Events

Our first Design Studio, in which we brainstorm on Zoom about what we've learned and think about how we might apply it to our own gardens and and projects. A Zoom invite will be emailed to members.

As Jeannie says,

I propose WOK Design Studio, which would be a subgroup of the Wild Ones Keweenaw chapter. We would meet via Zoom at 10:30pm on 1-2 Saturdays each month from now until summer. I envision WOK Design Studio as being similar to a book club:

We'd decide ahead of time which 1-3 resources will be discussed.
Everyone reviews assigned resources and comes prepared to discuss things like: 

What did you already know?
What techniques and approaches intrigue you?
How might you apply what you learned to your yard?
What plants intrigue you? Why?  

Assignment: Let's start with some of the new garden design resources on the WO website. We can refine our process when we meet. For this first time, we can discuss #1 to #4 above.

Landing page/welcome (short)

Why Native Plants (short)

Create your garden plan

Minneapolis design

Milwaukee design

This free webinar is organized by Grow Native!, the marketing arm of the Missouri Prairie Foundation. Missouri is on Central Time; the times listed here are Eastern.

Invasive, non-native plants threaten native biodiversity and have negative economic impacts for the timber and horticulture production, the outdoor recreation industry, and other sectors. Join invasive plant experts Dr. Quinn Long and Matt Arndt to learn more about many of these plants. Drawing from the Missouri Invasive Plant Task Force’s list of 142 invasive plants in Missouri, they will answer your questions about why these plants were determined to be invasive, why some plants can be invasive in some situations, but not others, and other invasive plants not on the list. We encourage you to peruse the list ahead of time, and send questions by Feb. 10, so that Quinn and Matt can incorporate them into their presentation as best they can.

The webinar, to be held via Zoom, will be 45 minutes including a question and answer session. The webinar will be recorded, and sent to all registrants as well as posted to our YouTube channel.

Cost: Free

Dr. Quinn Long is Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Shaw Nature Reserve, which is a regional leader in the fields of native plant horticulture, ecological restoration, and environmental education. Dr. Long received his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Missouri-Columbia and his PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Kansas. His research interests include fire ecology, invasive species, ethnobotany, rare plant conservation, and restoration of grasslands and woodlands. Prior to serving as Director of Shaw Nature Reserve, he worked within the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development to research, conserve, and restore rare plant species of the Lower-Midwest and Mid-South. As a restoration practitioner he has over 20 years of experience working on his family property near Hermann, MO.

Matt Arndt is a Consulting Forester and Arborist, and is the owner of Matt’s Healthy Woods & Wildlife. He carries certifications from both the Society of American Foresters and the International Society of Arboriculture. In addition to his full-time Forestry work, Matt also has side businesses in native seed production and custom web development. He has served as President of the Missouri Consulting Foresters Association since 2013, and is the vice-chair of the Missouri Invasive Plant Task Force. He also serves on the Natural Resources Subcommittee of the NRCS State Technical Committee, the Missouri Farm Bureau Forestry Advisory Committee, and the Cameron Park Board.

Register Here

Assigned resources:

Milwaukee Design (notes) - continued
Toledo Design (notes)
Animation of the Toledo design
Prairie Moon's low-growing garden for medium soils - click picture for design; click Components for plant descriptions (notes)
Questions Left Unanswered (link to ongoing list)

Thought Starters (revised by Jeannie) -

What did you learn that you will “take away” and try to apply to your garden?
What plants intrigue you?
What are you struggling with? What questions do you have?

For a link to this meeting, email [email protected] .

The Xerces Society and Pollinator Friendly Alliance are sponsoring this three-day event.

For $24, you get about 20 presentations by experts in multiple fields, from chemical-free buckthorn control to the state of the monarch to "warrior plant species for weed control." To learn more and register, go here.

This is a free webinar sponsored by Grow Native!, the marketing arm of the Missouri Prairie Foundation.

Missouri is on Central Time; the times listed here are Eastern.

This seminar will discuss how songbirds and hummingbirds can be attracted to landscapes through the use of native plants that furnish insects, seeds, flowers, and fruits for birds. Specific examples of the most versatile and adaptable native woody and herbaceous plants will be included as well as simple gardening practices essential for birds. The session will close with a brief review of resources you can enlist to help on your journey.

The webinar, to be held via Zoom, will be 45 minutes including a question and answer session. The webinar will be recorded, and sent to all registrants as well as posted to our YouTube channel.

Cost: Free

Mitch Leachman is the Director of Programs for the St. Louis Audubon Society and coordinator of the Bring Conservation Home program. He has been gardening with native plants for 15 years and enjoys every one of the critters supported by his current inventory of over 80 species of native plants. Mitch has been active with the Audubon network for over 25 years and on staff with St. Louis Audubon since 2008, He plans and coordinates many chapter activities, including Bring Conservation Home, community stewardship projects, communications and outreach.

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The Wildflower Association of Michigan is holding its 34th annual conference online this year, Sunday and Monday, March 7-8. It promises to be great. Check out the featured speakers:

Neil Diboll will speak on "Genetic Diversity and Plant Preservation." The owner of Prairie Nursery, he's a pioneer in the native plant movement and helped launch the Wild Ones Keweenaw chapter with his talk at the 2018 Native Plant Symposium. He's an expert on native plant ecology and an exceptionally engaging speaker.

Heather Holm will speak on “Restoring Ecosystem Functionality and Biodiversity." A scientist and author of four books, including the award-winning Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide, she informs and educates audiences nationwide about the fascinating world of native pollinators and beneficial insects, and the native plant communities that support them.

Plus, 12 breakout sessions on a variety of interesting topics are scheduled. Registration is $50, $40 for WAM members.

https://wildflowersmich.org/wam-conference/

Wild Ones recently introduced seven beautiful, professional, ecoregion specific, free, native garden designs including for the regions of Milwaukee and Toledo at nativegardendesigns.wildones.org.

