Free Gardening Class: Bluebirds

The Master Gardeners of Hamilton County (MGHC), in association with the University of Tennessee Extension, present their series of free monthly gardening classes open to the public during 2020. On Saturday, February 15, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, the topic will be “Bluebirds in Your Backyard,” presented by Master Gardener Carlton Mathes. MGHC classes take place in the ground floor meeting room at the UT Extension, Agricultural Service Center, 6183 Adamson Circle, located off Bonny Oaks Drive. For additional information and to register for the class, visit http://mghc.org/education-committee-classes/.

Master Gardener Carlton Mathes has been passionate about Eastern bluebirds over 20 years ago first through observing their behavior in his own backyard followed by building bluebird houses. In this class, he will outline the three elements necessary to attract bluebirds in any backyard: food, water and shelter. He will also provide factual information about bluebird behavior, including family groupings, nesting habits, the number of broods per season, and what kind of food they need at different times of year. In addition, he will demonstrate how to build and maintain bluebird houses, along with how to place them in a backyard location that will provide maximum protection for the birds, as well as the opportunity to observe their behavior. Carlton notes, “I hope people will leave encouraged to spend time watching the events that play out in their backyard and enjoy nature’s daily reality show.”

Celebrating 25 years of education and service in 2019, the Master Gardeners of Hamilton County (MGHC) is a non-profit, educational, volunteer organization that plays an important role in the civic life of Chattanooga and the surrounding area.