Previous In-Store Events & Presentations

Beautiful to Wildlife, Beautiful to People: Landscaping w/ Native Plants to Support Nature

    

Join us as we welcome Drew Lathin to the store to talk about native plants and horticulture and what we all can and should do in our own backyard to be stewards of the planet. Pick up a gardening magazine or book, talk to your neighbor across the fence, consult with a landscaper, or visit your local plant supplier and much of the time the advice you will receive contributes to the biodiversity crisis and climate change. The traditional horticultural paradigm prioritizes the aesthetic qualities of landscapes and common practices include wasteful water usage, harmful chemicals, invasive species, and maintenance intensive practices that exterminate wildlife. With more residential land in the US than all the national parks combined, we can do better in our built landscapes. We can create habitat in our front, side, and backyards that attracts and supports pollinators, butterflies, birds, and myriad other forms of wildlife simply by using native plants. Learn how to avoid the use of invasive species, eliminate the use of supplemental water, eliminate chemicals, reduce maintenance, and use native plants that are beautiful to both people and wildlife. Drew Lathin is the current owner of Mountain Native Landscape Design and a certified Blue Ridge Naturalist. He has been playing around with native plants in built landscapes for over 20 years as a native plant nursery manager, designer, and installer. Utilizing ecological principles in his work, he is a fierce advocate for the need to re-wild our urban and suburban landscapes using native plants in thoughtful and legible designs to bring biological diversity and beauty to our everyday lives. No registration required for this FREE event. Please plan on standing or bring your own folding chair. This is going to be a popular talk so come early! *We may have to limit the # of people in our store due to fire code.

 

Spring Migration In Western North Carolina

Saturday, May 11th at 12pm

 

Join us as we welcome Jame Poling to the store to talk about spring migration in western North Carolina. Dozens of tropical birds come through western North Carolina in the spring. Some nest in our mountains and some continue their journey to the northern US and Canada. May is a peak time to observe these birds and marvel at the colorful plumages of the breeding cycle. Jim spent his career as a pastor, professor, scholar and writer, most recently at Garrett-evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL. Since his retirement in 2008, he has become a Blue Ridge Naturalist and is a member of the Blue Ridge Audubon Society and the Western Carolina Botanical Club. He will also share some of his stunning bird photography of recent years. No registration required for this FREE event. Please plan on standing or bring your own folding chair.

 

All About Bluebirds!

Join us as we welcome back Ron Brenneman to the store to talk about the magic of Bluebirds and nesting season! Ron has an extensive background in all things Bluebirds and is a Certified Wildlife Biologist. He is co-founder of the South Carolina Bluebird Society (SCBS), an affiliate of the North American Bluebird Society and serves on its Board of Directors. Ron will teach you how to create a Bluebird sanctuary in your own backyard and get you geared up for nesting season! Bring your questions and be prepared to learn and have fun. This is a great event for the whole family. Due to the popularity of this event in the past, Ron will be giving 2 1-hour presentations. No registration required for this FREE event. Please plan on standing or bring your own folding chair.

 

Making Asheville Safer for Songbirds

We welcome back to the store Paulina Jones from the Coalition for a Bird Friendly Asheville. The Coalition is dedicated to making Asheville safer for the resident & migratory songbirds in Western NC. Through educational outreach and advocacy, they share easy-to-implement solutions with the Asheville community that reduce the threats posed to birds by the human-built environment. They believe that everyone can make their homes and/or businesses safer for birds and are passionate about connecting folks with resources to accomplish this task. Learn about the leading threats to songbirds in human-built environments and the simple strategies you can take to make your home and/or business safer for our feathered friends.This is a FREE event and open to the public. No registration is required. Please bring your own folding chair if you do not wish to stand.

 

Biologist Sarah Harper, lead of Sullivan's Island Environmental Education and Research Program in Sullivan's Island, SC

Sarah Harper is the director of the Sullivan's Island Bird Banding Station, a long-term monitoring station located in a conservation easement on Sullivan's Island that studies both resident and migrant birds. The Sullivan's Island Bird Banding Station is next to the beach and includes maritime forest and scrubland habitats. A variety of migratory songbirds use the land as a stopover location, breeding or overwintering grounds. Data is collected year-round at the station by a dedicated group of volunteers. Sarah will discuss her work on the island collecting and analyzing data to better understand migratory patterns and trends and also discuss migratory birds in Western North Carolina. Sarah studied Biology at the College of Charleston for her bachelor's degree and the Citadel Graduate College for her master's degree. She has volunteered at a variety of bird banding stations around the country as well as in Belize, Costa Rica and Perú. No registration is required for this FREE event. Please plan on standing or bring your own folding chair.

 

Phoenix Landing Foundation: Caring for Parrots Throughout Their Lifespan

Come meet Andy, a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, and Paco, a Blue Front Amazon! These boys love to meet and greet anyone who pays attention to them! Talk to staff/volunteers at Phoenix Landing who help work to assure all of our Phoenix Landing parrots have a succession of excellent homes throughout their long lifespan. Learn about the needs of pet parrots in captivity and how we advocate for healthier lifestyles. This is a great event for the whole family! No registration is required for this FREE event. Please plan on standing or bring your own folding chair.

 

For more information on these events, please call the store at (828) 575-2081. Stay tuned for more events in the future. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on store events, news, sales, and more. You can also join our mailing list or text club to stay in the know!