Seasonal Spotlight
CHECK OUT THESE SMALL ACTIONS
You can take to MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE!
WINTER
Photo taken by Watershed Steward Karen Kiehne in her yard January 6, 2025
Winter is For the Birds
No really, it is!
Berries provide a crucial food source for birds, and some are better than others. Winterberry and Inkberry are two shrubs whose berries feed birds and add beauty to the winter landscape. Learn about the most nutritious native plants from Dr. Susan Smith Pagano in the Native Berries for Birds session, sponsored by ABET, at WSA’s Native conference.
take action
Here are two ways WSA can help you turn knowledge into action:
Green with Ivy
Speaking of the native landscape, there’s no better time than winter to spot invasive vine covered trees! You might think all the other trees are green with envy, but take a closer look and you’ll see that English Ivy and other invasive vines are suffocating trees all around you.
Since it’s so easy to identify trees that need ivy removal, winter is the best time to take action against the vines that are destroying our canopy trees and forests. If you’re not sure where to begin, we’re here to help!
take action
Click here for a step-by-step guide on how to remove invasive vines.
Join a Save Our Trees event to learn and practice the skills you need to save the trees in your community!
Synchronous fireflies (Photinus carolinus) light up the night in Elkmont, TN. Photo by Radim Schreiber, fireflyexperience.org
Undercover Impact
Did you leave your leaves this fall? If so, they are decomposing now, adding nutrients back into your soil. Not only that, but they are providing crucial habitat for many species of fireflies - some of whom spend years in their larval stage hiding in the safe, warm leaf layer! Learn more here
What about your perennial seeds and stalks? If you let them bee, then pollinators and other beneficial insects are relying on them right now for shelter! Learn more about where they may be hiding here.
Don’t Be Too Salty
During the winter months salt is used to lower the freezing temperature of water and keep us safe from slipping on snow and ice. But it can also be harmful to fish, wildlife, and human health.
Take Action:
Learn more about local government salt use on the roadways, and get tips on how to reduce your own impact with these resources from the Bureau of Watershed Protection & Restoration.
Take the Izaak Walton League of America’s Salt Watch pledge to reduce use, share knowledge, and test salt levels in your local waterway.
