Ozark Daylily Society Special Work Day Friday May 18th:
Our daylily beds at Close Memorial Park, 2400 S. Scenic, are looking beautiful and will soon be in full bloom. We’re nearly finished with the spring clearing and weeding. We have one more bed to clear and mulch plus some finish up work on a few other beds. Please join us Friday May 18th at 9am to finish this work. We would appreciate an RSVP if you plan to come….

Thank you, Beverly Long – email: waltandbevlong@sbcglobal.net

Other upcoming events:
June 24 – Daylily Display in the Botanical Center. Last year’s event was the highlight of our year. Plan to join us in displaying some of your best daylily blooms.

July 21 – Our daylily sale in conjunction with the Butterfly Festival. We will sell from the daylily beds and also plants from member daylily gardens.

More details on both of these events as we get closer to the dates.

For more information on the Ozark Daylily Society visit: http://www.ozarkdaylily.org/index.htm

Note to Lisa B:  Congrats, the Bill Roston Native Butterfly House made the paper again… News-Leader - Our Voice – ’Tis a privilege, Opinion page 3B today. Your team’s hard work is getting noticed!  George

News-Leader: Our Voice - Good news is not hard to find in the Ozarks,
as we illustrate regularly with an editorial feature we call: ’Tis a privilege.

’Tis a privilege to greet the return of the butterflies with the opening of the Bill Roston Butterfly House at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park off Scenic Avenue in southwest Springfield. The butterfly house, maintained by volunteers, is currently open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and on Tuesday and Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to dusk. Admission is free.

5th Annual Young Sprouts in the Garden
Hosted by Master Gardeners of Greene County
Saturday, May 19th , 2012 9 am – 1 pm  (rain or shine)

Springfield Botanical Gardens
Nathanael Greene|Close Memorial Park
2400 S. Scenic Ave., Springfield MO 65807

Dig. Plant. Discover. Mother Nature through ladybugs, leaves, sunshine, and trees. Explore child oriented displays, crafts, and activities designed to nurture an appreciation for gardening and the natural environment. Visit the Plant Zoo, climb a tree, pin the pollinator on the flower, observe the ladybug house, and create nature prints. Lifelong passions can take root and grow at Young Sprouts in the Garden! For children of all ages.

ACTIVITY STATIONS INCLUDE:
Bad Bug Bean Bag Game
Carnivorous Plants
Enviroscape Model Of Watershed
Experience the Life Cycle of a Butterfly
Face Painting
Furbearers & Display
Grocery Bag Botany
Leaf Rubbing & Bark Rubbings
Leaf/Tree Identification
Leather Pounding, Floral/Bug Imprints
Light Duty Kids Climb
Lima Bean Seed Part Identification
Live Worm Hunt
Nature Printing/Leaf Pounding
Observation Bee Hive
Paint a Bug
Paper Recycling
Pervious Concrete
Photo Cutout Board
Plant Models w/Puppets
Plants and the Five Senses
Produce by Country
Produce Prints
Rotten Log Habitat
Scentsational Plants
Seed Planting
Sticks N’ Things Craft Tent
Tattoo Garden
Vegetables From A-Z
Water Run Off & Flood Safety Model
Weather & Gardening
Welcome to the Plant Zoo
Worm Anatomy & Habitat

While supplies last, children will receive a take-home goodie bag for participating at 10 or more activities.

Ozarks Harvesting Hope, a part of the national Plant a Row for the Hungry campaign, is a local public service project of the AAF of the Ozarks and Master Gardeners of Greene County.

Special thanks to Chipotle Mexican Grill.

Participants Confirmed for 2012:
• Arbor Care of the Ozarks
• Beekeepers Association of the Ozarks
• Chipotle Mexican Grill
• Echigo Farm
• Friends of the Garden
• Gray-Campbell Farmstead
• Graydon Springs Outdoor Legacy
• Greater Ozarks Audubon Society
• Harvest On Wheels
• James River Basin Partnership
• Master Gardeners of Greene County
• Missouri Community Forestry Council
• Missouri Department of Conservation
• Missouri Master Naturalist, Springfield Plateau
• Missouri Mycological Society, Springfield Chapter
• National Weather Service
• Ozarks Harvesting Hope
• Rutledge-Wilson Farm Community Park
• Show Me Yards & Neighborhoods
• Smiling Sun Native Plant Nursery
• Springfield Area Herb Society
• Springfield Urban Agriculture Coalition: The Dirt Project
• Tandy Leather Factory
• The Discovery Center of Springfield
• USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Wild Birds Unlimited
• William H. Darr School of Agriculture, Missouri State University

For more information, call 417-396-2807 or email mg.greenecounty@gmail.com.

