Plant Natives Fair slated for March 15

The Warwick Valley Plant Natives Alliance will hold its the second annual Plant Natives Fair from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 15 in the Community Room at the Albert Wisner Public Library (1 McFarland Drive, Warwick). To register in advance, call the library (845-986-1047, ext. 4), go to albertwisnerlibrary.org/events, or visit the library in person.

The fair is free and open to native plant enthusiasts of all ages. Participants will meet volunteer groups that are working with native plants throughout Warwick. Presentations will showcase several projects scheduled for this spring, including presentations about:

• Pam Golben’s native plant nursery in Florida

• Expanding the new arboretum at Transformation Trails with new trees

• Planning the pollinator garden beside Mountain Lake Park’s pickleball courts

• Updates on the Monarch Village Project

The presentations will be followed by a question and answer session with all of the presenters, then a special guest, Michael McNamara, will give a showing of his documentary movie, “Monarch Butterflies: How to Attract and Breed, Guaranteed!”

The film documents a three-year experiment conducted by Fishkill Farms (an organic farm in Dutchess County) aimed at improving ways to attract and breed monarch butterflies. During the experiment, it was discovered that a simple flower-cultivation technique attracted far more egg-laying female monarchs to these plants in late July and August, resulting in a dramatic increase in migrating adult monarchs released by the farm. The movie includes many tips for making sure monarch-raising efforts are a success.

Michael J. McNamara is a life-long resident of the Hudson Valley and a renowned photojournalist. He and his family currently reside in Hopewell Junction, NY, down the road from Fishkill Farms. Samples of his photos and videos can be found at mcphotovideo.com.