Workshop dates, times, and locations:

Countryside Community Center –
Saturday, May 19th 2-4pm

Broadlands Community Center –
Sunday, May 20th 2-4pm

Sugarland Run Homeowners Association Community Center –
Sunday, June 10th,  2-4pm

Details

• An expert landscaping presentation for practical but smart design to save money and improving property value.

• An outdoor tour and discussion about the additional community benefits.

Refreshments & Door Prizes!

Did you know that in the United States mowed grass lawns cover more than 31 million acres of land, making grass lawns larger than any other single agricultural crop?

That means that individual homeowners can have a significant impact on the environment just by adjusting our landscaping habitats to be more sustainable.

Participants will be given the information they need to start a variety of sustainable landscaping practices, and will learn more about the connections between their land and the surrounding environment.

Please RSVP to help us plan by sending an e-mail to osimpson@broadlandsnaturally.org

This program is free to Loudoun residents and is organized by PEC with a grant from Fairfax Water.

A 3-10 ft., mound-shaped, deciduous shrub, ninebark offers spiraea-like flowers, attractive and persistent fruit pods, arching branches, yellow fall color, and exfoliating bark.

Ninebark is fast-growing, insect and disease resistant, and drought-tolerant.

PLANT CHARACTERISTICS

Duration: Perennial        Habit: Shrub      Leaf: Green 
Autumn Foliage: yes      Fruit: Red, Brown           

BLOOM INFORMATION

Bloom Color: White, Pink             Bloom Time: May, Jun

Native Habitat: Stream banks; rocky hillsides; woodland edges 

GROWING CONDITIONS

Water Use: Low              

Light Requirement: Sun, Part Shade, Shade 

Soil Moisture: Dry, Moist , Wet                

Soil Description: Clay, Loam 

Conditions Comments: Common ninebark is fast-growing, insect & disease resistant, and drought-tolerant. 

Dear Resistant: Yes

BENEFIT

Conspicuous Flowers: yes           Attracts: Birds 

PROPAGATION

Description: Propagate by fall-sown seed or semi-hardwood cuttings with or without hormone treatment. 

Seed Collection: Ripe fruits can be picked from the shrub or shaken onto a drop cloth. 

Commercially available at local nurseries: Yes

Site Selection

More info: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Panicum virgatum is a clumping, warm-season grass found widespread in North America. It was an important component of the huge expanse of tallgrass prairie that once occurred in the interior part of this country. As a landscape plant, it offers an upright form, fine-textured flowers and seed heads, attractive fall color and pleasing winter interest. It is certainly among the most delicate of the large grasses.

Plant height ranges from four to eight feet in native populations but in the cultivated landscape, most forms of Switch Grass range from four to six feet in height.

Summer foliage color ranges from deep green to gray-green to bluish. Fall foliage color may be golden yellow or reddish burgundy depending on the variety.

As fall progresses, all forms of Switch Grass fade to an attractive beige color that persists throughout winter. Although it could be argued that the fine-textured seed heads are not particularly showy, they do generally remain upright throughout winter unless we receive exceptionally heavy, wet snows. 

Use Wildlife: Fair Grazing; Seeds eaten by ground-feeding songbirds and game birds; Provides cover and nesting material. 

Attracts: Birds , Butterflies 

Larval Host: Delaware Skipper. The Grass Family is an essential larval host for most banded skippers and most of the satyrs. 

Deer Resistant: High 

GROWING CONDITIONS

Water Use: Medium 
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade 
Soil Moisture: Dry , Moist 
Soil Description: Dry to moist soils. Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam Clay Loam, Clay, Limestone-based. 
Conditions Comments: Clump-forming, warm-season grass with open, lacy sprays with small seeds. Switchgrass is a loose sod former with a large, open, finely textured, reddish-purple seedhead. Bright green leaves occur up and down the stem, turning bright yellow in fall. 

Native plants are species that existed in our area before human activities dominated the natural landscape. Over the past several hundred years, people have imported or bred plants to suit their cultural, aesthetic, and environmental needs. A few of these plant species have escaped from cultivated gardens or were introduced intentionally into natural areas. The problem lies in the fact that these exotic invasives can take over, out-competing native plants. As the native species dwindle, animals and insects dependent upon them for food and shelter are threatened.

