News

Dalton State to Host Talk on Creating a Homegrown Park

01/15/22

A yard can be more than just a place for children and pets to play and explore. It can also be a place that natural wildlife, such as birds, bees and butterflies, can thrive. 

Ann Brown, a retired librarian with a life-long interest in gardening and wildlife conservation, has converted her own lawn into a chemical-free, native plant environment for the animals and insects that are attracted to it. Brown will be presenting her topic “Creating Your Own National Park,” Thursday, January 20 at 7 p.m. at the second-floor seating area of the Derrell C. Roberts Library on the Dalton State main campus. Her talk is in support of Douglas Tallamy’s national movement to convert half of the 40 million acres of lawns in the U.S. into 20 million acres of thriving landscapes built from native plants. The talk is co-hosted with the library by the Dalton State School of Arts & Sciences and there is no charge for admission.

Brown has extensive experience from different committees and garden clubs to understand how to change a yard into a place that animals, insects and people can enjoy. She is co-chairwoman of the Bee City USA Committee for Lookout Mountain, GA and TN, a member of the Tennessee Valley Chapter of WildOnes and Master Gardeners of Hamilton County, and chairwoman for the Tennessee Federation of Garden Clubs. Brown also has worked with various garden clubs to create over three acres of habitat on Lookout Mountain and writes articles for the Mountain Mirror and The Volunteer Gardener. Her yard on the mountain is featured on the 2022 Master Gardeners’ Garden tour and she welcomes visitors.