The Jewish Environmental Initiative (JEI), a committee of the Jewish Community Relations Council, will host a Feb. 24 event to educate members of the St. Louis Jewish community about native landscaping. The event is scheduled 7 p.m. in the Jewish Federation building, 12 Millstone Campus Drive.

Those in attendance will hear from Tracy Boaz, regional supervisor with the Missouri Department of Conservation Private Land Services Division. She will highlight ways to “go native” in yards and gardens. Boaz will elaborate on plants native to the St. Louis area and the benefits they offer. She will also explain the ways in which landscaping choices can function to preserve wildlife and enhance community health. Boaz will also provide vouchers for a free native plant from knowledgeable local Grow Native! nurseries for all in attendance. 

“Landscaping our yards with native plants allows us each to have a positive impact on the environment,” said JEI Chair Susan Mlynarczyk. “Native plant species promote the balance in our local ecosystem.”

The event is free and open to the community but RSVP requested to Gail Wechsler at 314-442-3894 or [email protected]. For more information on the event, visit http://bit.ly/JEI-Feb2016.