Katy Ross, co-owner/operator of Night Song Native Plant Nursery presented Natives in the Landscape: Using native plants to promote biodiversity in urban and suburban landscapes at our July 19^th zoom meeting.  Katy has many years working in the plant and nursery industry and showcased many plant ideas for our gardens. 

Katy first became interested in native plants out of high school and always promoted them as a hardier, better alternative to non-natives while working in the nursery industry. She is also a Georgia Certified Plant Professional. She and her husband are working to build a more sustainable native plant nursery and educate the public about the importance native plants play in the environment.

Our Zoom meeting for May featured the much anticipated presentation of the Annual Photo Contest entries. Jenny Burdette is our judge this year and we’re delighted to have her. A self-taught nature and wildlife photographer, Jenny lives in Dacula, GA. A retired educator, she has combined her love of nature with her interest in photography to create a second career. Her work has appeared on the covers and pages of Georgia’s Great Places magazine, and her images are featured in the Visitor Centers at Red Top Mountain State Park in Cartersville, GA, and Providence Canyon State Park near Lumpkin, GA, as well as on postcards and promotional materials for Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites. Pictures will be up in the gallery soon.

Our presenter for February 15 monthly Zoom meeting was Fred Conrad who is the Senior Manager of Community Gardens for the Food Well Alliance in Atlanta.

Fred’s presentation was an overview and tour of the Community Garden movement in metropolitan Atlanta and about how many community gardens are organized, how they function and the many ways they serve neighborhoods.  It is the story of food bringing people together.