Recent and Upcoming Talks and Classes

Transform Your Yard: Grass Removal, Pollinators, & Native Plants. Online by Zoom through the Darby Creek Valley Association and the Lower Merion Conservancy. April 24 at 7pm. Free. Click here to register.

Regenerate biodiversity and ecosystem function in your own yard! This Darby Creek Valley Association (DCVA) and Lower Merion Conservancy on-line event will describe the reasons and ways to make small yet meaningful changes as well as resources for making bigger changes and opportunities to receive free native plant plugs through local organizations and volunteer work.  Presenters include Michelle Detwiler from Wild About Native Plants and Jamie Anderson from Eastern Del. Co. Stormwater Collaborative.  A member of the Coopertown Beautification Crew who has done this in their own yard, will discuss how they started their grassroots neighborhood initiative. Inspired by Homegrown National Park. Free, registration required 

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The Pollinator Pathway and Building Essential Wildlife Habitat with Keystone Native Plants. Online by Zoom through the Lower Merion Conservancy. April 11 at 7pm. Free. Click here to register.

Join us for a yearly check-in about gardens of the Lower Merion and Narberth Pollinator Pathway. Do you have successes and challenges to share? Would you like to know how to join? Connect with others who are making similar efforts to incorporate native plants, remove ecologically unfriendly species, minimize chemical use, and leave habitat for overwintering wildlife. Ecological garden designer Michelle Detwiler will discuss ways to use keystone native plants in your space. Learn how to incorporate these species first to maximize ecological benefits to the local food web.

If you’d like to share an image of your garden in any season on the Pollinator Pathway, please email it to Michelle in advance at wildaboutnativeplants@gmail.com.

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Achieving a Four-season Garden. The Narberth Area Garden Club. In-person at the Narberth Municipal Building, 100 Conway Ave, Narberth PA (use Haverford Avenue entrance). March 7, 2024, 7:00 PM-8:30 PM.

Looking to enhance year-round fulfillment in your outdoor space? Join native planting designer Michelle Detwiler for suggestions on compelling habitat-friendly plant selections and garden stewardship techniques to extend the garden seasons from early spring through late fall as well as tips on incorporating structure, texture, and winter interest into your garden. Join the conversation about the uniqueness of the seasons in our region and the opportunity to expand the traditional definition of garden “interest” as a basis for building deeply satisfying outdoor spaces with both year-round aesthetic beauty and ecological purpose.

Payment/Attendance notes: This event is free to members, $5 for visitors. Those who wish to create or renew membership may do so via PayPal on the Membership page of this website. You may also pay at the event with cash or check payable to Narberth Area Garden Club. The event will not be accessible via Zoom.

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Nature at Night: Fireflies - Light up the Night! In-person at the Tyler Arboretum. Wednesday, June 28, 2023. 7:45pm-9:30pm. 515 Painter Road, Media, PA.

Join us for a presentation in Tyler’s Barn Loft, followed by a twilight walk to find fireflies!

Fireflies light up our yards on warm summer nights, but their glow is starting to dim as populations decline. Join native planting designer Michelle Detwiler to learn about these uniquely bioluminescent creatures and their challenges. Learn how to create healthy habitat to make your space as inviting as possible for these charismatic insects. After the presentation, we will join entomologist Sam Nestory for an exciting twilight walk to observe and identify local firefly species in the meadow at Tyler! Adults & Children ages 8 & up. Pre-registration required. Please check in at the Visitor Center upon arrival.

The presentation will be in the Barn Loft followed by a short walk to view fireflies. Children must be accompanied by an adult. We will be walking on grass and gravel, closed toe shoes are recommended. Click here to register. Arboretum members: $15. Non-members: $20. Children discounted.

Pollinator Week Webinar - Sharing Pollinator Pathway Success Stories. Join the Conversation! June 20 at 6:30PM on Zoom. Register for this free event HERE.

Join us for an update on some exciting new developments along the Pollinator Pathway and to hear from a panel of Pathway Community Organizers-- from Cape Cod, MA; southeast PA (Michelle Detwiler); central OH; and western OR--who will share successes, challenges, and lessons learned. Participants are invited to share questions and ideas.

Spring Wildflowers along the Bridlewild Trails. Speaker for the annual meeting of the Bridlewild Trails Association. 16 April 2023. Gladwyne, PA.

Go Native! Inspiration for spring. (Jamie Anderson starts at minute 3:30 talking about the role of pollinator gardens in capturing stormwater, and Michelle begins her portion at minute 12:20. Topics include the role of native plants, environmental history, high value native species for wildlife, tips for analyzing site conditions, pollinators, invasive species control, removing lawn, and before and after photos of native garden projects). Lower Merion Conservancy, 23 February 2023

The fall garden and native seed sowing. Redbud Native Plant Nursery winter market. 27 November 2022

Native Asters and Goldenrods. Redbud Native Plant Nursery fall yard talk. 20 September 2022

Gardening for Monarch Butterflies. Redbud Native Plant Nursery spring yard talk. 10 June 2022

Creating a Wildlife Pond - Water Gardens for Toads, Dragonflies, and More! Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Butler County on February 9, 2022, The Loudoun County Extension Master Gardeners on 2 June 2022, Narberth Area Garden Club on 03 February 2022, and Main Line School Night on 19 March 2022

Earth-friendly Landscape Stewardship. Climate Action Lower Merion (CALM). 06 January 2022

Fall Superstars for Wildlife: Native Asters and Goldenrods. Penn State Extension Master Gardeners Fall Fest. 09 October 2021

How and Why to Love your Leaves. Meeting of the Penn Valley Civic Association. 10 November 2021

Love your Leaves! Redbud Native Plant Nursery winter market. 27 November 2021

Gardening for Monarch Butterflies. Main Line School Night. 06 November 2021 and 03 March 2022

Incorporating Native Plants: A Roadmap for Action. Lower Merion Conservancy on 11 March 2021 and The Gardeners Garden Club on 14 September 2021

Providing Year-Round Habitat for Pollinators. Main Line School Night on 6 April 2021 and Haverford Township on 16 October 2021

Gardening for Hummingbirds. Main Line School Night on 20 March 2021 and 19 October 2021 and the Planters Garden Club on 5 October 2021

Earth-friendly Landscape Stewardship. Meeting of the Penn Valley Civic Association. 25 February 2021

Lower Merion and Narberth Pollinator Pathway. Lower Merion Conservancy. 01 October 2020

High-value Native Plants. Tyler Arboretum Volunteers Meeting. 2 July 2020

Planting for Pollinators. Lower Merion Conservancy. 22 April 2020

What You Never Knew About the Plants of West Mill Creek Park. Annual meeting of the Friends of West Mill Creek Park. 1 March 2020

Gardening for Wildlife at Home. Narberth Area Garden Club. 3 October 2019

Your Garden Matters! Ideas for Building a Beautiful, Healthy, and Sustainable Garden. In partnership with the Narberth Area Garden Club for the Narberth Community Library. 12 April 2019