One step you can take toward habitat restoration is to use native plants in your own landscape, creating a haven for birds, beneficial insects, and other animals. Gardening with natives offers benefits to both the environment and your wallet, as native plants tend to be easy to grow, have relatively few pest and disease problems, and require little supplemental watering and fertilizing. This means your gardening dollars go further when you spend them on plants that are more likely to thrive, and you’ll spend less time coddling your garden plants and more time enjoying their beauty.

At our Crow’s Nest Preserve (Warwick Township, Chester County) Natural Lands Trust has established a native garden around the historic barn that serves as our preserve center. The barnyard garden is low-maintenance with slightly-raised beds around the perimeter of the barnyard interrupted by seating areas. The design concept was to make the garden beds look like abandoned watering troughs that have filled in with wildflowers. The intent of the garden is to demonstrate the horticultural use of native perennials, attract wildlife to the visitor center, and give visitors a sample of what kinds of plants they might see as they explore the rest of the 600-acre preserve. Most of the beds are in full sun; the thriving plants are rarely watered since many of them are native to sunny meadows.

Some favorites from Crow’s Nest include:

- Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), a bushy deer-resistant perennial prized for its bright orange flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

- Rough-leaved goldenrod (Solidago rugosa), a sun-loving plant that puts out showy yellow blooms in September. Despite a common misperception, hay fever isn’t caused by goldenrod (it gets blamed for the allergies caused by ragweed). We planted a compact cultivar called ‘Fireworks.’

- Blazing star (Liatris spicata), another full-sun perennial whose spiky purple flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

- Beebalm (Mondarda fistulosa), a deer resistant plant that attracts birds, bees, and butterflies. The plant’s leaves have a minty smell and the flowers are edible.

- Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica), a deciduous shrub that boast showy fragrant spring blooms and red autumn foliage. Content in full sun to part shade, this plant also attracts songbirds.

As the trend toward planting with natives grows, more and more nurseries are stocking native species. If you can’t find what you are looking for locally, mail order and internet sources are another option. (Natural Lands Trust offers a list of popular native plants and local suppliers; you can download it at www.natlands.org/publications or call 610-353-5587, ext 243.)

When planning your native plant garden, keep in mind some design basics. Using plants with varying textures and shapes is more appealing to the eye. In terms of color, while creating a garden of similar-hued blooms can be striking, it is also attractive to contrast colors. Rather than planting just one or two of each species, try massing groups of plants for more impact. Planting odd numbers creates the most naturalistic appearance. A pathway of stepping stones through the garden will allow for better access to plants and prevents soil compaction that can impact root growth. And, of course, remember practical considerations such as sun and soil conditions.

If you are starting a new garden, sketch the view of its area (or trace over a photograph of it) from the perspective from which you will be enjoying it. Photocopy this drawing and on the copies add your vision overtop the existing conditions. Don’t be afraid to experiment in your design! Gardening is more of an art than a science, and plants can always be moved to another location if you aren’t satisfied with the initial results.

But you don’t have to start from scratch to enjoy the benefits of native plants. Try incorporating a few clumps of eye-catching Echinacea in a cutting garden, or add minty-scented Monarda to an herb garden. A serviceberry shrub (Amelanchier canadensis) or a winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata) will provide hours of bird watching when planted where it can be viewed from a window. Replacing a section of lawn turf with native grasses will cut down on mowing, watering, and fertilizing. However, once you start gardening with carefree natives, you won’t want to stop!

Natural Lands Trust is the region’s largest land conservation organization, preserving open space throughout eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. Find further details about nature preserves open to the public (including Crow’s Nest Preserve), upcoming events, ways to support Natural Lands Trust, and more at www.natlands.org. Also available online is a downloadable Native Alternative Plant Guide in the “Publications” section of the website.

