Chapter Events

Annual Online Native Plant Sale and Fundraiser 

Online ordering for Wild Ones members begins May 26 and runs through May 31.
Public online ordering June 1–13.

The native plants are sourced from these local growers:

• Artemis Growers (Courtney Cheers)
• Magical Mystery Meadows (Elliot Sedlecky
• Nature's Balance Gardening (Karyn Detmer-Babbitt)
• She is Growing Wild (Tammy Lundeen)
• The Garden Guru Kzoo (Alysia Babcock)
• Wild Ginger Woodlands (Sally Garrod)

Books, garden signs, and soil knives will also be for sale!

A garden Walkabout tour for Wild Ones members-only and their guests.

Members will receive an email invitation to Elise's Walkabout with her address closer to the event.

Elise writes:

“My initial encounter with native plants came in a college botany class. I spent many hours in the woods keying out spring ephemerals, learning to recognize these fleeting flowers.  Although I knew I wanted native trees and shrubs around the house we built in 1998, my true introduction to native plants came in the early 2000s while helping Dwight Baker at Saul Lake Bog during my time on the board of the Land Conservancy. Watching former pasture land transformed into native prairie sparked a much deeper interest.  Then I discovered the work of Doug Tallamy and his books connecting native plants and trees to the health of insects and birds. That connection between plants and the broader ecosystem changed the way we viewed our property. Our first efforts focused on removing invasive species such as autumn olive, Asian bittersweet, honeysuckle, and spotted knapweed. Gradually, we added native plantings around the house and began shrinking the lawn. Over time, more and more of our yard has been transformed into native plant gardens, creating a landscape that is not only beautiful, but alive with birds, pollinators, and other wildlife.”

Monthly garden maintenance work session for members and the public in our Native Plant Education Garden.

Work includes plant label placement, weeding, transplanting, watering, seed collection, potting up of extra species to give away.

Garden Walkabout tour for Wild Ones members-only and their guests.

Members will receive an email invitation to Bernie's  Walkabout with his address closer to the event.

More info to come!

Each summer, Wild Ones River City (WORC) hosts Friday Markets on the third Friday of July, August and September at the Fulton Street Market. These sales are a partnership between the Native Plant Guild and WORC. 

Growers sell native plants, shrubs, seed packets and planters to new customers and reach potential clients. As their “host,” WORC reserves market stalls and provides volunteers to assist growers. At the same time, we further our mission by offering a regular, reliable source of native plants and by promoting WORC’s mission to new customers. 

This will be a walking tour led by Courtney Cheers, director of the Wittenbach Wege Center.  She will guide us to the oak savanna restoration areas at the Wittenbach Center and the Wege Foundation Natural Area Preserve.  She will highlight their journey and  process and the “village” that helped them get where they are today.

You planted native. Your neighbor has opinions. Maybe your HOA does too. If you’ve ever felt like the hardest part of native plant gardening is the conversations, not the gardening, you’re not alone.

Wild Ones is thrilled to share this upcoming free webinar as part of the 2026 Less Lawn More Life Challenge. Join Lorraine Johnson for a practical conversation on navigating HOA rules, addressing neighbor concerns, and fostering community conversations about native plant gardening and ecological landscapes.

Garden Walkabout tour for Wild Ones members-only and their guests.

Come visit Wild Ones member, Marcia Carrick's garden and see what has changed since her first Walkabout in August 2024.

Wild Ones members will receive an email invitation for Marcia's Walkabout with her address closer to the event.

This field trip will be led by a member of the Rogue River Watershed Partners, who will take participants on a relaxed-pace walk with frequent stops through Rogue River Park to explore the native vegetation and learn about the importance and benefits of healthy riparian buffers.

Garden Walkabout tour for Wild Ones members-only and their guests.

