Monroe County Master Gardener Association

Our own Paul Russeau, Monroe County Master Gardener, received an award for his native gardens. Here’s some background information and photos. This is a great honor…Congratulations Paul:

From the national Wild Ones website:
As the only national not-for-profit educational organization with a mission to promote environmentally sound landscaping practices to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration and establishment of native plant communities, Wild Ones serves as a resource for private individuals, schools, commercial property owners, and community decision makers as they move toward ethical choices in land use and in the redefinition of current guidelines and ordinances affecting our landscape. Because we are a “plants-roots” organization, our organizational goals are accomplished through local chapters and their individual members.

Paul writes:
The award, was presented to me by the Wild Ones Oak Openings Region Chapter. One of the activities of the chapter is to present student, business, public agency, and residential landscape awards. The Oak Openings is a globally-threatened ecosystem of northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan.

I am a member of he Oak Openings Region Chapter and applied ( you do not need to be a member to apply) for the 2018 Native Landscape Residential Award. The criteria for the award is have 50% or great native plants in your garden, the garden must be at least two years old, submit a list of the native plant species in your garden, and include the primary source of your native plants. I was selected as one of the gardens eligible and the Awards Committee visited/toured my garden. After the committee toured all garden that were selected, I was chosen the winner. It really was an honor to receive the award.

After I read Doug Tallamy’s book Bringing Nature Home, it was for me a “call to action”. I then knew when making landscape decisions I could have an impact on the survival of birds, insects, and other wildlife simply by selecting native plants. In addition , and as a result of my Master Gardener training, I needed to help educate my community on sustainable gardening, the benefit of native plants and their role in our ecosystem.

For more information on Wild Ones:

Link to Wild Ones Oak Openings Region Chapter
Welcome

Link to the national Wild Ones website
Welcome