Educational Resources

For education-related questions email [email protected]

Download a pdf of the 2023 Wild Ones River City  Michigan Native Plant Vendor list 4-23-2023

View a list of our 2023 Educational Events 

 

EDUCATIONAL LINKS

Follow the links below to find out more about your favorite native Michigan plants and related topics. Some are downloadable PDFs.

Benefits of Native Plants

Gardening-for-Life-Doug-Tallamy

Getting Started with Native Plants

Planning, Implementing and Maintaining a Native Garden

Site Analysis

 

Wild Ones Native Garden Design Booklet

 

 

 

Great Lakes Tree Planting Guide pdf

 

 

 

HOMEGROWN NATIONAL PARK® is a grassroots call-to-action to regenerate biodiversity and ecosystem function by planting native plants and creating new ecological networks.

Catalyzing a collective effort of individual homeowners, property owners, land managers, farmers, and anyone with some soil to plant in…to start a new HABITAT® by planting native plants and removing most invasive plants. 

The initial goal is 20 million acres of native plantings in the U.S. This represents approximately ½ of the green lawns of privately-owned properties.

Homegrown National Park™ Let’s Get on the Map brochure pdf

Wild Ones River City challenges you to “GET ON THE MAP”
For help registering your property on the Homegrown National Park™ map watch our short how-to video below. Or watch on YouTube.

 

4 Universal Landscape Goals – By Doug Tallamy

 

NATIVARS (Native Cultivars)

Revised Nativars-Statement from National Wild Ones (2021)
Download Wild Ones Nativar statement pdf

Wild Ones Journal Best of 2017 Yogurts Lessons on Nativars

How Effective are Nativars? video with Doug Tallamy

Native versus Nativar: Whats the difference and does it matter, by Linda Shuster, WORC member

 

BOOK LIST

WORC Chapter’s Recommended Resources
An in-depth book list compiled by the WORC Chapter Education Committee that includes:
• a description of each book
• beginner or advanced level
• number of copies at Grand Rapids Public Library
• number of copies at Kent District Library
• download site/comments

 

VIDEOS

We have an extensive list of recorded webinar programs. View our video page.
Or watch on our YouTube channel @wildonesrivercity

 

PLANT LISTS

Plants for Part Sun-Full Sun

Plants for Shade-Part Sun

Native Shrubs and Trees for Backyard Biodiversity

50 Plant Species Common to southern Lower Michigan (a starting point)

To read or download articles about specific species click here.

 

NATIVE GARDEN DESIGN

A new Native Garden Design provided by the National Wild Ones was designed by two of our very own River City members—Amy Heilman and Rebecca Marquardt! Their plan is specifically designed for the Grand Rapids ecoregion. They and the designers for other cities were given the basic dimensions of the yard and foot print of the house and it was up to their imagination what the specifics would be.

Although the fictitious property is on an inland lake, it has many design elements that can be applied to various sites even if they are not on a lake. The general purpose of the plan was to show ways that homeowners can mitigate climate change issues, such as, retaining water on a property, improving soil structure, downsizing lawn, decreasing erosion, planting to create habitat, and arranging native plant communities that are suited to a specific set of growing conditions. Amy and Rebecca hope that people find some element of the design that will inspire them to adapt these ideas to their own properties. Download their entire design here. Read more about National Wild Ones free Native Design plans for other cities.

