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Image for event: Incorporating Native Plants for Biodiversity

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Incorporating Native Plants for Biodiversity

Part I: Understanding Native and Non-Native Plants

2025-04-26 11:00:00 2025-04-26 12:30:00 America/New_York Incorporating Native Plants for Biodiversity Janet Entwistle will give a seminar on practical ways to enhance our local ecosystem through planting native plants and following supportive maintenance routines. Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library - Large Meeting Room

Saturday, April 26
11:00am - 12:30pm

Add to Calendar 2025-04-26 11:00:00 2025-04-26 12:30:00 America/New_York Incorporating Native Plants for Biodiversity Janet Entwistle will give a seminar on practical ways to enhance our local ecosystem through planting native plants and following supportive maintenance routines. Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library - Large Meeting Room

Janet Entwistle will give a seminar on practical ways to enhance our local ecosystem through planting native plants and following supportive maintenance routines.

Janet Entwistle will give a seminar on practical ways to enhance our local ecosystem through planting native plants and following supportive maintenance routines.

Do you want to know why it is important to incorporate more native plants into your garden? Do you want to learn how to do this in a practical and affordable way? Are there gardening practices that you can include in your fall clean up routine that will help facilitate a healthy local ecosystem?

In this talk, Janet will touch on the following topics:

  • Why is it important to help protect biodiversity in our own backyards?
  • How does incorporating more native plants protect local ecosystems?
  • Are all non-native plants jeopardizing the local ecosystem?
  • Do I have to revamp my entire garden in order to sustain local wildlife?
  • How should I approach fall clean up to encourage a healthy local ecosystem?
  • Where can I find more information?

Janet says, "all my life I have been a gardener. But after I retired from the World Bank, I enrolled in a Master Gardener program where all that I had previously read and experimented with in my own garden crystallized. I came to realize the importance of planting native plants to maintain biodiverse local ecosystems and contribute to global biodiversity and a healthy planet. I am now in the process of (slowly) converting my own garden to incorporate more native plants, modernizing other outdated but familiar gardening practices, and using the knowledge I gained in the Master Gardener program and my practical experience to help others in the community do the same thing.”

There will be a follow up session on Thursday, May 1 at 6 PM on selecting the right native plants for your garden. 

This event is made possible through a partnership with the Alexandria Beautification Commission.

Alexandria Beautification Commission

The Alexandria Beautification Commission (ABC) was established by the City to advise City Council and citizens on all matters related to City beautification. Our goals are to:

Inspire beautification through an Awards program,
Promote environmental sustainability through collaboration and engagement with City Council, City staff, and private organizations, and
Educate local community on beautification & sustainability best practices.
Contact ssevern@alexlibraryva.org for more information.

Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library

dprice@alexlibraryva.org
Phone: 703.746.1702
Fax: 703.746.1763
Branch manager
Diana Price

Hours
We're closed Monday September 01 due to Labor Day
Mon, Sep 01 Closed
(Labor Day)
Tue, Sep 02 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Wed, Sep 03 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Thu, Sep 04 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Fri, Sep 05 10:00AM to 5:00PM
Sat, Sep 06 10:00AM to 5:00PM
Sun, Sep 07 1:00PM to 5:00PM

About the branch

Parking: The library has a large parking lot with 175 spaces.

Public Transit:

  • Metrorail: King Street Station (Yellow & Blue Lines 3.2 miles); Van Dorn Station (Blue Line 2.1 miles)
  • Metrobus: F23, F24, A28
  • DASH Bus: 30, 32

For reasonable disability accommodation, contact jgregorio@alexlibraryva.org or call 703.746.1701 or TTY 703.746.1790.

Upcoming Events

Sat, Sep 06, 10:00am - 4:45pm
Use the library's board and card games while hanging out in the youth services area!

Sun, Sep 07, 1:00pm - 4:30pm
Small Conference Room
This is a twice-monthly forum for writers to work on drafts, network, and share moral support. Meets first and third Sundays. All are welcome!

Mon, Sep 08, 10:30am - 11:00am
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden
Children love to be outdoors! Join us in Beatley Central Library's beautiful outdoor Reading Garden for stories, songs and movement. Ages 0-5 with an adult.