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

Michelle says:

“I’ve learned there is a huge difference between nature surviving, and nature thriving. Learning the difference between Native plants and the curated landscaping we see everywhere has made me look at my yard differently. Because of what I have learned, I had a native garden put in my front yard last spring. Understanding that native bees, butterflies, birds, etc. need native plants to lay their eggs and raise their young has changed me forever. The truth is we need nature; nature does not need us. I am so excited to continue to learn how to be the best steward of nature and to make a tiny difference in my yard.”

Native plants are the foundation of habitat, but wildlife need more than food to thrive. Join ecologist and Certified Wildlife Biologist Shaun McCoshum, PhD, to explore how nesting sites, shelter, water, soil conditions, and other often-overlooked resources can transform a yard into a functioning ecosystem that supports biodiversity year-round.

Registration link coming soon.

Each summer, Wild Ones River City (WORC) hosts Friday Markets on the third Friday of July, August and September at the Fulton Street Market. These sales are a partnership between the Native Plant Guild and WORC. 

Growers sell native plants, shrubs, seed packets and planters to new customers and reach potential clients. As their “host,” WORC reserves market stalls and provides volunteers to assist growers. At the same time, we further our mission by offering a regular, reliable source of native plants and by promoting WORC’s mission to new customers. 

Take a tour of the gardens at the Ada History Center! Wild Ones River City will be present with an information table and will offer handouts about native plants. 

What does it really take to turn a conventional lawn into a thriving native meadow? Join Owner & Principal, New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL), Sara Weaner Cooper for a candid look at her family's ongoing lawn-to-meadow transformation featured in The New York Times and BBC. Drawing from three years of hands-on experience, Sara will share the methods, lessons learned, successes, and challenges of converting turfgrass into a dynamic native plant community. Participants will gain practical insights into site preparation, planting, management, and the ecological principles that guide successful meadow establishment, along with realistic expectations for how these landscapes evolve over time.

Registration link coming soon.

Each summer, Wild Ones River City (WORC) hosts Friday Markets on the third Friday of July, August and September at the Fulton Street Market. These sales are a partnership between the Native Plant Guild and WORC. 

Growers sell native plants, shrubs, seed packets and planters to new customers and reach potential clients. As their “host,” WORC reserves market stalls and provides volunteers to assist growers. At the same time, we further our mission by offering a regular, reliable source of native plants and by promoting WORC’s mission to new customers. 

This field trip will be led by Ellen Holste,  founder of EnviroSpeak LLC and former Research Community Engagement Manager at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute.  

Goldenrod and aster flowers are the grand finale of the blooming season, with fields and forests flourishing with shades of yellow, pink, purple, blue, and white in the fall.   Learn the key characteristics of these plant species, where to find them, a few common species, and their importance to wildlife and us!

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.

This program will be presented by Travis Kurtz, the Community Science Coordinator at the John Ball Zoo.  

The Habitat Hero program is a community-based conservation project focused on bringing people together to create high-quality pollinator habitats in urban and suburban areas.  Learn more about how this program works, how you can get involved, and why urban pollinator conservation is so important!

Note: Location has changed to Roselle Park.

Bats are among the most important and misunderstood wildlife in our communities. Join experts from Bat Conservation International to explore how native plants, healthy insect populations, and thoughtful landscape design can help support bats. Learn about the ecological role of bats and discover practical ways to create habitat for North America's night flyers right in your own backyard.

Registration link coming soon.

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

We will be celebrating our accomplishments in 2026, our 19th year as a chapter with a short slide presentation. The River City 2027 officers and board members will be introduced. The meeting will be followed by the Seed Swap and refreshments. 

Wild Ones will be selling native plant books and related merchandise before and after the presentation.

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.

Monarch butterflies depend on a network of habitats stretching across North America, and home landscapes can play an important role in their survival. Join experts from Monarch Joint Venture to explore the science behind monarch conservation, including the importance of milkweed, nectar resources, and regionally appropriate habitat. Learn practical ways to support monarchs through native landscaping and help sustain one of the world's most remarkable migrations.
 

Registration link coming soon.