We want to share with you how the designers of the Milwaukee plan (Danielle Bell) and Toledo plan (Susan Hall)* each approached this project. We invite you to join us for a special online "Meet the Designers" event on Tuesday, March 9th 6-7 EST.

A Zoom link for this event will be emailed to registrants in the days leading up to the event.

Registrants are welcome to submit their most imminent question ahead of time for the designers to answer by Thursday, March 4th to [email protected].

Learn more and register here.

This is a Missouri Prairie Foundation webinar. Missouri is on Central Time; the times listed here are Eastern.

Grassland ants all nest underground, but during the growing season, most live nearer and become active at the surface or even above ground level, where the flourish of prairie life is in such vibrant force.

The webinar, to be held via Zoom, will be 45 minutes including a question and answer session. The webinar will be recorded, and sent to all registrants as well as posted to our YouTube channel.

Cost: Free

Dr. James Trager has graduate degrees in entomology specializing in ant research, but has always been broadly interested in the natural history of terrestrial ecosystems. After a 10-year stint as a research entomologist in Florida, Brazil and Argentina, family matters brought him to Missouri, and he found employment as the interpretive naturalist and ecological restoration biologist at Shaw Nature Reserve near St. Louis, where he worked for 28.5 years, until he retired during the summer of 2019 (though staying on as an instructor and volunteer in the restoration program). He is currently working on a guide to the approximately 150 species of Missouri ants, frequently interrupted by “Zooming” off to entomology and other sorts of nature talks, even occasionally giving one himself. Lately he has become enchanted with a granddaughter, born in August, whom he hopes to influence as a student or at least a lover of nature.

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Melanie Kueber Watkins (CEE) will present "Erosion Remedies for Gardeners," from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. on Monday (March 15). To register submit this form.

Does your yard flood during heavy rains? Do you have washouts and erosion in your yard? Learn what you can do in your yard and around your home to better manage your troubles.

Kueber Watkins is a research assistant engineer and chair of the Portage Township Planning Commission. With more than twenty years of civil engineering experience in the infrastructure industry and water resource management, she will describe approaches she has used in her yard and will talk about some retention techniques, such as rain gardens. Co-hosts: Keweenaw Garden Club and the Keweenaw chapter of Wild Ones.

The Xerces Society is presenting this webinar.

Join Nancy Adamson of Xerces to learn about specialist bees and how you can help document plant-pollinator connections. Many bees are pollen specialists, collecting pollen from a single species, genus, or plant family. Despite knowing many of these plant-bee connections, we do not have good images of all these specialist bees. We would love your help documenting them and other invertebrates visiting their host plants. This program will highlight where to find specialist bee information--primarily for the eastern U.S.—and bee phenology information to guide your efforts. We will also discuss how you can help document wildlife via iNaturalist.org and Bugguide.net.

This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Click here for more information and to register.

Connie Crancer of the Pollinator Partnership will give a short presentation at the beginning of this Zoom meeting on Project Wingspan. Some of us may be interested in participating in this effort to improve habitat for monarchs and pollinators.

The agenda:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1o7ZuzHg95_nuL8AeuHpQYOTjz_V745s_aNQfUivyq-s/edit?usp=sharing

This free event is sponsored by the Wild Ones Twin Cities chapter. Learn more and register here. 

An introductory level presentation on how to identify jumping worms, information about their life cycle, early detection and reporting.

Part I of March April Mini-Series: 
A Growing Need to Observe, Protect and Contain
Presenter: Ryan Hueffmeier, University of MN Duluth

Jumping worms are the latest invasive worm to arrive in Minnesota. They live in the top few inches of soil and alter soil structure and chemistry through their feeding and burrowing behaviors. Found in garden beds, mulch and compost piles they represent a threat to the health of our managed and wild landscapes. This will be an introductory level presentation on how to identify jumping worms, information about their life cycle, early detection and reporting. Prevention will be covered more in April, but tips for early detection and primary sources of how these travel is important. Jumping worms are spread through composting, horticulture, landscaping and bait. The overall goal of this project is to characterize the status of the jumping worm invasion in Minnesota.

Part II will cover Tips and Techniques for Safe Transfer and Sharing of Native Plants along with other information on protecting our gardens. visit our website for more details.

Ryan Hueffmeier is a research, outreach, and education specialist with active projects in forest and landscape ecology and invasive species. He is Program Director at Boulder Lake Environmental Learning Center in Duluth,MN, which runs programs for over 4,000 people and has over 10,500 visitors annually. Ryan works toward the transfer of scientific knowledge from evidence based research to the public through creating accessible outreach programs which deliver experiential educational opportunities incorporating volunteer based public participatory projects. He works with diverse audiences such as teacher and natural resource professional development, preK-12 and the general public. For the past decade Ryan has been part of the Great Lakes Worm Watch program and has developed local projects looking at vernal pools, bird populations, invasive species and tree survival. Currently, he is heading the Worm Ranger Jumping Worm project.

This is a Xerces Society event.

Please join Stephanie Frischie and Jennifer Hopwood of Xerces Society to learn more about the amazing life in our soils.S. Healthy, living soil and its functions are created and maintained by fungi, bacteria, plants and by invertebrate animals as diverse as annelids, springtails, and firefly larvae, among others. Soil invertebrates are fundamental to soil health and create soil structure, cycle organic matter, consume weed seeds and predate crop pests. This workshop will familiarize participants with common soil invertebrates, their ecology and roles in soil health, scouting methods, and management strategies to increase beneficial soil animal populations.

Click here for more information.

This is a webinar by Grow Native!, the marketing arm of the Missouri Prairie Foundation. Missouri is on Central Time; the times here are Eastern.

Nadia will share information on wildflowers, shrubs, and fruit trees that provide food for you! Identification tips will be discussed, growth requirements, when and what to harvest, what to eat, and how to prepare. Nadia will also point out non-native, edible plants that may show up in your garden, as well as “look-alikes” that may be toxic or questionable. Note: This webinar on native edibles is intended as general information only. As with any foods, there is a potential for allergic reactions when consuming native edibles. Always seek the advice of a health professional with any questions about touching or eating any plant matter.

The webinar, to be held via Zoom, will be 45 minutes including a question and answer session. The webinar will be recorded, and sent to all registrants as well as posted to our YouTube channel.

Cost: Free

Dr. Nadia Navarrete-Tindall owns the consulting business Native Plants & More, and is also the Specialty Crops & Native Plant Specialist for Lincoln University in Jefferson City. In her past work at Lincoln University, Nadia created the LU-Native Plants Program, the purpose of which was to increase awareness about the importance of native plants in conservation and as specialty crops through outreach and education. Nadia obtained funding from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) for the collaborative effort to create the LU-Community Garden, LU-Farmers Market and LU-Commercial Kitchen, and the FINCA project: Families Integrating Nature, Conservation and Agriculture. In 2008 she received Missouri’s highest conservation honor as she was inducted into the Conservation Hall of Fame as a Master Conservationist.

Register Here

This looks to be a pretty spectacular online conference featuring a bunch of heavy hitters are speakers, including Doug Tallamy. The talks will be available online after the symposium for six months. Cost is $30 for WO members; you can check it out here.

By Larry Weaner. Cost is $28

Wildflower meadows were introduced to the American gardening public in the 1960’s along with tie dye tee shirts and kaleidoscopic acid trips. But just like those 60’s acid trips, the colors never lasted. Alternatively, by planting site-adapted native perennials, managed according to the ecological processes that govern open field vegetation in the wild, long-lived vibrant meadows can be consistently achieved. In this presentation plant selection criteria, planting procedures, and management techniques will be illustrated through a series of residential case studies, including some over two decades old.

Learn more and register here.

This is part of the series Ecology-Based Landscapes: A Virtual Education Series for Home Gardeners and Educators, an online series for native gardeners sponsored by Larry Weaner's New Directions in the American Landscape and supported by Wild Ones.

This free talk is part of the Ohio State University Partners for Pollinators Spring Authors series. Heather Holm will discuss her latest book. Learn more and register here.

IUN Community Garden: Beneficial Bugs and Wonderful Weeds
The event is held by the Indiana University Community Garden

Free and open to adults of all ages!

Join Master Gardener, Susan Radovich, for this live, online session and learn about the bugs and plants that are beneficial to our gardens and meadows. Participants will learn how the bugs benefit the plants and how the plants benefit the bugs.

To Register: Click the “Register” button below to complete the online registration form.

Registration Deadline: 12 pm, March 22

*Online Meeting: Provided via Zoom, participants will need access to a computer or mobile device (internet connection or data plan are needed) and will join the session through the Zoom application using a provided link/meeting ID. Select sessions offer the option to join by phone call.

Free
Register
explore: Community engagement, Community Garden

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by Larry Weaner. Cost is $28

Few home landscapes can provide the stunning vistas of a Yosemite National Park, a vast midwestern prairie, or an ancient Appalachian mountain range. They can however, provide a far more intimate and interactive natural experience than visits to those landscapes ever could. In this session Larry will interweave a series of practical, ecologically-interactive landscape techniques, with the rich experiential rewards that applying those techniques can engender.

Learn more and register here.This is part of the series Ecology-Based Landscapes: A Virtual Education Series for Home Gardeners and Educators, an online series for native gardeners sponsored by Larry Weaner’s New Directions in the American Landscape and supported by Wild Ones.

This free talk is part of the Ohio State University Partners for Pollinators Spring Authors series. Bryan Danforth will discuss his latest book. Learn more and register here.

This is a Midwest Grows Green webinar.

The impact of glyphosate's "probably carcinogenic to humans" classification by the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer reverberated across the landscaping and natural resource management sector.

In the face of increasing glyphosate bans and restrictions, this MGG Lawn & Land Forum workshop identifies the alternative structures, practices or products available to navigate this uncertain future. MGG has invited presenters from across the landscaping and natural resource management sector to tackle this pressing issue.

This webinar is made possible thanks to support from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Coastal Management Program and WeedingTech.  Learn more and register here.

This free talk is part of the Ohio State University Partners for Pollinators Spring Authors series. Olivia Carril will discuss her latest book. Learn more and register here.

This free talk is part of the Ohio State University Partners for Pollinators Spring Authors series. Mary Gardiner will discuss her latest book. Learn more and register here.

This event is held by the Conservation Foundation, based in Naperville, Ill.

Staff members Jan Roehll and Nancy Cinatl, will discuss how they planned a new native garden at the foundation's headquarters, including the steps they took to get started, the thinking that went into the native plants they chose, and how the design was laid out.

This Zoom webinar is free.

This is a Xerces Society event.

Please join Stephanie Frischie and Jennifer Hopwood of Xerces Society to learn more about the amazing life in our soils. Healthy, living soil and its functions are created and maintained by fungi, bacteria, plants and by invertebrate animals as diverse as annelids, springtails, and firefly larvae, among others. Soil invertebrates are fundamental to soil health and create soil structure, cycle organic matter, consume weed seeds and predate crop pests. This workshop will familiarize participants with common soil invertebrates, their ecology and roles in soil health, scouting methods, and management strategies to increase beneficial soil animal populations.

This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Click here for more information and to register.

The webinar is sponsored by Grow Native!, the outreach arm of the Missouri Prairie Foundation.

Rock gardens, boulders, rocky or gravelly soils and stone walls are great places to grow native plants that need excessively well-drained and dry sites. Plants that are normally shy performers like harebell, fire pink, glade coneflower, wild hyacinth and shooting star, suddenly become super stars in rocky gardens. If you are lucky enough to live in areas with exposed bedrock, cliffs or boulders, this master class will introduce you to the world of native plants that are at home there. If not, we will also discuss how to artificially create rock gardens at home in the city. Either way, there are tons of dry-loving species (both plant and animal) waiting for a home on the rocks. What are you waiting for; make it happen!

The master class, to be held via Zoom, will include 50 minutes of instruction with at least 10 minutes for a question and answer period via chat. A recording of the webinar will be available only to those that registered. One CEU for landscape architects will be available.

Cost: free to all MPF dues-paying members and Grow Native! professional members, or $15 for non-members.
Visit our MPF membership page to become a member and attend all master classes for free!

Register Here

Scott Woodbury is the manager of the Whitmire Wildflower Garden at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO, where he has been developing the garden for 30 years. Scott teaches native landscaping classes for Native Plant School, MSD’s Project Clear and the St. Louis Master Gardener program. He is also teaching a new course at St. Louis Community College called Native Landscape Practices. He is a regular speaker, writer and consultant on native landscaping throughout the region. He received a BS degree in horticulture at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and has worked at various public gardens including Old Westbury Gardens in New York, Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, Castello Di Uzzano in Italy, and Tudor Place in Washington D.C. He currently serves as advisor to the horticulture program of St. Louis Community College, Grow Native! and Wild Ones St. Louis. Scott is actively involved in the Partners for Native Landscaping conference, the Shaw Professional Landscaping Series and the small grants programs for The Deer Creek Watershed Alliance and MSD Project Clear.

Discover the mysteries of pollinators and natural enemies of crop pests through this informative webinar. Learn how to differentiate a honey bee from a native bee and how to recognize some of our most common natural enemies of crop pests. This webinar will introduce a simple monitoring protocol designed to help farmers, land-managers and backyard gardeners assess populations of beneficial insects on their farm or in their garden.

This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Click here for more information and to register.

This webinar is sponsored by Go Native!, the outreach arm of the Missouri Prairie Foundation.

Join us to learn the latest news about the status of monarch butterflies and how you can be part of the nationwide effort to conserve monarchs and their breathtaking migration. Dr. Chip Taylor, who has been researching monarchs for decades, will share population trends and how they are affected by climate change. He will also share conservation strategies, including what you can do at home to support North America’s iconic butterfly. The rhythms of life shaped by millions of years of evolution are being challenged and altered by our rapidly changing climate. The connections long established between plants and their pollinators are of particular concern since these interdependencies shape and sustain nearly all terrestrial ecosystems. Our future will be defined by how well we understand and maintain these connections.

The webinar, to be held via Zoom, will be 45 minutes including a question and answer session. The webinar will be recorded, and sent to all registrants as well as posted to our YouTube channel.

Cost: Free

Chip Taylor is the Founder and Director of Monarch, and an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Kansas. Trained as an insect ecologist at the University of Connecticut, his research projects have included studies of reproductive isolating mechanisms in sulfur butterflies, reproductive and life history patterns in plants, comparative biology of European and Neotropical African honey bees and migratory behavior of monarch butterflies. In 1974, Chip Taylor established research sites and directed students studying Neotropical African honey bees (killer bees) in French Guiana, Venezuela, and Mexico. In 1992, Taylor founded Monarch Watch, an outreach program focused on education, research and conservation relative to monarch butterflies. Since then, Monarch Watch has enlisted the help of volunteers to tag monarchs during the fall migration. Over 2 million monarchs have been tagged by volunteers since 1992. Of these, over nineteen thousand have been recovered. The data from this program are providing many new insights about the dynamics of the fall monarch migration.

Read Dr. Taylor’s Monarch Joint Venture article “More Than Monarchs: Grassland Conservation”

River City Wild Ones is sponsoring this event.

Presented by Landscape Designers:
–Amy Heilman, Owner, The Living Garden
–Rebecca Marquardt, Owner, Revery

Using the Wild Ones booklet, Creating Your Own Native Garden Design, Amy and Rebecca are going to expand upon the contents. Rebecca will present on plant selection based on site conditions, designing new gardens and editing existing ones. Amy will cover installation phases & strategies and maintenance for long-term success.

Learn more and register for this Zoom meeting here.

With the Keweenaw Garden Club, the Wild Ones Keweenaw chapter is proud to cosponsor a Zoom discussion of
Nancy Lawson's The Humane Gardener.
Lawson will also be the special guest speaker April 29 at the Keweenaw Native Plant Symposium.
Read the book, then hear from the author!

Click here to register for the book club. Here's what The Library Journal wrote about this big-hearted book:

Many gardeners divide local flora and fauna into two categories: beneficials and pests. Journalist and naturalist Lawson … challenges readers to erase this distinction. She goes beyond the usual advice to avoid pesticides, encouraging gardeners to plant native plants, let native weeds grow, and welcome all wildlife even when it eats the plants. This gorgeously written, well-argued title will help backyard gardeners see all creatures, from insects to elk, as visitors to be welcomed rather than pests to be removed. … Highly recommend for gardeners at all levels in all regions.

—Janet Crum, The Library Journal

Before she was a gardener, Lawson was an animal advocate, and even now contributes to All Animals, the magazine of the Humane Society of the United States. Yet years ago, when she started to garden, she was enchanted by the conventional plantings marketed by what she now calls the Landscaping Industrial Complex. She’s come a long way and is now a nationally known naturalist and speaker in the native plant movement.

The Humane Gardener has received acclaim from readers and reviewers alike. Lawson tells the story of how she gradually became aware that all gardening actions have consequences for animals and what she did to make her yard a paradise for plants and wildlife alike. She also gives plenty of tips on what you can do to make your own property a haven for all critters.
Find The Humane Gardener on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Princeton Architectural Press, independent bookstores,
You can check out Lawson's blog and website at humanegardener.com .
Click here to register for the book club.
Then sign up to hear Nancy Lawson and lots of other native plant experts at the Keweenaw Native Plant Symposium.

This is a Xerces Society webinar.

Join Dr. Nancy Lee Adamson of Xerces Society to learn about common insects in our communities and how to support them.  Nancy will highlight the difference between solitary and social wasps and bees, “beneficial” insects in agriculture, and ways we can support insects in our neighborhoods and broader communities.

Click here for more information and to register.

This is a Xerces Society presentation.

With well over one million known species, insects and other invertebrates eclipse all other forms of life on Earth. They truly are the “little things that run the world.” Though they are indisputably the most important creatures on earth, invertebrates are in trouble. If we hope to stem the losses of insect diversity and the services they provide, society must take steps at all levels to protect, restore and enhance native plant habitat across landscapes, from wildlands to farmlands to urban cores. Join Xerces Executive Director, Scott Hoffman Black, as he explains the latest science on insect declines and how everyone can incorporate invertebrate conservation into their lives.

This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Click here for more information and to register.

This webinar is sponsored by Grow Native!, the outreach arm of the Missouri Prairie Foundation.

Learn about native plants and water quality from a panel of professionals, Ronda Burnett, Dale Blevins, and Dr. Lisa Shulte-Moore, as they break down the steps all of us can take to keep watersheds healthy. The webinar will begin with Stream Teams United’s new educational video, and the panelists, moderated by Stream Teams United Executive Director Mary Culler, will break down how native plants play an important role in clean water for all Missourians.

The webinar, to be held via Zoom, will be 45 minutes including a question and answer session. The webinar will be recorded, and sent to all registrants as well as posted to our YouTube channel.

Cost: Free

Moderator: Mary Culler, Stream Teams United 
Mary has a B.S. in biology from Southwest Missouri State University and a M.S. in environmental science from Iowa State University. Mary worked for the state of Missouri for 11 years, first with the Missouri Department of Conservation as a Fisheries Management Biologist in Springfield, and as a watershed and community assistance coordinator for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Northeast Region in Macon. In 2018 she became the executive director of Stream Teams United. Mary has been a Stream Team member for over 10 years and is a member of Stream Team 3184.

Panelist: Ronda Burnett, Missouri Department of Conservation
Ronda Burnett has been a Community Conservation Planner with the Missouri Department of Conservation since 2005. She helps communities connect to nature and enjoy the enhanced quality of life made possible by healthy fish, forest, and wildlife resources. She currently serves as the Chair of the Grow Native! committee. Ronda holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Louisiana State University and a Master of Urban, Environmental, and Land Use Planning from the University of Kansas.

Panelist: Dale Blevins, USGS Hydrologist Emeritus and MPF Immediate Past President
Dale Blevins has a B.S. in physical geography, an M.S. in watershed management, and additional graduate work in fish and wildlife at the University of Missouri. He worked 31 years for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as a hydrologist and supervisory hydrologist, mostly in Missouri. Blevins manages about 1,100 acres of farm land, some of which has been converted to native grasses and forbs. He is a past president of MPF and has been on the board of directors for over 10 years. Dale’s interests include water-quality of prairie streams, wet (wetland) prairies and restoration of native landscapes.

Panelist: Dr. Lisa Shulte-Moore, Iowa State University

Register Here

7:0o p.m.—Native Plants and Storm Water Management at the Marquette Food Co-op
Bill Sanders, landscape architect , Sanders-Czapski Associates, Marquette, Mich.

In 2013 the Marquette Food Co-op redeveloped a former grocery store and restaurant to provide a new location for their Co-op Grocery enterprise. Their interest in sustainable development provided an opportunity to implement landscape features based on native plants and alternative storm water management.  Landscape architect Bill Sanders will discuss how he used of native plants and landscaping techniques to reduce site run-off, enhance pollinator habitat, and improve site aesthetics.

7:30 p.m.—Native Plants and Native Insects
Dr. Tara Bal, assistant professor of forest health, Michigan Technological University, Houghton

Dr. Tara Ball of Michigan Tech will discuss how native insect biodiversity benefits our gardens and the larger ecosystems in numerous ways. Tara will share how non-native plants can make life harder for insects and wildlife and discuss how adding native plants can make your garden a haven for insect biodiversity. She will also talk about different types of beneficial native insects—there can be a lot more to diversity than bees and butterflies!

Learn more and register here: https://keweenaw.wildones.org/2021-keweenaw-native-plant-symposium/

Presented by the Missouri Prairie Foundation.

Learn about author and cyclist Sara Dykman’s 10,201-mile journey following the monarch migration. Sara made history when she became the first person to bicycle along­side monarch butterflies on their storied annual migration—a round-trip solo adventure over nine months that included three countries.

The webinar, to be held via Zoom, will be 45 minutes including a question and answer session. The webinar will be recorded, and sent to all registrants as well as posted to our YouTube channel.

Cost: Free

Register Here

Learn more and register for the Keweenaw Native Plant Symposium here: https://keweenaw.wildones.org/2021-keweenaw-native-plant-symposium/

7:00 p.m.—Sustainable Gardening
Dr. Brian Black, biology and environmental science instructor, Bay College, Escanaba, Mich.

Learning to live sustainably—to meet our needs without compromising the ability of future generations or other species to meet theirs—is essential. Yet many traditional gardening practices can waste water and energy, pollute off-site water and air, contribute to climate change, degrade the soil, spread invasive species, harm human health, and destroy wildlife habitat. How can you make your gardening more sustainable? What should you grow? How should you grow it? Brian will discuss how sustainable gardening promises to protect, restore, and enhance the ability of landscapes to provide ecosystem services that benefit humans and other organisms.

7:30 p.m.—KEYNOTE ADDRESS The Humane Gardener: Nurturing Habitat for Wildlife
Nancy Lawson, author, speaker, and habitat consultant

Why do we call some insects “beneficial” while others are “pests”? Why do we welcome some larger animals to our garden while calling others “nuisances”? Why are some plants considered “desirable” while others are “weeds”? In this myth-busting talk, learn how common growing methods divide the natural world into false dichotomies and perpetuate misperceptions about the wild species living among us. Discover practical ways to put humane gardening philosophies into action by protecting nesting sites for insects, birds and mammals; eliminating unintended hazards; identifying and nurturing plants that provide food and shelter; restoring habitat with minimal disturbance to animals; and humanely resolving conflicts with mammals and other commonly misunderstood creatures.

Nancy is the author of The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife, a columnist for All Animals magazine, a habitat consultant, a nationally known speaker on garden ecology, and the creator of HumaneGardener.com. She founded Humane Gardener to pioneer and promote creative planting strategies and other animal-friendly landscaping methods that help gardeners coexist with wildlife large and small.

This is a Xerces Society presentation.

Integrating habitat onto farms and other landscapes can support pollinators and the pollination services they provide. However, flower-rich plantings often require ongoing management to maintain wildflower diversity for pollinators over time. Come learn about a framework for selecting the most appropriate management techniques, and learn how landowners we work with are managing their pollinator plantings.

This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

Click here for more information and to register.

The Western UP Food Systems Collaborative is   hosting a series of seed starting an planting events this month, including as Seed Starting Party featuring Wild Ones. We will guide visitors in making their own seed balls using common milkweed. The schedule is below:

Wednesday, May 12th from 4-6 p.m.: Seed Starting Party at Porvoo Park in Hancock. Join the Portage Lake Seed Library in starting seeds for your home garden. Participants will receive free seed starting kits. Free event, open to all.
Saturday, May 15th from 1-3 p.m.: Garden sign making and compost share at Ray Kestner Park in Houghton. Join the Growing from the Heart community food growing and sharing program as we make Growing from the Heart signs for home gardens, learn to break-down pallets for sign-making, and connect to share the abundance of local foods with one another this summer. Sign-making supplies will be provided. Extra old scrap wood for signs, crowbar, hammers/nails helpful but not required. Bring containers to take home compost. Free event, open to all.
Saturday, May 29th from 1-4 p.m.: Plant sale at Pewabic St. Community Garden (204 E. Houghton Ave., Houghton). Fundraiser selling indoor and outdoor plants to benefit the programs of Pewabic St. Community Garden.
May 30th from 11 am - 5 p.m.: Garden market at Calumet Art Center (57055 5th St., Calumet). Art sale and plant sharing/swap.

Social distancing and masks will be required at all events.

Thanks to Pewabic St. Community Garden, Calumet Art Center, Portage Lake Seed Library, Growing from the Heart, and Portage Health Foundation for planning these events.

The Western UP Food Systems Collaborative is a grassroots community effort working to create a supportive, interconnected, and equitable food system across our region through service and stewardship for the wellbeing of our earth, air, and water, and all living beings. For more information, visit wupfoodsystems.com.

The National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Center and the Wolfpack Pollinator Hunt team are pleased to offer this webinar presentation featuring world-renowned entomologist, Dr. Douglas Tallamy. Dr. Tallamy is widely recognized by those who care about the environment and maintaining the diversity of native plants, insects and birds as key to ensuring vibrant agriculture, preservation of beautiful spaces for recreation, animal and bird habitat and restoring/maintaining healthy ecosystems, in which all can thrive.

Dr. Tallamy inspires communities to collaborate and to select some actionable approaches to increasing the use of native plantings, decreasing the use/presence of harmful chemicals and to generally improve the health of our neighborhoods and natural areas. Native plants are foundational for healthy ecosystems and wildlife, but also play an important role in mental, physical, cultural, and social health by providing opportunities for all people to connect to nature in their nearby neighborhoods and communities. In addition to supporting wildlife, native plants can also help to manage stormwater and reduce flooding, support local food cultivation, improve water quality, and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Please enjoy Dr. Tallamy’s presentation as he expresses his commitment and enthusiasm for this work; his ability to make it seem doable, while also looking at the enormous opportunities for improvement and his optimism for the future.

Click here to register for this free presentation.

Trees provide humans with a wealth of benefits and services relative to the environment, the economy, and human health and cognition.  But trees also have figured out how to share resources and how to support their colleagues, and they do this by a fascinating method of communication.

R.J. Laverne, PhD, a faculty member at Michigan Tech, will explore these topics and reveal more secrets of these surprising living organisms. He'll also provide resources for tree selection, particularly in urban areas.

Laverne is the manager of education and training for the Davey Tree Expert Company in Kent, Ohio, and also teaches Urban Forestry in MTU's College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science.  He is a board certified master arborist and a registered consulting arborist.  When he’s not teaching about trees, he’s probably trying to make something out of wood.

Laverne's presentation is sponsored by the Wild Ones Keweenaw chapter and the Keweenaw Garden Club.

Click here to register for this Zoom event.

There's no better time for a walk in the woods than springtime when the ephemerals are in bloom. These first-of-the-year plants, like Dutchman' breeches and dogtooth violet, surge out of the ground before the trees leaf out, taking advantage of the sunlight reaching the forest floor. Then in just a few short weeks, these early blooms disappear, and many of the plants retreat into their roots.

Nancy Leonard will lead this walk at starting at Esrey Park, a roadside park north of Eagle Harbor on M-26. A naturalist in love with the Keweenaw, she enjoys sharing her reverence for that natural world, and we are the grateful beneficiaries of her largesse.

This event is for members and their guests only. If you are interested in attending, contact Marcia at [email protected].

Customers are invited to pick up their native plant orders at 1284 Hickory Lane, Houghton, at the following times:

Saturday, June 26, 10 a.m.–noon
Sunday, June 27, 3–5 p.m.

Looking forward to seeing you!

Native garden plants that benefit birds, bees and butterflies are again available through the Keweenaw Wild Ones online plant sale at keweenaw.wildones.org.

Keweenaw Wild Ones is the local chapter of Wild Ones, a national nonprofit that encourages landscaping with native plants.

For the second time this summer, Keweenaw Wild Ones is offering a variety of species, including butterfly weed and red milkweed, New England aster, blue vervain and other garden-worthy natives. The sale also includes mini-gardens for butterflies. All of them provide special benefits to wildlife, especially birds and pollinators.

“The beauty of native plants isn’t just that they are beautiful,” said Marcia Goodrich, president of the Keweenaw chapter. “Unlike turf grass and many conventional garden plants that originated in Eurasia, native plants have been part of the American landscape for thousands of years. Over the centuries, our native birds and insects came to rely on these plants for their survival.”

As native plants were replaced by crops and nonnative gardens, bird and insect populations suffered. “By choosing natives, you can help the monarchs, native bees and birds that depend on them,” said Goodrich.

Customers can order online at keweenaw.wildones.org and pick up their plants in Houghton on July 31-Aug. 1. Details are available at the website.

We will be visiting the gardens of two of our newer members, Beth Flynn and Christa Walck, who live along M-203. Directions will be sent out shortly before the event. RSVP Marcia at [email protected].

First we'll see Beth's place, which has a small garden and a big property—160 acres. She's looking for inspiration on filling three small flower beds in front of the house and the one on the side of the house. We may also want to check out her pond and a milkweed patch that was alive with butterflies earlier this year.

Then we will head to Christa's for a tour and potluck. She lives along Lake Superior and is gradually incorporating more native plants into her large rock garden on the dune, which has been experiencing serious erosion. Fortunately, it is revegetating, which means she can still enjoy her garden, at least into the near future.

Says Christa, "I am always looking for more plant suggestions," particularly in her shady areas. "It’s been trial and error seeing what survives out here. The monarda I got from Wild Ones last year is doing really well and drawing in the butterflies."

Christa's rock garden along Lake Superior. A fritillary on her monarda.

In 1992, scientists were stunned to discover an enormous fungus located near Crystal Falls, Michigan.  A new documentary about the discovery and effect on the town will be shown at the Crystal Theater on July 31 and August 1.

https://thecrystaltheatre.org/events

This is an advanced master class in planting "green infrastructure" to handle stormwater, sponsored by the "Grow Native!/Missouri Prairie Foundation."

The course description says "When green infrastructure is built to manage stormwater, projects often produce additional benefits such as wildlife habitat and aesthetic amenities. This master class will provide an advanced overview of the design considerations associated with stormwater management practices."

$15 fee

Time:
5:00 - 6:00 PM EDT;  4:00 pm - 5:00 pm CDT 
https://grownative.org/event/grow-native-master-class-stormwater-management-design/

This Zoom event is sponsored by the Wild Ones Front Range Colorado chapter.  A $5 fee applies.  Starts at 6:30 PM Mountain time - (8:30 PM Eastern)
Register: Wild Ones Front Range Chapter: Wild Seed Collection and Cleaning (signupgenius.com)
Heralding the start of a new seed collection season, Wild Ones Front Range Chapter welcomes mountain seed steward Penn Parmenter to share stories of field collecting native seeds and tips on how to clean them. Learn about wild seed collection ethics and best practices and permits/permissions needed to collect seed. Planting regionally adapted seeds from local genotypes is the best (and least expensive) way to introduce species diversity into cultivated gardens.

R.J. Laverne

R.J. Laverne, PhD, a faculty member at Michigan Tech, will lead this hour-long walking tour of the university's arboreal assets. At least 40 different species of trees shading Tech's grounds, from white pine to ginkgo to Kentucky coffee tree. This tour will focus on those on the main campus and is free and open to the public.

Laverne received his BS in Forestry from Michigan Tech and is the manager of education and training for the Davey Tree Expert Company in Kent, Ohio. He teaches Urban Forestry in MTU's College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science.  He is a board certified master arborist and a registered consulting arborist.  When he’s not teaching about trees, he’s probably trying to make something out of wood.

Registration is required, and attendance is limited, so if you plan to attend, register here at your earliest convenience.

Sponsored by the Xerces Society, join Akito Y. Kawahara, the lead researcher at the Florida Museum of Natural History's McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, to learn about how to help save our important insects.

Register here.

Fee: $35

Some wildflower meadow projects are not successful. Join Larry Weaner as he reviews plant selection criteria, planting procedures and management techniques to optimize success.  Techniques will be illustrated through a series of residential case studies, including some over two decades old.

This presentation from the New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL)  organization is co-sponsored by Wild Ones and the Lady Bird Johnson Center.

More information : https://learning.ndal.org/courses/august-12-2021-native-meadows

$35

From George Washington Carver to Zora Neale Hurston and more lesser-known self-taught horticulturists, Black Americans have laid out the blueprint for garden design in their own personal spaces. Join horticulturalist Abra Lee as she discusses  these historic legacies and the plants they used to beautify homes and communities.

For more information see https://learning.ndal.org/courses/august-17-2021-like-painting-a-picture

Presented by the New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL)  organization and co-sponsored by Wild Ones and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Everyone is invited to "Gardening with Native Flora for Native Fauna," a free Zoom presentation by Gina Marie Jarvi, program director of the Gratiot Lake Conservancy.

Jarvi will discuss the essential relationships between native plants and native animals, particularly birds and insects.

To register for this free online event, email  [email protected] .

Cheryl Gross, Plant It Wild President and Advanced Master Gardener will present why we desperately need native plants in our yards and how to create habitat and live with nature.

Email [email protected] to register for each program. A Zoom invitation will be sent to you a few days prior to the Program.

Use those seeds! Join Sarah Michehl from The Land Conservancy of McHenry County (Illinois) for tips and tricks on how to collect and sow your native plant seeds.

Free, please register through the Barrington Area Public Library here.
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In the mid-Atlantic Region, non-native earthworms of European origin colonized the secondary forests hundreds of years ago.

Currently a ‘second wave’ of earthworm invasion is taking place by another group of earthworms, commonly known as ‘jumping worms’.

This presentation will provide an overview of the history of earthworm invasion, the natural history of native and non-native earthworms, and the profound ecological impact of invasive earthworms on the soil ecosystem.

For more information see https://mdflora.org/event-4355093

This is a presentation of the Maryland Native Plant Society.

Presented by the Wild Ones Mid-Mitten Chapter, this online class will walk you through a variety of wetland communities as we learn some of the most common sedges you are likely to encounter in Michigan. By the end of the class you will walk away with an identification guide and a new-found appreciation for these unique plants.

To register for this online program, email  [email protected]  by 9/12.

The Keweenaw Wild Ones are partnering with the Keweenaw Land Trust to remove weeds an install native plants at KLT's Boston Pond Nature Area on Wednesday, Sept. 15, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The public is invited.

"This is a great opportunity for the general public to meet members of our local Wild Ones chapter, learn about native plants, and help their local land trust," said WOK member Jill Fisher, KLT's program manager and botanist.

Some tools will be provided, but it's a good idea to bring your favorite weeding and planting garden implements.

Directions
Boston Pond is located on the west side of US-41, just south of the road to the airport. Look for a looped drive with a prominent Boston Pond Nature Area sign. Pull in here and park.

Dr. Robert Schutzki, MSU, will offer instructions on pruning tips and techniques to refresh and maintain the shrubs and trees in our yards. Knowing how and when to prune is essential for plant beauty and health.

Email [email protected] to register for each program. A Zoom invitation will be sent to you a few days prior to the Program

Sponsored by Michigan Plant it Wild.

Wild Ones National has asked garden designers in various parts of the country to come up with a sample landscape design for their region using native plants.  All of the designers work with the same basic blue print.  The Boston entry into this series is coming up on September 16.

Register here.

You can find the previous entries here.

Registration here.

During this presentation from Wild Ones Twin Cities, learn how to create and nurture habitat on your land to support wildlife and protect local water resources. Presenter Angie Hong will discuss:

Which trees and shrubs are best for birds
How to enhance existing gardens to provide nectar for pollinators
“Cues for Care” to give your native gardens better curb appeal; and
Resources to help you get started

Fee: $95

Recommended by Marcia!

Native landscapes are essential for a healthy planet. The 2021 Plan It Native Landscapes Conference, hosted by Deep Roots and its partners, will offer more than 20 live, interactive sessions, three inspiring keynote speakers, and opportunities to connect with peers and sponsors.

Read more here.

Meet Phyllis Root and Kelly Povo, authors of Searching for Minnesota’s Native Wildflowers; A Guide for Beginners, Botanist and Everyone in Between.
Learn about why they are crazy about native wildflowers, where they search and (sometimes) find them, and why they are also planting them in their own backyards. You’ll learn where to look, when to go, and how to find some of Minnesota’s little-known native wildflower treasures.

Join the meeting at 7 pm Central Time, October 13th: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84767824757?pwd=eVVBS1J2SEtzd1dWaEpKTWZQYjAydz09

We'll begin our regular chapter Zoom meeting on Oct. 19 with a special presentation by Shelby Lane-Clark, "Pollinator Selected Evolution of Flower Color." In animals, appearance is often driven by what the opposite sex finds alluring. In many flowering plants, however, the flowers' appearance is all about attracting pollinators, including bees, butterflies, flies and even bats. Shelby, a graduate student in forest ecology and management at Michigan Tech, will discuss who likes what and why. Everyone is welcome to attend Shelby's presentation. To receive a Zoom link, email [email protected] . Keweenaw Wild Ones will receive a link in their meeting announcement.  

 It's not hard to get excited about monarch butterflies and bumblebees, but what about dung beetles and June bugs? Michigan Tech's Tara Bal attempts to engage us with this chronically under-appreciated group of insects in her upcoming talk, "'An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles': An Intro to Beetle Diversity, Life History, and Their Role as Beneficial Insects in Our Gardens," set for 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 7, on Zoom.

Click here to register. You'll receive an email with a link to join the talk.

A famous entomologist once quipped that the Creator must have had "an inordinate fondness for beetles," considering that they are the most successful animals on the planet. Beetles (Order Coleoptera) include over 350,000 described species, with around 30,000 in the US alone�"not counting the likely thousands of undiscovered species. In our own yards and gardens, one can find hundreds of types of beetles, if not more.

In her talk, Bal will review how to identify some major beetle groups important for native plant pollination, pest control, nutrient recycling and more and discuss how you might be able to encourage them to visit habitats within our backyard spaces.

Bal, an assistant professor of forest health at Michigan Technological University, gave a very popular talk on native plants and insects for the April 2021 Keweenaw Native Plants Symposium. In her research, she explores strategies for mitigating problems afflicting our forests and forest products. Forest health is a key driver of forest management, especially as new threats emerge, including invasive species, climate change, or other consequences of human actions. Outside of academia, she enjoys expanding her flower and vegetable garden beds a little bit each year, raising chickens, beekeeping, and collecting firewood with her family.