Wild One Events – Chapter and National

RESCHEDULED from 12/7 due to illness.

Lauren H is offering another seed starting workshop and the date is Saturday 1/4/25 9:30-11:30AM at her home in Derwood. She has the potting soil but needs fresh seed and clean water/milk gallon jugs.

Priority is given to those who were registered for the 12/7. Watch your mailbox for additional information on the event and to learn if there is space for additional attendees.

Please join the Wild Ones Nation's Capital Region chapter's Informal Garden Chat held the first Monday of each month from 7-8 pm ET via Zoom.

We'll be chatting about native plants - those in your garden, those out in the wild, or an article you read about natives - whatever fits into the general native plant category. Beginners welcome! Bring your stories, questions, or just sit back and listen.

The chats are open to the public. Chapter members will receive the Zoom link details from the chapter listserve.

Not a member, but want to attend? We'd love to have you! Fill out the contact us form at https://nationscapitalregion.wildones.org/contact-us/ to request the Zoom details.

Stay tuned for more information on the Panel.

Please join the Wild Ones Nation's Capital Region chapter's Informal Garden Chat held the first Monday of each month from 7-8 pm ET via Zoom

We'll be chatting about native plants - those in your garden, those out in the wild, or an article you read about natives - whatever fits into the general native plant category. Beginners welcome! Bring your stories, questions, or just sit back and listen.

The chats are open to the public. Chapter members will receive the Zoom link details from the chapter listserve.

Not a member, but want to attend? We'd love to have you! Fill out the contact us form at https://nationscapitalregion.wildones.org/contact-us/ to request the Zoom details.

Join us to hear from Carol Allen, a lively presenter and expert on Native Orchids from the University of Maryland

All are welcome to join this free virtual panel discussion exploring the vital roles of native, solitary, and honeybees in pollination and biodiversity. Featuring experts Sam Droege (USGS), Dave Hunter (Crown Bees), and Dr. Lora Morandin (Pollinator Partnership), this event will discuss into the challenges pollinators face, the balance between managed and wild bees, and actionable ways to support all pollinators.

Gain insights from over 90 years of combined experience and learn how to advocate for pollinator habitats through planting native species, participating in community science, and adopting responsible management practices.

Please join the Wild Ones Nation's Capital Region chapter's Informal Garden Chat held the first Monday of each month from 7-8 pm ET via Zoom

We'll be chatting about native plants - those in your garden, those out in the wild, or an article you read about natives - whatever fits into the general native plant category. Beginners welcome! Bring your stories, questions, or just sit back and listen.

The chats are open to the public. Chapter members will receive the Zoom link details from the chapter listserve.

Not a member, but want to attend? We'd love to have you! Fill out the contact us form at https://nationscapitalregion.wildones.org/contact-us/ to request the Zoom details.

Hear from Matt Partain --- expert from Glenstone on Converting to natives from lawn. Registration not required. Building is cold, dress appropriately.

Lots of time to interact with excellent speaker

Person brought many seeds to share.

This is the first in a new series of informal walks in nature.  We will use our field guides and phone apps to ID plants and share our knowledge among the group.  The idea is to get out in nature, discover native plants in the wild and to have fun!

In March at Carderock, we hope to find harbinger of spring, spice bush, spring beauties, cut-leaved toothwort, dutchman's breeches and perhaps shoots of mayapples and bluebells.  

Public gardens hold tremendous power to influence landscaping norms and inspire change. By showcasing the beauty, functionality, and ecological value of native plants, these spaces help foster biodiversity, advocate for sustainable practices, and engage communities in environmental stewardship. 

This webinar will explore how public and demonstration gardens serve as powerful tools for native plant advocacy. Attendees will learn how gardens move beyond aesthetics to spark action—turning appreciation into engagement and inspiring participants to replicate these practices in their own communities.