Join the Cause Bike to Work Week May 14-18:

Join Ozark Greenways for their fun annual Bike to Work Week challenge, May 14-18. Leave the car behind at least one day that week to get to work or school by biking, taking the bus, walking, carpooling, telecommuting or combining modes. The public is encouraged to try out the City of Springfield’s newly expanded on-street bike route network. Our goal is to highlight Springfield’s current alternative transportation options and support future expansion. See all the details and register on our Drive Less page at www.ozarkgreenways.org.

Ozark Greenways’ new “Let’s Go Smart” campaign ties in nicely to this effort as we expand our public promotion of Springfield’s alternative transportation choices and support future improvements.

Special note, the Springfield Botanical Gardens is an excellent Ozark Greenways trail head with plenty of parking, rest rooms, refreshments, and gardens galore. Located at 2400 S. Scenic it is at the midway point of the South Creek Greenway.

Join our staff (Executive Director, Terry Whaley; Program Coordinator, Lori Tack) and various City officials (City Manager Greg Burris; Park Board Public Information Administrator Jenny Edwards; Health Department Public Information Administrator Mike Brothers; City Traffic Engineer David Hutchison) as they commute by bike and/or bus throughout the week. Questions, Lori Tack, Ozark Greenways (417) 864-2015 / lori@ozarkgreenways.org.

Mother’s Day at the Bill Roston Native Butterfly House
Facebook exchange between Kim Flores & George Deatz

Docent (volunteer) Kimberly LeAn Flores writes:
Maya and I had a very busy first weekend at the Butterfly House. We saw over 400 people in the house between 1p and 3:30p today! The beautiful weather and the holiday brought out lots of folks who admired and enjoyed the gardens and butterflies. Springfield is so lucky to have such a great parks system and devoted groups like Friends of the Garden.

George Deatz responds:
Thanks to you and Maya for your community service as a docent showing and explaining to the visitors the life cycle of the butterflies. We couldn’t have the Butterfly House open without volunteers like you! Congrats on the huge number of visitors you saw today!

Kimberly LeAn Flores says:
George, it is OUR pleasure to serve as docents. Until you have an opportunity to volunteer in a place as neat as the Roston Butterfly House, you can’t imagine how much fun it is and how great it feels to share something so wonderful with others. The smiles and squeals from children make it a real delight. Everyone should be so lucky.

George Deatz asks:
After reading the above would you like to join the volunteer team? If so or if you have any questions please contact Lisa Bakerink, Butterfly House Operations Group Coordinator, email lisabakerink@gmail.com or call 417.763.0415.

The Bill Roston Native Butterfly House is at the Springfield Botanical Gardens, 2400 S. Scenic Ave., phone 891.1515. It is about 100 yards south of the Botanical Center building in Close Memorial Park. Open 10-6 Sat & Sun plus 5 to dusk Mon-Wed evenings. No charge but donations are welcome.

A note from Lisa Bakerink today:
Good morning, What an opening weekend we had at the Dr. Bill Roston Native Butterfly House!  Nearly 1,700 people came through on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Thanks to our collectors who did an excellent job of stocking the house with so many varieties of butterflies.  On Saturday, especially, the mourning cloaks were thrilling children and adults alike by easily alighting on fingers and clothing.  The variety of moths in the bug dome were also a big hit.  I had many people, in awe of their size, ask if the Cecropia were native to this area.  Another big hit was the release on Friday afternoon. I hope you all received the email from George Deatz on Saturday with a link to the media coverage of that event.  There is even a picture of Bob holding his favorite butterfly, the Baltimore Checkerspot….

A note from Chris Barnhart this moring: Some pictures from the opening weekend are in this album: https://picasaweb.google.com/106900152529530917146/May2012InTheRostonButterflyHouse?authuser=0&feat=directlink