Don's Jersey Birding: New Partnership will Help Bring Native Plants to Local Nature Preserves


Don Torino and Pat Taaffe of the Teaneck Garden Club look over a list of native garden plants.
Photos courtesy of Don Torino

by Don Torino

Patrick Taaffe sat in on a Bergen County Audubon Society seminar on butterfly gardening a while back and had a great idea.

“Why not bring our two organizations together and team up to help introduce more native plants to our area?” he said. 
 
With Bergen County Audubon Society’s ongoing habitat restoration project at Overpeck Preserve and a new project beginning in the spring at Teaneck Creek Conservancy, Pat saw the chance for the Teaneck Garden Club to improve wildlife habitat right in his own community. “With Bergen Audubon’s knowledge of native plants and the Teaneck Garden Club’s wonderful facility and horticultural expertise, we can do great things together,” he continued.


This sign has been posted at the Teaneck Garden Club.

In October, the two organizations began to get ready for the spring by sowing the seeds of native plants in a specially designated area of the Teaneck Garden Club. Since many native plant seeds need to be “stratified”, or have a cold period before they can germinate, they had to be planted in the fall. Perennial natives such as Switch Grass, Mountain Mint, and Ironweed were planted, as well as native shrubs such as Button Bush and New Jersey Tea. Three kinds of Milkweeds were also planted. Milkweed is critical to the survival of Monarch Butterflies, and our project goal is to have Milkweed growing in as many places as possible in the spring.

The Garden Club is also being used as a staging area for native plants. Mature Arrow-wood Viburnums, Itea, and Winter Berry Hollies among others are being overwintered and will be ready to be planted in places like the Teaneck Creek Conservancy in the spring.


Native plants, such as this Swamp Milkweed, will be grown at the Teaneck Garden Club as part of the joint project.

Pat Taaffe is very proud of the Teaneck Garden Club and has programs open to the public dealing with many aspects of gardening, but his goal is to have more kids to get involved.

“Kids need to get their hands dirty,” Pat said. “They should be growing up like we did with their hands in the soil planting things.”


The Teaneck Garden Club along with Bergen County Audubon Society will help bring native plants to nature preserves in Bergen County.

Pat would also like to form a joint committee of both the Teaneck Garden Club and the Bergen Audubon Society with a goal of finding more ways to help people learn about native plants and spread the word on how important they are to our environment.

Native plants are the most important aspect of any habitat. They are the foundation that allows our birds, butterflies, and all wildlife to thrive. By working together and creating these kinds of partnerships, we can introduce native plants not only to nature centers and preserves, but to schools and libraries to help educate everyone on how to introduce these important plants to their own backyards. This will ultimately mean not only a healthier habitat for our wildlife, but a healthier environment for our own families as well. Thanks Pat for your commitment to our environment and having the vision for a better community.

For more info on the Teaneck Garden Club and the Native plant project, e-mail Pat Taaffe at 

Don Torino is the Education Chairperson for Bergen County Audubon Society.  
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Posted by WILDNEWJERSEY at 11/29/2011 11:00 AM
Categories: Don's Jersey Birding
Tags: Bergen County Audubon Society bergen county native plants teaneck garden club
 

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