek Bicycle Store of Columbus. BikeColumbus rides are ride at your own pace. These are not races. Please stay tuned for more registration and other event information.

We need many, many cyclists to participate May 30 and make a strong statement about cycling and healthy lifestyles for all in Columbus.

Thank you.