Grand Rapids Native Garden Design Video
Designers and Speakers: Amy Heilman, The Living Garden and Rebecca Marquardt, Revery
Hosted by Danielle Bell, Fall 2022

 

SPRING EPHEMERALS

Virginia Bluebells, (Mertensia virginica)

Aman Park
Aman Park Images photo presentation of Spring ephemerals in the park

Guided Tour of Aman Park by William Martinus, botanist

Natural Features Inventory of Aman Park

History of Aman Park
by Kayne Ferrier, WORC Program Committee and retired librarian,
Grand Rapids Public Library

 

Hudsonville Nature Center
Hudsonville Nature Center Virtual Spring Ephemeral Hikes
videos by Craig Elston, Naturalist, Hudsonville Nature Center

Michigan Spring Woodland Wildflowers

 

NATIVE PLANT SOURCING

 

NATIVE PLANT FINDERS

Audubon Native Plant Finder (enter zip code to do a search of native plants in your area and the birds attracted to them)

National Wildlife Federation Native Plant Finder (BETA) (enter zip code to do a search of native plants and the butterflies attracted to them based on the research of Dr. Doug Tallamy)

 

PRAIRIE SEEDLING GUIDES

 

Prairie Seedling and Seeding Evaluation Guide

Central Region Seedling ID guide for Native Prairie Plants

 

 

PRAIRIE PLANTING

Ten Steps to Successful Wildflower Planting

Could you please tell me what native plants I can plant on the drain field?- MSU Extension

How to tastefully prairie a small garden bed.

 

INSECTS & POLLINATION

Save the Stems Brochure How to Create Habitat for Stem-Nesting Bees

Nesting and Overwintering Habitat for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects Guide 

Keystone Native Plants for Pollinators  – There are two types of keystone plants: Host plants that feed the young caterpillars of approximately 90% of butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera). Plants that feed specialist bees who only eat pollen from specific plants. Keystone plants for native bees feed both specialist and generalist bees.

Soft Landings: Diverse Native Plantings under Keystone Trees
Providing critical shelter and habitat for one or more life cycles stages of moths, butterflies, and beneficial insects.

Pollination-Fast-Facts-2020

Attracting Beneficial Insects with Native Flowering Plants

Plant Fact Sheets also with Attractiveness to Insects

Monarch-Butterflies-Eastern-US-brochure

The Mystery of Milkweed Pollination by Dana Visalli

Project Wingspan: Landscape Enhancement for Imperiled Pollinators of the Midwest

 

 

WILDLIFE HABITAT

Creating a Wildlife Habitat in Your Backyard

 

NATIVE PLANTS AND BIRDS

Audubon Plants for Birds
Bring birds to your home by growing native plants. With Audubon’s Native Plant Database, you can find the best plants for the birds in your area. Growing bird-friendly plants will attract and protect the birds you love while making your space beautiful, easy to care for, and better for the environment. Explore all of our native plant resources here, including our factsheets on creating a native plant garden and how it can save you money.

Plant Trees that Turn Your Yard Into a Bird Oasis—and Carbon Sponge
Article by Janet Marinelli, audubon.org
Trees create habitat and store CO2 for decades to come. Just pick carefully.

 

The mission of Saving Birds Thru Habitat is to protect, enhance and restore habitat for North American birds and to educate people of all ages about this important mission and how to achieve it. Their goal is to improve habitat for migrating birds one backyard at a time.

 

Article: A Yard Full Of Native Plants Is A Yard Full Of Well-Fed Birds, By Kathi Borgmann, Cornell Lab, February 27, 2018

 

IDENTIFICATION

VIEWING

 

OUTREACH

 

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM)

 

SOURCES FOR PLANT PHOTOGRAPHY, CHARTS, ETC

Leaf chart by Jerry Jenkins, Northern Forest Atlas

  • The Northern Forest Atlas produces graphic tools for naturalists and ecologists. Their site contains photographic and digital images, diagrams, videos, and illustrated articles. Books, Guides, Charts, and digital products are available for purchase or free download in the Products section. Visit Northernforestatlas.org.
  • Forestry Images provides free plant images (must attribute the photographer) provides an easily accessible archive of high quality images for use in educational applications. Visit forestryimages.org.

 

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

Green Infrastructure 101 video

Green Infrastructure in Grand Rapids, MI

Rain garden at Parkside Elementary in Rockford, MI video

Ever wondered where the rain goes? Sustainable drainage animation