Events

Description: Beyond a doubt, our world is changing quickly as climate change and invasive species rewire native ecosystems. However, most research on these threats to biodiversity occurs in spring and summer. In this presentation, we will explore how climate change and invasive species are changing fall and winter, why this matters, and discuss how plants might adapt to new fall and winter habitats.

Presenter: We are delighted to have Pete Guiden, a professor of Biology at Hamilton College, discuss some of his research on this topic. Pete is a community ecologist, studying the interaction of living things. An important component of this research is understanding how humans alter these interactions through climate change, habitat loss, and introducing invasive species. A large part of Guiden’s research focuses on the ecology of seeds—where they go, who eats them, and how many survive to adulthood.

Email [email protected] for Zoom link

Explore how native gardening can address climate challenges in our next Wild Ones national webinar, “Cultivating Change” with author and activist Lorraine Johnson. Johnson has been researching and writing about environmental issues for three decades. Learn about the pivotal role of gardening as an act of stewardship in the face of climate and ecological challenges. Discover the profound connections between individual gardens and the broader world and learn how these green spaces can serve as catalysts for positive ecological and social change.  Join Wild Ones for a practical and insightful discussion on gardening's positive impact on the environment and our future. 

Virtual registrants will receive a link to watch the talk live as well as a link to the recording. The recording will only be available for a limited time. 

 “Native Plant Garden Design: The Power of Our Compassionate Landscape” Presented by Maggie Reilly

Maggie will discuss the importance of planting native plants to preserve healthy, biodiverse ecosystems and create compassionate landscapes.  Beautiful, well-designed native gardens and home landscapes can enrich our lives and the lives of those around us. Maggie will show how to use native plants in traditional garden design, creating gardens that respect and sustain all living things; plants, pollinators, wildlife, and humans.

In addition to her gardening skills, Maggie is also an environmental engineer. She works on nature-based stream and floodplain restoration projects that exclusively use native plants. Gardening became an integral part of her life while growing up on the banks of the Raquette River in northern NY. As an adult, she has focused on garden design and the study of plants, taking many garden design and horticulture courses. She and her husband John are putting compassionate landscape techniques into practice, transitioning their gardens to include mainly native plants.

The Hamilton College Saturday Arboretum Series is free and open to the public. It is both in person and via Zoom. Taylor Science Center Kennedy Auditorium, Map #44 (parking behind Ferguson House off of North Road, Map #48). To register for Zoom, or to see campus map, visit https://www.hamilton.edu/arboretum/calendar. Zoom registration may not be available until a few days before the event.

WOMV Chapter Planning Meeting. All members welcome. RSVP to [email protected]

Book Discussion of Excerpts from “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Liseli Haines and Gerry Gogel will facilitate a discussion of two chapters from “Braiding Sweetgrass.”  The two chapters we will discuss are 'The Gift of Strawberries' (pages 22-32) and 'The Epiphany in the Beans' (pages 121-127).  If you have not previously read the book, you may also want to read 'Skywoman Falling' (pages 3-10) and 'The Three Sisters' (pages 128-140).

In Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer reminds us why humans need to have a reciprocal relationship with nature. The author is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She lives in Syracuse, New York, where she is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology, and the founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment.

Copies of the book are available in bookstores or from the Mid-York Library system. Facilitators Gerry [email protected] and Liseli [email protected] each have spare copies to lend as well. The discussion will be held in person at the Kirkland Town Library (55 1/2 College St., Clinton.)  in the Bristol Room on the 2nd floor.  There is an elevator to the 2nd floor.

Registration for this event is now closed, and registrants have been emailed about attending. Please contact [email protected] if you have any issues getting in.

This will be a paid event for both in-person and remote viewing. Virtual registrants will receive a link to watch Dr. Kimmerer's talk live as well as a link to the recording. The recording will only be available for a limited time. 

Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
Ecological restoration can be understood as an act of reciprocity, in return for the gifts of the earth. This talk explores the ecological and ethical imperatives of healing the damage we have inflicted on our land and waters. We trace the evolution of restoration philosophy and practice and consider how integration of indigenous knowledge can expand our understanding of restoration from the biophysical to the biocultural. Reciprocal restoration includes not only healing the land but our relationship to land. In healing the land, we are healing ourselves.

Wild Ones is excited to cohost this event with the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh's Earth Week 2024 and the Wild Ones Fox Valley Chapter. 

WOMV will be planning our spring and summer WOMV activities. All dues paying members are welcome to join us, and all newsletter readers are welcome to email suggestions to [email protected]. Meeting via Zoom, rsvp for link. 

Tabling Event to promote native plants for BOCES grade 7-12

Whether you are new to native plant gardening or an experienced gardener, we all have questions about what plants will grow well for particular conditions, be it heavy shade, brutal sun, a wet area, a front yard garden, a meadow, deer, etc.  Bring your questions or just come to learn about and see photos of a wide range of native plants as we share tips, ideas and experiences for gardening with native plants. If you are already gardening with natives, bring your plant list so that we can hear about what you’ve planted and how those species have done in your yard-for better or worse! 

The discussion will be held in person at the Kirkland Town Library (55 1/2 College St., Clinton.)  in the Bristol Room on the 2nd floor.  There is an elevator to the 2nd floor.

Our first work party of 2024! Come help remove vinca from a Clinton yard. Please feel free to stop by, even if, for any reason, you are unable to do the physical work. Work parties are a great way to see some native plants growing in a local homeowner’s yard. 

RSVP to [email protected]  for exact address. 

Help plant the 1300 shrubs and trees into the planting bed installed last fall on Veteran’s Day!  Bring gloves and trowel if you have them.  Place: Veteran’s Memorial Park at the Rtes 5 & 12 New Hartford

Join other Wild Ones volunteers to help apply wood chips in this homeowner’s yard in preparation for a new 600 square foot native plant garden. Even if you are unable to do the physical work, feel free to come by and learn about the planned deer resistant garden. RSVP [email protected] for exact address.

Volunteer to help set up for opening day (Saturday, May 4th) at the newest and closest native plant nursery in the Utica area. There will be both physical jobs and sit down jobs, all outside, from 10-5 with a free vegetarian lunch from 1-2. People are welcome to come for whatever time fits their schedule.  RSVP to [email protected]

 WOMV will sell native pollinator plants from Wild Ginger Farm and have an educational table at this popular annual event. If you’d like to volunteer to help, please email [email protected]. Location is Great Swamp Conservancy, 8375 North Main Street Canastota, NY

 Wild Ginger Farm opened last year and is our nearest native plant nursery! Owner Alyssa Wisehart will give a short talk with some tips for gardeners, descriptions about the plants that are for sale, as well as helping attendees to find the right plants for their conditions. And  10% off for dues-paying WO’s members! Visit the website to view the available plant list and look at the lovely photos of native plants and the farm. If you can’t join us for our visit, the nursery opens on Saturday, May 4th and will be open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 1-5pm.  211 County Road 21, West Winfield, NY

Join other Wild Ones volunteers to help plant a deer resistant shade garden in this homeowner’s yard. Even if you are unable to do the physical work, feel free to come by and learn about the planned deer resistant garden. RSVP [email protected] for exact address

Come help with the second year of removing multi-flora rose from a Clinton yard. (It will be much easier than last year!) Please feel free to stop by, even if, for any reason, you are unable to do the physical work. Work parties are a great way to see some native plants growing in a local homeowner’s yard. RSVP to [email protected]  for exact address. 

Work Party in NY Mills to lay down cardboard and mulch for beds transitioning from non-native to native. Bring gloves and shovel if you have them.

Join us for a walk through fields, different kinds of forests, and along a woodland creek. We will see many native trees, shrubs, and plants  in their native habitats.  There are many possible paths through the woods depending on what we would like to see and how adventurous we feel. If you have them, bring your ID books or app and be prepared for occasional mud. Bring gloves in case you want to pull an invasive plant or two in passing! Tick spray is recommended and is available and/or wear your tick repellent clothing. Expect to be out a minimum of an hour and not more than two. Family friendly. RSVP to [email protected] for exact address.

