Natural Communities, LLC

Friends of the Forest Preserves of Cook County are conducting a campaign again right now and they about $1,500 away from our first 4x match for the first $7,000 they raise. That means (sorry for being obvious here if it already makes sense to you) a $500 donation results in $2,000(!) total in support of our adult Conservation Corps program that provides people with essential job skills and training for future careers. Please make a donation today if you can at https://lnkd.in/gx3XDkxe.

We turned 10 today! 65% of businesses fail by their 10th year. We want to thank you for sticking with us and nature! Together we have been able to get tens of thousands of native plants back into the environment, thousands of acres of native seed back on the landscape, tens of thousands of dollars donated to nature. Thank you for making this possible.

Hey Y'all, we have too many healthy Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed) plants so we are offering a discount. Take advantage of our 20% wholesale discount. Plants are $1.28 each or flats are $64 (originally $80). Email us at wholesale@naturalcommunities.net. We can ship via UPS, Speedee delivery, LTL and truck delivery. Get these beauties out in the field so we can save some monarchs!

This is very exciting news! 985 Acres Added to Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge! https://lnkd.in/gV6DraU4

Just a reminder that right now is a perfect time to be installing your native seed to get the best results. Check out the article below for more details. If you have any questions we are here to help. We have free phone consultations for wholesale customers. Check out the bottom of the article for a link for the free wholesale consultation.😁 https://lnkd.in/gCG5udRN

join us this Thursday

Join us!!! The McHenry County College (MCC) Center for Agrarian Learning and University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners are teaming up to bring the first ever Great Seed Event to McHenry County, Saturday, February 3 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the MCC Café/Commons (B177). Event attendees can pick up native plant, vegetable, herb, and flower seeds (at no cost to them); attend seed-related demonstrations every half-hour (including how to save seeds, grow loofahs, and more); meet with various seed and supply vendors; and learn about garden resources. For those who already save seeds at home, there will also be a seed swap organized by McHenry County Plantings at 10 a.m. “Growing plants from seed—whether it is a vegetable, herb, flower or native plant—saves money and is fun and fulfilling,” said Emily Zack of the Center from Agrarian Learning at MCC. “This event can help home growers get started with lots of experts to answer questions and free seeds to take home and try. With demos and presentations throughout the day, plus vendors and non-profits sharing tips and products, this is a great way to start your seed growing journey. Whether you are new to seed saving and growing or have been doing it for years, this is the place to meet up with others who have a passion for growing.” The event is open to the public and free to attend. Registration is encouraged but not required. Register at: https://lnkd.in/gjvD3JD5. Those interested in becoming a vendor or hosting a non-profit table can sign up at https://lnkd.in/gjvD3JD5. Vendors must be seed-related (selling seeds, seed-starting equipment, providing information about seeds/plants, etc.). 6-ft. vendor tables are $50 and a non-profit table is $25. The vendor registration deadline is January 26. The event is sponsored by Ball Seed, the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County, Platt Hill Nursery, and Natural Communities, LLC. Seeds and goods have been donated by Ball Seeds, True Leaf Market, Prairie Moon Nursery, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Victory Seed Company, Cornucopia Seeds, and Eden Brothers. For questions, contact Emily Zack at (815) 479-7563 or email ezack@mchenry.edu. 

A glimmer of nature hope 🤞 in a constant stream of gloom *insert the price is right losing horn sound fx here* crazy interesting 🤔 makes me think of the mighty oaks in our 🔥🔥 dependant ecosystem. "Based on the age and mass of the trees and their normal rate of photosynthesis, Peltier calculated that the redwoods were calling on carbohydrates photosynthesized nearly 6 decades ago—several hundred kilograms’ worth—to help the sprouts grow. “They allow these trees to be really fire-resilient because they have this big pool of old reserves to draw on,” Peltier says." "Peltier and colleagues found that many of the buds, some of which had sprouted, extended back as much as 1000 years." https://lnkd.in/gZS39teV

https://lnkd.in/ghCxJvYx