Holiday Centerpiece Workshop

Four Season Garden Club of Kennett Square is having a Holiday Centerpiece Workshop - Make your own centerpiece-all materials provided-assorted fresh greens, container and accessories ( ribbon, colored glass balls, pine cones, branch material and much more ). Instruction is provided, no experience required.

$30 per person includes a homemade light lunch provided by members. Event is held at the Episcopal Church of the Advent, Route 82, Saturday, December 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Bring gloves and clippers.

E-mail lsfleur1@hotmail.com for a registration form.

Woman's Community Club of Uwchlan 'Chrismas Country Fair' on Dec. 3

The Woman's Community Club of Uwchlan will hold it's Christmas Country
Fair on Saturday, December 3rd from 8:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M at the 1756
Uwchlan Meeting House, 5 N. Village Avenue, Lionville, PA. Stop by
for fresh local evergreen wreaths, swags, centerpieces, boxwood trees,
holly and cut greens for decorating. Homemade goodies, attic treasures,
jewelry, and more. The kitchen is open at 11:00 A.M. for homemade soup,
sandwiches, and dessert. Proceeds benefit the historic Uwchlan Meeting House.
For additional information, please call 610-363-6549.

Free On-line Course from Mt. Cuba

Mt. Cuba Center is proud to announce the launch of our new distance learning program called Mt. Cuba Center Connect. As a valued member of the Mt. Cuba Center visitor community, we invite you to preview our first class, "The Ferns at Mt. Cuba Center" at no charge. All we ask is that you provide us with feedback on this innovative, on-demand look at ferns by filling out the short survey at the end of the course. This offer is good through November 14, 2011 so don't delay!


In the course, you will learn about fern landscape uses, companion plants, culture, biology, spore propagation and 26 native fern fact sheets and video guides. These topics are presented through a media rich, self- paced learning experience. Delve into an in-depth discovery of the charming world of ferns, accessible from your own home or office, at any time. Print out handouts for later and study your ferns!

To register, go to elearning.mtcubacenter.org and follow the directions on the right side of the screen to create your own account. Once logged in, select "Ferns at Mt. Cuba Center." Enter the enrollment key ferntastic when prompted. For information on new distance learning courses coming in December, January and February visit: www.mtcubacenter.org/education/distance-learning.

Sincerely,
Eileen Boyle
Public Programs Manager

INSPIRATION - EDUCATION - CONSERVATION

October at Mt. Cuba Center

Crisp fall greetings from Mt. Cuba Center! A Fall Harvest of Color perfectly describes the gardens changing from summer's green to fall's array of red, orange and yellow. It also describes our fall tour - still $5 and still a great way to spend a morning or afternoon with a gathering of friends.

Here's a quick overview of what's coming up this month - click on each class to learn more:

Meadow Studies (Saturday, October 8, 10:30AM-12:30PM, $10) with Dave Korbonits. Take home an 'October Sky' aromatic aster too.

The Dragon's Lair: Creating Dragonfly Habitat (Saturday, October 15, 10AM-12 Noon, $30). Meet Christine Cook, landscape designer from Easton, CT and learn how to create a place in your garden for dragonflies

Energy-Wise Landscape Design (Saturday, October 22, 10:30AM-12:30PM, $20). Discover how to reduce your landscape energy consumption with Sue Reed, award-winning author and registered landscape architect.

Autumnal Native Fruits (Wednesday, October 26, 1-3PM, $10). Join me in learning which native plants produce the most colorful and interesting fruits in your garden.

Planting for Native Bees (Saturday, October 29, 10AM-1PM, $35, including lunch). Sam Droege, wildlife biologist, discusses how to choose plants that attract native Delaware bee species, and you'll take home one of those plants to get started.

Fall Photography Free Stroll (Saturday and Sunday sessions, October 29 and 30.) Staff photographer Chris Starr offers advice and ideas.

As always, reservations are required for classes and tours - we want to be prepared for your visit. At this time of the year especially, I look forward to sharing the beauty of Mt. Cuba Center with you!

Sincerely,
Eileen Boyle
Public Programs Manager

Watershed Congress

The Delaware Riverkeeper Network is pleased to announce the Call for Presenters for the 2012 Watershed Congress along the Schuylkill. The 2012 Watershed Congress will be held Saturday, March 10th, at the Montgomery County Community College-West Campus in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. 2012 marks the Watershed Congress's 15th anniversary.
With a focus on networking across disciplines and a goal of presenting new information about watershed restoration, the Watershed Congress has become a highly anticipated event for watershed citizens interested in understanding, protecting and restoring their local streams. Every year, a growing and changing group of individuals attends the Congress to gain new knowledge, acquire tools, and practice techniques that will allow them to take active roles in the stewardship of their natural resources.

