Events

Shake off winter and admire what’s in bloom on a spring hike led by the fantastically creative botanical artist, Georgia Donovan at our local Izaak Walton League Chapter. Against a backdrop of wooded hills, you’ll learn more about one of the oldest conservation organizations in the United States and ways to incorporate artistic elements like composition in the coming year. Sketch pads welcome!

We will meet in the Lodge where Georgia will show us her artwork. The program will be all about "seeing and noticing" nature.

Then we will take a hike to the pond and through the woods to their native plant garden. Come dressed for the weather, wear old shoes in case it is muddy. Bring bug spray. If you don't want to walk through the woods, you can stay in the Lodge for a while and then meet us down in the native plant garden.

Local artist Georgia Donovan with the Native Plant Education Garden sign featuring her artwork at 920 Cherry Street SE, Grand Rapids.

Izaak Walton League - The Dwight Lydell Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA) is located on about 39 acres of wooded hills in northern Kent County. It’s on Myers Lake Road, about a half mile north of the Cannonsburg Ski Resort. The League is a diverse group of some 40- 50,000 men, women and children, entire families dedicated to protecting our nation's soil, air, woods, waters, and wildlife. Their Conservation Mission is “To conserve, maintain, protect and restore the soil, forest, water and other natural resources of the United States and other lands; to promote means and opportunities for the education of the public with respect to such resources and their enjoyment and wholesome utilization.”

Annual Native Plant Exchange (In the parking lot after the hike)
Bring favorite native plants from your yard to share with your fellow Wild Ones and take some home for yourself. All plants are FREE!

Native Plant Exchange Rules of Etiquette:
The purpose of the Plant Exchange is to foster natural landscaping with native plants. Please bring plants to share from your garden that you know to be true native species, please no invasive exotics!

Respect Plants. Plants may not get planted immediately, pot them up well so they can survive.
Please provide species labels for the transplants and label them with moisture/sun requirements.
Respect Yourself. Just starting out? Don't have plants to bring? Of course you may still take plants! In fact, that is one of the main purposes of the Plant Exchange. We all had to get started somehow, and when native plants start doing really well in your yard, bring some back to share. It is the "Plant It Forward" concept!
Respect Others. If there are only a few pots of a particular species, please take only one so that others may have a chance to get one too.