September Meeting - Trees of Chesapeake

Those of you who missed our meeting this past Thursday missed an excellent talk by Chesapeake Master Gardener Ed Bradley on the trees of our region.   He talked about the need to reconnect with nature and "bringing the botanical garden to the people".    The layout of nature trails built at the Chesapeake Arboretum and at ODU were detailed.  And Mr. Bradley went on at length about the potential of Indian River Park and its mature southern hardwood forest.   His brief hikes into the park identified 33 species of native trees from the American Beech to the Winged Sumac.  He sees the park as an excellent site for another nature trail as long as we select a location that does not interfere with the existing bike trail system.

Also on Friday, Rogard Ross spoke at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Clean Water Breakfast down in Great Bridge.  This was an opportunity to share the Friends of Indian River mission with other parties across Chesapeake including representatives of the Chesapeake Public Works department and Cooperative Extension Office.