The Watershed Congress Organizing Committee, which is chaired by the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, is now accepting session proposals. For more information about the Call for Presenters, go to: http://www.delawareriverkeeper.org/Pdf/2012_Call-for-Presenters.pdf. Sessions must include a question and answer component. Hands-on, interactive presentations are encouraged.

Submissions are due October 31st, 2011. Please submit presentation proposals online at: http://tinyurl.com/2012Congress-CallforPresenters.

Help us protect and conserve our natural resources by sharing your expertise with a concerned and active audience. Past participants requested the following topics, but we will consider all suggestions:

Removing Sediment & Nutrients from Stormwater . Primer on Pennsylvania Geology . Techniques for Hands-on Invasive Species Control . Studies of Pollutants in Fracking Wastewater . Building Volunteer Programs . Assessing Costs of Development . Macroinvertebrates Identification . New Best Management Practices for Stormwater . Total Maximum Daily Loads for Restoring Water Quality . Managing Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems . Working on Urban Rivers Restoration . Update on Marcellus Shale . New Fundraising/Funding Possibilities . Habitat Restoration . Expanding Collaboration Beyond Environmental Organizations . Wetland Identification . Groundwater/Well Water Management . Rain Gardens for the Home Owner . Landscaping with Native Plants . Economic Valuation of Clean Water . Monitoring Water Quality Techniques and Tools . Preserving Biodiversity in Ecosystems . Update on Previous Congress Presentations

More information about the Watershed Congress is can be found at: http://www.delawareriverkeeper.org/about/event.aspx?Id=63

Art Classes at Mt. Cuba - FUN!!!

It's craft time at Mt. Cuba Center! Coming up in the next few weeks are some great opportunities to enjoy a variety of hands-on classes and take home something you've made. Each class draws on native plant material to inspire your creation.


The Leaf Impression Tile Project on Wednesday, September 21 ($40) starts with a walk in the woods to gather leaves from our native plants. Then you'll use them to make impressions for nature print tiles. The artwork will be fired and glazed at the instructor's studio, and returned in shining glory. There are morning and afternoon sessions - sign up for one or both.

Who doesn't love pop-up cards? Learn the basics of pop-up construction and use inspiration from the natural world to decorate fun moving cards in Nature-Inspired Pop-Up Cards (Friday, September 23, 10AM - 3PM, $35.) All materials and supplies will be provided.

I'll be leading the Make a Birdhouse Gourd class on Wednesday, September 28 (1-4PM, $20.) I've grown the gourds in my own garden and look forward to sharing ideas and seeing the creations you make. Please join me for the afternoon!

As always, reservations are required - we want to be sure that there are enough materials for all the classes. Call 302-239-4244 or visit http://www.mtcubacenter.org/. I hope to see you soon!
Sincerely,
Eileen Boyle
Public Programs Manager

September at Mt. Cuba

Dear gardening friends,
September - a time to get back to learning while savoring the cooler weather. You can combine both at Mt. Cuba Center when you enjoy classes and tours in our native plant gardens.

The fall season begins with Peter Loewer, a well-known and honored botanical illustrator from Asheville, North Carolina. Peter has written over thirty books on gardening and natural history, including the award-winning The Wild Gardener and Thoreau's Garden. Hear his presentation, Art in the Garden: History of Botanical Art on Saturday, September 10 (1PM-3PM, $30). Other classes to inspire the artist in you include the Leaf Impression Tile Project (Wednesday, September 21, choose morning or afternoon session, $40 per session), Nature-Inspired Pop-up Cards (Friday, September 23, 10AM-3PM, $35), and Make a Birdhouse Gourd (Wednesday, September 28, 1-4PM, $20).

Classes that take you outside include Great Native Plants for the Perennial Border, (Wednesday, September 14, 10:30 AM-12:30 PM, $20), and Meadow Studies (Saturday, September 17, 10:30AM-12:30PM, $10). Both classes include a plant giveaway and expert advice on maintaining them in picture-perfect style. If you just can't resist more plants, join Gregg and Julia for The Native Plant Buying Trip, a day-long visit to locations in the Garden State of New Jersey (Thursday, September 22, 8AM-5PM, $70.) For details on this trip and other classes, visit www.mtcubacenter.org or call 302-239-4244.

It's always an exciting time when tours begin again - this year it's on Thursday, September 15 and the fee is still just $5. You'll be able to visit the new "Art in Nature" exhibition in our gallery, featuring works by local photographers and artists, inspired by the beauty of Mt. Cuba Center.

As always, I look forward to sharing that beauty with you.

Sincerely,
Eileen Boyle
Public Programs Manager