We will hear insights from Nicole Machuca, Environmental Social Scientist at the Field Museum, on how public gardens influence behaviors, foster stewardship, and connect people to conservation efforts through research and community engagement. The Wild Ones Capital Region NY and the Wild Ones San Diego (CA) Chapters will share their experiences building native plant demonstration gardens and how these spaces drive community engagement, education, and advocacy. And We'll finish with a conversation exploring how public gardens create a lasting impact beyond planting day moderated by Kelly Kapuzzi, Demonstration Garden Char with the Wild Ones Hocking Hills (OH) Chapter.

This is the second of our Chapter's new series of informal walks in nature.  Stay tuned for announcements of additional walks throughout our Chapter's area!    These walks will not be guided by an expert.  Instead. the group will use field guides and phone apps to identify plants and share information with each other.  The idea is to get out in nature, discover native plants growing in the wild and to have fun!

In late March at Violette's, we'll look for bluebells, spring beauties, woodland phlox, Solomon's Seal, golden ragwort, trillium, trout lilly and many more.  

Please join the Wild Ones Nation's Capital Region chapter's Informal Garden Chat held the first Monday of each month from 7-8 pm ET via Zoom

We'll be chatting about native plants - those in your garden, those out in the wild, or an article you read about natives - whatever fits into the general native plant category. Beginners welcome! Bring your stories, questions, or just sit back and listen.

The chats are open to the public. Chapter members will receive the Zoom link details from the chapter listserve.

Not a member, but want to attend? We'd love to have you! Fill out the contact us form at https://nationscapitalregion.wildones.org/contact-us/ to request the Zoom details.

Help Your Garden Bloom Wild This Spring!

 Bloom Wild Native Plant Sale 
 Sunday, April 13 | ⏰ 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
 7325 Carroll Avenue, Takoma Park, MD
 www.bloom-wild.com/plant-sales

Discover over 80 species of locally native plants, including hard-to-find spring ephemerals, a wide variety of groundcovers for all conditions, and even shrubs! We offer plenty of easy-to-grow favorites, plus a selection of affordable plugs starting at just $3-4 each.

All plants are responsibly sourced and 100% neonicotinoid-free, ensuring they are safe for pollinators and your garden’s ecosystem.

Come find the perfect plants to support wildlife and help your garden thrive naturally. 

Please note to change to day and time. This event is not accepting new participants at this time, but watch for any updates on the members only listserv.

Save the date for the Kensington Park Library's upcoming 3rd Annual Earth Day Garden Party.  There have been fun booths and plant giveaways in the past and we expect more of the same this year too! There are going to be a ton of great booths, speakers, storybook walks, and garden tours. This year, in addition to the Plant Swap, The Literary Garden will also be having a Garden Tools and Accessories Swap for the first time.

For the Plant and Garden Tools and Accessories Swap, I've got some great plants already collected and potted up (i'm especially excited for the Aralia spinosa I collected from a plant rescue last month!) with a bunch more species that are going to be added this week.  I also have a ton of great outdoor items burning a hole in my living room and front porch, that I know will be very happy in someone's garden!

This weekend is going to be a great time to clean out your unused garden supplies and divide extra plants in the garden to bring to the swaps.

Amazing donations have already been received from friends and neighbors to get the swap started including 3 working electric trimmers, a brand new Crate and Barrel ceramic planter, a next-to-new window bird feeder, unopened ceramic hanging planters, an electric lawn mower and (2) 55 gallon rain barrels.

It's a great opportunity to share extra plants, and to get rid of unused, new or gently used garden stuff and trade it in for something new (to you!)

Celebrate Earth Day with us.

Awareness of the many benefits of adding native plants to our landscapes has been growing significantly in recent years and this has resulted in native plants getting some attention by Maryland lawmakers.  Join us as Kirsten Hoffman and Judy Fulton share the details of recent legislation that promotes native plants by creating the Maryland Native Plants Program and legislation that strengthened Maryland's invasive plant laws.  Both bills are currently being implemented, and they will provide updates on new resources that these laws have made available and discuss what work is still to be done.  

