The Holden Beach Beautification Club welcomed Mary Ellen Rogers of Sea Biscuit Wildlife Shelter to our March meeting.  Mary Ellen brought education pelicans Tim and Tessa for us to admire.  Mary Ellen shared information about our resident pelican population, what hazards they face and why they end up at the shelter, as well as information about the other local birds she cares for.  The shelter is currently located on Oak Island and treats 500 birds annually.   Members brought supplies needed by the shelter such as detergent and trash bags.

Thanks to our Hostesses Diana Hadesty (Chair), Sharon Butler, Jane Ivey, Sandy McClellan, and Tracey Thomas who provided snacks and drinks.

We are sad to report that our April meeting has been canceled.  We have also been forced to cancel our annual Plant Sale, which is the club’s largest fundraiser.  We are however still accepting Sponsorships for 20-21.  HBBC Members:  If you took a sponsorship packet please follow up on it.  Since we lost the Plant Sale, Sponsors are more important than ever!  If your business would like to be a Sponsor let us know!   You can see last year’s sponsors here.  Information about becoming an HBBC Sponsor is here.  This is very low-cost advertising ($75) that lasts a year!

Secretary Denise Mirandola presents new member Sharon Wingate with a welcome gift.

The Holden Beach Beautification Club will meet Wednesday, March 11 at 1:00PM at the EOC building.  Note the change in venue!

How many times have you been walking on the beach and come across an ill or injured bird?  You hate to leave it, but what do you do?

Our March speaker will be Mary Ellen Rogers of Sea Biscuit Wildlife Shelter.  The Sea Biscuit Wildlife Shelter at Oak Island cares for injured or orphaned wild birds. They provide minimum medical care, safety from predators, food and shelter from the elements. When an animal can care for itself, it is released to the wild. They rescue, rehabilitate, and release only wild birds.  If a bird cannot be released to the wild, a home at a zoo or educational facility is found. They care for more than 350 birds annually.

Mary Ellen Rogers came to Oak Island in 2005 with experience at a Bird of Prey Center in SC.  She saw the need for a shelter and through donations and grants has expanded this facility.  Mary Ellen will have a slide show and bring a bird to admire.

We will be collecting donations to support Sea Biscuit Wildlife Shelter at the meeting.   The shelter needs kitchen garbage bags, gallon and quart size ziplock bags, file folders, printer paper, and other items.

Our Hostesses will be Diana Hadesty (Chair), Sharon Butler, Jane Ivey, Sandy McClellan, and Tracey Thomas.

Everyone is welcome to attend our meetings, you do not need to be a member!  Come hear about bird rehabilitation and the Sea Biscuit Wildlife Shelter.  Next time you come across an injured bird on the beach you will know who to call!

Genevieve Joseph and Michelle Ly of the Nature Conservancy

The Holden Beach Beautification Club met last Wednesday and heard a presentation from Michelle Ly and Genevieve Joseph of The Nature Conservancy.  Michelle and Genevieve focused on the Green Swamp and Black River.  We live in a biodiversity hotspot. The Green Swamp has 14 species of carnivorous plants and 18 species of wild orchids.  The Black River is home to ancient Bald Cypresses – one was recently found to be 2624 years old.  The Nature Conservancy works to protect these sensitive areas that hold unique and important species by purchasing the land and maintaining it as nature would have.

During the business part of the meeting, First VP Julia Anderson discussed the current Sponsorship drive.  Members signed up to contact local businesses for their sponsorship.  Cecelia Watson agreed to chair a committee to refurbish the mural across from Town Hall.  There will be a workday in the gardens April 2, and spring plants will arrive April 17.  Planting this spring will be April 17 and 18.  Kate Felmly reported on the Plant Sale and reminded everyone that they need to contribute five plants to the sale.  New this year, members will be able to buy plants after setting up on Thursday.  Extra flowers have been ordered for this including the “Supertunias” which were used in the gardens last summer.  Our hostesses for the meeting were Ann Landis, Peggy Schiavone, Carol Ann Lohman, and Gayle Todd with Helen Miller and Carol Gardner contributing.

