Preregistration required for this program designed for adults and interested youth ages 12+ with an adult.
The more our native planting grows, the more life it attracts. Moles and voles will eventually arrive (but they’re probably already there). While these “little diggers” might be perceived as problematic, they serve important ecological roles. In this online class, the speaker will draw from been-there-done-that tales from a personal journey of working to balance healthy plantings and cruelty-free gardening. Using perspectives of naturalist, farmer, and forager, we’ll dig into the whole story on the holes in your yard and how to keep the peace in the garden through coexistence.
In this online class, we’ll explore:
-
How to identify which digging animal(s) you have. We will touch on chipmunks, shrews, and mice but moles and voles are the primary focus of this talk.
-
How to assess damage, determine what is actually happening, and gauge if it’s a problem.
-
The myth of eradication and choosing the least toxic approach for addressing an issue—we’ll touch on habitat modification, exclusion, and trapping. (Note that we will not be advocating use of pesticides in this talk.)
-
We’ll peer under the ground to see what’s going on as we explore what moles and voles tell us about the health of the land.
-
What seasonal variations in animal activity mean for your garden and what you should do and when.
About the instructor: A 25+ year veteran of Cincinnati Nature Center (CNC), Jason Neumann currently serves as Public Programs Manager, crafting experiences that immerse visitors in nature and leading interpretive trainings. He works towards translating CNC’s “plant native” initiative into visitor engagement opportunities and has a special interest in connecting people to nature through food. Growing up on a small farm sparked his deep interest in agriculture which was fanned to flame through a BS degree in Crop and Soil Sciences (Michigan State University), and later a graduate certificate in Agroforestry (University of Missouri – Columbia). Drawing from the perspective of a farmer/naturalist, he seeks to work with nature whether in his suburban backyard operation called Someday Farm, the CNC Edible Plants and Foraging Group (founded in 2013) or managing the native perennial polyculture plots and native 2-acre pawpaw grove at Long Branch Farm & Trails. Jason is on the board of the Ohio Pawpaw Growers Association.
This will be a live, virtual program on the Zoom meeting platform. Live auto-captioning will be available. Your link to attend the meeting will be sent immediately after registering in a follow-up email. You do not need the Zoom application to participate. If you do not receive your Zoom link by 12 pm on March 22, or if you have issues logging on, please contact us at onlinelearning@cincynature.org.
Member adult $5; nonmember adult $10.
By registering below, you agree to the following:
Cancellation Policy: Please note that cancellations must be made at least two weeks in advance of the event. No refunds or transfers of fees will occur if the request is made less than two weeks prior to the event. All programs continue, rain or shine. In the event that Cincinnati Nature Center cancels a program, full refunds will be issued.
Program Policy: Cincinnati Nature Center may update the status or format of programs based on conditions at the time of the program.
Media Release: All participants (18 and older) associated with this transaction grant permission to Cincinnati Nature Center to utilize images, likenesses, actions, or statements in any form taken during a visit to the Nature Center, a Nature Center sponsored event, or virtual presentation for the purpose of promoting the Nature Center in perpetuity.