Date/Time: Tuesday, March 21, 6:30 PM

Location: The Citadel’s Duckett Hall Biology Auditorium
2 Jones Ave, Charleston, SC 29403

Lecture Topic: Gardening to Support Pollinators, Birds, and Other Wildlife in Coastal SC

Speaker: Sharleen Johnson

Description: As an ecologist, Sharleen focuses on much more than just the plants when gardening: microscopic and macroscopic life in the soil, critters in the leaf litter, herbivorous and pollinating and predatory insects, and larger wildlife including lizards and birds. All organisms are dependent upon a specific set of environmental conditions and a balanced network of other organisms to thrive. Forest and grassland habitats are rapidly being converted into housing developments, and unfortunately most yards provide low quality habitat. Therefore it’s not surprising that many bird and pollinator species are undergoing concerning population declines. So… what can we do? Ensure that our yards and neighborhoods have real habitat value! Sharleen will provide an introduction to gardening with native plants to support pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. Topics addressed will include identifying the growing conditions in your yard, selecting native plants suited to those growing conditions as well as to your gardening goals, and how to maintain native plant gardens and yards to support wildlife.

Tasty snacks will be provided after the lecture (BYO non-alcoholic beverage or water bottle). We will meet in our previous location in The Citadel’s Duckett Hall Biology Auditorium, 2 Jones Ave, Charleston, SC 29403. Free parking is available after 5:00 PM in the parking lot south of Richardson Street, accessible from Mims Ave. Enter Duckett Hall from Jones Ave and take your first left from the stairwell into the Biology Auditorium.