Events

This is an open-ended, participant-driven  monthly conversation focused on learning from one another.  Sharon Groh, SWIL Wild Ones President will facilitate the discussion.  Topics may include sharing resources, success stories, lessons learned from trials and errors, and planning directions the group would like to explore.

Whether you're just getting started or well into your restoration journey, we hope you'll join us.

Zoom link will be sent when you register.

Because distance often keeps members from attending monthly programs, we're offering a relaxed new way to connect.  Join us for casual conversation about native plants, gardens, birds, and pollinators - just good company and shared ideas.  Let's learn from one another - no program.  Just conversation. 

Members cover their own food and drinks.

July Discussion Group

Topic: TBD

Locaton: TBD

July's garden gathering will be at a member's home.

This special tour of Horn Prairie is being offered by the SWIL Wild Ones 2+ Acre Planting & Restoration Special Interest Group.  Thank you to Steve Huetsch for coordinating the visit.

Horn Prairie is considered the best and largest intact remnant prairie in Illinois.  Located in Fayette County, the  40-acres  includes over 600 species of plants.  This privately owned property has 30 acres of original “virgin” prairie with all seeps/wetland, springs, and underground water veins still intact.  The prairie is part of the Southern Till Prairie Plain, of which over 99% was destroyed.  The several prairie natural communities found here support an unbelievable diversity of prairie flora.

 This event is open to all members but registration is requested so we don't leave anyone behind at Casey's.   And as a courtesy, Keith has requested to know the number of persons planning to visit, in case we need to limit the number of participants.

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.

In this webinar, author and activist Lorraine Johnson gets into the how: how to talk to neighbors who don’t get it yet, how to respond to HOA complaints or bylaw challenges, and how to build support in your community for the kind of garden that actually does something for the ecosystem. With three decades of writing and advocacy behind her, Lorraine has seen these conversations play out in every direction – and she’s full of practical, grounded advice for navigating them well.

This webinar is part of the nationwide Less Lawn More Life Challenge, a free 12-week program helping people turn everyday outdoor spaces into thriving habitat through simple, expert-led weekly actions. Join thousands across the country learning how to support pollinators, birds, biodiversity, and healthier ecosystems right at home. Participants receive access to live events, practical resources, and the free Wildr Score ecological yard assessment tool. Register free at lesslawnmorelife.com.

Because distance often keeps members from attending monthly programs, we're offering a relaxed new way to connect.  Join us for casual conversation about native plants, gardens, birds, and pollinators - just good company and shared ideas.  Let's learn from one another - no program.  Just conversation. 

Members cover their own food and drinks.

August Discussion Group

Topic: TBD

Locaton: TBD

Private tour at the Peter H Raven Library  Missouri Botanical Garden , divided mostly between the Rare Book Room and the Library Conservation Lab the first hour then we will see the Herbarium. 

The full tour will last and hour and half.

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.

Because distance often keeps members from attending monthly programs, we're offering a relaxed new way to connect.  Join us for casual conversation about native plants, gardens, birds, and pollinators - just good company and shared ideas.  Let's learn from one another - no program.  Just conversation. 

Members cover their own food and drinks.

TBD

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.

Because distance often keeps members from attending monthly programs, we're offering a relaxed new way to connect.  Join us for casual conversation about native plants, gardens, birds, and pollinators - just good company and shared ideas.  Let's learn from one another - no program.  Just conversation. 

Members cover their own food and drinks.

Garden gathering at members home.

Details coming soon! 

 Annual meeting including……

Snacks/Potluck--Your chapter will provide beverages and serving items, you are welcome to bring a nibble, dish or dessert to share. 

Seed and Garden Swap--please bring your native seeds labeled with the botanical and common name, place and date collected.  Gently used garden tools or materials/books/magazines that may need a new home are welcome as well. 

Details coming soon!