By Kristine Adel
The Patrick County Master Gardeners will welcome three outstanding speakers on March 7 to discuss Virginia’s native habitats, with emphasis on native plants; pollinators; and one of our most beloved native birds, the American Kestrel, during its Spring Symposium, titled “Supporting Our Native Birds and Bees.”
Alex Tuchman will start the day with a talk on pollinator habitats, Creating a Pollinator Sanctuary.
In addition to his role as director of Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary, Alex is an educator, an author, and a father. He is a consistent contributor to the biodynamic agriculture and natural beekeeping movements; and he regularly teaches at conferences in the U.S., around the world, and online. Enthusiasts may want to check out his book, “A Lively Hive,” published in 2021, outlining the basic biody-namic beekeeping methods that are practiced and taught at Spikenard Farm.
Don’t Forget the Woody Natives — James Foley, the second speaker at the symposium, will discuss the role of woody natives in our natural landscape. He has been in business at Snow Creek Nursery for 31 years.
Well versed on his topic, James taught Horticulture at Virginia Western Community College for 11 years. He is a graduate of Auburn University with a Master’s in Horticulture in addition to a B.S. in Horticulture from Virginia Tech.
James intends to focus his presentation on woody natives as they are of significant importance, yet are often overlooked in favor of herbaceous plants and wildflowers when discussing the interdependence of native plants and native pollinators.
VSO’s American Kestrel Project and the Plight of Virginia’s Grassland Birds will be discussed by the final speaker, Dan Bieker, a wildlife biologist/nature enthusiast and long-time natural sciences instructor at Piedmont VA Community College, where he taught Field Ornithology and Appalachian Ecology.
Dan will be speaking about the relationship between birds like swallows, blackbirds, sparrows, and American Kestrels with Virginia’s declining grassland habitats as well as important efforts in preservation.
In 2015, the Virginia Society of Ornithology undertook a project to address the loss of tree nesting cavities for the American Kestrel, an imperiled grassland species. Over several years the VSO facilitated the construction and installation of over 500 nesting boxes, mostly in the Piedmont and Mountain/Valley areas of the state.
Dan aims for this program to highlight various aspects of the project, along with the VSO’s efforts to encourage landowners to employ conservation practices for the benefit of grassland birds.
The symposium will be held on Saturday March 7, at Patrick & Henry Community College in Stuart. Doors Open at 8:30 a.m. Walk-ins are welcome, or purchase tickets and pre-register with an optional lunch online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/patrick-county-master-gardener-spring-symposium-tickets-1979418799915.
Email Patrick County Master Gardeners Association at patrickmastergardeners.org with questions or for more information.
