Wild Ones Events

Do you enjoy watching birds in your yard? Learn some interesting facts about some favorite backyard birds and how to provide food, water, cover, and places for them to raise their young with Janet Allen of Our Habitat Garden. Create a bird-friendly landscape and enjoy the daily companionship of birds right at home!

Speaker Bio: Janet is the co-founder and president of Habitat Gardening in Central New York Wild Ones chapter (hgcny.wildones.org/). Her yard is certified as Monarch Waystation #581 by Monarch Watch and as a Certified Wildlife Habitat #27815 by the National Wildlife Federation. She earned the Toastmasters Advanced Communicator Gold certificate.

Registration is required for this event.
 

Join the HGCNY Chapter of Wild Ones for an Evening of Food, Fun, and Native Plant Enthusiasm!

Join Habitat Gardening in Central New York (HGCNY) for a guided walking tour of Pleasant Valley Preserve, a 300-acre mixed wetland and woodland property stewarded by the Central New York Land Trust.

The tour will highlight invasive species identification, ongoing removal efforts, and habitat restoration work on the preserve since its acquisition in 2019. Led by Diane Emord and Barb Root (volunteer Land Steward), we’ll explore the flatter, accessible areas of the preserve, with the option for more adventurous hikers to continue onto the ridge trails afterward.

Registration is required. Full details, meeting location, what to bring, and preparation information will be provided upon signup.

This is a wonderful opportunity to see native habitat restoration in action and connect with other nature enthusiasts!

Please register at the link below.

Space is limited to 20 people. Separate sign up required for each individual interested in attending.

Wear sturdy walking shoes for uneven terrain. Please dress for the weather and wear appropriate clothing to protect against ticks. Bring binoculars if interested in the birds and wildlife.

Hosted by Habitat Gardening CNY (a chapter of Wild Ones)

Join Habitat Gardening in Central New York (HGCNY) for a “Show Me, Help Me” garden tour at Sue Boettger’s property in Fayetteville.

In Sue's own words:

When we moved to Fayetteville in 1994, the yard consisted of a half-acre of lawn,
shrubs and a few native trees. The yard now contains more than 15 perennial beds, two annual beds, a vegetable garden and a small arboretum. I’ve planted more than 250 species of native plants and I’ve been delighted to see them self-seed and enrich my more challenging perennial beds. I’m especially fond of asters, goldenrods, mountain mints and ferns. This year begins my transformation of the annual beds into native perennial gardens.

This tour offers a wonderful chance to see a mature native plant garden in action, get inspiration for your own yard, and ask questions about what works (and what doesn’t!) in a Central New York landscape.

Registration is required and space is limited to 20 people.  Separate sign up required for each individual interested in attending.

A waiting list will be started once the maximum sign-ups are reached. If this happens, we will request secondary confirmation of attendance via email — otherwise your spot may be given to someone on the waiting list. Full details, exact address, parking instructions, and what to bring will be provided when attendance is confirmed.

Join Habitat Gardening in Central New York (HGCNY) for a “Show Me, Help Me” garden tour at Maria Mogg’s property in Lacona.

In Maria's own words:

We moved to Boylston in 2014 after retirement from the Army. The 25 acres sits on a hill east of Lake Ontario. It’s a plateau and drops steeply on the sides and back to a creek and marshy area. Beaver have been active on and off over the years. 21 acres is typical Tug Hill forest ( Maple, Ash ,Yellow Birch, Cherry). The rest is house, outbuildings and cow pasture. We have planted many trees and native flower gardens to naturalize the yard. The field is not mowed and covered with golden rod and asters.

This tour offers a wonderful opportunity to visit a native plant garden on a scenic rural property and gain inspiration for your own habitat gardening projects.

Registration is required and space is limited to 20 people. Separate sign up required for each individual interested in attending.

A waiting list will be started once the maximum sign-ups are reached. If this happens, we will request secondary confirmation of attendance via email — otherwise your spot may be given to someone on the waiting list. Full details, exact address, parking instructions, and what to bring will be provided when attendance is confirmed.

Wild Ones HGCNY is excited to announce we'll have an educational display at the 2026 Great New York State Fair on August 28th and 29th!

Stop by our display to learn about native plants, creating wildlife habitats, and supporting pollinators in your own backyard! We’ll have displays, resources, friendly advice, and lots of inspiration for gardeners of all levels.

Volunteers Needed! Help us share the exciting world of native plants and habitat gardening with thousands of fair visitors. 

No prior experience required - just a love for native habitats

Flexible shifts available on August 28 & 29

Parking pass and entrance will be free for tabling volunteers!

Ready to join us? 

Learn more about our tabling outreach: https://hgcny.wildones.org/event-tabling/

Volunteer to help at this event: https://hgcny.wildones.org/volunteer-for-tabling/

Or message us directly if you have any questions!

The full Great New York State Fair runs August 26 – September 7, 2026. Get your tickets now!

We can’t wait to see you there — whether as a visitor or a volunteer!

Wild Ones HGCNY is excited to announce we'll have an educational display at the 2026 Great New York State Fair on August 28th and 29th!

Stop by our display to learn about native plants, creating wildlife habitats, and supporting pollinators in your own backyard! We’ll have displays, resources, friendly advice, and lots of inspiration for gardeners of all levels.

Volunteers Needed! Help us share the exciting world of native plants and habitat gardening with thousands of fair visitors. 

No prior experience required - just a love for native habitats

Flexible shifts available on August 28 & 29

Ready to join us? 

Learn more about our tabling outreach: https://hgcny.wildones.org/event-tabling/

Volunteer to help at this event: https://hgcny.wildones.org/volunteer-for-tabling/

Or contact us directly with any questions!

The full Great New York State Fair runs August 26 – September 7, 2026. Get your tickets now!

We can’t wait to see you there — whether as a visitor or a volunteer!

Details coming soon! 

We're excited to return to the Grow Native! Native Plant Festival & Sale - a fantastic event dedicated to native plants and wildlife habitat!

When: Saturday, September 19, 2026, 9 AM–3 PM 

Where: Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, 3395 US-20, Seneca Falls, NY

This popular festival features native plant sales, expert talks, guided tours, vendors, and more - drawing crowds of gardeners, birders, and conservation enthusiasts eager to support pollinators, birds, and biodiversity. It's the perfect opportunity to reach a new, highly motivated audience already committed to natives - we can share Central NY-specific tips, highlight habitat benefits, and introduce HGCNY programs and Wild Ones resources.

Volunteer to help spread the word! 

We need enthusiastic members to staff the booth (flexible shifts throughout the day - no experience needed, just passion!). Great chance to connect with like-minded folks and inspire more native-focused action in our region.

Learn more about our tabling outreach: https://hgcny.wildones.org/event-tabling/

Volunteer to help at this event: https://hgcny.wildones.org/volunteer-for-tabling/

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon!