February General Meeting: Guest Speaker Chris Kingdon, "Problem Solving: How a Wildlife Garden Evolves"

If you have a garden, you likely have a 'problem area'. Perhaps it's 'too wet', constantly flooding in the spring thaw or after a heavy summer storm. Or perhaps it's 'too dry', with the soil turning to cracked concrete by July. Perhaps you have a steep hill or large tree roots that make mowing the lawn impossible. Or perhaps you dream of beautiful flowerbeds but are overrun by hungry rabbits, toads, or other wildlife that keep destroying your hard work. For the Kingdons, it was 'all of the above'. But what if rather than problems these were opportunities? A chance to work with nature rather than against it - to create a Wildlife Garden. Tonight's presentation will recap the five-year journey of Chris and Ona Kingdon's Certified Wildlife Habitat garden: from a blank lawn to the lush tapestry of colour and life it is today, and outline the many garden 'problems' they faced that led to great garden opportunities.

After working at Reptilia Zoo for 4 years and Toronto Wildlife Centre for another 3, Chris Kingdon observed, first-hand, the struggles wildlife face within the GTA. With a degree from the University of Guelph in Wildlife Biology & Conservation, and travels to the high arctic, the deserts of the southwest, the rainforests of Ecuador, and across the UK, Chris identified habitat as a key thread for wildlife everywhere; particularly the importance of habitat to biodiversity, and alarming destruction and fragmentation due to human sprawl. And so he began to dream of an interconnected network of wildlife gardens across southern Ontario to provide safe passage and sanctuary for all the wonderful creatures that call this land their home. Gardens that blend habitat with traditional garden design ideas resulting in creation of beautiful spaces for humans and wildlife to co-exist and bloom together.



Members: Instructions for participation in this virtual and in-person event will be emailed to members twice - once on the Friday prior to the meeting, and again on Monday. Instructions are also available by logging into our site and checking the "members-only" version of this event. 

Visitors: Guests are welcome to participate in this virtual and in-person event at a nominal fee of $5.00 Instructions for participation will be emailed to non-society members who complete the registration process prior to the event start time.

About In-Person Attendance at the McConaghy Centre: 

• Doors to the auditorium open at 7:00 pm 
• The meeting begins promptly at 7:30 pm (earlier than usual)
• Please bring a mug or cup if you would like hot coffee or tea
• All attendees are encouraged to register online for inclusion in door prize draws
• Masks are not required, but are encouraged