The Northern Neck Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society is offering a free and open to the public virtual (Zoom) meeting to be held on Thursday, April 15th at 7:00 pm in the comfort of your own home.  The Zoom info is shown below.

The Chapter will have a presentation entitled “A Milkweed Safari -  Native Milkweeds & their Wildlife” by Alonso Abugattas of Arlington, VA.  He will lead us through a number of Virginia species of milkweed (Asclepias - we have 13 species in VA) while discussing its biology and describing much of the wildlife that relies on this native as well as why many stay away from it.

Alonso is a well known metropolitan DC naturalist, environmental educator, and storyteller while earning a living as the Natural Resources Manager for Arlington County Parks, VA. He has been trained as a master gardener and was instrumental in helping to start and subsequently teach for two Virginia Master Naturalist chapters in Northern Virginia.  He is a co-founder of the Washington Area Butterfly Club, held several offices, including president, for the Potowmack Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society and authored a book on The Reptiles and Amphibians of the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. Most outstanding is his personal blog "Capital Naturalist" as well as his Facebook group Capital Naturalist which contains an immense amount of natural history information.  And he is just a great guy besides!

The presentation will also include the Chapter’s April Plant of the Month by NN VNPS Board member Betsy Washington which for April is the bright yellow flowered Marsh Marigold, one of our first harbingers of spring and common now at cabin Swamp in Hickory Hollow Natural Area Preserve.