MeadowMakers 2023 - Registration 2024 Opens Winter
Program Description
Sign up for the 2024 waitlist here!
Join Satinflower Nurseries and Pollinator Partnership Canada to become a MeadowMaker! This is an inspiring four-month program that will guide you through the process of restoring spaces, such as yards and boulevards, with native plants.
All participants will learn bee identification, plant identification, and plant propagation techniques. The MeadowMakers group will receive training by local native plant and bee experts in a series of workshops, resources, and field trips. Field days will include native plant and bee identification walks and trips to see local restoration projects and parks.
Join this unique program to be part of like-minded people who appreciate our local ecosystems and want to support local plants and wildlife. The group will troubleshoot problems and assist each other in their efforts. A community creating habitat.
All in-person (excluding field trips) and virtual sessions will be recorded and made available exclusively to participants for the length of the program.
Learn more about the MeadowMaker program in the Sierra Club, Capital Daily, Millstone Farm & Organics, and more!
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Thank you to Wayward Distillery, Pollinator Partnership, Island Health, and City of Victoria for your generous contributions supporting subsidized spots to MeadowMakers.
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Highlights:
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Learn plant identification and bee identification
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Gain an understanding about local ecology
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Experience a practical and meaningful way to engage with nature and help protect it
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Go on field trips and outings to profile projects and natural areas to help in your learning
- Ongoing virtual training workshops that will take you step-by-step through converting your boulevards and lawns to native plant and wildlife habitat
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Members can choose to have a MeadowMaker sign marking their property as habitat
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Access to technical how-to guides and resources
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A community of like-minded people working to create habitat
Potential Spaces Include:
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Home Gardens
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Boulevards
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Lawns
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Community spaces
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Septic fields
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Greenroof
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Raingardens and more!
Additional MeadowMaker Member Benefits:
MeadowMaker participants receive 10% off plants, seeds, and consulting at Satinflower Nurseries!
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10% off seed and plants from Satinflower Nurseries through the year (March 1 to December 31, 2023)
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10% off in-person meadow consultations to discuss project goals and develop a custom plan including site prep, planting choices, wildlife enhancements, and maintenance
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10% off Individual virtual consultations to help you progress through the meadow making process
- MeadowMakers lawn sign
Instructors:
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Kristen Miskelly MSc Botany, RPBio (Satinflower Nurseries: Native Plants, Seeds & Consulting)
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Lora Morandin PhD, Pollinator Partnership and Pollinator Partnership Canada
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2023 Program Schedule at a Glance
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Module |
Topic |
Date |
Time |
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Module 1 |
Welcome to MeadowMakers (HCP Pavilion, Victoria). Session will also be available virtually. |
Sunday, March 5 |
10:00-3:00pm |
|
Module 2 |
FIELD TRIP 1 (Satinflower Nurseries) Native Plant Identification and Propagation |
Saturday, March 11 |
9:00-4:00pm (2 hours/group) |
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Module 3 |
Supporting Pollinators with Your Meadow (HCP Pavilion, Victoria). Session will also be available virtually. |
Monday, April 3 |
7:00-9:00pm |
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Module 4 |
Meadow Site Preparation (virtual) |
Monday, April 10 |
7:00-9:00pm |
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Module 5 |
Selecting Native Plants for Your Meadow (virtual) |
Monday, April 24 |
7:00-9:00pm |
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Module 6 |
FIELD TRIP 2 (Uplands Park, Victoria) |
Sunday, May 7 |
9:00-2:00pm (1.5 hours/group) |
| Module 7 NEW! |
Doug Tallamy- Nature's Best Hope (virtual) Books available HERE! Session will not be recorded. |
Saturday, May 20th | 12:00 pm |
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Module 8 |
Growing Native Meadow Plants (virtual) |
Monday, May 22 |
7:00-9:00pm |
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Module 9 |
Monitoring and Maintaining Meadows (virtual) |
Monday, June 5 |
7:00-9:00pm |
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Module 10 |
CELEBRATING POLLINATOR WEEK FIELD TRIP 3 (Garry Oak Learning Meadow, Fort Rodd Hill) |
Sunday, June 25th UPDATED |
9:00-2:00pm (1.5 hours/group) |
2023 Detailed Program Schedule
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Module 1: MeadowMakers Welcome Sunday March 5: 10:00-3:00pm 2023 IN PERSON
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Module 2: FIELD TRIP Satinflower Nurseries Saturday March 11: 9:00-2:00pm IN PERSON Join Satinflower Nurseries at their home base Haliburton Community Organic Farm. We will learn hands on about native plant propagation and become familiar with some basic techniques and tools related to growing native plants. Come prepared to get your hands dirty! Please Bring: water bottles, sun protection, gardening gloves |
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Module 3: Supporting Pollinators with Your Meadow Monday April 3: 7:00-9:00pm IN PERSON, HCP Pavilion, Victoria Get to know some of your local pollinators: why they’re important and how to help. This in person session focuses on pollinator identification, the needs of pollinators, and plant-pollinator interactions.
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Module 4: Site Preparation Monday April 10: 7:00-9:00pm VIRTUAL Learn about some of the basic techniques used for restoring meadows and creating meadows. You will come away from this session feeling better prepared about your next steps to bring your meadow to life including what techniques you can use, the supplies you need, and timing of activities. We will also help you identify features in selecting a spot for your meadow and tips for developing a plan you can follow. |
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Module 5: Selecting Native Plants Monday April 24: 7:00-9:00pm VIRTUAL In this webinar we help you decide which plants are best for your site and considerations to make when choosing plants. We will also go over which plants are best for pollinators and which pollinators they support. |
Module 6: FIELD TRIP: Uplands Park Sunday May 7: 9:00-2:00pm IN PERSON Uplands Park is a hotspot for biodiversity in our region and is one of the last largescale tracts of relatively intact Prairie Oak woodlands and meadows in our region. It contains one of the highest concentrations of endangered species in Canada. Threats to this ecosystem include development, trampling, invasive species, and an erosion of Indigenous land management practices since colonization. In response, community partners such as Friends of Uplands Park, along with Oak Bay Parks, have been working tirelessly to educate about the space and restore and protect this precious place. Join us for our second field trip where we will explore and learn about Prairie Oak Ecosystems from Uplands Park experts and Songhees knowledge-keeper Cheryl Bryce. We'll explore pollinators and plants along our walk.
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Module 7: Nature's Best Hope with Doug Tallamy Saturday May 20: 12:00pm VIRTUAL MeadowMakers Book Club! We'll be reading Nature's Best Hope by entomologist and author Doug Tallamy and then he will be with MeadowMakers virtually on May 20th.
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Module 8: Growing Native Plants Monday May 22: 7:00-9:00pm VIRTUAL Part of the joy in creating a meadow is learning all the life phases of native plants. Many of you may be inspired to try growing plants to increase the size of your meadow patches or sharing plants with friends. In this webinar, we will expand on our March 11th field trip to Haliburton Farm, and dive deeper into growing native plants.
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Module 9: Monitoring and Maintenance Monday June 5: 7:00-9:00pm VIRTUAL Learn to care for your meadow and keep it thriving for years to come. In this webinar we will discuss basic maintenance of meadows. We will also provide tools for monitoring pollinators that will be visiting your meadow this coming spring and summer! |
Module 10: FIELD TRIP Sunday June 25th: 9:00-2:00pm UPDATED IN PERSON Garry Oak Learning Meadow, Fort Rodd Hill |
Beautiful logo designed by Sarah Jim - sarahjimstudio