Events

Kick off for the NEW YEAR!

Subjects TBD

When: Saturday, January 10th   9:30 - 10:30 a.m. with Peggy Foster
             Sunday, January 11th   10:00 - 11:00 a.m. with Kim Moor
Where: Our Greenhouse - please contact us if you need directions

We will have two sessions available. We will go over greenhouse procedures & best practices, and will take down volunteer availability information.

If you plan on volunteering at the Greenhouse this coming year, you should attend this orientation!!

You must be a paid MEMBER to work in the greenhouse!!

Bring your own beverage and snack.

Follow the link to our 2026 Greenhouse Orientation sign-up sheet and pick an available option. Attendance at each session is limited, so make your choice early!

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.

Topics to be determined

Wild Ones member, Dave Dornberg, will be presenting a special session to help you get your small garden tools ready for the upcoming spring season. He will be demonstrating the technique for you to observe. After his demonstration, you will have the chance to practice sharpening your tools while receiving guidance from Dave to ensure you are doing it correctly and safely. NOTE: Dave will not be doing any tool sharpening for you.

To get ready for the session, Dave has provided a list of recommended items and where you can purchase them. Additionally, there are two great YouTube tutorial videos that show using the flat file and Corona carbide tool. Don't forget to bring a pair of gloves, safety glasses, and either one hand pruner or one lopper of your choice. You will also need two flat files or the Corona tool.

Dave Dornberg recently retired after nearly 40 years as an IT professional. He has a passion for nature photography, organic vegetable gardening with 14 raised beds and practices regenerative soil techniques. He actively supports organizations such as the National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, Shirley Heinze Land Trust and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Project FeederWatch. He has sharpened kitchen knives and garden tools as long as he has gardened and now enjoys sharing that knowledge with fellow gardeners.

Follow our website's event page for the PDF list, and for In-Person RSVPs .

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.!  

Topics to be announced

The Chicago River, like many urban waterways, has been significantly altered over the decades to support industry and commerce, at the expense of nature and public access. At Goose Island, along the river’s north branch, the opportunity to create a new, river-centric park is growing as ‘The Wild Mile’, a mile long former industrial canal that is being transformed into a floating urban wildlife oasis. Using floating walkways flanked by man-made wetlands, we can take advantage of underutilized space, and help bring life back into the heart of the city, giving residents a chance to make new and meaningful connections to nature.

Phil is the Research Director at Urban Rivers, who’s work on the river started even before the non profit existed, assisting one of the co-founders with his master’s thesis work all the way back in 2013. His role at the organization is to investigate the ways in which artificial habitats support river ecosystems, and explore new methods to enhance restoration, even in very urban environments. Phil is a graduate of the University of Illinois and Northeastern Illinois University where he studied ecology, and has previously worked for the Illinois Natural History Survey, Shedd Aquarium, and Chicago Botanic Garden.

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.

Learn about the distinct and amazing qualities of Monarch butterflies, their annual migration of nearly 3,000 miles, and their specialized relationship with Milkweed that is crucial to their survival. Jim invites all attendees to do their part to help preserve this unique creature. Attendees are invited to become Citizen Scientists for the Monarch.

Jim Starin is a retired professional, having earned respect as a successful business entrepreneur and leader. He launched Starin Marketing in 1988, an Audio-Visual Equipment distributor across North America. After 30 years as its CEO, he sold it to his employees and began looking for different opportunities to bring that same energy and passion. Jim has accomplished that with his role on the executive committee at CoAction, a community action agency serving approximately 50,000 people, and in his primary focus of gardening, educating and campaigning for the conservation of the Monarch butterfly. Jim has recently been named to the Board of Directors of Save the Dunes!

Plant sale planning & chapter logo shirt pressing

All Hands On Deck! We will have Plant Sale & Earth Day prep-work & will go over our strategies that lead up to & include or Plant Sale. Volunteer Sign-ups will also be available.

Samantha Huff will be available with a supply of our chapter logo transfers & her press:

Bring your own cotton or polyester blend t-shirt, tank top, sweatshirt, etc. and the transfer will be applied while you are present. Two sizes of our logo will be available They are white logos approximately 8 inches & 4 inches. The price for the large logo, including pressing is $8. The smaller logo is $4. There will be a limited supply of t-shirts if you don’t bring your own. The cost of those will be $20.

26th Annual Native Plant Sale 

Over 100 species of native plants including prairie plants, grasses/sedges, shrubs, ferns, wetland, and woodland plants.

True natives - no cultivars. 

Arrive early for best selection - no preorders. 

This event is rain or shine, but we are in a covered pavilion. Please dress accordingly.

See our website's Plant Sale page for more information.

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon!