Events

Wild Ones was invited to present our mission to garden club members. In all, 20 people were in attendance.

In this special collaboration, Robin Wall Kimmerer, author, botanist, and founder of Plant Baby Plant, joins youth leader and Nurture Natives founder Esther Bonney for an intergenerational conversation about belonging, reciprocity, and native plant action. 

Together, they will explore questions such as:

How do we create opportunities for young people to have a voice and feel empowered, even when they are not homeowners or decision makers?What kinds of relationships and mentorships help people stay engaged in native plant work over decades?Why do stories, shared practices, and community invitations matter just as much as plant lists?

Robin and Esther will reflect on what invites people into this work, what keeps them here, and what elders and youth have to teach each other.

Join  Donna Patrick of Wild Ones South Central Ohio for a winter sowing workshop to begin seeds for your spring garden. Please bring 1 gallon empty milk jugs if possible. Seeds will be available. Also, join Carrie Bowdle from our chapter in making herbal soap. Supplies will be provided. 

Our upcoming webinar with Basil Camu explores practical, evidence based ways to heal suburban and urban landscapes by working with trees, soil, and natural systems, drawing on real world practices from Leaf & Limb and community centered models for restoring life where we live, work, and play.!  

Donna Patrick showed kids and their families how to winter sow herbs (rather than native plants for safety). Each child planted 2 containers to take home and learned about native plants and the pollinators they host. They left with information about Wild Ones.

Join Joey Santore, creator of Crime Pays But Botany Doesn’t, for a candid Wild Ones National Webinar examining how inherited garden aesthetics shape native plant landscapes. Drawing on field experience and real ecology, Joey challenges tidy design norms and explores why dense, irregular plant communities are often the most resilient and ecologically sound.

Bill has crafted an amazing property over the years full of a combination of bulbs and native plants. He also has a beautiful coy pond and patio.  Bill is a member of the Chillicothe Garden Group, formerly Chillicothe Garden Club. His wealth of knowledge is evident in his gardens which are a part of his entire property management. We will chat with Bill about his journey with the garden and also his experience with animals as a zoo volunteer.   If you would like to join us, please email [email protected] This event has been moved to the Chillicothe Ross County Public library, Northside Branch.

Join award-winning author, photographer, and educator Rick Darke for What Is Wild and Why It Matters, a free national webinar on Tuesday, April 28th at 10 am CT. Discover how inviting a bit of authentic wildness can create a vibrant landscape that sustains you and local biodiversity. This national event is presented in collaboration between Wild Ones and Homegrown National Park.

Wild Ones South Central Ohio has been invited to set up a pop-up tent to offer a “kindness station”. At our station, we will have coloring pieces related to pollinators and native plants such as our coneflower logo. This will give us an opportunity to share who we are and our purpose with a community that is new to us. If you are able to join us at the table, please reach out to [email protected]  Helping man the table would be greatly appreciated! 

Wild Ones South Central Ohio Chapter will be discussing native plants and about how your lawn can become a wildlife sanctuary.  Learn how the plants that you plant can impact the population of bees or butterflies in your yard. Knowing what plants to choose can make a big difference.

Donna Patrick will present the importance of native plants and their necessity for creating a thriving garden to support pollinators. Learn how what you plant can positively (or negatively) impact the habitats that are necessary for pollinators to thrive.

Join Donna Patrick in creating a nature journal. You are welcome to bring favorite pencils, pens, watercolor paints or pencils, or gel pens. If you have no supplies, no worries! We will have supplies to share. You will learn to look at your garden or nature up close and journal what you see. 

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.

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.

Registration link coming soon.

Native plants are the foundation for healthy habitats. This presentation connects the importance of native plants to birds.

Make a bee watering station and learn how to support pollinators' needs. This event will include a presentation as well 

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.

Registration link coming soon.

Fall is the best time to plant native plants. Learn how these varieties support local wildlife. Share your favorite gardening tips, design ideas, seeds, plants, and more.

Swap 

Bats are among the most important and misunderstood wildlife in our communities. Join experts from Bat Conservation International to explore how native plants, healthy insect populations, and thoughtful landscape design can help support bats. Learn about the ecological role of bats and discover practical ways to create habitat for North America's night flyers right in your own backyard.

Registration link coming soon.

Monarch butterflies depend on a network of habitats stretching across North America, and home landscapes can play an important role in their survival. Join experts from Monarch Joint Venture to explore the science behind monarch conservation, including the importance of milkweed, nectar resources, and regionally appropriate habitat. Learn practical ways to support monarchs through native landscaping and help sustain one of the world's most remarkable migrations.
 

Registration link coming soon.