The September meeting will be conducted via Zoom.
(no in-person meeting)
Starts 6:30 pm for social time; 7:00 pm for program.
Here is the link for the meeting on Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4168201898?pwd=MzBpZ2hvUVFMckw4anlldTh6Tkh3dz09

September 21 Program:

Doug Tallamy, Sustaining Life with Native Plants 

On September 21 we will have a presentation and Q & A with Doug Tallamy, a noted entomologist and professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. He has authored three influential books, "Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard," "Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants," and "The Nature of Oaks." This program will emphasize choosing plants not only for beauty but for what pollinators and other insects have evolved to need, that is, native plants.

Doug Tallamy's talks emphasize food webs and the interdependence of species and local ecosystems, and why understanding these relationships are essential for maintaining future biodiversity and human well-being.

Excerpts below from Doug Tallamy's writings:

"Because the reach of human development has disrupted or destroyed natural habitat in so many places, local extinction is rampant and global extinction accelerating. This is a growing problem for humanity because it is the plants and animals around us that produce the life support we all depend on. Every time a species is lost from an ecosystem, that ecosystem is less able to support us."

"We must abandon the notion that humans and nature cannot live together. Though vital as short-term refuges, nature preserves are not large enough to meet our ecological needs so we must restore the natural world where we live, work, and play. Because nearly 85% of the U.S. is privately owned, our private properties are an opportunity for long-term conservation if we design them to meet the needs of the life around us."

New Conservation Goals:
To succeed we need to redesign residential landscapes to
1) support diverse pollinator populations and complex food webs,
2) store carbon, and
3) manage our watersheds.

Doug Tallamy related websites:
TALLAMY'S HUB — HOMEGROWN NATIONAL PARK
Doug Tallamy | Entomology and Wildlife Ecology | University of Delaware (udel.edu)

National Wildlife Foundation, Native Plant Finder link:
https://www.nwf.org/NativePlantFinder/

Anyone who may have specific questions on the topic is asked to send their questions ahead of time to bayareasierraclubhouston@gmail.com

Bay Area meetings are on 3rd Wednesday of the month and start at 6:30pm for social hour; speaker and discussion from 7-8:30 pm.