Mon, Sep 08, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Large Meeting Room
Ages 12-18. Develop tools and skills to create, market, and sell your original artwork in this 10-week series.

Mon, Sep 08, 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Small Conference Room
This volunteer-led workshop provides a space for intermediate speakers to practice English and build confidence. No registration required. No certificates of completion are issued.

Tue, Sep 09, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Large Meeting Room
Beginning English practice for English language learners. No registration needed or prior level of English. These workshops are led by volunteers and do not include certificates of completion.

Tue, Sep 09, 10:30am - 11:15am
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden
Meet your old friends and make new friends at an unstructured, outdoor playtime in the library's Reading Garden! Toys will be supplied. Ages 0-5 with an adult.

Tue, Sep 09, 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Story Room
Build with Lego, make art, play games, and more! Ages 5-12. Kids under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.

Tue, Sep 09, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Large Meeting Room
PRESUPUESTOS Y METAS FINANCIERAS

Tue, Sep 09, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Attention all handcrafters! Join us to share what you are working on, see what others are creating, and just chat while we craft together!Register

Wed, Sep 10, 10:30am - 11:05am
Join us for stories, songs, and activities for your active, growing little ones! Ages 1-2

Wed, Sep 10, 11:30am - 12:05pm
Join us for stories, songs, and activities for your active, growing little ones! Ages 1-2

Wed, Sep 10, 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Small Conference Room
This volunteer-led workshop provides a space for intermediate speakers to practice English and build confidence. No registration required. No certificates of completion are issued.

Wed, Sep 10, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Story Room
Zenkis are hand sewn plushies packed with personality. Get creative! All supplies will be provided.  For ages 8-18.

Thu, Sep 11, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Large Meeting Room
Beginning English practice for English language learners. No registration needed or prior level of English. These workshops are led by volunteers and do not include certificates of completion.

Thu, Sep 11, 1:15pm - 2:00pm
Baby storytime, plus opportunities to build relationships with other caretakers of young children! For ages 0-14 months, accompanied by an adult. 15 months and older, please attend 1s and 2s.

Thu, Sep 11, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Small Conference Room
Attention all handcrafters! Join us to share what you are working on, see what others are creating, and just chat while we craft together!

Thu, Sep 11, 4:00pm - 4:30pm
Large Meeting Room
Join Miss Amy for stories, songs, movement, and activities just right for preschool children. Ages 3-5 with adult.

Thu, Sep 11, 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden,Large Meeting Room
Join Jorge Banales as he gives instruction on the Yang Style 24 Movement Tai Chi form on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month. Free and open to the public.

Thu, Sep 11, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Auditorium
Join us at the Nannie J. Lee Rec Center as as bestselling author Emily Rath discusses the latest title in her Jacksonville Rays series with fellow authors Chip Pons & Ruby Rana! CODE: ALXLIBRARY29802 Register

Thu, Sep 11, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Story Room
Drop in and play with our coding board games, card games, toys, and robots -- and check out some of our coding books for kids! Ages 6-12.

Sat, Sep 13, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Play with the Library’s selection of tabletop games. (Ages 5-18) Echa un vistazo a la selección de juegos de mesa de la Biblioteca. (De 5 a 18 años) Área infantil de Beatley Library

Mon, Sep 15, 10:30am - 11:00am
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden
Children love to be outdoors! Join us in Beatley Central Library's beautiful outdoor Reading Garden for stories, songs and movement. Ages 0-5 with an adult.

Tue, Sep 16, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Large Meeting Room
Beginning English practice for English language learners. No registration needed or prior level of English. These workshops are led by volunteers and do not include certificates of completion.

Tue, Sep 16, 10:30am - 11:15am
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden
Meet your old friends and make new friends at an unstructured, outdoor playtime in the library's Reading Garden! Toys will be supplied. Ages 0-5 with an adult.

Tue, Sep 16, 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Story Room
Build with Lego, make art, play games, and more! Ages 5-12. Kids under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.

Tue, Sep 16, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Large Meeting Room
PRESUPUESTOS (2NDA PARTE) y CONTROLR DE DEUDAS

Tue, Sep 16, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Attention all handcrafters! Join us to share what you are working on, see what others are creating, and just chat while we craft together!Register