u/WildOnesNativePlants

🦇 Free Webinar: Bats in the Backyard!

What does a bat-friendly landscape look like? Native plants, healthy insect populations, clean water and dark spaces all play a role in supporting these fascinating nighttime neighbors.

Join Wild Ones on Wednesday, October 21, for a free webinar with Brandi Christiano, PhD, and Megan White from Bat Conservation International. Discover what bats need to thrive and learn practical ways to make your yard or garden safer and more welcoming.

👉 Register here: https://wildones.org/bats-in-the-backyard/

This webinar is sponsored by Wild Yard. With their support, we're also excited to be working on a new bat-friendly native garden design. Stay tuned for more updates!

Photo courtesy of Bat Conservation International.

Photo credit: Michael Durham, Minden Pictures.

🍄 September is National Mushroom Month!

From Michigan to Missouri, Connecticut to Tennessee, fungi are popping up in landscapes across the country.

While native plants may get most of our attention, they're part of a much larger living system. Fungi play important roles in ecosystems, breaking down organic matter, recycling nutrients, and forming relationships with plants.

Swipe through some of the fascinating fungi spotted across the Wild Ones community. 🌿

Learn more at Wildones.org

#NationalMushroomMonth #Fungi #NativePlants #WildOnes #ShowUsYourShrooms

🌿 From Lawn to Meadow, one growing season at a time.

Sara Weaner Cooper and her family have spent the past several years transforming their conventional suburban lawn into a thriving native meadow—learning, experimenting, and adapting as the landscape changes.

On September 16, join Sara, owner and principal of New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL), for a free Wild Ones webinar exploring the real-world process behind the transformation—from site preparation and planting to weeds, maintenance, and the surprises along the way.

👉 Learn more and register: https://wildones.org/from-lawn-to-meadow/

#Pennsylvania #NativePlants #NativeMeadow #LawnToMeadow #WildOnes

What does it really take to turn a conventional lawn into a thriving native meadow? 🌿

Replacing turfgrass with native plants can create a more biodiverse, dynamic landscape—but the transformation doesn’t happen overnight.

Join us on Wednesday, September 16, for a free Wild Ones webinar with Sara Weaner Cooper, owner and principal of New Directions in the American Landscape, as she shares the real story behind her family’s ongoing lawn-to-meadow project.

From site preparation and planting to weeds, competition, surprises, and changing expectations, Sara will share what she’s learned through multiple growing seasons—and what it really takes to let a meadow develop over time.

👉 Register today: https://wildones.org/from-lawn-to-meadow/

🌿 What’s happening in native plant conservation across the country?

This month’s Native Plant News covers new protections for Delaware wetlands, expanding prairie restoration in Nebraska, roadside milkweed corridors in Florida, old-growth recognition in Pennsylvania, and threats to protected lands in Utah.

Explore the conservation progress, challenges and community-led efforts shaping native ecosystems nationwide: https://wildones.org/july-26-native-plant-news/

Create habitat that works—for wildlife. 🌿

Native plants are the foundation of a healthy landscape, but they're only part of the story.

Join us on Wednesday, August 19, for a free Wild Ones webinar with landscape ecologist, Certified Wildlife Biologist, and author Shaun McCoshum, PhD, as he explores how healthy ecosystems function—and how you can apply those same ecological principles at home.

Learn practical, science-based ways to support pollinators, birds, amphibians, and other wildlife with habitat features like nesting sites, shelter, water, healthy soils, and more.

👉 Register today: https://wildones.org/the-ecology-of-home-creating.../

🌿 This week: Get inspiration about how to talk to your neighbors about your native garden with author and community advocate Lorraine Johnson.

Join Wildr Places and Wild Ones for this free webinar as part of the Less Lawn More Life Challenge on Wednesday, July 22.

Register now: https://wildones.org/how-to-talk-about-native-plants.../

🌿 "I believe that we garden to participate in the planet, and through this, change the world and be changed by it." — Lorraine Johnson, The Gardener's Manifesto

Join author, community activist, and former Wild Ones Honorary Director Lorraine Johnson for a free webinar on navigating conversations with neighbors, addressing HOA concerns, and building support for native plant gardens.

