Weaverville Wildlife Habitat -- Latest News

It's Official - We're Certified!!

2009-09-20T06:45:00.000-07:00

Weaverville is now a National Wildlife Federation Certified Community Wildlife Habitat! We are the 33rd community to be certified and the second in North Carolina.

As of this posting, we have certified 63 individual homes, 10 properties in the businesses/commons category, and one school. We were required to achieve 250 points and, perhaps in a bit of over-achievement, accumulated 422.

We are working to schedule a certification ceremony, probably in early November. Thanks to all who have made this possible!

Habitat Team Gets Mayor's Community Service Award

2009-05-21T06:34:00.001-07:00

At the Arbor Day ceremony on May 17th, Weaverville Wildlife Habitat was awarded the Community Service Award by Mayor Bett Stroud, who cited the group's contributions to making Weaverville a better place for both people and wildlife to live. Accepting the award for the group was Dr. Alicia Hulse, Habitat Team Leader. Families in attendance went home with a native butterfly perennial, compliments of the Habitat Team.

Spring Happenings!

2009-04-17T05:59:00.001-07:00

It's probably safe to say that spring has finally arrived! While gardeners have been busy over the winter plotting spring gardens, Weaverville Wildlife Habitat has also been busy. We now have certified 51 homes - and more certifications will be announced shortly.

We will also be participating in two upcoming events. We will have a table with informational materials at the grand opening of the Weaverville Tailgate Market at Lake Louise (May 6th - 2:30 to 6:30 PM). We will also be on hand for the Arbor Day Celebration at Lake Louise (May 17th - starting at 3 PM). We have a new banner with our official logo, so you can't miss us!!

Main Street Nature Park Certified!!

2009-01-02T08:29:00.000-08:00

We're pleased to announce that 2009 is starting out with a very important event - the certification of Main Street Nature Park as our newest Habitat in the "commons" category. This category includes our Town-owned lands, as well as other properties where land is held in common by an organization, business, or group of individuals.

The application emphasized the efforts made to remove exotic invasive plants and replace them with native species to augment the already abundant growth of native food and cover plants. Weaverville Wildlife Habitat salutes the efforts of the Town of Weaverville to develop this park and the time contributed by several individuals and groups - most notably the Weaverville maintenance crews, landscape architect Randy Burroughs, Weaverville Garden Club, Weaverville Tree Board and (more recently) members of the Habitat Team.

Look for us at "Art in Autumn"

2008-09-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

Weaverville Wildlife Habitat will have an information table at the "Art in Autumn" festival on Saturday, September 20th. We will be located in the parking area of the Garden Station. Look for the blue canopy!

We only need 10 more homes to meet our goal for the private residence portion of our certification requirements. Stop by, chat with a member of the Habitat Team, and pick up an application!

Only 16 Homes To Go!!

2008-08-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

As of late July, our official report from the National Wildlife Federation indicates that our goal of certifying 51 private residences is in sight!! In fact, we have just 16 to go. So, if you are thinking about applying, get those applications in soon so that you can be in the charter group. And keep your eye out for those habitat signs around town!

Weaverville Garden Tour a Bloomin' Success!!!

2008-07-14T07:40:00.000-07:00

July 12th was a busy day for the Wildlife Habitat Team! Lots of folks from Weaverville and the greater Asheville area took advantage of the opportunity to visit Certified Wildlife Habitats in the morning, and learn about Gardening for Wildlife in the afternoon. Probably the most important take-home message of the day was that you can have beautiful landscapes that are welcoming to both wildlife and people! The Habitat Team thanks all the property owners who worked very hard to groom their gardens in preparation for this event!

Now, if you want to get started with planting some great perennials for butterflies, we understand that Reems Creek Garden Center just got in a shipment of butterflyweed. This is a great plant and one of our favorities (we even put it on our logo!) - and not always easy to find.

Garden Tour Features Wildlife Habitats

2008-06-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

The annual Weaverville Garden Tour, sponsored by the Tree Board and organized by Weaverville Wildlife Habitat, will feature 5 Certified Wildlife Habitats. The tour will take place on Saturday July 12th, from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM. Featured gardens will give visitors lots of ideas that can be used to attract small native wildlife species to their own back yards - and create beautiful gardens as well. Properties range from newly-established gardens to fully mature (and undergoing renovation) habitats. Maps and additional information will be available the day of the tour in front of the Weaverville Town Hall.

Gardening for Wildlife Workshop

2008-06-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

Want to learn how to make your property a haven for wildlife? Attend one or all of the sessions in this workshop sponsored by Weaverville Wildlife Habitat. This workshop will follow the annual Weaverville Garden Tour that is on the morning of the same day.

Gardening for Wildlife
July 12, 2008 1:30 – 4:30 PM
Weaverville Library (41 N. Main St.)

1:30 – 2:00 PM Elements of a Certified Wildlife Habitat
Alicia V. Hulse, Weaverville Wildlife Habitat Team Leader

To share your property with birds, butterflies and other small creatures, you need to provide them with food, water, cover, and places to raise young. Using native plants in your landscaping will also benefit wildlife and provide you with a sustainable landscape that requires minimal effort.

2:00 – 2:30 PM Creating Habitat for Butterflies
Art Hulse, Board Member, Botanical Gardens at Asheville

Butterfly gardening is easy, can be done in a relatively small space, and provides almost instant gratification. This session will focus on butterfly natural history, garden design and plant selection for the garden.

2:30 – 2:45 PM Break

2:45 – 3:30 PM Creating Habitat for Songbirds
Herman Lankford, Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society

Gardens can be beautiful while providing humans with great opportunities to view birds from the convenience and comfort of home. In this presentation, you will learn about songbird habitat needs, with a focus on some of the best choices of native plantings for food and cover.

3:30 – 4:30 PM Converting Lawns to Meadows
Randy Burroughs, Landscape Architect

Revitalizing the unused areas of your lawn provides habitat, attracting more birds & butterflies to enliven the scene. Local case studies will show several processes which you can adapt to your particular situation. Maintenance and labor-saving strategies will be discussed to help make this adventure easier to enjoy.

Welcome!

2008-06-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Weaverville Wildlife Habitat News Updates!

Weaverville Wildlife Habitat invites you to join your neighbors in rolling out the welcome mat for birds, butterflies, and other small wildlife species that share our backyards!

Sponsored by the Town of Weaverville, this project is aimed at having Weaverville join the ranks of communities across the country that are certified as Community Wildlife Habitats by the National Wildlife Federation.

We are seeking to certify business properties and individual homes within the Weaverville town limits. The following steps outline the certification process:

Contact a Weaverville Wildlife Habitat Team Member (wwhabitat@gmail.com) to obtain application materials or consult the National Wildlife Federation website (nwf.org)
Review certification requirements on the Habitat Certification Application
Contact a Weaverville Wildlife Habitat Team member for property visit if needed
Determine what is needed to qualify for certification
Implement additions or changes to your landscaping
Consult with Weaverville Wildlife Habitat Team member as needed
Submit certification application* to the National Wildlife Federation

For more information, visit our website at www.myweaverville.com/weavervillewildlifehabitat