Delaware County News Network
Tuesday, May 1, 2012 - By Kirsten Werner  - Natural Lands Trust

Downloadable Info:

Native Plant Alternative to Invasives Chart

NativePlants Guide

Native Plant Guides for Butterflies

How You Can Attract Song Birgs

Elementary Age Camps

Animal Art

Age Group: Pre-k/K: Children must be 4 years old by the start of camp 
Cost: $120.00
Dates: 6/18-6/22 
Duration: 9am-noon Discover the animals at Broadlands through drawing, painting, constructing, and acting in this imaginative camp. 

Dirt, Worms and Other Ickys

Cost: $120.00 
Dates: 6/25-6/29
Duration: 9am-noon Exploration of worms, slugs and snakes are just the beginning as we discover what’s really lurking in the soil beneath our feet.

Talons and Teeth

Cost: $120.00 
Age Group:1st -2nd Grade
Dates: 6/18-6/22
Duration: 1-4pm In this camp we will look for large and small predators and learn about how they find their prey

Caring for Critters

Cost: $120.00 
Dates: 6/25-6/29
Duration: 1-4pm Meet and care for a different animal every day in this hands-on camp.

Super Sleuths

Age Group:3rd-4th grade
Cost: $200/week
Dates: 8/20-8/24
Duration:9am-3pm Join the ranks of forensic investigators in this exciting camp. We will learn about the science of evidence collecting and interpretation as we follow clues to solve natural and human mysteries.

Overnight Camps

BayQuest

Grades: 5th-6th grade
Dates: 7/23-7/27
Hours: 9am-4pm
Cost: $500 Our adventure begins at the Broadlands Nature Center, then we’ll travel by bus to Echo Hill Outdoor School for a three-day, two-night excursion on the Chester River. This camp is a great introduction to the overnight camp experience.

Advanced Bay Quest

Grades:7th-9th grade
Dates: 8/6-8/10 Times: 9am-4pm
Cost: $600
Overnight stays at Echo Hill Outdoor School on the Chester River. We return to Broadlands Friday afternoon.

REGISTER

Home Remedies for Tick Repellent They are everywhere. On your clothes, in your ears, up your nose. Or so it seems when tick season rolls around. Even more frustrating is trying to protect your children, especially when they love running around barefoot through tall stalks of grass in the summer. On one hand, you want to keep you and your loved ones safe from Lyme disease and other tick ailments, yet on the other hand, you don't want to spray harmful chemicals onto human skin. It is an understandable dilemma. Therefore, here are some natural home remedies for tick repellent that are safe and effective. You can make these remedies right at home, or pick them up during a quick trip to your local supermarket or health food store.

Natural Tick Repellent for Humans

Here are a variety of remedies that show you how to repel ticks naturally. Here are the natural remedies that seem to work the best overall to protect you and your family:

Believe it or not, garlic pills are said to work wonders as a natural deterrent for ticks. For some reason, ticks do not like the smell of garlic and scram once they catch a whiff. It is said to be so effective that many people chop up garlic pills and bury them in food for dogs and cats. Yet this remedy deters others because of the all-day smell of garlic on the breath. Try odorless garlic pills, which is said to still repel ticks while keeping the smell down to a minimum for you. Garlic pills can be picked up at your local pharmacy, health food store or supermarket. Neem oil is found mostly in India and used in Ayurvedic treatments for various ailments.

Neem is a vegetable oil that comes from a type of evergreen tree that is found in India. People use it to treat acne, as an astringent for cuts and sores and even in cases of tuberculosis. It is also safe enough to be an ingredient in soaps, hand creams and other cosmetic products. Neem oil is also a common repellent for ticks. The most direct way to repel ticks is to apply a few droplets of neem oil directly onto your skin. You will notice it has a garlic scent as well. You can buy neem at a health food store or order online.

Tea tree oil is also said to fight off ticks and other bugs. It is commonly used in the US as an astringent, and a powerful remedy for mild cases of acne. Tea tree oil can easily be bought at your local pharmacy or health food store. To make a home remedy tick repellent, simply mix about two ounces or so of tea tree oil with water. It is a very strong agent, so make sure that the amount of water exceeds the oil, but not by a lot. Put the mixture into a spray bottle and spray on yourself and your family. Once you've done this a few times, you will be able to estimate the best mixture of tea tree oil to water, especially in regard to the strong smell.