Our next meeting is March 11 and the speaker will be from Sea Biscuit Wildlife Shelter.  They will be bringing one of their feathered ambassadors for us to meet.  At the meeting we will be collecting needed supplies: tall kitchen trash bags, unscented laundry detergent, gallon, and 2.5-gallon size Ziplock bags, Gerber chicken baby food, copy paper, file folders, and long envelopes.  Make plans to join us at the meeting, everyone is welcome, you don’t need to be a member! 

Hostesses Gayle Todd, Peggy Schiavone, Ann Landis (chair) and Carol Ann Lohman. Not Pictured Helen Miller and Carol Gardner.

New member Kat Decker, Becky Greene, New Member Patty Marshall, Tawanna DeAngeles and Secretary Denise Mirandola. Not pictured: New Member Tia Hegarty.

The Holden Beach Beautification Club will meet Wednesday, February 12, at 1:00pm.  Join us as we learn about Swamp Culture from Michelle Ly of The Nature Conservancy.

NOTE:  This meeting will be at Town Hall.  The Chapel is undergoing renovations.

We always talk about touring the Green Swamp but no one wants to go traipsing into long grass and bogs with bugs and other critters, not to mention the heat. The Green Swamp contains some of the country’s finest examples of longleaf pine savannas, pocosin soils, 14 different species of insectivorous plants and is home to many rare animals.

Michelle Ly will educate us about Swamp Culture and give us a picture of what we might see.  While she does this, we can remain cool and comfortable.

Hostesses: Ann Landis (Chair), Peggy Schiavone, Carol Gardner, Gayle Todd, Carol Ann Lohman.

Everyone is welcomed to attend our meetings.  Come grab a cookie and learn about Swamp Culture!

The Holden Beach Beautification Club learned about the fascinating art of kokadama at our January meeting.  Kokadama is loosely translated from Japanese to mean “moss ball”.  Sherry Godfrey brought beautiful examples of these “moss balls” and constructed two while we watched.  To make the kokodamas the soil around the plant’s roots is packed with a layer of peat moss.  Sheet moss is then wrapped around the root ball and secured with string to form a compact sphere shape.  Sherry waters the plant by submerging the ball in her sink when it feels light.

Hostesses for the meeting were Vicki Myers, Becky Green, Janet Carter, and JoAnne Burke.

Our next meeting will be February 12 when our speaker will be Michelle Ly of The Nature Conservancy on Swamp Culture.  Michelle will take us on a tour of the amazing Green Swamp from the comfort of our meeting room!  Mark your calendar and join us!

Hostesses Vicki Myers, Becky Greene and Janet Carter. Not pictured: JoAnne Burke.

Second Vice President Marlene Barz presents speaker Sherry Godfrey with a gift from the Club.

The Club welcomed two new members at the meeting. Secretary Denise Mirandola presented Kim Keech and Pat Kwiatkowski with welcome gifts as Dolly Mitchell looks on.

Join the Holden Beach Beautification Club for a lesson on Kokedama.  Everyone is welcome to attend, Wednesday, January 8, at 1:00, at the Holden Beach Chapel.

Sherry Godfrey is an award-winning designer of Kokedama Art.  Kokedama Art is a style of Japanese bonsai where a plant’s root system is simply wrapped in sphagnum moss and bound with string, transforming it into a sculptural art form. In Japanese koko means moss and dama means ball. It is sometimes called the Poor Man’s Bonsai or just a mossy root ball. Some plants used are various small ferns, pothos, peace lilies, etc. They can be decorated with colored string and other small items.  Sherry will demonstrate the construction of these balls.

Hope to see you at the meeting!

The Holden Beach Beautification Club chooses the yard with the best and or unique holiday decorations for the December Yard of the Month. This year we chose the home of Regina and Joe York of Greensboro Street for the December Yard of Month. They chose a Christmas tree farm theme. The yard has multiple brightly lit trees, a gingerbread house, snowmen, Santa and sleigh, and a big and bright Star of Bethlehem.  They want all the children to come by for a candy cane when they are “visiting the farm”. Congratulations Gina and Joe!
Happy New Year to all from HBBC!