Our April monthly Northern Neck Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant will be held on Thursday, April 18, at the Lancaster Community Library beginning at noon.  The topic is "Protecting Your Shoreline with Native Plants" being presented by Carol Martin, a certified Virginia Master Gardener, and a board member of our NNVNPS Chapter. Carol has spent part of every year of her life on the Northern Neck and moved here full-time five years ago. Her interest in shoreline protection has been honed by years of observation such that she immediately became trained by the Northen Neck Master Gardeners in the Shoreline Evaluation Program.  The Master Gardeners Shoreline Evaluation Program helps property owners with issues or problems by providing personalized property reports focused on keeping our shorelines healthy for the property owner as well as the rivers and bay, fauna, and flora.

Carol has been keenly involved in all aspects of shoreline protection and with her focus on native plants, our rivers and bay are all the better. "Native plants are essential in protecting our shorelines and nearshore waters from erosion due to stormwater runoff and wave action", said Carol.  “I keep very busy with my volunteer work for Master Gardeners and always love spending time on the water especially when I can view the rewards of our Master Gardeners Shoreline Evaluation projects.” When drawn away from her landscaping and gardening activities in the winter, she enjoys sewing, knitting and needlecrafts.

The program will follow a brief presentation of the April Plant of the Month, Lyre-leaf Sage. Feel free to bring a brown bag lunch and socialize with fellow plant lovers beforehand. For any questions, please email nnvnps@gmail.com.