(MONROE, VA)—A workshop about landscaping with native plants, attracting beneficial birds and insects, and improving the health of streams and rivers will be held in the Lynchburg area on March 24. The "Bees, Trees, and Clean Water: Connecting the Dots" workshop, sponsored by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and the Robert E. Lee Soil and Water Conservation District, takes place at the Monroe Community Center at 129 Francis Ave from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 24.
"As the seasons change, we are more attentive to the world outdoors, noticing how the plants, bees, and birds fit within the same ecosystem that our local waterways do," said CBF Grassroots Field Specialist Robert Jennings. "This workshop is the perfect chance for people in our area to learn about how the landscaping around their homes can benefit the environment."
Four speakers will cover topics that range from plant species ideal for pollinators to lawn care tips that help protect water quality. In the afternoon there will be a tour on the Sweet Briar College campus that includes hardwood forests, streamside buffers, and vernal pools.
Registration is required and costs $10, which covers lunch, a native plant booklet, and a tree identification guide. It can be completed at cbf.org/bees.
Speakers include Shelton Miles of River Bluff Farms, Bruce Jones of the Appomattox County Extension Service, Robert Jennings of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and Nancy Adamson of Natural Resources Conservation Service and Xerces Society. Mike Hayslett, Sweet Briar College Naturalist in residence, and Anne Marie Roberts of Robert E Lee Soil and Water Conservation District, will lead the field trip of riparian buffers and vernal pools on Sweet Briar's campus.