Kirsten Hoffman is one of the founding members of the Maryland Native Plant Coalition which has written and passed two important pieces of state legislation: 2023’s HB950/SB836 creating the Maryland Native Plants Program and 2024’s HB979/SB915 strengthening Maryland’s invasive plant laws. She is a member of the Executive Board of the Green Towson Alliance and heads up their legislative affairs workgroup supporting efforts to improve Baltimore County’s environmental sustainability.  Kirsten is the treasurer for the Maryland Native Plant Society and recently became a Maryland Master Naturalist.  She is part of a Master Naturalist team working on a habitat restoration project at Cylburn Arboretum.  For the past three years, she has been a Blue Water Baltimore tree steward for her neighborhood and has helped residents select and plant over one hundred native trees. Kirsten is a registered architect in the state of Maryland and performs flute and piccolo with Flutopia Baltimore.

Judy Fulton, founder of EcoPlant Consulting, believes healthy ecosystems are crucial for human survival. She transforms places overrun by invasives into native landscapes, shares her knowledge via workshops and field trips, and serves as an expert in invasive plant litigation. Judy is Vice President of the Maryland Native Plant Society, and a member of the Maryland Invasive Species Council and the Board of the Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council. She has earned a Harvard MBA and three Maryland’s Top 100 Women awards from the Daily Record.

During recent Maryland legislative sessions, she was pleased to help write and pass the 2023 Maryland Native Plants Program (HB950/SB836) and the 2024 Maryland Invasive Plant bill (HB979/SB915). Her consulting, her co-authoring Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas, Field Guide, and her lead role in creating the Mid-Atlantic Invaders Tool, an online guide to more than 900 invasive species, have positioned Judy as a sought-after advisor in eco-restoration.

Registration required. 

On Tuesday, May 13 at 7:30 PM, Nancy Lawson—author of The Humane Gardener and Wildscape—will be giving a talk.

The event, “How to Really Save the Bees: Creating Habitat for Native Pollinators,” will explore how to support North America's 4,000 native bee species and other pollinators like moths, beetles, and hummingbirds—no beekeeper suit required!

Would you like to help create a garden for birds? Learn about a new project to provide the Thames Street Park herons with a native planting beneath the trees they nest in. 

Join us in a discussion of how the ecological relationships between native birds and native plants can make gardening fun and meaningful. We’ll talk about how plants fuel birds through nesting season, migration, and year-round. We’ll also discuss the importance of a layered habitat structure and how that relates to designing a garden for the Thames Street Park herons. 

Gardening is about noticing. Learn how to notice and support the birds in your garden and around your neighborhood.

Spring swap - Please visit the members only page on this site for details.

Join Wild Ones National Board President Loris Damerow for a special presentation as part of Week 3 of the 2025 Less Lawn More Life Challenge, “Native Plants Planted Right.” Loris will walk us through the basics of native plant gardening- from choosing the right plants to planting and maintaining them with confidence.

Join us on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 5 p.m. CT for the YouTube Live premiere of this 30-minute webinar. Native plant experts from  Wild Ones, Plan it Wild, Homegrown National Park, ReWild Your Campus, and others will be active in the live chat throughout the presentation and for 30 minutes after the webinar, giving you plenty of time to ask questions and engage! 

This event is designed for newcomers to native gardening and is part of the national Less Lawn More Life Challenge, hosted by Plan It Wild in collaboration with Wild Ones, iNaturalist, Homegrown National Park, Pollinator Partnership  and many others! 

See more about the Less Lawn More Life Challenge:  https://www.lesslawnmorelife.com/ 

A World of Discovery: Exploring the science and heart of sensory wildscapes.

Maryland Native Plant Society  Monthly Program

This meeting is hybrid. We ask that you register for your preferred option; after registering, you will get Zoom login information and in person location information.

