Wissahickon Growing Greener

Let's Promote and Educate RESIDENTS about a Sustainable Future for OUR Area 

---

Sustainable Landscapes, Feb 3, 7pm.  Audubon staff member Steven Saffier led us in a discussion on sustainable landscaping practices and the use of PA native plants to attract birds, butterflies and other wildlife. Growing wild edibles in your area was also discussed.

Handouts available:
"Top 10" Fruiting Trees and Shrubs, and Seed Producing Native Trees (pdf)
Edible Plants (word)

Some thoughts from the talk:

Sustainable Landscapes connect us with nature.

When you think about Sustainable Landscapes, remember that you want INSECTS.  They feed the birds.  The more native plant variety you have, the more insects you'll get.  Native insects NEED native plants.

Elimate chemicals in your yard.  Did you know that 672 million birds are exposed to pesticides each year, and 67 million birds will die from that exposure each year.

Do you know about Freedom Lawns?  That's when you let things OTHER than grass grow.  A freedom lawn will encourage insects and wildlife, allow you to relax more because you are spending less time mowing, and you'll save time and money NOT applying pesticides.  A google search came up with this blog about Freedom Lawns.

For information on eliminating chemical use in your plantings, check the Dirt Doctor or listen to his show Sundays from 9-12 on 990 AM.

Check local native plant sales to buy native plants for your yards.  Here's a link to PA Native Plant Society or this link has a list of retail AND non-profit native plant sales.  There is also a native plant database on iconservepa.org

Want to research something interesting?  Check out ETHNOBOTANY.  It's the study of how people of a particular culture and region make of use of indigenous plants  There is a book in the library called Edible wild plants of Pennsylvania and neighboring states.  This website might help you search for more resources.

Edible Plants for people include:
Teas
Spicebush - Staghorn Sumac (lemonade) – Wintergreen – Clover – New Jersey Tea – Slippery Elm – Rose – Sassafras
Jellies
Chokecherry – Highbush Cranberry – Elderberry – Black cherry – Serviceberry – Pin cherry
Raw
Dandelions – Paw Paw – Blackberries
Shoots
Milkweed – Pokeweed – Ferns   
Seeds/nuts
Black walnut – Hickory – Slippery Elm
Pines – Beech

You can find lots of information at http://pa.audubon.org/habitat including downloads about rain gardens and info on schoolyards, native plants, good books, municipalities, etc.

Suggested Books:
Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants (Elias/Dykeman) 1982
Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants (Bradford Angier) 1974
Bill and Bev Beatty’s Wild Plant Cookbook (Beatty) 1987