Wild Ones Events

Have you considered converting your lawn to a meadow?  Sam Quinn, of SUNY-ESF’s Restoration Science Center, will discuss the steps of creating and maintaining meadows to achieve the most ecological benefits, as well as design considerations for working in residential areas. Meadow plant communities can support a richness of biodiversity and generate important ecosystem services in addition to being beautiful landscape features that can reduce property management costs compared to lawns. 

Come to the library at 1 p.m. for refreshments and chat with other native plant enthusiasts. The presentation starts at 1:30. This meeting is both in-person and on Zoom. Registration is only needed for Zoom attendance.

All are welcome to join this free virtual panel discussion exploring the vital roles of native, solitary, and honeybees in pollination and biodiversity. Featuring experts Sam Droege (USGS), Dave Hunter (Crown Bees), and Dr. Lora Morandin (Pollinator Partnership), this event will discuss into the challenges pollinators face, the balance between managed and wild bees, and actionable ways to support all pollinators.

Gain insights from over 90 years of combined experience and learn how to advocate for pollinator habitats through planting native species, participating in community science, and adopting responsible management practices.

Identifying a plant can be difficult even for experienced botanists, but changes that are subtle to us can have major impacts to the organisms that depend on those plants. David DuBois, Land Steward at Baltimore Woods, will talk about how these mistaken identities compound when plants are sold or shared under the wrong name, increasing the confusion of which plant is which. This talk aims to explore a handful of native plants that have nonnative look-alikes in cultivation so gardeners can better understand what they have, what you should look out for, and how you can make informed decisions about what you are buying and planting. 

Come to the library at 1 p.m. for refreshments and chat with other native plant enthusiasts. The presentation starts at 1:30. This meeting is both in-person and on Zoom. Registration is only needed for Zoom attendance.

Public gardens hold tremendous power to influence landscaping norms and inspire change. By showcasing the beauty, functionality, and ecological value of native plants, these spaces help foster biodiversity, advocate for sustainable practices, and engage communities in environmental stewardship. 

This webinar will explore how public and demonstration gardens serve as powerful tools for native plant advocacy. Attendees will learn how gardens move beyond aesthetics to spark action—turning appreciation into engagement and inspiring participants to replicate these practices in their own communities.

We will hear insights from Nicole Machuca, Environmental Social Scientist at the Field Museum, on how public gardens influence behaviors, foster stewardship, and connect people to conservation efforts through research and community engagement. The Wild Ones Capital Region NY and the Wild Ones San Diego (CA) Chapters will share their experiences building native plant demonstration gardens and how these spaces drive community engagement, education, and advocacy. And We'll finish with a conversation exploring how public gardens create a lasting impact beyond planting day moderated by Kelly Kapuzzi, Demonstration Garden Char with the Wild Ones Hocking Hills (OH) Chapter.

Are you seeing fewer butterflies than in the past? The populations of many species of butterflies and moths are in decline, but you can help reverse this trend by creating butterfly-friendly habitat in your own yard! Janet Allen, President of Wild Ones HGCNY Chapter, will show you some simple things you can do so your landscape benefits not only butterflies, but other insects and people, too!

Come at 1 p.m. for refreshments and chat with other native plant enthusiasts. The presentation starts at 1:30. This meeting is both in-person and on Zoom. Registration is only needed for Zoom attendance.

Wild Ones HGCNY Chapter will be tabling at this family-friendly event at the zoo in Watertown, NY. The event will feature zookeeper presentations, elk feedings, crafts, vendors, and plenty of educational opportunities to celebrate conservation!

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.

Learn about the vital role of native plants in providing for their needs. Finally, learn how you can help birds beyond your own yard. Create a bird-friendly landscape and enjoy the daily companionship of birds right at home!

Registration for this free program opens Wednesday, April 9th @ 6pm.

Wild Ones HGCNY Chapter will be tabling at Pompey, NY's Earth Day Fair. Come out and say hello!

Sources for native plant seeds needed for habitat restoration are drastically insufficient, especially in the northeast U.S. Learn about the seed shortage crisis from Janice Wiles, owner of Go Native! perennials in Skaneateles. She will discuss the overall situation and the ways Go Native! perennials is addressing it, as well as advocacy actions we can all take to support a robust seed supply.  Note: This program was rescheduled from March 30.

Come at 1 p.m. for refreshments and chat with other native plant enthusiasts. The presentation starts at 1:30. This meeting is both in-person and on Zoom. Registration is only needed for Zoom attendance.

Wild Ones HGCNY will be tabling at the Skaneateles Home & Garden Show. 

Spring is in the air, and it’s the perfect time to start planning your next home or garden project! This show will be packed with inspiration, expert advice, and hands-on opportunities to help you create the home and outdoor space of your dreams.

Wild Ones HGCNY will be tabling at Great Swamp Conservancy's Spring Migration Festival.