Co-sponsor: The University of Maryland Extension with host Lisa Kuder

The program is free and open to the public.

Much has been written about gardening for human senses, but how do plants and animals perceive the world around them? What do we miss when we landscape for human visual appeal but neglect the sensory experiences of our wild neighbors? Conventional gardening practices often interfere with other organisms’ abilities to interact with their environment in ways we can scarcely imagine. Through science, heart, and our powers of observation, we can learn to mitigate these disruptions and create sensory refuges in an increasingly noisy world.

Nancy Lawson a member of the Nation's Capital Region Chapter of Wild Ones and is the author of The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife and Wildscape: Trilling Chipmunks, Beckoning Blooms, Salty Butterflies, and other Sensory Wonders of Nature. A nature writer, habitat consultant, and founder of The Humane Gardener, she pioneers creative wildlife-friendly landscaping methods. Nancy co-chairs Howard County Bee City in Maryland and co-launched a community science project, Monarch Rx, after discovering a little-known butterfly behavior in her own garden. Her books, garden, advocacy and scientific endeavors have been featured in Science Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Oprah magazine, Entomology Today, Ecological Entomology, and American Gardener. Her most recent book, Wildscape, received an honorable mention in the American Horticultural Society's national book awards and was a finalist for the 2024 AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books.

Carol is opening her garden to give visitors a chance see what she's done to change a traditional suburban yard into a lively, living collage of plants that captured her fancy.

She's cut back on the grass, added natives and edibles/medicinals, channelled neighbors' roof runoff into free irrigation, and improved the soil with nitrogen-fixing plants and mushrooms. 

Cynthia is eager to share her progress on her labrynth garden:  "Ten years ago, I visited a meditative labyrinth in NYC and thought it would be brilliant to have something similar in the “back field” behind our home (that the previous owners had cleared of all trees to install a tennis court that was never realized). I tucked the idea of a labyrinth into the “someday, maybe” category where it germinated.  A few years ago, with a new interest in native plants, I decided to move forward with the labyrinth, using native plants to line the pathways. 

This summer marks “year 2” of the labyrinth which has 48 individual beds, patterned to create a “formal native garden” feel.  The labyrinth has produced an abundance of volunteers – some that get shared at swaps, with neighbors, or donated to silent auctions, and many other “volunteers” that have gone into other gardens around the property, as I shrink the 80,000 sq ft of turf, one square foot at a time! 

While the labyrinth is the “jewel” of the property, there is also a native shade garden, the garden of the misfits (that is my peace offering with the deer), the original house beds with a mix of native/non-native plantings, and you’ll be able to see our framework for creating our own food forest with paw paws (planted 2 years ago) elderberry bushes (planted this year), and American Chestnut trees (grown from nuts, with plans to install once the trees are a few feet tall). 

I'll have the plans and plant lists available for anyone interested. We'll limit the participation for this tour to 15."

The closing event of this year’s Less Lawn More Life Challenge, will be led by Lisa Olsen, Chapter Liaison at Wild Ones. In this webinar, you’ll learn how small, personal actions like planting native species and removing invasives, can ripple outward to inspire neighbors, change policies, and reshape communities. 

During the premiere, native plant experts from Wild Ones and collaborating organizations will be active in the live chat. They’ll be ready to answer questions, share tips, and connect viewers with resources. The live chat will remain open for 30 minutes after the webinar, giving you plenty of time to ask questions and engage. Please note: You must be logged into a YouTube account to participate in the chat. 

The Less Lawn More Life Challenge is a free, 12-week action series designed to help people transform traditional lawns into vibrant, life-supporting native plant habitat. Each week, participants complete a simple challenge like planting a native shrub, removing invasives, or observing pollinators to reimagine their outdoor space and take meaningful steps toward restoring biodiversity at home. 

It’s not too late to get involved. Catch up on the weekly videos and start your rewilding journey today at https://www.lesslawnmorelife.com/ 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon!