MeadowMakers

MeadowMakers 2023

Community Creating Habitat in Victoria, BC

PLEASE NOTE - registration for MeadowMakers 2023 is now closed. Check back for future updates!

Join Satinflower Nurseries and Pollinator Partnership Canada to become a MeadowMaker! This is an inspiring four-month program that will guide you through the process of restoring spaces, such as yards and boulevards, with native plants.

All participants will learn bee identification, plant identification, and plant propagation techniques. The MeadowMakers group will receive training by local native plant and bee experts in a series of workshops, resources, and field trips. Field days will include native plant and bee identification walks and trips to see local restoration projects and parks.

Join this unique program to be part of like-minded people who appreciate our local ecosystems and want to support local plants and wildlife. The group will troubleshoot problems and assist each other in their efforts. A community creating habitat.

All in-person (excluding field trips) and virtual sessions will be recorded and made available exclusively to participants for the length of the program.

Learn more about MeadowMakers in the Sierra Club, Capital Daily, Millstone Farm & Organics, and more!

Highlights:

• Learn plant identification and bee identification
• Gain an understanding about local ecology
• Experience a practical and meaningful way to engage with nature and help protect it
• Go on field trips and outings to profile projects and natural areas to help in your learning
• Ongoing virtual training workshops that will take you step-by-step through converting your boulevards and lawns to native plant and wildlife habitat
• Members can choose to have a MeadowMaker sign marking their property as habitat
• Access to technical how-to guides and resources
• A community of like-minded people working to create habitat

Potential Spaces Include:

• Home Gardens
• Boulevards
• Lawns
• Community spaces
• Septic fields
• Greenroof
• Raingardens and more!

Additional MeadowMaker Member Benefits:

MeadowMaker participants receive 10% off plants, seeds, and consulting at Satinflower Nurseries!

• 10% off seed and plants from Satinflower Nurseries through the year (March 1 to December 31, 2023)
• 10% off in-person meadow consultations to discuss project goals and develop a custom plan including site prep, planting choices, wildlife enhancements, and maintenance
• 10% off Individual virtual consultations to help you progress through the meadow making process
• MeadowMakers lawn sign

Kristen Miskelly

MSc Botany, RPBio (Satinflower Nurseries: Native Plants, Seeds & Consulting)

Kristen is co-owner of Satinflower Nurseries and has ecosystem restoration, native plants, and native plant propagation expertise. She specializes in the botany and ecology of southeastern Vancouver Island. Kristen and her husband James started Satinflower Nurseries in 2013, aiming to inspire and empower people to connect with nature through native plants. Kristen has been teaching plant- and ecology-related courses and workshops for more than 15 years and is currently a sessional lecturer at the University of Victoria teaching courses in Ecological Restoration.

Lora Morandin

PhD, Pollinator Partnership and Pollinator Partnership Canada

Lora is the Associate Director at Pollinator Partnership, the largest organization in the world dedicated solely to the protection of pollinators and their habitat. Lora has been studying pollinators for 25 years and did an undergraduate degree in Ecology and Evolution with a minor in Plant Biology at Western University, she did an MSc on pollination of greenhouse tomatoes at Western University, a PhD at SFU on enhancing pollination in agroecosystems, followed by postdoctoral work at UC Berkeley on integrating ecosystem services into agricultural production. She has co-authored books and has over 30 peer-reviewed publications related to pollinators. In her current position, she created the Pollinator Steward Certification program, she conducts research and outreach, provides consultation for industry and government, and works with partners to create habitat for pollinators across North America. Visit: pollinatorpartnership.ca

Module 1: MeadowMakers Welcome

Sunday March 5: 10:00-3:00pm 2023

IN PERSON
Join us for our first MeadowMaker session of 2023 (location TBD). This is a dynamic session where you will meet other MeadowMakers and learn why making meadows is important for the conservation of local ecosystems and pollinators on Southern Vancouver Island. Several 2022 MeadowMakers will share their stories with us and are sure to get you inspired for the year ahead! We will be sharing a lunch together. The delightful artist Sarah Jim who created the MeadowMakers logo will be joining us.

Module 2: FIELD TRIP Satinflower Nurseries

Saturday March 11: 9:00-2:00pm

IN PERSON

Join Satinflower Nurseries at their home base Haliburton Community Organic Farm. We will learn hands on about native plant propagation and become familiar with some basic techniques and tools related to growing native plants. Come prepared to get your hands dirty!

Please Bring: water bottles, sun protection, gardening gloves

Module 3: Supporting Pollinators with Your Meadow

Monday April 3: 7:00-9:00pm

IN PERSON

Get to know some of your local pollinators: why they’re important and how to help. This in person session focuses on pollinator identification, the needs of pollinators, and plant-pollinator interactions.

Module 4: Site Preparation

Monday April 10: 7:00-9:00pm

VIRTUAL

Learn about some of the basic techniques used for restoring meadows and creating meadows. You will come away from this session feeling better prepared about your next steps to bring your meadow to life including what techniques you can use, the supplies you need, and timing of activities. We will also help you identify features in selecting a spot for your meadow and tips for developing a plan you can follow.

Module 5: Selecting Native Plants

Monday April 24: 7:00-9:00pm

VIRTUAL

In this webinar we help you decide which plants are best for your site and considerations to make when choosing plants. We will also go over which plants are best for pollinators and which pollinators they support.

Module 6: FIELD TRIP: Uplands Park

Sunday May 7: 9:00-2:00pm

IN PERSON

Uplands Park is a hotspot for biodiversity in our region and is one of the last largescale tracts of relatively intact Prairie Oak woodlands and meadows in our region. It contains one of the highest concentrations of endangered species in Canada. The biggest threat to this ecosystem is from habitat degradation due to development, trampling, and invasive species. In response, community partners such as Friends of Uplands Park, along with Oak Bay Parks, have been working tirelessly to educate about the space and restore and protect this precious place. Join us for our first field trip where we will explore and learn about Prairie Oak Ecosystems from the stewards of Uplands Park.
With: Kristen Miskelly, Lora Morandin, James Miskelly, Wylie Thomas, Matt Fairbarns

Module 7: Growing Native Plants

Monday May 22: 7:00-9:00pm

VIRTUAL

Part of the joy in creating a meadow is learning all the life phases of native plants. Many of you may be inspired to try growing plants to increase the size of your meadow patches or sharing plants with friends. In this webinar, we will expand on our March 11th field trip to Haliburton Farm, and dive deeper into growing native plants.

Module 8: Monitoring and Maintenance

Monday June 5: 7:00-9:00pm

VIRTUAL

Learn to care for your meadow and keep it thriving for years to come. In this webinar we will discuss basic maintenance of meadows. We will also provide tools for monitoring pollinators that will be visiting your meadow this coming spring and summer!

Module 9: FIELD TRIP

Sunday June 25: 9:00-2:00pm

IN PERSON

TBD