Prior Events & Activities
Local Scout Troop
On our June 4th, 2016 Volunteer Work Day, we were joined by the young men, leaders, and parents of one of our local scout groups. They asked for a task that they could accomplish and accepted the opportunity to clean up the Fire Ring seating area. They removed several bushes, lots of weeds, pruned back brush over-growing the seating areas and performed a general clean-up. They worked independently and completed their task in a couple of hours. Their efforts benefited all visitors to the garden and improved the fire safety around the Fire Ring area. The young scouts enjoyed themselves and asked if they could return again to perform more tasks. Our response was a resounding, "Yes".
Grand Opening of the Children's Garden
Saturday May 7th, 2016 we held an Open House for the Grand Opening of the Children's Garden. A project two years in the planning, fund raising and development, our vision has been mostly realized. The official ribbon cutting was performed by County Supervisor Lynn Compton with the active members of the NNG present.
In addition the NNG received a Calfornia State Certificate of Recognition from the office of Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian, acknowledging the opening as well as the efforts of the NNG.
Following the Grand Opening Ceremony visitors were invited to enjoy the features of the Children's Garden including special events; Flamingo Ring Toss, Flower Hammering, The Sandbox, Plant a Vegetable to take home, and the Arts & Craft table.
Girls Scouts Celebrate Arbor Day in the Garden
Saturday April 30th, the young ladies from Nipomo Girl Scouts, appeared in the Nipomo Native Garden like lovely blossoms following the Spring rains. Sixteen members from Troops 230, 540, 554, 703, & 1014, along with their leaders and parents, arrived early in the morning with shovels, trowels, and young Coastal and Valley Oaks ready to plant. The Girl Scouts were there to participate in their chosen Community Service Project for Arbor Day, and what could be better than planting young oak trees in the Nipomo Native Garden.
The enthusiastic scouts were quickly organized by their leader Joyce Leavitt and under guidance from NNG President Larry Vierheilig, planting sites were chosen for each Oak tree. The scouts, with the assistance of their troop leaders and parents, quickly and skillfully planted each tree, which were then watered and flagged for drip irrigation installation at a future NNG work day.
Following the tree planting, the scouts returned to the fire pit seating area for snacks and an impromptu Q& A session, fielded by Larry Vierheilig and Greg Doudna, on the history of the Nipomo Native Garden and its numerous plants. After the snack break the Girl Scouts and their leaders broke up into smaller groups and explored the numerous trails and sites within the garden. Many of the plants were identified, animal burrows discovered, numerous birds spotted, and some had the opportunity to see rare native orchids, “Michael’s rein-orchid” , Piperia michaelii, preparing to bloom deep under the old oak canopy.
The members of the NNG committee were very pleased to host the Girls Scouts for the morning and want to give a big “thank you” to them for the new Oak trees planted within the garden. We were delighted to have the Girl Scouts spend their observance of Arbor Day with us in the garden and plant beautiful Oaks that will benefit current and future generations of visitors to the garden. It’s organizations like the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, who come to the garden each year to participate in community service activities, who will be responsible for the future successes in the garden.
Volunteers Add 250 Plants to Garden
On a Saturday morning in December over 30 residents of Nipomo responded to the Nipomo Native Garden committee’s call for volunteers to help plant approximately 250 Nipomo native plants in the garden. The volunteers included many recent immigrants to Nipomo, longtime residents and a group from the California Conservation Corps. The plants were grown by Environmental Seed Producers of Lompoc from cuttings of plants taken in the Nipomo Native Garden earlier this year. ESP is owned by Jack and Cynthia Bodger, Nipomo residents.
The volunteers found that planting was very easy this year as another volunteer, Phil Harwick, had previously used his tractor to till the planting area over the Thanksgiving weekend. That, followed by the heavy rains on the Friday morning, December 2nd, made for ideal soil conditions in which to place these new plants. The group managed to place all the plants in just over an hour, so many volunteers spent the rest of the three-hour work day mulching around the new plantings, cleaning and grading the soil around the newly built kiosks and pathway benches, and other general maintenance activities in the garden.
Homemade cookies and hot apple cider were provided by the Nipomo Native Garden committee. All the members of the NNG committee want to extend a “Big Thank You” to the volunteers who helped accomplish this annual planting event.
For those who haven’t visited the Nipomo Native Garden recently, many improvements and investments have occurred. Almost a mile of graded and compacted gravel trails have been installed. Three new information kiosks were built and 22 new benches have been installed on the pathways. Six large display cases are being built which will be installed in the kiosks. These display cases will contain information on local plants and animals, how to use native plants effectively in your landscaping, and other useful information on the plants and garden. New perimeter fencing will be installed sometime in 2006, and the NNG committee is working on additional funding grants to build a visitors and education building in the garden.
For more information on the Nipomo Native Garden or how you can volunteer in its maintenance and development, contact Greg Doudna by phone 929-6649 or e-mail at participate@nipomonativegarden.