Celebrate the return of migratory birds at the Great Swamp Conservancy’s 23rd Annual Spring Migration Festival!

$4/Adults, $1/ Children, $12 Family Max

All Day: Kids make and take crafts, kids games, wildlife artists, delicious food at the Lady Bug Café, nature focused crafters, tractor and wagon rides to GSC wetland overlook and so much more!

Wild Ones HGCNY Chapter will be tabling Derby Hill's Bird Festival and volunteers are needed!

To volunteer at this event, please see our Event Tabling page.

Event information:

Celebrate spring migration at one of the Northeast’s best birding locations during a day of field walks that celebrate bird migration. Explore the trails and habitats of this premier birding location with experienced leaders. Walks start on every hour. Enjoy the spectacle of migrating birds from the lake watch, on trails through the fields and forest, and at the north lookout.

For info about Derby Hill, see https://onondagaaudubon.com/derby-hill-bird-observatory/

HGCNY's Spring plant sale will be held on Saturday, May 10th and Sunday, May 11th. 

This will be a browse-about sale as well as a tree and shrub pre-order.

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

Please see the Wild Ones HGCNY newsletter for plant sale details and location.

HGCNY's Spring Native Plant sale will be held on Saturday, May 10th and Sunday, May 11th.

This will be a browse-about sale as well as a tree and shrub pre-order. 

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

Please see the Wild Ones HGCNY newsletter for plant sale details and location.

Wild Ones HGCNY will be tabling at Baltimore Woods two-day Native Plant sale, featuring plants from The Plantsmen Nursery, one of the nurseries in our Native Plant Shopping Guide.

Join us for a fun-filled weekend celebrating the importance of native plants and supporting Baltimore Woods Nature Center! Shop for a diversity of native plants, herbs, and heirloom tomatoes; enjoy a delicious picnic plate, enter to win a raffle prize, get your gardening questions answered, and more! You won’t want to miss out on the beautiful variety of plants offered by our plant supplier, The Plantsmen Nursery. Check back for more details on this favorite annual Baltimore Woods Nature Center gardening event!

Wild Ones HGCNY will be tabling at Baltimore Woods two-day Native Plant sale, featuring plants from The Plantsmen Nursery, one of the nurseries in our Native Plant Shopping Guide.

Join us for a fun-filled weekend celebrating the importance of native plants and supporting Baltimore Woods Nature Center! Shop for a diversity of native plants, herbs, and heirloom tomatoes; enjoy a delicious picnic plate, enter to win a raffle prize, get your gardening questions answered, and more! You won’t want to miss out on the beautiful variety of plants offered by our plant supplier, The Plantsmen Nursery. Check back for more details on this favorite annual Baltimore Woods Nature Center gardening event!

Wild Ones HGCNY Chapter will be tabling at this Earth Day event, sponsored by the Town of Manlius, Sustainable Manlius and NYS  Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Join Wild Ones National Board President Loris Damerow for a special presentation as part of Week 3 of the 2025 Less Lawn More Life Challenge, “Native Plants Planted Right.” Loris will walk us through the basics of native plant gardening- from choosing the right plants to planting and maintaining them with confidence.

Join us on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 5 p.m. CT for the YouTube Live premiere of this 30-minute webinar. Native plant experts from  Wild Ones, Plan it Wild, Homegrown National Park, ReWild Your Campus, and others will be active in the live chat throughout the presentation and for 30 minutes after the webinar, giving you plenty of time to ask questions and engage! 

This event is designed for newcomers to native gardening and is part of the national Less Lawn More Life Challenge, hosted by Plan It Wild in collaboration with Wild Ones, iNaturalist, Homegrown National Park, Pollinator Partnership  and many others! 

See more about the Less Lawn More Life Challenge:  https://www.lesslawnmorelife.com/ 

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

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! Attendees can join a raffle to win a native plant. 

Presented by Janet Allen, Co-founder and President of Wild Ones Habitat Gardening in CNY.

Join Janet Allen, President of Wild Ones Habitat Gardening in CNY chapter, for a presentation on the little things that run the world!

People know pollinators are important, especially since we depend on them for much of our food, but bees and other pollinators have a larger role in the world beyond our farms. And we’re now finding alarming declines in the kinds and sheer numbers of not just pollinators but of all insects, the foundation of the food web. Learn how you can support these “little things that run the world” in your own yard — and why it matters.

All Ages.

Registration encouraged.

Wild Ones HGCNY Chapter will be hosting a table at The Salt Museum at Onondaga Lake Appreciation Day, weather permitting. Come out and say hello!

Details coming soon! 

Wild Ones HGCNY Chapter will be tabling again this year at Friends of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex “Bee Smart: Grow Native!” native plant festival.

This event includes a native plant sale and presentations by several native plant experts, as well as a guided walk.

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon!