Events

Are you new to landscaping with native plants? Or maybe you really want to use native plants in your garden but don't know where to start? This program is geared toward beginners and covers the basics of native plant gardening and landscaping.

Explore how native gardening can address climate challenges in our next Wild Ones national webinar, “Cultivating Change” with author and activist Lorraine Johnson. Johnson has been researching and writing about environmental issues for three decades. Learn about the pivotal role of gardening as an act of stewardship in the face of climate and ecological challenges. Discover the profound connections between individual gardens and the broader world and learn how these green spaces can serve as catalysts for positive ecological and social change.  Join Wild Ones for a practical and insightful discussion on gardening's positive impact on the environment and our future. 

Virtual registrants will receive a link to watch the talk live as well as a link to the recording. The recording will only be available for a limited time. 

Any Wild Ones member is welcome to join our chapter's board meeting where we discuss upcoming Wild Ones events and goals and priorities for our chapter. Learn more about our chapter and have a say in what we're doing. To receive the Zoom meeting information, send an email to [email protected] at least 3 days before the meeting.

Board meetings are the first Tuesday of every month from 7 - 8:30 pm.

Join Ms. Shawn Hunter, co-founder of The Diana Project, for a presentation that will compare and contrast Arkansas' state butterfly, the Diana Fritillary, with the more familiar Monarch butterfly in order to understand the unique lifecycle challenges of the Diana. She'll explain the history and purpose of The Diana Project and provide resources to help you get involved.

This program will be followed by a shorter bonus program:
Introduction to iNaturalist:
Becoming a citizen scientist is easy, rewarding for everyone and critical to biodiversity science. Discover how you can participate by getting acquainted with iNaturalist software. Accessing iNaturalist can be done with a smart phone or tablet with the mobile app OR you access via a browser and use the website. Bring your device so we can practice after the presentation! If you plan on using a smart device we ask that you download the Free iNaturalist app before you arrive if possible: https://www.inaturalist.org/ 

Join Danny Barron on a walk at Lake Wilson in Fayetteville to observe spring ephemeral wildflowers.

Due to multiple confirmed reports of flowering of Erythronium albidum (White Trout Lily), Danny is having this a week or two earlier than planned (temps in 70s and 80s will do that for you).
As these tend to not open early in the morning, we will meet at the pavilion at 1 pm on Saturday March 2nd. I expect emergent foliage on many ephemerals, but probably only toothwort and spring beauty being open (could be surprised) along with the trout lilies.
Prepare for mud using non-slippery shoes. We will follow the walk back at the pavilion area with a gardening QA, entirely optional.

Join us for a special presentation by Laurie Scott, Wild One Ozark Chapter's Vice President, highlighting the different species of milkweed that grow in Arkansas and the many creatures that they support, including the monarch butterfly. You will learn which milkweeds will grow best in different conditions, as well as why these unique plants are so important to our local ecosystem.

Join us for an informal community Q & A session after the presentation!

Laurie is the Lab Coordinator and Land Manager in the Science Department at Northwest Arkansas Community College (NWACC). At NWACC, Laurie maintains the native plant beds and greenhouse, coordinates seed collection, cleaning, stratification, and germination of native plants propagated on the NWACC campus, and maintains the Outdoor Living Laboratory. Laurie is also on the steering committee for the Arkansas Monarch and Pollinator Partnership (AMCP), where she co-chairs the Monitoring and Research committee for AMCP and is an active member of AMCP's Education and Outreach committee. Laurie is also an Arkansas Master Naturalist as well as a member of Quail Forever and the Ozark chapter of the Arkansas Native Plant Society (ANPS). 

Registration for this event is now closed, and registrants have been emailed about attending. Please contact [email protected] if you have any issues getting in.

This will be a paid event for both in-person and remote viewing. Virtual registrants will receive a link to watch Dr. Kimmerer's talk live as well as a link to the recording. The recording will only be available for a limited time. 

Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
Ecological restoration can be understood as an act of reciprocity, in return for the gifts of the earth. This talk explores the ecological and ethical imperatives of healing the damage we have inflicted on our land and waters. We trace the evolution of restoration philosophy and practice and consider how integration of indigenous knowledge can expand our understanding of restoration from the biophysical to the biocultural. Reciprocal restoration includes not only healing the land but our relationship to land. In healing the land, we are healing ourselves.

Wild Ones is excited to cohost this event with the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh's Earth Week 2024 and the Wild Ones Fox Valley Chapter. 

Join Wild Ones for a leisurely, family-friendly walk at beautiful Tanyard Creek in Bella Vista to identify spring wildflowers. Free and open to the public.

Julie Carr, a NWA Master Naturalist will give us a tour of her native garden, started 4 years ago, in Bentonville.

The event is free, but registration is required. Please fill out the form and we will send you the address of the tour: Yard Tour Registration

Sarah Guertz of Earthplan Design Alternatives will give us a tour of her suburban yard, demonstrating the work she's done converting it to native species.

The event is free, but registration is required. Please fill out the form and we will send you the address of the garden tour: Yard Tour Registration

Join Alan and Molly at their residence in Fayetteville for a tour of the work they've been doing to replace the non-native turf grass in their yard with native plants that provide habitat for pollinators and wildlife. You'll learn about their successes and learning experiences, and have a chance to ask questions and get ideas to implement at your own residence.

The event is free, but registration is required. Please fill out the form and we will send you the address of the tour: Yard Tour Registration

Add native plants to your garden! Seven of our Ozark native plant nurseries will be offering a variety of native plants for sale. 

Open to the public, and there will be a discount for Wild Ones members!

GoatLab Brewery offers homemade pizzas and locally brewed beer. They open at 11 am. Come for the plants, then grab a pizza and beer and talk with friends about plants!