String trimming with Don Maruska and a fellow Rotary Club member. Photo submitted
Did you know that 80% of flowers depend upon pollinators? Did you know that one third of the food we eat needs pollinators?
Learn about the critical role of pollinators in our web of life. Explore an initiative in Central California to mobilize community groups to restore habitat in partnership with Monarch Joint Venture. See how collaboration with the Los Osos Valley Garden Club, Los Osos Rotary, and St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church is bringing plants, technical resources, and educational opportunities to our community.
Check out “Why Pollinators Need Our Help and What We Can Do?” presented by Don Maruska and “How to Design and Plant a Pollinator Garden – The Process”, presented by Wendy McKeown on Sunday, October 18, from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Los Osos (rear building), 1900 Los Osos Valley Rd., Los Osos. No signup/registration required to attend. Visit lovgardenclub.org/calendar or email us at info@lovgardenclub.org, for more information.
What does it take to turn a patch of weedy clay soil into a haven for bees and butterflies? See how two native pollinator gardens in Los Osos went from idea to planting day, as part of a Monarch Joint Venture project. Attendees will follow the whole process, from scouting sites and testing soil by feel, to building a bloom-all-season plant list and laying out a garden plan. Also see how sheet mulching smothers weeds without chemicals, and how clever gopher-and-squirrel baskets protect young plants. Along the way, you’ll learn why native plants attract far more native bees, butterflies, and moths than nonnative plants. Whether you have a whole yard or a sunny corner, you’ll leave with practical steps and the inspiration to plant something that gives back to the pollinators around you.
Maruska is the author of “Solve Climate Change Now: Do What You Love for a Healthy Planet.” He loves finding nature-based solutions to the challenges we face. He’s also the author of “How Great Decisions Get Made: 10 Steps to Reach Agreement on Even the Toughest Issues;” “Take Charge of Your Talent: Three Keys to Thriving in Your Career, Organization, and Life;” and eBook “Grow and Enjoy Your Business: Proven Tools for Success.” The first in his family to attend college, Don earned his bachelor’s magna cum laude from Harvard and his MBA and JD from Stanford University.
McKeown is passionate about promoting a healthy environment for all – humans, plants, and wildlife. She grew up on Long Island, NY, received her botany degree at the University of WI-Madison, worked for the Forest Service in the Sierras, taught high school science in Fresno, and middle school science in Atascadero. After retiring in 2017, she has volunteered for various local organizations such as Morro Coast Audubon Society, Friends of Los Osos Library, SLO Botanical Garden, LOCAC Tree and Landscape Committee and Los Osos Valley Garden Club.
