Alison Gillespie presents "Urban Wildlife Gardening in the Anacostia Watershed"
Part One of Our Spring Gardening Lecture Series

Saturday, March 27, 2010

1:00pm - 3:00pm

AWS Office
The George Washington House
4302 Baltimore Avenue
Bladensburg, MD 20710

Cost: Free to AWS members! Another perk of being an AWS member.
Not an AWS member? Click here for more information!

Building a backyard habitat for wildlife in the city can bring rewards for both the watershed and the gardener. Alison Gillespie will discuss how to create an urban oasis where many kinds of birds, butterflies and bees can thrive. She will also discuss some of the special challenges that urban landowners face, and review some of the techniques conservation gardeners employ to help their local watersheds. Attendees will also have the chance to venture outside as Alison explores the native plants and rain gardens around the George Washington House.

Alison Gillespie writes about science and the environment from her home in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her pieces have appeared in national and regional magazines, and for more than a decade she has penned a column about backyard wildlife in the Voice newspapers of Takoma Park, Silver Spring and Kensington, known as the Sligo Naturalist. As a garden coach, she also helps those who want to foster the habitat and conservation potential of their yards. She believes that small, urban yards can have a big, positive impact on both the planet and their owners. Her blog can be found at www.whereyouareplanted.blogspot.com.

It's a day for native plants! Streamline your spring plant shopping by coming to the Friends of the National Arboretum Native Plant Sale. This group sale features regional nurseries offering an extensive selection of native plants, and growers will be on hand to offer garden information. Most vendors accept cash or checks only. Free admission.

Visit the native plant sale at the National Arboretum in the morning and then take the short drive over to AWS for Alison's talk!