Friday, October 28 – Saturday, October 29

Alliance, OH – Beech Creek Gardens

Tired of not having anyone to talk to?  Come and enjoy a day discussing ideas, suggestions & questions with fellow butterfly farmers.  Bring lots of pictures of your facility.  Come see Jim’s facility, how he operates, what works for him & how you can utilize it at your location. 

Optional Sunday Field Trip – Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in Akron, OH.  About a 50-minute drive from the Holiday Inn, Alliance.  Guided tour.  $14.25 per person (included in the field trip registration option).  Minimum of 10 attending.  If we don’t meet the minimum, we will either cancel or discuss with individual who registered what we’d like to do.

Other things to do in Akron are the Akron Zoo, Seiberling Nature Realm, or Pro Football Hall of Fame.

If you are looking for a place to book a room,  Holiday Inn, 2341 West State St., Alliance, OH 44601 was recommended. 

About Beech Creek Gardens

Beech Creek Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve (aka Beech Creek Gardens) is a 182 acre facility located just outside of Alliance, Ohio.  The young, growing facility was started in 1999.

Beech Creek’s focus is on education and interactive experiences with nature, with and emphasis on family and children’s activities.

Some of the features include:

Four walking trails ranging from ¼ to 1 mile.

The Beech Creek Butterfly House and Caterpillar Nursery, a seasonal native butterfly exhibit.

A Visitor Center/Nature Store

The Amazing Garden, a greenhouse that has educational exhibits, turtles, reptiles, macaws and more.

The Secret Garden, an outdoor wedding/event area.

The Wild Wonders exhibit, a wildlife sanctuary run by partner Raptor Hallow Sanctuary that features owls, hawks, vultures, two bald eagles, two silver foxes and more.

Nature Playce, a one acre nature play area.

The Logs of Fun playground.

Several flower gardens.

You can learn more at beechcreekgardens.org

About Jim Nero

One of Jim’s family’s favorite activities was visiting butterfly exhibits.  In 2007 when a local nature center start-up was seeking a grant to build a native butterfly house, he volunteered to lead the planning and building of the facility.  For the last fourteen years, he has managed the Beech Creek Butterfly House with help from his daughter, Rose.

Jim is interested in all aspects of nature and is involved with several other projects at Beech Creek Gardens including the chickadee hand feeding program and trail construction and maintenance. He is presently helping with designing and building an aviary.

A retired engineer, he is an Ohio Certified Nursery Technician, an Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist, and a former Master Gardener Volunteer.  He is the author of the booklet Butterflies & Blooms of Beech Creek.

Fees

$25 per person Professional member

$39.25 per person Professional member WITH Field Trip

$40 per person nonmembers

$54.25 per person WITH Field Trip

Agenda

Friday, October 28^th  6 PM – optional – Meet at restaurant (to be determined) for a meet and greet time.  Fee does not cover this. 

Saturday, October 29^th 9 AM –  Meet at Beech Creek, 11929 Beech St NE, Alliance, OH 44601.  Lunch included.  Ending will be 4:30/5:00pm with an optional meeting at a local restaurant (not included in fee)

Sunday, October 30^th –  Optional Field Trip to Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in Akron, OH.