(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Ornithologists’ Union is celebrating its 100th anniversary at its spring meeting which opens today (Friday). There are nearly 400 members in the group, which promotes interests in the identification, study and protection of birds in the state. Union president Dennis Thompson says one of the things the group is most proud of in its century of history is putting out the quarterly magazine called Iowa Bird Life.  “That talks about sightings that have occurred during a season, spring, summer, fall and winter,” Thompson says. “We also have articles about birds in Iowa, and so that’s kind of our scientific purpose, if you will, to publish that journal.”

Thompson says there will be speakers at this weekend’s events along with several field trips for bird watching.

“One’s going down into Madison County,” Thompson says. “We have one going to Walnut Woods and Browns Woods, another’s going into Chautauqua area in northeast Polk County, and I’m leading one to Easter Lake and Yellow Banks Park.” He says birders of all levels are welcome to attend. The spring meeting is taking place in West Des Moines.

(by Catherine Wheeler, Iowa Public Radio)

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Master Gardeners will host their annual Spring Plant Sale, on May 13th. Kate Olson, Cass County Extension Director, says the event – which takes place on the Cass County Fairgrounds – promises to have a wide variety of perennials available for gardeners looking to update their landscape this year, as well as lawn tools, décor and plants for food gardening.

The sale begins at 8-a.m., on May 13th, and will be held in the front parking lot of the Cass County Community Center on the fairgrounds at 805 W 10th Street in Atlantic. Interested gardeners are encouraged to arrive early for best plant selection, as the annual spring and fall sales occasionally sell out before 10 AM.  The sale will be open to the public to purchase divided perennials suitable for spring planting, as well as a variety of donated garden tools, books and decor. All items will be sold for a free will offering, with all proceeds from the plant sale used to support Master Gardener scholarships and community grants, as well as projects around the county.

For the annual spring sale, Cass County Master Gardeners will be bringing a variety of perennial and annual plants from their own gardens, as well as plants dug from gardens in the local area. Plants currently expected to be on the sale include several varieties of hostas, daylilies, sedum, salvia, penstemon, turtlehead, and irises; with more expected to be added as the sale approaches. Community members are also welcome to donate plants to this event, and members may even help you dig! If you are dividing perennials in your yard this spring and have extra plants to donate, please call in advance and make arrangements to drop off donated plants before the date of the plant sale.

A special offering at this year’s plant sale will be a partnership with the Atlantic FFA to offer food plants and started annuals for sale. Plants will include several varieties of bell peppers, jalapenos, and tomatoes, in addition to garlic, basil, peppermint, cilantro, oregano and onions. Flowering plants will include Marigolds, Zinnias, Coneflowers and 4 varieties of Wave Petunias. This is the first year the students will offer plants for sale, after the recent addition of a new greenhouse at the high school. All FFA plants will be sold at a separate booth and individually priced. Information will also be available on student plant sales from other Cass County FFA chapters.

An informational table will be set up on other gardening partnerships and projects, including growing and donating produce through the Grow Another Row partnership on growing, harvesting and donating extra produce to local pantries and other organizations, to ensure all residents have access to fresh, tasty and local produce throughout the growing season! Details about upcoming Master Gardener activities- including the annual bus tour in early June, and a new local garden tour at the end of June, will also be available at the plant sale. The Cass County Master Gardeners hold annual plant sales twice a year, on the second Saturdays of May and September, to raise funds for projects and scholarship funds and to share gardening information with the public. Mark your calendars now for the fall sale on September 9!

For more information about the plant sale and other Master Gardener activities in Cass County, please call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, or email Cass County Extension Director and Master Gardener Coordinator Kate Olson at keolson@iastate.edu.  In addition, you are invited to follow the Cass County Master Gardeners at their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CassCoMG to keep up with local events and tips for gardening and learn more about the Master Gardener program in Iowa!