Recognition for our Arbor Day & Conservation Efforts

The Dracut Garden Club was recently honored to receive 2 awards for our Celebrate the Earth program.  The GCFM, Inc. held their annual Fall Conference on October 26, 2015 where our state garden clubs come together to connect, learn, and celebrate achievements.

The DGC was given The Charlotte Lane Connor Arbor Day Award, a silver bowl, for our Arbor Day/Earth Day event (Celebrate the Earth) which included programs, educational exhibits, and the planting of an American Elm tree. This is the 6th time we have received this award in the last 12 years from the GCFM!

We were also recognized with a New England Regional Award this year.  The Laura Wetmore Conservation Award was presented to us for the environmental education, exhibits, and programs at our Celebrate the Earth event this past April.

A big thank you again to the Celebrate the Earth Committee and everyone from the Dracut Garden Club, the Town of Dracut, and participants who supported us with another fantastic, award-winning event!

The Frightened Frog

Connecting Children With Nature

Do you remember being told to go outside and play as a child? Without realizing it, our parents gave us the greatest gift of all, freedom to experience the great outdoors where our imagination ran wild and our stress and unneeded calories melted away.

Today’s children are held captive by our fears and electronic devices. Spending more than 7 ½ hours a day consuming media, these “digital natives” often spend less than 1 hour a week on unstructured recreation. As a society, we have a moral and ethical obligation to give the natural world back to our children.

Every child needs time in a natural setting. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends sixty minutes of daily unstructured free play as essential to children’s physical and mental health. The worldwide initiative to reconnect children with the natural world is making a difference. The International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2012 recognized “Children have a human right to a connection to the natural world and to a healthy world.”

Recent scientific research identifies strong correlations between experiences in nature and children’s ability to learn and cope. Schools with environmental education programs score higher on standardized tests in math, reading, writing and listening. The National Wildlife Federation notes Cal Tech’s Jet Propulsion Lab interviews all candidates about their play experiences as children, because they’ve found a direct correlation between hands-on play and superior problem solving skills.

National Garden Clubs, Inc. encourages you to read and discuss The Frightened Frog with the children in your life. Even better, take them on a quest to find an egg mass, tadpoles, frogs and other amphibians. Become an environmental hero! Sit and listen while enjoying the mystery and magnificence of the natural world with the most important people anywhere, our children.

As parents, grandparents, and educators, we have a pivotal role in the experiences of the future stewards of the natural world. Now is not the time to hesitate, but to leap into action.

Sandra H. Robinson
President 2015-2017
National Garden Clubs, Inc.

From National Garden Clubs, President's Projects:  The Frightened Frog

Nature Happenings - October 2015

October 2015

October 2

Look for ripe wild grapes along old stone walls.

October 8

Larch trees, the only northern deciduous conifers, turn brilliant yellow.

October 10

Peek inside goldenrod flowers and you may find yellow crab spiders.

October 15

Look for miniature white parachutes floating in the air; they are milkweed seeds adrift after the pods have burst open.

October 27

Supermoon, the third and last of the year; this full moon appears lighter and brighter than most because it is closer to the earth than usual.

October 28

Rare three-planet conjunction. Before sunrise look for a tight triangle in the eastern sky formed by Venus, Mars, and Jupiter.

October 31

Halloween—don’t be afraid of harmless daddy longlegs inhabiting your garage or basement.

Excerpt taken from Mass Audubon's Outdoor Almanac

Solidago altissima / Tall Goldenrod

Gaura

Maybe you're not familiar with this perennial, but I recommend it. I planted two varieties of it this summer for the first time and they are both still in bloom. It has many small, pink flowers and I have one called "Freefolk Rosy" that has bicolor pink and white blooms and variegated foliage. They need full sun and are easy care. They grow 1-3 feet tall and may spread to 2-4 feet wide. An added bonus--they attract butterflies!

-MJ

Photo credit:  http://www.finegardening.com/wand-flower-gaura-lindheimeri