Chapter Events

Events Archive: 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Upcoming Events

August 2025

Aug
15

Farmers Market Days Native Plant Sale

Friday, August 15th, 2025
to (Eastern Time)
Fulton Street Market, 1145 Fulton St E, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503 Map

Public Welcome Family-Friendly Free Event Seed/Plant Sale Wheelchair Accessible Public Restroom Free Public Parking Drinking Fountains

A collaboration between Wild Ones River City and The Native Plant Guild.

Native Plants sold by local growers from the Native Plant Guild. Wild Ones River City Chapter representatives will be there to answer your native plant questions and provide educational handouts. 

The growers donate a portion of their profits to Wild Ones River City Chapter.

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Aug
18

Marywood Prairie Habitat Tour

Monday, August 18th, 2025
to (Eastern Time)
Marywood Campus, 111 Lakeside Dr NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503 Map

Public Welcome Free Event Chapter Meeting Program/Speaker Presentation Public Garden Tour Free Public Parking Lots of Physical Activity

A Prairie Habitat of about an acre in size can be seen on the edge of the Dominican Sisters - Grand Rapids grounds at E. Fulton Street and Lakeside Dr in Grand Rapids. What is this natural area all about? When was the Prairie Habitat initiated and why? How was this commune of flora and fauna established and by whom? Sister Lucille Janowiak will focus on addressing these questions in a slide presentation indoors on the history of the Marywood Prairie. Rebecca Marquardt, Landscape Architect from Revery will give a short update on recent efforts and future plans for the Prairie. An outdoor tour of the Prairie follows the presentation.

Long sleeves, long pants and sturdy shoes are recommended. 

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September 2025

Sep
15

The Great Lakes Rare Butterfly Program at the John Ball Zoo

Monday, September 15th, 2025
to (Eastern Time)
Grand Rapids Public Library - Downtown Branch, 111 Library St NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503 Map

Public Welcome Free Event Chapter Meeting Program/Speaker Presentation Wheelchair Accessible Public Restroom Drinking Fountains

Presented by Bill Flanagan, John Ball Zoo Conservation Manager.

The John Ball Zoo (JBZ) has been partnering with Michigan State University's Haddad Lab to save the Poweshiek Skipperling from extinction.  In 2023 the program expanded to include working with Mitchell's Satyr' butterflies.

JBZ has rapidly expanded its committment to the conservation of animals in the field.  Four programs focused on Great Lakes Rare Turtles, Great Lakes Rare Butterflies, Grand River Ecosystems, and Habitat Hero make up the core of the JBZ's conservation work.  

FREE 2-hour parking is available in the library lot with ticket validation inside the library.

Sep
18

Free Webinar: "EcoBeneficial Landscape Strategies for the Climate Crisis" with Kim Eierman

Hosted by Wild Ones National
Thursday, September 18th, 2025
to (Eastern Time)
Online/Virtual

Public Welcome Recording Available Free Event Program/Speaker Presentation

Discover how ecological landscaping with native plants can make your landscape more resilient and help address the climate crisis. This webinar will highlight practical, evidence-based approaches to designing and maintaining landscapes that build resilience to climate change and support native biodiversity. Join Wild Ones for a free webinar, “EcoBeneficial Landscape Strategies for the Climate Crisis,” featuring environmental horticulturalist and ecological landscape designer Kim Eierman.

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Sep
19

Farmers Market Days Native Plant Sale

Friday, September 19th, 2025
to (Eastern Time)
Fulton Street Market, 1145 Fulton St E, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503 Map

Public Welcome Family-Friendly Free Event Seed/Plant Sale Wheelchair Accessible Public Restroom Free Public Parking Lots of Physical Activity Drinking Fountains

A collaboration between Wild Ones River City and The Native Plant Guild.

Native Plants sold by local growers from the Native Plant Guild. Wild Ones River City Chapter representatives will be there to answer your native plant questions and provide educational handouts. 

The growers donate a portion of their profits to River City Wild Ones.

Read More

October 2025

Oct
8

Garden Walkabout Members Only

Wednesday, October 8th, 2025
to (Eastern Time)
TBA

Members Only Free Event Home/Private Garden Tour

An open garden tour of member Marty MacCleery's yard in Ada, for Wild Ones River City members and their guests. 

Members will receive an email invitation with the address and details closer to the event.

Background: Marty learned about the importance of native plants to the food web while taking the Master Naturalist class in 2010.  She began adding more native plants to her corner lot over time.  Eventually she installed 2 new beds named Shady Grove and Sunny Grove which involved several delicate dances with her neighborhood HOA. Think fences, signs, and deer exclosure cages! I’d love to share my stories with you!  

Theme:  Sunny Grove: The Journey from Concept to Reality (2021-2024 and Beyond)

Come explore her entire yard that backs up to the woods. And be sure to walk through Sunny Grove with a meandering grove of various dwarf native trees, shrubs and plants.  There will also be some carefully placed interpretative signs from Xerces, NWF, Pollinator Partnership, Monarch Joint Venture, Saving Birds Thru Habitat and Wild Ones River City.

Oct
11

Native Plant Exchange

Saturday, October 11th, 2025
to (Eastern Time)
Blandford Nature Center

Public Welcome Free Event Seed/Plant Share Free Public Parking

The purpose of the Native Plant Exchange is to foster natural landscaping with native plants. Bring favorite native plants from your yard to share with others and take some home for yourself. 

All plants are FREE, and you are not required to bring plants in order to take some home. This is a place where those with an abundance can share with others and help them get started with native plants. 

This event is open to the community and is co-hosted by Wild Ones River City Chapter and Blandford Nature Center.

More details to come!

Oct
16

October Wild Ones National Webinar with Doug Tallamy

Hosted by Wild Ones National
Thursday, October 16th, 2025
to (Eastern Time)
Online/Virtual

Public Welcome Recording Available Free Event Program/Speaker Presentation

Details coming soon! 

Oct
20

People, Plants, and Partnerships: Centering Relationships in Green Infrastructure Projects in the Plaster Creek Watershed

Monday, October 20th, 2025
to (Eastern Time)
Grand Rapids Public Library - Downtown Branch, 111 Library St NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503 Map

Public Welcome Free Event Chapter Meeting Program/Speaker Presentation Wheelchair Accessible Public Restroom

The previously advertised presentation “Michigan's Captivating Caterpillars” by Dr. Duke Elsner has been CANCELLED.

New presentation:
People, Plants, and Partnerships: Centering Relationships in Green Infrastructure Projects in the Plaster Creek Watershed

Presented by: Haley Kornoelje, Project Coordinator, Plaster Creek Stewards

2-hour parking is FREE in the library lot with ticket validation in the library. 

November 2025

Nov
17

Wild Ones River City Annual Meeting/Seed Swap

Monday, November 17th, 2025
to (Eastern Time)
Kroc Center Campus, 2500 Division Ave S, Grand Rapids, MI, 49507 Map

Public Welcome Free Event Chapter Annual Meeting Seed/Plant Share Wheelchair Accessible Public Restroom Free Public Parking

Join us for a fun evening to connect with your fellow Wild Ones and to meet newcomers!

We will be celebrating our accomplishments in 2025, our 18th year as a chapter. The River City 2026 officers and board members will be introduced. 

Attendees are encouraged to bring native seeds from their garden to share if you have them. If you are new to native plants and don't have seeds to share, no worries, you can still take home some seeds.

Seed packaging instructions to come.

Nov
20

November Wild Ones National Webinar with Larry Weaner

Hosted by Wild Ones National
Thursday, November 20th, 2025
to (Eastern Time)
Online/Virtual

Public Welcome Recording Available Free Event Program/Speaker Presentation

Details coming soon!