How to Repel Ticks on Clothing Besides taking pills or spraying oils onto your skin, there is the safest and most natural method of all to repel ticks. However, many people will not do it. Simply put, the method is to cover up skin completely. When hiking or camping, people have a tendency to wear shorts and low socks due to the hot weather. That is the obvious inclination for anyone; however, this only invites ticks to bite into juicy, human skin.

Before your next trip to the great outdoors, think about these cover-up methods:

• Buy high top hiking boots that cover the ankle. There is a trend to buy low, sneaker-like hiking boots, but these are not a good option to fight off ticks around the ankles. In addition, lacing up higher boots give better support to the ankle. Wear high socks that can be pulled up. 

• Tucking in pants to socks may look incredibly geeky, but this is the best way to repel the critters, especially in high Lyme disease areas. If you are not willing to do that, at least buy high socks that you can pull up underneath your pants. Wear light pants, not shorts.

• Cover up your legs for tick repellent reasons as well as being scratched or cut by sharp plants and branches. Also, if you take a small spill, wearing pants could minimize damage to your legs. 

• Wear a long shirt that breathes. Visit a bike shop to buy a long shirt that pulls away moisture from the skin. This is how bikers keep cool on long rides. 

• Wear a hat. This keeps the ticks out of the hair, off the head and pulls sweat away from the forehead into the hat's band, making you cooler.

• After a day outdoors, do a tick check on you and your family. Do it immediately after coming inside on each person from head to toe. Be especially careful when checking dark clothing or dark hair.

• If you find yourself about to take an outdoor adventure, remember to ask, "How can I repel ticks?" Think about the natural way to get rid of ticks in the yard and on your skin that were discussed in this article. Visit your local grocery or health food store to find the ingredients and make the remedy. Protecting you and your loved ones against ticks is both simple and natural.

Source: Bright Hub

Few repellents to consider:

SKIN SO SOFT Bug Guard Plus IR3535® SPF 30 Gentle Breeze Lotion

Repel® Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent

By Joan Lownds

Thursday, 23 February 2012

After a spectacular opening act with the “Halloween snowstorm,” this season’s winter has mostly been a no-show . The warm snap has been a boon to the public works department — and for energy savings — but the trade-off could be a bumper crop of ticks later this year.

“The mild winter is causing ticks to stay active, and they are not usually active in the winter,” said Dr. Kirby Stafford, state entomologist. “We may see an increase in tick activity in the spring, but next summer we will see the highest peak of risk — with possibly the most ticks we have seen for the past two years.”

In 2010 there were 18 reported cases of Lyme disease in Trumbull. In 2009, there were 45 reported cases.

During a typical winter, freezing temperatures and snow cover causes less active behavior among ticks, he said, although there is usually a certain amount of tick activity during a January or February thaw. This year, the continued mild temperatures are expanding this stretch.

Also, Stafford said, the current mice and rodent population is “very healthy,” and this may also fuel a rise in the numbers of ticks. “Ticks in their immature stages feed on rodents such as mice and chipmunks,” and the robust populations provide fertile feeding grounds.

This could further spike the tick population next summer and fall, he said.

Adult ticks feed on “deer, or us, or our pets,” Stafford said.

According to a report by the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University at its website, the winter of 2011-12 is one of the warmest and least snowy on record, with temperatures averaging around five degrees warmer than usual.

State researchers have already seen an increase in the number of ticks arriving for study. “This January, we received 23 ticks from all over the state,” said Beth Alves, an agriculture technician for the state. “Last January, we received one.”

In January 2010, researchers received two ticks; in January 2009, four.

The numbers for December 2011 show a “substantial jump,” Alves said. “We received 224 ticks, and the previous year, only 59,” she said. In 2009, 95 ticks came into state labs for testing.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, about one in five collected ticks are infected, and in 2010, more than 30,000 cases of Lyme disease were reported in the United States.

