Nurture Native Nature Fall 2024 Events!

We still have plenty of hot days ahead, but all the hummingbird action and our tired rewilded yards are telling us summer is winding down! Below are in person Nurture Native Nature fall 2024 events that are free and open to the public in Atlanta. (I’m not including the private community group events where I’m speaking)

It's still summer, but when the cardinal flowers are in full bloom and the hummingbirds start battling it out to get every bit of nectar in preparation for their migration journey next month it means fall is a minute away

With cooler weather hopefully ahead, I’m again hosting my Fall Habitat Yard Workshops for adults (babies welcome!) on September 22, October 20, & November 17 (all Sundays) from noon-2:00pm. The workshops are geared towards anyone who is at the beginning of their journey making their yard or outdoor space more nature friendly. They are free, but if you’re interested, please read about what to expect HERE from last fall or HERE from last winter before contacting me to answer a few questions if this is your first workshop. So far, this step has helped ensure a collegial, interactive group since everyone has an idea of what the workshops are all about! There is a similar format and content but the workshops change a bit each time depending on what is happening in my rewilded yard.

The workshops have a bit of a following and fill up fast so please only sign up if you are all in and cancel as soon as possible if you can’t make one! I anticipate a typical 20% drop off rate but it’s frustrating to turn people away then have openings the day of the workshop when it’s too late for others to join us. (I'm not a fan of waitlist culture which often has the result of creating more demand which isn't my goal) The workshops are still held in steady light rain but not if there is significant weather of any sort. My yard is also uneven with narrow, natural paths and in the fall the plants are typically winning the fight for space! From now on I am no longer letting anyone sign up a friend and asking everyone to individually contact me to sign up to ensure interest and attendance. I make a slight exception for couples with a few basics questions about both participants.

One of my favorite Nurture Native Nature outreach activities is hosting habitat workshops. My goal is to help anyone who comes, but it also reminds me that there are many people are actively working to create more wildlife friendly yards where they live.

Feel free to share this opportunity with any like-minded folks or groups who may be interested. At every workshop, a spirit of generosity and community connection has formed and I’m always grateful for the sharing of ideas and knowledge that authentically happens with aligned minds. I’m also open to exploring the idea of arranging a workshop for an organized group interested in making a change where they live – such as a neighborhood social group.

I love giving plants to habitat participants who are already working to increase biodiversity where they live.

I’m excited to offer trial Fall Jr. Habitat Yard Workshops on two Sunday afternoons starting at 3:30 - September 22 and October 20. The workshops are designed for kids generally between the ages of 6 and 9 accompanied by an adult (or one adult per two siblings). The workshops will be 45 minutes long and focus thematically on seasonal habitat elements with hands-on outside activities.

My Fall Jr. Habitat Yard Workshops have been inspired by the wonder and curiosity of the children who visit my rewilded yard. Their parents are all too aware about what's at stake if we don't start taking better care of nature where we live...and I'm happy to help them in any way I can!

I’m not sure I’ve ever shared this because it hasn’t been relevant to Nurture Native Nature so far, but in my life I’ve been a cooperative preschool co-director; had a business teaching cooking classes to kids called Wee Cook; and founded, funded, and led a school for neurodivergent elementary age students with high support needs - so I have this background to draw from as I create the workshops and do this outreach to parents.

Connecting kids to nature is something I realize I've always done. Outdoor spaces create a sense of wonder and engagement. This is one of my favorite photos from the days of my specialized school for students who often struggled in more traditional school environments...I didn't realize how perfect the shirt of the student in the middle was until I was editing the photos for a blog I wrote for the school.

Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv was one of many influences for my specialized school where we had an experiential model that included an enriched learning environment such as weekly nature hikes, an outdoor classroom, organic gardening, a worm farm, and even a chicken coop with community members sharing their nature related expertise with the students. I thought I would never need all my nature books about and for children and donated them to multiple organizations when the building was sold and we closed the school. I'm asking friends who have more recent experience with children for updated resources, so I think I'm good. The

Jr. Habitat workshop groups will be limited in size, and the workshop is free, so please contact me at ljmarkson@nurturenativenature.org to sign up if interested.

This photo is of my now 25 year old son on a weekly school hiking adventure in the woods.

On Saturday, November 9 from 10:00am – 12:00pm Friends of Lost Corner is hosting Nurture Native Nature as part of their fall speaker series for my Winter Sowing Native Plants Presentation AND a Native Plant Seed Swap. The presentation will cover the basics of native plant winter sowing. If you’re participating in the seed swap following the presentation, please read HERE for more information about how native seed swaps support biodiversity plus the basic rules for a native seed swap including bringing seeds native to your ecoregion, how to ethically source native seeds, making sure not to bring seeds where pesticides have been used, and how to label your seed packets. The event is free, but if you're interested in attending please register HERE on the FOLC website where this event is already filling up! I would make the same plea to cancel as soon as possible if at any point you know you can't make it since the Lost Corner cottage space is cozy and limited so every seat counts.

Happy Fall - I hope to meet you at one of these events!

Note: There are no affiliate links in this blog. The highlighted text throughout the post might be references, details, explanations, worthy organizations or businesses, or examples that I think might be helpful.