Last year, Olmsted City received a $338,000 grant, awarded by the USDA Community Forestry Grant to be used for F.T. Proctor Park. One of the criteria was community participation, and WOMV wrote a letter indicating our ongoing support for the native plant gardens at F.T. Proctor Park. Come join us on the 13th to take a quick tour of the several native gardens now at F.T. Proctor and then weed the North Circle’s native garden to keep it in good shape. Bring gloves and a weeding implement if you have them. Possible special attraction: a pair of pileated woodpeckers was seen in the North Circle area this spring; let’s hope they made a cavity nest in a dead tree, and we spot them and any offspring!

Save the date for our second annual All Day Garden Tour featuring a variety of home landscapes and gardens with significant numbers of native plants.

Join fellow Wild Ones members in helping remove invasive swallow wort from a member’s woods. Swallow wort is a non-native plant related to milkweed, and monarchs sometimes lay their eggs on it, but the caterpillars cannot survive on it. This will be the third year of working on it, and the patch is thinning out as a result. This is a very pleasant invasive plant removal, since it is in the cool shade of a woods and just removing small plants. RSVP to [email protected] for the exact address. 

WOMV Planning Meeting

We will be planning our fall events. Please feel free to join us or email any suggestions. RSVP to [email protected] for Zoom link and agenda.

Explore how native plants can enhance biodiversity and support ecosystems in our upcoming Wild Ones national webinar, “Combating the Biodiversity Crisis with Native Plants” featuring Sarah Gray and Coralie Palmer from the Indiana Native Plant Society.

Native plants are essential for maintaining biodiversity as they provide food and shelter for a wide range of wildlife, including pollinators, birds, and beneficial insects. By incorporating native plants into your landscape, you can create a thriving ecosystem that supports local fauna and flora. These plants are well-adapted to local environmental conditions, making them more resilient to climate change and reducing the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Attendees will learn how native plants can improve soil health, enhance water retention, and contribute to a more sustainable and vibrant ecosystem.

Sara and Coralie are part of the Indiana Native Plant Society (INPS) Landscaping team, and they have collaborated on diverse projects across Indiana, including native planting schemes for schools, community gardens, the Eiteljorg Museum, and the Humane Society. Their new design for Indianapolis reflects typical sub-divisions in Indiana and considers future climate challenges, such as increased flooding and hotter, drier summers. The design features resilient, native Indiana plants that thrive in local soil conditions and contribute to the ecosystem.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insights from leading experts in native plants! Participants will gain practical insights into native garden designs and learn how tailored landscaping can support wildlife, promote ecological balance, and help restore natural habitats. 

Invite a friend and visit our third annual plant sale! We’ll be selling a wide variety of native flowers for $6 each or 4 for $20-both are very good prices! Thanks to Wild Ginger Farm for once again growing our sale plants. The outdoor festival is rain or shine on the Clinton Village Green, though we will close down temporarily for thunderstorms, heavy rain or when we sell out.

Explore the ecological and aesthetic advantages of hedges and hedgerows in our upcoming Wild Ones national webinar, “The Beauty and Benefits of Hedgerows” with Heather McCargo, founder of Wild Seed Project.

Native hedgerows are diverse plantings of woody plants from shrubs to small trees along with herbaceous groundcovers at their base.  Learn how these low-maintenance and sustainable plantings of shrubs, trees, and groundcovers can enhance biodiversity, provide critical habitats for wildlife, and contribute to climate resilience. Discover practical tips for designing and implementing hedgerows in various landscapes, from farms to urban settings, and understand their role in supporting pollinators, birds, and soil health. 

 You will also learn about Heather McCargo and the Wild Seed Project's latest collaboration with Wild Ones on the new Native Garden Design for Portland, ME. Don't miss this opportunity to gain insights from a leading expert in native plant restoration and take your landscaping skills to the next level. 

Note: Date has been changed to Friday, September 27th due to weather.  Come help lay down cardboard and wood chips where this homeowner is putting in a new native bed. If you missed the Clinton gardens during our July tour, this is also an opportunity to come visit and see this homeowner's multiple well-designed pollinator gardens. Bring trowel, shovel, and gloves if you have them. RSVP to [email protected] for exact address.

