Nature   

• A February Visit to Central Florida 

• In-Person Class:  The Elderwise classroom at the Vineyard Church.

  Imagine yourself going for a February walk in your Ann Arbor neighborhood. The sky is gray, the trees and shrubs are brown, two inches of snow cover the ground, and you haven’t seen a wildflower, a butterfly, a dragonfly, or even a green leaf since September. Now let frequent Elderwise presenter Don Chalfant take you on a virtual tour of central Florida in February. The sky is blue, wildflowers are in bloom, butterflies and dragonflies are fluttering. Imagine taking a three- or four-day visit to central Florida. You can plan on seeing over 100 species of birds, dozens of wildflowers, butterflies and dragonflies in the air, more snakes and lizards than you probably wanted to encounter, and lots of strange and interesting flora and fauna – none of which you would find in Michigan. 

  

  Don Chalfant has been entertaining and enlightening the Elderwise community for many years with his profound knowledge and stunning photographs of North America’s natural world. Don received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Michigan. In 1995 he retired from teaching in the Ann Arbor Public Schools. While retired, Don indulges his passion for the outdoors, for birding, and for photographing nature’s inhabitants.

  Show Description

• Fee: $15.00

• Instructor(s): Don Chalfant

• Dates: 6/1/2023 - 6/1/2023

  Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

• Sessions: 1

  Days: Th

• Building: Vineyard Church

  Room: Classroom at the Vineyard Church

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• Creating Native Landscapes in our Cities and Suburbs
  Dates: 4/13/2023 - 4/13/2023

• ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS NOW CLOSED. If you are trying to register the day before this class starts or the day of the class, please email or call the office. This close to the class start date, we need to register you over the phone and provide you with any important information and send you the Zoom Link if the class in online. Thank you!
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• In-Person Class:  The Elderwise classroom at the Vineyard Church.

   

  Former director of the University's Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, Bob Grese, will discuss the creation of native gardens in our own backyards and other landscapes. He will discuss the history of this movement in the work of early landscape architects whose work featured the native plants, celebrated landforms, and ecological conditions found throughout the American Midwest. During the class Bob will suggest strategies for making native plantings more broadly acceptable in our current urban landscape.  

  

   

   

  Robert Grese is a Professor Emeritus in the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and the former director of the University’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum. He formerly taught in the landscape architecture program and is a strong advocate of ecologically-based design and ecological restoration. 

  Show Description

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• Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge
  Dates: 4/18/2023 - 4/18/2023

• ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS NOW CLOSED. If you are trying to register the day before this class starts or the day of the class, please email or call the office. This close to the class start date, we need to register you over the phone and provide you with any important information and send you the Zoom Link if the class in online. Thank you!
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• Online Class:  A ZOOM invitation link will be sent one day before class begins.

  The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (DRIWR) was established in 2001, and is managed jointly by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Wayne County. There are over 560 refuges throughout the United States of America, and each one is unique. The DRIWR is special because this local refuge is the only international wildlife refuge within the United States. It includes islands, coastal wetlands, marshes, shoals, and waterfront lands along 48 miles of Detroit River and Western Lake Erie shorelines. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has seven different branches that all work together to meet the USFWS mission, and the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge falls under the National Wildlife Refuge System Branch. Join us online as we gain insight into the USFWS, and learn about the history, the habitats, and what visitors can do at the Detroit River Refuge.  

  

   

  Park Ranger Jazmyn Bernard is the environmental educator at the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. She was born and raised in Louisiana, and traveled to Michigan for the opportunity to become a park ranger. Her goal is to use her knowledge and passions to connect as many people to nature as possible.

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