University of Mississippi
EN-12: Continuing Education

Fall 2017 Classes Notes: The courses below were offered to the community through the Division of Outreach and Continuing Education's Communiversity program. All courses below included themes of sustainability and conservation information. A Christmas Tree for the Birds Why not create a Christmas tree to support our feathered and furry friends using decorations you can easily make at home? Participants will learn to “decorate” trees outside, or create other forms of supplemental food and habitat so they can watch wildlife from their backyard all year long. Learn how (and why) to support habitat and vital nutrient sources for native wildlife through the winter in this exciting class, taught by Strawberry Plains Audubon Center Education Manager, Mitch Robinson. Spring 2018 Classes Four Centuries of a MS Landscape: Touring the Gardens, Campus and Restored Habitats of Strawberry Plains Audubon Center Mitch Robinson will present a historical narrative of the landscapes of North Mississippi, focusing on the peoples and land use history of Strawberry Plains Audubon Center. We will highlight the importance of Mississippi's native plants to biodiversity and ecological resilience, and how to incorporate these into your home landscapes, highlighting our Native Plant Nursery and Audubon’s Plants for Birds Database and Native Plant Initiative. The informational portion of this class will be followed by tours of our gardens and campus, including a covered wagon-ride through our 2,600 acre wildlife sanctuary, and our self-sustaining native habitats. Participants are invited to bring an optional sack lunch and stay to enjoy a relaxing picnic on the grounds. We will also discuss the recent completion of Phase II of a native planting on the Ole Miss Campus, funded by the UM Green Fund and led by Strawberry Plains with support from the Office of Sustainability, Dept. of Biology and Landscape Services. How to Create a Beautiful Hummingbird Garden With spring fast approaching, our migratory-feathered friends are returning, including the beloved Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Learn how you can attract and support hummers and other pollinators using native plants and habitat enhancements from Mitch Robinson at Strawberry Plains Audubon Center. We will discuss the importance of native plants as nectar sources for our wildlife, highlighting species fit for our region, as well as other ways you can support native wildlife in your own yard through SPAC’s Native Plant Nursery and Audubon’s Plants for Birds Database and Native Plant Initiative.