Today we’d like to introduce you to Judie Lincer.
Judie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
About 4 years ago, I got involved with CNPS-SD by attending their General meetings in Balboa Park. These meetings feature Natives for Novices and speakers who cover a wide variety of topics about native plants, the importance of conservation of native habitats for the benefit of wildlife, beauty and the planet in general. I also became active in the CNPS-Garden Committee which works on planning Native Garden Workshops, annual Native Plant Sales and an annual Native Plant Tour that rotates in different areas of the county. The committee members also are involved in other planting projects around the county. In 2016 our pool to pond conversion and native plant gardens were featured on the Native Garden Tour and we had over 300 people visit our home which we call “Little Pond, La Mesa.” It is a lovely habitat that has a variety of aquatic plants, 6 species of fish, turtles and lots of bird visitors.
We have had great white egrets, osprey and great blue herons all stopping by showing interest in the fish as part of their food chain. There have been hatchings of hundreds of dragonflies and damsel flies, bats swooping down to chow down on insects in the evening and constant song bird visitors. We recently have become successful at aquaponics and have started harvesting watercress that we grow in our vegetation filters. These filters that my husband Jeff helped to create, absorb the nutrients in the pond, which help to naturally clean the pond water and provide beautiful habitat and a fresh water source for wildlife. Turning our pool into a pond has increased our backyard enjoyment exponentially! We also installed about 2000 gallons of water catchment containers that we use to store water for filling the pond and for watering plants. Our granddaughter, Aubrey, painted them to match our pond theme. Natives are low water plants and having the pond (vs. a pool) allows us to save water so this fits in well with the sustainable lifestyle we lead.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
This has been a wonderful journey, doing what I love and loving what I do. I am working with very knowledgeable people, learning a great deal and having fun along the way. The native plant community is tight knit and are very passionate about the importance of preserving and planting natives.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about California Native Plant Society-San Diego (CNPS-SD) – what should we know?
As I became more interested and actively involved in CNPS-SD, I then began to take on some fun and interesting projects such as coordinating workshops and am currently working as the Native Garden 2018 Tour Director and Winter Workshop Director. The workshop will be on February 10th at San Diego Botanic Garden and will cover topics such as how to propagate, plant and irrigate natives, how to install barn owl and kestrel boxes for natural rodent control, how to use other types of gopher traps to avoid use of poisons, a native plant preserve tour and more. Our Native Plant Tour will be on April 14th and 15 and will be in the North County area (Encinitas, Carlsbad,. Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos & Escondido.) It has been a very busy Fall doing all this planning! I am most proud of the impacts that CNPS makes on educating people about the importance of native plants and how we can help the environment by protecting land. Also, spreading the word about how using native plants in gardens can be both beneficial for wildlife and beautiful at the same time.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I joke that what I don’t have in knowledge, I make up for in enthusiasm! It is easily apparent for anyone to see that I love what I do. Recently, I called a garden owner to see if he would be interested in having some members of the Garden Committee come by to view his native garden and see if it would be a good fit for our Garden Tour in April. They were not home so I left a message. The owner later called back and said, “After listening to your message, how could I say no to you? You sounded so passionate, excited and enthusiastic. Of course, you can see our garden!” My personal and professional motto is “Be Positive, Be Flexible and Maintain your sense of humor.” That goes a long way in life!
Pricing:
- The California Native Plant Society-San Diego Chapter Garden Tour will be in North County and is April 14th and 15th. Tickets are $25 online, $30 at the door and are good for admission on both days. Tickets available at cnpssd18.bpt.me
Contact Info:
- Website: cnpssd.org
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: facebook.com/cnpssd
Image Credit:
Bill Newell
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
