Mid-Mitten Chapter will be meeting generally at the Chippewa Nature Center in Midland. Dates and times of meetings will vary. Please go to Mid-Mitten Chapter Calendarwebpages for further information.

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    Jan 14, 2013 (Mon)    

Landscaping For Wildlife: What types of plants and other features are useful for attracting a variety of wildlife? Which trees and flowers are the best sources for food, cover, and shelter for animals? And is there any way to attract only certain species, without bringing in animals you don’t want? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this program by Janea Little, Senior Naturalist at Chippewa Nature Center. Program begins at 6 pm at the Chippewa Nature Center, 400 S. Badour Rd., Midland, Michigan. This meeting is open to the public.

    Feb 11, 2013 (Mon)    

Identification of Flora On The Rail Trail (IFORT): Judy Page, master gardener and leader in this Midland project to record and photograph the flora along the Pere Marquette Rail Trail will give the presentation on this interesting project which began in 2012. Followng Judy's presentation, Karen Breternitz of CNC will also present her program, "What the Heck Is That?" This meeting is open to the public. Meeting begins at 6 p.m. at Chippewa Nature Center, 400 S. Badour Rd., Midland, Michigan.

    Feb 23, 2013 (Sat)    

Dow Gardens’ Know and Grow Seminar: Mid Mitten Chapter will host a table with information about the Wild Ones organization and its chapter activities starting at 9:00a.m. in the Bullock Creek High School Auditorium, 1420 Badour Rd., Midland, Michigan. This is open to the participants of the Dow Garden's Seminar

    Mar 03, 2013 (Sun)    

Wildflower Association of Michigan 26th Annual Conference: This two day event (Mar. 3 and 4) is at the Kellogg Center, MSU campus, East Lansing. Entitled “Grow the Change you Want to See in the World.” For details go to www.wildflowersmich.org.

    Mar 11, 2013 (Mon)    

Cleaning and Sharpening Garden Tools: Bill Ferris, a chapter member, will lead us through the process of cleaning and sharpening our garden tool in the CNC woodshop located in the Resource Building. This meeting is open to Wild Ones chapter members only. Bring your tools. Meeting begins at 6 p.m. at CNC. Those present will have the opportunity to discuss the City of Midland's Weed Ordinance which needs updating.

    Apr 08, 2013 (Mon)    

Monarch Butterflies and the "Bring Back the Monarchs Campaign": The Monarch butterfly's life cycle, migration, and habitat have been studied extensively by many scientists. Learn about the perils Monarchs face during their travels to Mexico and back, and how our climate has impacted the populations. Wild Ones, the national organization, officially joined the "Monarch Joint Venture" last fall in an effort to plant more milkweeds this year for the Monarchs. Denny Brooks is a long time amateur naturalist, local nature photographer, and citizen scientist. He is collecting data for "Monarch Watch" at the University of Kansas; the "Monarch Larva Monitoring Program" for the University of Minnesota; parasite testing for the University of Georgia and butterfly sightings for "Journey North," for over ten years. This program is open to the public starting at 6 pm at Chippewa Nature Center, 400 Badour Rd., Midland, Michigan

    May 11, 2013 (Sat)    

Migratory Bird Day Celebration: This annual event is held at Ziibiwing Cultural Center, Mt Pleasant 1:00-4:00 p.m. Mid-Mitten table display – volunteers are needed

    May 13, 2013 (Mon)    

Invasive Exotics Identification and Control Methods at CNC: Presenters are Tom Lenon & Curt Holsinger. During this two-hour program, Tom Lenon, Director of Land and Facilities, along with Curt Holsinger, Land Maintenance Coordinator, for Chippewa Nature Center will identify the alien invasive plants and explain their current strategies and tactics to fight off the invaders. If you own any land, ranging from a small flower garden to a hundred acres or more, this program is for you! We will use golf carts to visit different sections of the 1200 acres managed at Chippewa Nature Center, so pre-registration is required: Please call Jeanne at 989-631-0830 or email hendersonjeanne23@gmail.com. and let her know you are coming

    May 23, 2013 (Thu)    

Native Plant Sale at CNC: Mid-Mitten Chapter table display. Volunteers needed. Thursday, 1-8 p.m. for members only and Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. the public is welcome

    Jun 10, 2013 (Mon)    

Pollinator Conservation: A Framework for Healthy Ecosystems: Jennifer Hopwood of the Xerces Society is the presenter. Plant pollination by insects, especially native bees, is an important ecosystem service and is essential in natural, agricultural and urban landscapes. Learn about the fascinating lives of native bees, land management practices, and habitat restoration to benefit pollinators and biodiversity. There are steps we can each take to conserve these creatures. Program begins at 6 pm at CNC. Open to the public with a donation request from nonmembers to help defray costs

    Jul 20, 2013 (Sat)    

Hike at Pintail Bog: Pintail Bog is located at the Rifle River Recreationsal Area and will be a day trip. Everyone will carpool from CNC and should bring a sack lunch. There is a possible cookout following the hike at the cabin of one of the chapter members. More informations will follow

    Aug 11, 2013 (Sun)    

Kayaking on a lake in Gladwin County: Bill Ferris, Janea Little, and Jeanne Henderson will lead the group on this little adventure. Fee is $18 per person for those using CNC kayaks and staff. Event begins at CNC at 9:00 a.m. and returns to CNC at 2 p.m. Bring your own lunch. Registration is required no later then August 2nd by contacting President Jeanne Henderson at 989-631-0830

    Sep 09, 2013 (Mon)    

Starting Seeds: The speaker is Joseph Tychonievich of the Arrowhead Alpines Plant Nursery and author of Plant Breeding for the Home Gardener. Germinating wildflowers can be a little trickier that your standard tomatoes and marigolds, but once you know a few tricks, it is pretty easy. The talk will explain some of the concepts behind getting good germination from wild plants, common problems, and simple ways to make it easy. Joseph specializes in hard to grow specialty plants, woodland plants, and ferns. Open to the public with a donation request from nonmembers to help defray costs. Meeting begins at 6 pm at CNC.

    Sep 14, 2013 (Sat)    

Monarch Butterfly Celebration: This event is held at the Ziibiwing Cultural Center in Mt. Pleasant from 1:00-4:00 p.m. Mid-Mitten table display needs volunteers

    Oct 14, 2013 (Mon)    

Plant and Seed Exchange: Bring your own native plants and/or seeds to exchange with other wild ones members. At 5:30 pm we will begin the exchange of seed and plants followed by dinner at 6:30 pm at Karol's house. Weather permitting there will be a fire in the firepit. For directions please contact Karol at karolw@centurytel.net

    Nov 11, 2013 (Mon)    

Potluck, Annual Meeting and Elections for 2014 officers: Doors open at 5:30 p.m. to get ready; potluck begins at 6:00 p.m. in classroom 3 at Chippewa Nature Center. Annual Meeting begins at 7:00 with reports and photos of 2012 activities; old business; elections for 2014 officers; and brainstorming ideas for next year’s programs.