In Connecticut, 3,068 cases were on record in 2010, with Fairfield County reporting 335, second to New London County with 350. New Haven County reported 246.

In 2009, Fairfield County topped the state for Lyme disease, with 699 cases, followed by 579 in New London County. New Haven County reported 460. For the state, 4,156 cases were on record.

Alves said the data is not yet available for 2011.

So what precautions should be taken to protect against the probable upcoming increase in tick activity?

“Wear socks and long pants and use a tick repellent with permethrin,” Stafford said.

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., rash), and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks; laboratory testing is helpful if used correctly and performed with validated methods. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics. Steps to prevent Lyme disease include using insect repellent, removing ticks promptly, applying pesticides, and reducing tick habitat. The ticks that transmit Lyme disease can occasionally transmit other tickborne diseases as well.

Source: CDC

Signs and Symptoms of Lyme Disease

If you had a tick bite, live in an area known for Lyme disease or have recently traveled to an areawhere it occurs, and observe any of these symptoms, you should seek medical attention!

Early localized stage (3-30 days post-tick bite)

• Red, expanding rash called erythema migrans (EM)
• Fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes 

Some people may get these general symptoms in addition to an EM rash, but in others, these general symptoms may be the only evidence of infection. 

Some people get a small bump or redness at the site of a tick bite that goes away in 1-2 days, like a mosquito bite. This is not a sign that you have Lyme disease. However, ticks can spread other organisms that may cause a different type of rash. For example, Southern Tick-associated Rash Illness (STARI) causes a rash with a very similar appearance.

Erythema migrans (EM) or "bull's-eye" rash

Early disseminated stage (days to weeks post-tick bite)

Untreated, the infection may spread from the site of the bite to other parts of the body, producing an array of specific symptoms that may come and go, including:

• Additional EM lesions in other areas of the body 
• Facial or Bell's palsy (loss of muscle tone on one or both sides of the face)
• Severe headaches and neck stiffness due to meningitis (inflammation of the spinal cord)
• Pain and swelling in the large joints (such as knees)
• Shooting pains that may interfere with sleep
• Heart palpitations and dizziness due to changes in heartbeat

Many of these symptoms will resolve over a period of weeks to months, even without treatment².  However, lack of treatment can result in additional complications, described below. 

Late disseminated stage (months-to-years post-tick bite)

Approximately 60% of patients with untreated infection may begin to have intermittent bouts of arthritis, with severe joint pain and swelling. Large joints are most often affected, particularly the knees³. Arthritis caused by Lyme disease manifests differently than other causes of arthritis and must be distinguished from arthralgias (pain, but not swelling, in joints). 

Up to 5% of untreated patients may develop chronic neurological complaints months to years after infection⁴.  These include shooting pains, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, and problems with short-term memory.

Arthritis

Lingering symptoms after treatment (post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome)

Approximately 10-20% of patients with Lyme disease have symptoms that last months to years after treatment with antibiotics⁵.  These symptoms can include muscle and joint pains, cognitive defects, sleep disturbance, or fatigue.  The cause of these symptoms is not known, but there is no evidence that these symptoms are due to ongoing infection with B. burgdorferi. This condition is referred to as Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS).  There is some evidence that PTLDS is caused by an autoimmune response, in which a person's immune system continues to respond, doing damage to the body’s tissues, even after the infection has been cleared. Studies have shown that continuing antibiotic therapy is not helpful and can be harmful for persons with PTLDS. 

Additional Resources:

Tick Identification Card by American Lyme Disease Foundation

Loudoun County Information

Controversy About Lyme Disease Treatment

Lyme Disease Assoc. Inc.

 Tuesday, March 13th, 6:30pm – 8:30pm

Broadlands Community Center
43008 Waxpool Road, Broadlands 

“Back Yard Gardening for Fun, Health & Safe Food”

GARDEN CONSTRUCTION & CULTIVATION

Site Selection

1. Have fun growing your own vegetables

2. Teach your children basic “survival” skills in a world where our health and & food safety are at risk

Workshop and Lecture Presented by:

Must RSVP by March 8th: