CONSERVATION NOTES

(1) SAVE THIS DATE! - MONDAY, APRIL 27 AT NOON, at the Ag Station. BRING YOUR FRIENDS. The Conservation Committee is planning an event featuring a speech on soil by Bill Duesing, the Executive Director of CT NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association of CT) . We expect his speech to be informative, engaging and entertaining. Come to hear how to make all your plants healthy and beautiful by giving them healthy soil. We are still in the planning stages, but we promise that you can count on lunch, receiving a list of sellers of locally grown seeds, seedlings and plants, and learning where to buy locally grown food. So that the Committee can plan the lunch, PLEASE LET US KNOW WHETHER YOU WILL ATTEND AND HOW MANY GUESTS YOU WILL BRING -- CONTACT MIKEY at mhirschoff@comcast.net.

(2) MORE ABOUT RECYCLING CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs) NLR, Inc., Connecticut's first and only DEP permitted lamp and electronics recycler, has launched the Green Action Project to address the increased need for safe and convenient CFL recycling in our communities. The Green Action Project (G.A.P.) is a new community outreach program that allows non-profits, schools, community organization, or events to offer environmentally safe compact fluorescent recycling at no charge to their communities, students, members or attendees. Their website is http://www.nlr-green.com/. Check with your town or city, which may already use their services. Bethany, for example, offers recycling of all electronics and CFLs at the town recycling center.

(3) Health Warning on SPLENDA. If you regularly use Splenda (sucralose), you should read this news article about possible harmful effects on your health: www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/news.html?d=150785

(4) Doug Tallamy (author of Bringing Nature Home) will speak at the New Canaan Library at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 1st., as part of the Susan McDaniel Lecture Series. Pre-registration is required as space is limited. Please call the New Canaan Library at 203-594-5000 to make a reservation. Whether or not you are able to attend, you can learn about Doug's work on the importance of biodiversity in the garden, the role of native plants in maintaining biodiversity by supporting insects that are food for the birds and mammals and the importance of our suburban gardens and landscapes in prevention of species extinction by going to http://bringingnaturehome.net.

(5) 2009 University of Connecticut Garden Conference, March 13th
The University of Connecticut is sponsoring the "Garden Conference” to be held at the Lewis B. Rome Commons, Storrs campus on Friday, March 13, 2009.
This all-day conference offers exciting educational opportunities for home gardeners at all interest levels - from the casual gardener to the garden enthusiast to the Advanced Master Gardener.
Featured speaker is William Cullina, nationally recognized expert on native plants and author of numerous gardening books on native plants. Bill’s topic - Dancing Under a Curtain of Trees.
Mary Meyer from the University of Minnesota will be speaking on Winning Combinations with Ornamental Grasses.
Lee Reich will be speaking on My Weedless Garden.
Steve Aitken, editor of Fine Gardening, will be speaking on Plant Combinations that Work.
Len Giddix will be speaking on The Geometrics of Successful Vegetable Gardening.

There is a pre-registration fee of $80 per person if postmarked on or before March 6th. The fee is $90 per person if postmarked after March 6th. Please make checks payable to the University of Connecticut. Registration is limited and nonrefundable.
Please send checks to Richard McAvoy, Department of Plant Science, Unit 4067, University of Connecticut, 1376 Storrs Road, Storrs, CT 06269-4067. Included with registration are: information packet, buffet lunch, snacks and beverages, parking, opportunities to purchase autographed books, plus a wide array of gardening books and plants.
For more information, contact Dr. Richard McAvoy at 860-486-0627; email: richard.mcavoy@uconn.edu or visit our web site: www.hort.uconn.edu/2009garden