Wild Ones Events

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.

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/

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.

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/

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!

Onondaga Lake Appreciation Day

This summer, let's love our local lake! Liverpool Public Library, Onondaga Lake Park, and other organizations are teaming up to bring you an evening of activities, science expertise, and joyful celebration.  Visit the tables for resources and fun, then stick around for scheduled activities including crafts, STEM, music, food trucks, and more!

This event is programmed in partnership with Libraries Love Lakes.

Meet near the Salt Museum

In the event of inclement weather, please check LPL.ORG for potential delays or cancellations before heading out.

Activity Schedule

o Opening Remarks 4 p.m.
o Food Trucks: 4 – 7 p.m.
o Kids STEM Stations: 4 – 7 p.m.
o Salt Museum/Film: Onondaga Lake – 4 – 7 p.m.
o Scavenger Hunt with Wild Ones: 4 – 7 p.m.
o Story Times by LPL - 4:20, 4:50 p.m.
o Bird Walks (30-minute sessions) - 5, 5:45, 6:30
o Music by Caleb Liber 5:30 – 7 p.m.
o Yoga with Gwen (30-minute sessions) - TBA

Special thanks to our participating organizations:

o CNY Stormwater Coalition
o DEC
o Joan Cregg, Village Historian
o Liverpool Public Library and the Mobile Library
o Onondaga Audubon
o Onondaga County Parks
o Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps
o Onondaga Yacht Club
o Skä•noñh Great Law of Peace Center
o Upstate Freshwater Institute
o Wild Ones

Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1073360721798192

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/

We welcome Janet Allen, President, HGCNY Wild Ones Chapter for this special presentation!

Caring for our yards is the most direct way we care for the earth. By planting native plants, we provide habitat for even the smallest creatures. By using earth-friendly landscaping practices, we can create a healthy yard for our family and a healthy planet for future generations. And by observing some basic design principles, we can make it beautiful, too!

Registration is required.

"Caring for our yards is the most direct way we care for the earth. By planting native plants, we provide habitat for even the smallest creatures. By using earth-friendly landscaping practices, we can create a healthy yard for our family and a healthy planet for future generations. And by observing some basic design principles, we can make it beautiful, too!"

Join Janet Allen from local Wild Ones chapter, Habitat Gardening in Central New York (HGCNY), for this free presentation.

Registration preferred.

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.

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/

WHERE: Westvale (Syracuse), NY – please see our upcoming August Newsletter or Contact Us for the address.

WHEN: Saturday, September 26, 2026, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm & Sunday, September 27, 2026, 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm

This fall we’re having a browse-about sale as well as our tree and shrub pre-order.

We will pre-order trees and shrubs from White Oak Nursery through September 20, 2026. Use this list to see which native trees and shrubs White Oak Nursery offers. Please see our upcoming August Newsletter for details on submitting an order.

Please note: payments accepted for the plant sale are limited to cash or check.

WHERE: Westvale (Syracuse), NY – please see our upcoming August Newsletter or Contact Us for the address.

WHEN: Saturday, September 26, 2026, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm & Sunday, September 27, 2026, 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm

This fall we’re having a browse-about sale as well as our tree and shrub pre-order.

We will pre-order trees and shrubs from White Oak Nursery through September 20, 2026. Use this list to see which native trees and shrubs White Oak Nursery offers. Please see our upcoming August Newsletter for details on submitting an order.

Please note: payments accepted for the plant sale are limited to cash or check.

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.

Zoe Evans, rewilding coach and VP of Partnerships & Programs at Wildr shares a practical, science-informed framework for evaluating a home landscape, identifying its greatest habitat opportunities, and choosing actions that support more plants, insects, birds, and other wildlife.

Registration link coming soon.

December 5-6, 2026
Nottingham High School, 3100 E. Genesee St. Syracuse, NY 13224 map

Saturday 10:00AM – 5:00PM
Sunday 10:30AM – 4:30PM

Admission is $2-5 sliding scale (more if you can, less if you can’t)
Under 16 and over 65 free

Masks are preferred and encouraged for everyone’s safety — and will be available.

Join a thriving multicultural community at Plowshares Craftsfair and Peace Festival, featuring over 120 local craftspeople and community organizations.

Plowshares features handmade crafts such as pottery, jewelry, clothing, art, and much, much more; performances from local musicians and dance troupes; and a silent auction with items from Central New York’s finest restaurants, shops, and entertainment.

Plowshares is a two-day showcase of the kind of world we’re working to build: one where justice, compassion, joy, peace, and environmental sustainability are in abundance.

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/

December 5-6, 2026
Nottingham High School, 3100 E. Genesee St. Syracuse, NY 13224 map

Saturday 10:00AM – 5:00PM
Sunday 10:30AM – 4:30PM

Admission is $2-5 sliding scale (more if you can, less if you can’t)
Under 16 and over 65 free

Masks are preferred and encouraged for everyone’s safety — and will be available.

Join a thriving multicultural community at Plowshares Craftsfair and Peace Festival, featuring over 120 local craftspeople and community organizations.

Plowshares features handmade crafts such as pottery, jewelry, clothing, art, and much, much more; performances from local musicians and dance troupes; and a silent auction with items from Central New York’s finest restaurants, shops, and entertainment.

Plowshares is a two-day showcase of the kind of world we’re working to build: one where justice, compassion, joy, peace, and environmental sustainability are in abundance.

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/

No yard required. Learn how native plants can turn patios, balconies, containers, and other small spaces into meaningful habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. This practical panel will cover plant selection, container design, seasonal care, and realistic ways to support biodiversity in limited spaces.

Registration link coming soon.

Birds depend on healthy, connected habitats for food, shelter, nesting, and migration support. Join experts from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to explore how native plants and thoughtful landscape choices can support birdlife at home. Learn how gardens, yards, and community spaces can provide the insects, seeds, berries, cover, and habitat structure birds need throughout the year.

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.