CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE AULLWOOD AUDUBON NATIVE PLANT BACKYARD CHALLENGE NOW! 

Aullwood Audubon, one of 32 Conservation Action Centers in the National Audubon Society, is looking for new southwest Ohio households who would like to transform or develop their outdoor spaces into diverse native habitats through the Native Plant Backyard Challenge! The Native Plant Backyard Challenge (or NPBC) exists to provide education and promote native plant landscape projects by recruiting households in association with Aullwood’s Native Plant Sale. We hope this project supports and motivates not only local but regional members to transform their backyards and go native!

By joining the NPBC, you will get a Planning Guide filled with resources like planting guides and bloom calendars to help you succeed, access to workshop opportunities to engage with local professionals and the challenge community, and free admission to our Native Plant Speaker Series. You'll also have access to an exclusive Facebook group where Aullwood staff will offer plant information and advice, as well as periodically posting special themed threads where community discussion will be encouraged. 

NPBC registration is only $25 per participant. You can also purchase a NPBC sponsorship for $25.

By generously sponsoring a participant in the NPBC, you can allow another household access to all the benefits of the challenge at no cost to them! Simply select the Sponsorship option when registering. Please note that purchasing a sponsorship ONLY sponsors another household to take part in the challenge and does not register you as a participant yourself. To participate in the challenge AND sponsor a household, you must purchase both a Participant Registration for yourself AND a separate sponsorship. If any sponsorships go unclaimed, those sponsorship payments will be considered a donation to the challenge and Aullwood Audubon.

UPCOMING NATIVE PLANT BACKYARD CHALLENGE EVENTS:

Connecting the Dots: Pollinators, Plant Diversity, and Pests with Joe Boggs
Sunday, March 30, 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Charity A. Krueger Farm Discovery Center, 9101 Frederick Pike, Dayton, OH 45414
Protecting plant pollinators is commonly viewed as just an insecticide issue. However, how does the abundance of flowering plants translate into fewer plant pests? How do pollinators themselves play a critical role in the reduced need for insecticides? Pest management and plant pollinators are two sides of the same coin in urban landscape ecosystems. This presentation reveals the multi-layered connections between pollen, nectar, and a parade of unsung insect heroes that can serve as effective partners in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs that keep pests in check in the gardens of the future. Join Joe Boggs, Assistant Professor & Entomologist from OSU Extension, for his insights on these fascinating topics!

Native Plants and Ecological Landscape Design Workshop with River Johnson
Sunday, April 14, 2:-00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Charity A. Krueger Farm Discovery Center, 9101 Frederick Pike, Dayton, OH 45414Why native plants?
River Johnson, owner of Wandering Roots Native Plants and Ecological Landscape Design and member of the BIPOC Food and Farm Network, will discuss various priorities and reasons for such gardens, such as supporting wildlife and pollinators, reducing stormwater runoff, and providing beauty. Rivers, who has a Master's degree from Antioch University where she studied market gardens, permaculture, biodynamic frameworks, and organic farming methods, will review garden design concepts such as wild versus formal, cottage, natural, layout method and garden preparation. River will also have a Q&A portion of her talk before the workshop. Each attending household  will collaborate on a group design, and will make a native plant wish list and a sketch of their dream garden!

Aullwood Audubon Native Plant Sale
Friday and Saturday, April 25 & 26, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Charity A. Krueger Farm Discovery Center, 9101 Frederick Pike, Dayton, OH 45414

(American Goldfinch on Silphium perfoliatum (Cup-Plant) Photo: Jestin Sebastian/Audubon Photography Awards)