Environmental Group

The club encourages members to garden organically and to strengthen the harmony among plants, earth, animals, and people. The Environmental Group promotes educational programs that center on environmental stewardship and conservation.  

Projects List for 2025-2026: Martha Franck Fragrance Garden new pollinator bed, community science trial of natives vs. nativars, Garden Journaling, Margaret Reid Native Wildflower Garden volunteering, RGC Plant Sale support, Getting our gardens certified for Wildlife and Native Plants.

Programs for this year - 2025-26

Details available at the meetings and in the newsletter.

We will focus for a second year on GARDENING… planting for both our enjoyment and to support pollinators and wildlife, biodiversity and native plants, and ecological balance. As we did last year, I am asking members interested in this group to sign up for the year, and commit to being active in one of the projects. The sign up sheet will be at the Sept. meeting. Members joining during the year are welcome to sign on.

Sept 29, 2025 Mon, 1–3 pm. Environmental Group. Topic: Our Gardens. JCRA Ruby McSwain Education Center. Postponed.

Dec 8, 2025 Mon, 1–3 pm. Environmental Group. Topic: Shrubs and berried plants for birds and wildlife. Ruby McSwain Education Center at JCRA.

Feb 16, 2026  Mon, 1–3 pm. Environmental Group. Topic: Design Day for Beautiful plantings. Ruby McSwain Education Center at JCRA.

March 30, 2026 Mon, 1–3 pm. Environmental Group. Topic: Native Perennials and Piedmont Prairies. JCRA Ruby McSwain Education Center.

June 8, 2026  Mon, 1–3 pm. Environmental Group. Plant Swap and refreshments. JCRA Ruby McSwain Education Center.

Previous Environmental
Group Activities

Previous activities of the Environmental Group have included visits to nature preserves featuring native plants, community gardens, decorating bird houses for the Raulston Blooms! competition, and hearing about Raleigh plans for conservation. We usually finish each year with a plant exchange and tea.

From The Season: Jeff Beane’s Guide to Natural North Carolina

Sept 20, 2025: BugFest, NC State Museum of Natural Sciences annual expo. This year, BugFest shines a spotlight on krill! Delight in children’s activities designed to inspire the next generation of bug enthusiasts, observe a variety of live arthropods, browse vendor stalls for arthropod-themed merchandise, and celebrate the extraordinary diversity of arthropods. For info, visit www.naturalsciences.org.

Sept 20: Flowering dogwood berries are ripe. Watch trees for migrating scarlet tanagers, rose-breasted grosbeaks, and other birds that relish these berries.

Sept 27, 2025: National Public Lands Day! Visit your public lands for a hike. NC is favored with many: federal national wildlife refuges, national forests, national seashores, state public game lands, state parks, state forests, and local parks and greenways.