Join us Sunday September 29th from 1-3pm at Spring Farm Nature Sanctuary to help install a micro-prairie. We will be planting over 20 competitive and resilient native wildflower species in our efforts to increase both species diversity and contiguous habitat at the sanctuary. Jobs will include carrying potted plants, planting, mulching, and watering. We'll meet at 1pm in the main Spring Farm parking lot and walk together to the Spring Farm gardens. The last 30 minutes from 2:30 - 3 we will offer a brief tour of the nearby gardens for anyone who is interested. Bring along water, gloves, and a trowel if you have one. RSVP's helpful for planning purposes to [email protected]

Join us in viewing the progress of this deer-resistant, dry shade garden planted at the end of May, and if you are able, help in planting the second stage. Bring trowel and gloves if you have them. RSVP to [email protected] for exact address.

We will be visiting some of Cornell's native gardens and woods. Exact itinerary is tbd, but we will not have a tour guide and transportation is not provided. If you are interested in the visit, please email [email protected] for details and to let us know any suggestions that you have.

Whether you are new to native plant gardening or an experienced gardener, we all have questions about what plants will grow well for particular conditions, be it heavy shade, brutal sun, a wet area, a front yard garden, a meadow, deer, etc. We'll be repeating the open question and answer format of our April meeting, so bring your questions or just come to learn about and see photos of a wide range of native plants as we share tips, ideas and experiences for gardening with native plants. If you are already gardening with natives, bring your plant list so that we can hear about what you've planted and how those species have done in your yard �" for better or worse! 

The discussion will be held in person at the Kirkland Town Library (55 1/2 College St., Clinton.)  in the Bristol Room on the 2nd floor.  There is an elevator to the 2nd floor.

Learn how to use high-density plantings that replicate natural ecosystems in aesthetically pleasing designs, enhancing ecological functions while reducing maintenance efforts in our upcoming Wild One's national webinar, "Matrix Landscape Design" with author, landscape designer, activist, and educator Benjamin Vogt.

Matrix planting is a landscape design approach that mimics natural ecosystems by closely planting and layering compatible perennials and grasses to cover the soil, provide more ecosystem services, and eliminate the need for wood mulch or aggressive weeding.  Join Wild Ones for a webinar to learn how author, educator, and landscape designer Benjamin Vogt applies this approach to create stunning native gardens. Learn the principles behind this method, its ecological benefits, and practical steps to implement matrix planting in your own garden. 

You will also learn about Benjamin's latest collaboration with Wild Ones on the new Native Garden Design for Lincoln, NE. Don't miss this opportunity to gain insights from a leading voice in natural garden design and take your gardening skills to the next level. Register now to secure your spot! 

WOMV Annual Meeting and Potluck, Sunday Nov. 17th:

Most of our events are open to the public. This event is only open to official dues-paying Wild Ones members.
 

POTLUCK: 1:00–2:30 pm
 RSVP to by Thursday, Nov. 16th 
ANNUAL MEETING (inc. vote): 2:30–3:00 pm
 

Those who have not yet cast votes for the WOMV Board of Directors will be able to do so during the annual meeting, either over Zoom or in person. Only official dues-paying Wild Ones members can vote in this election. 
The slate for Board of Directors for WOMV for January 2025–January 2026 is:

 President: Jennifer Geiger
 Co-Vice Presidents: Margaret Reilly and Rachel Wolfe
 Co-Membership Chairs: Steve Orvis and Gerry Gogel
 Secretary: Kathy Collett
 Treasurer: Maryann Zogby
 Co-Program Chairs: Liseli Haines and Amy Funkhouser

Native plants have an incredible ability to adapt to climate extremes, offering sustainable solutions for resilient landscapes. Join Wild Ones and the Native Plant Society of Texas to explore the power of native plants to thrive in challenging conditions.

This event features Christy Ten Eyck, founder of Ten Eyck Landscape Architects. Drawing from her latest Dallas-Fort Worth native garden design, Christy will share insights into designing low-maintenance, ecologically rich spaces that withstand intense climate fluctuations.

Neonicotinoid insecticides, commonly known as “neonics,” have become the most widely used insecticides in the U.S., leading to drastic declines in bees, pollinators, birds, and aquatic ecosystems. In this webinar, Lucas Rhoads, Senior Attorney with NRDC’s Pesticides & Pollinators Team, will share expert insights on how neonics impact our environment and pose serious risks to human health. He’ll delve into the harms associated with neonic-treated seeds, which are a major source of contamination, and explore effective policy advocacy strategies to rein in their widespread use without disrupting farmers or landscapers.