Saturday, January 18
10:00 AM
Coffee, snacks and socializing at 9:30

Join Larry Smith as he tells us the inspiring story of how the historic village of Jacksonville in Southern Oregon, with less than 3000 residents, created the most successful citizen-based, volunteer-driven, conservation group in Oregon. In 1989, the citizens of Jacksonville, alarmed by the potential of uncontrolled growth and development, founded the Jacksonville Woodlands Association. In the ensuing years they have protected 320 acres, also establishing the Beekman Native Plant Arboretum, and constructed 17 miles of hiking and interpretive trails in and around Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Woodlands are used by several thousand hikers each month. The dedicated volunteers of the Jacksonville Woodlands Association have brought in over $4.5 million for land purchases and associated projects. Compared with other cities, their conservation efforts might seem minuscule, but the results have been monumental. Learn about Jacksonville’s successful efforts to preserve and maintain their woodlands for present and future generations.

If you can’t attend in person, you can via Zoom by registering at: https://bit.ly/4ittiU0

Location: East Bonner County Library, 1407 Cedar Street, Sandpoint

Price: Free

Saturday, February 15
10:00 AM
Coffee, snacks and socializing at 9:30

The new front line of ecosystem restoration is right outside our front doors. Ecologists, conservationists, and gardeners alike are increasingly recognizing the value of converting even the smallest unused urban spaces into native plant communities. Join Chris Duke, Ph.D., Executive Director of The Phoenix Conservancy, to learn how, by itself, a single "Pocket Prairie" can serve as a vital island of habitat for native pollinators. As more and more landowners replace lawns and incorporate native plants, urban areas function less as a biotic desert, and more as an interconnected landscape of micro-refuges for biodiversity. This pragmatic approach to prairie restoration has become a central focus of The Phoenix Conservancy's mission to restore critically endangered Palouse Prairie, both for the long list of benefits that Pocket Prairies provide for a community, and as a key first step to unlock future large-scale restoration.

If you can’t attend in person, you can via Zoom by registering at: https://bit.ly/PhoenixConservancy

Location: East Bonner County Library, 1407 Cedar Street, Sandpoint

Price: Free