As part of the Less Lawn More Life Challenge with Wildr Places, this practical session will help you communicate the value of native plants with confidence.

📅 Wednesday, July 22

👉 Register here: https://wildones.org/how-to-talk-about-native-plants.../

Not part of the challenge yet? Join for free: https://www.lesslawnmorelife.com/?ref=wildones

Healthy yards don't need fogging.

Mosquito control doesn't have to come at the expense of pollinators, fireflies, and other beneficial insects. 🦋

Our newest blog explores the science behind the Mosquito Bucket Challenge, including how mosquito buckets work, why Bti has been used for decades as a targeted biological control, and how this simple tool fits within an Integrated Pest Management approach.

The article also includes step-by-step instructions for building and maintaining a mosquito bucket as part of a whole-yard mosquito management strategy.

🦟 Read the blog: https://wildones.org/mosquito-bucket/

Learn more about the Mosquito Bucket Challenge: https://homegrownnationalpark.org/mosquito-bucket-challenge/

#MosquitoBucketChallenge #NativePlants #PollinatorFriendly #IntegratedPestManagement #WildOnes #HomegrownNationalPark

Strong organizations are built by people with different experiences, perspectives, and ideas.

Wild Ones is seeking candidates for our National Board of Directors who are passionate about our mission and ready to help guide the future of the organization.

You do not need a specific professional background to make a meaningful contribution. We welcome applicants from all walks of life who are eager to learn, ask thoughtful questions, and help advance native landscapes through education, advocacy, and collaborative action.

📅 Applications due July 13, 2026

👉 Learn more about the role, review the prospectus, and apply today: https://wildones.org/board-nominations/

🦉 Wild Ones is seeking passionate leaders to help guide our growing organization.

Applications are now open for the Wild Ones National Board of Directors. If you believe in a future where native plants and natural landscapes thrive in every community, we encourage you to apply—or share this opportunity with someone who may be a great fit.

We welcome candidates with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Experience in advocacy, finance, fundraising, communications, strategic planning, nonprofit governance, or other leadership roles is valuable, but not required.

Board directors elected this Fall will serve a three-year term beginning January 1, 2027.

📅 Application deadline: July 13, 2026

👉 Learn more about the role, review the prospectus, and apply today: https://wildones.org/board-nominations/

📸 by Maria Otto, member of Wild Ones - Green Bay Chapter

#WildOnes #NativePlants #NativeLandscapes

What’s happening in the world of native plants this month? 🌿

From rare wildflowers emerging after prescribed fire in Georgia to community-led shrub restoration in New York and growing concerns over drought impacts on pollinators in Florida, our latest Native Plant News roundup explores stories shaping native landscapes across the country.

👉 Read more: https://wildones.org/may-2026-native-plant-news/

🌿📸 This year, the Wild Ones Photo Contest is proud to be supported by our sponsors: New Directions in the American Landscape, Prairie Nursery, and Izel Native Plants.

Their support helps us expand prize opportunities and celebrate the people capturing native plants, landscapes, and the connections that make this movement grow.

From category awards to additional chances through our participant drawing, this year’s contest recognizes the many ways people are showing up for native plants.

🤝 We’re grateful for their partnership in supporting this community.

👉 Learn more and enter: https://wildones.org/photo-contest-info/

🌿 Save the Date! 🌿

Wild Ones members are invited to the 2026 Annual Member Meeting on Wednesday, April 15 at 7:00 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. MT / 4 p.m. PT).

The 2026 Wild Ones National Member Meeting will be held virtually, and all active members are invited to attend. This event allows members to meet face-to-face with the Wild Ones board and staff and hear about all the incredible progress the organization has made over the last year.

Not a member yet? Join Wild Ones to participate and connect with a growing community working to restore native plants and natural landscapes: https://wildones.org/join/

📸 by Kevin O'Brien from the Wild Ones Greater Cleveland Chapter