Events

We will have an overview of Lewis & Clark CC's Restoration Ecology program with Scott Moss.  Great Rivers Prescribed Burn Association will also discuss prescribed burns, permits, and online training available.  If  time and weather allow, we may walk to see campus restoration projects, the campus greenhouse and storm water weir installation.

STL chapter member, Betty Struckhoff,  will present on native ground covers and other design elements to minimize maintenance time. A seasonal maintenance schedule is included in the presentation and we’ll discuss invasive plants and aggressive natives, helping you make decisions about when to allow native volunteers to prosper and when to pull. Join us to learn about how to keep your native plant garden looking great! Following the presentation we will have a brief State of the Chapter update and hope you will stay for some social time at Old Bakery. 

All are welcome to join this free virtual panel discussion exploring the vital roles of native, solitary, and honeybees in pollination and biodiversity. Featuring experts Sam Droege (USGS), Dave Hunter (Crown Bees), and Dr. Lora Morandin (Pollinator Partnership), this event will discuss into the challenges pollinators face, the balance between managed and wild bees, and actionable ways to support all pollinators.

Gain insights from over 90 years of combined experience and learn how to advocate for pollinator habitats through planting native species, participating in community science, and adopting responsible management practices.

Audubon Center at Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary will present on how bird populations have changed and ways to support birds through native landscapes and alternative turf solutions. We will enjoy a brief walking tour their new native plant greenhouse,  gardens and birding areas. Riverlands is located on the banks of the Mississippi River near its confluence with the Missouri River and has over 8.5 miles of trail featuring viewing platforms and bird blinds. The trails bring you through prairies, marshes, and bottomland forest habitats, and provide great viewing opportunities for the great variety of birds and other wildlife.

Public gardens hold tremendous power to influence landscaping norms and inspire change. By showcasing the beauty, functionality, and ecological value of native plants, these spaces help foster biodiversity, advocate for sustainable practices, and engage communities in environmental stewardship. 

This webinar will explore how public and demonstration gardens serve as powerful tools for native plant advocacy. Attendees will learn how gardens move beyond aesthetics to spark action—turning appreciation into engagement and inspiring participants to replicate these practices in their own communities.

We will hear insights from Nicole Machuca, Environmental Social Scientist at the Field Museum, on how public gardens influence behaviors, foster stewardship, and connect people to conservation efforts through research and community engagement. The Wild Ones Capital Region NY and the Wild Ones San Diego (CA) Chapters will share their experiences building native plant demonstration gardens and how these spaces drive community engagement, education, and advocacy. And We'll finish with a conversation exploring how public gardens create a lasting impact beyond planting day moderated by Kelly Kapuzzi, Demonstration Garden Char with the Wild Ones Hocking Hills (OH) Chapter.

This month,  book club discusses Douglas Tallamy's Bringing Nature Home. We will meet before the Spring Ephemeral Walk at McCully Heritage Project in the Farmhouse on property.  

Spring Ephemeral walk at McCully Heritage Project,  a natural area made up of 940 acres of hills and hollows in Calhoun County Illinois. The project offers miles of hiking and horse back riding trails, two ponds for fishing and turtle watching, a wetland, forests, native grasslands, and more. 

Wildscapes by Nancy Lawson to be discussed. 

https://www.humanegardener.com/wildscape/

Join us to meet  NGREEC staff, learn about their mission and programming and tour the 32,000-square-foot research facility which contains laboratories, classrooms, hydrologic and wildlife laboratories and riverside access. The architecture of the building complements the surrounding environment and minimizes visual intrusion on the landscape, while sustainable design features reduce the physical and environmental impacts of the facility. The green roof is modeled after a hill prairie ecosystem. The building incorporates sustainable features according to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and received LEED Gold Certification in 2015.

Join Wild Ones National Board President Loris Damerow for a special presentation as part of Week 3 of the 2025 Less Lawn More Life Challenge, “Native Plants Planted Right.” Loris will walk us through the basics of native plant gardening- from choosing the right plants to planting and maintaining them with confidence.

Join us on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 5 p.m. CT for the YouTube Live premiere of this 30-minute webinar. Native plant experts from  Wild Ones, Plan it Wild, Homegrown National Park, ReWild Your Campus, and others will be active in the live chat throughout the presentation and for 30 minutes after the webinar, giving you plenty of time to ask questions and engage! 

This event is designed for newcomers to native gardening and is part of the national Less Lawn More Life Challenge, hosted by Plan It Wild in collaboration with Wild Ones, iNaturalist, Homegrown National Park, Pollinator Partnership  and many others! 

See more about the Less Lawn More Life Challenge:  https://www.lesslawnmorelife.com/ 

SWIL members, Bill and Kay Ahaus garden in Trenton, Illinois

SWIL member Sandra Perry. 

SWIL members Laurie and Henry Henderson's garden. 

SWIL member Amy Cyrus' garden. 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon! 

This is a collaborative event between Clifftop and SWIL Wild Ones. Join Laura Schaefer in a walk along an ADA accessible trail while picking your own native wildflower and grass seed mix to take home. Laura will guide you in plant id, how to collect, preserve and grow your native seed collection. This is the only time when seed may be collected here, so don't miss out on this once a year event!
What to bring: Bring either a large PAPER grocery bag (for a seed mix) or paper lunch bags (to keep species separate) and a marker to label your bags.
Optional: garden gloves and pruners.
We will meet at the pavilion in the parking lot.
Please note the correct address for PWSNP is 3255 G Rd, Fults, Il.
In the event of rain we will reschedule. 

Details coming soon!