Wild Ones Events

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.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: January 25, 2026 Meeting - Now Zoom-Only

Due to impending winter weather, our in-person + Zoom meeting on Sunday, January 25 at 1:30pm has been changed to Zoom-only.

Wild Ones HGCNY Chapter  presents “Creating a Meadow One Step at a Time” with Deanna English, Owner of Grow Wild! Native Plant Nursery

You don’t have to be an expert to create a meadow! Deanna will take you on a journey through her continuing efforts to restore an old farm field to a diverse meadow ecosystem.  Along with a description of the how-to’s of this process and the resources she has used, the talk will include the rewards, surprises, challenges, frustrations and utter confusion that she has experienced. This technique can be scaled up or down to meet the landowner’s needs.

About our speaker: Deanna’s life ambition is to support the healing of the natural world. She owns the native plant nursery, Grow Wild!, in Brooktondale, NY, near Ithaca, which is one of the nurseries featured in HGCNY’s native plant shopping guide. Her background is in education and ecological restoration. She has a BA in Middle School Education and a MS in Environmental Studies.

Location
Zoom-only: attendees will be able to hear the speaker, view their slide presentation, and ask questions during the Q&A at the end.
Registration required at the link below.

Recording
Meetings are typically recorded and posted on our YouTube channel.

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.!  

HGCNY Wild Ones is excited to announce our first-ever booth at the 2026 Northeast Plant Show!

When: 

Saturday, February 21st: 10 AM–3 PM general admission; VIP entry starts at 9 

Sunday, February 22nd: 10 AM–3 PM general admission; VIP entry starts at 9 

Where: The Oncenter Convention Center, 800 S. State St., Syracuse, NY

This show is a houseplant paradise, drawing crowds eager for rare aroids, tropicals, succulents, orchids, and more. It's the perfect chance to reach a brand-new audience already passionate about plants - we can inspire them to extend that love to native plants for outdoor habitats, pollinators, birds, and biodiversity in Central New York!

Our booth will highlight easy native gardening tips, wildlife benefits, and why natives make great low-maintenance companions to indoor collections.

Help us make our debut shine! 

We need friendly volunteers to staff the booth (flexible shifts, no experience needed—just enthusiasm!). Volunteering lets you connect with fellow plant lovers and spread the Wild Ones message to thousands. *Entry fee will not be required for volunteers.

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/

Description: Are you overwhelmed by piles of plastic pots, cell packs, and trays in your garden shed? Concerned that the wave of plastics in your garden, soil, plants and water seems endless? Wondering how you can grow a garden for family and wildlife without hazardous plastics?

Melanie Cutillo of Lazy Dirt Wildflower Farm will present how she ditched plastics at her wildflower farm and native plant nursery in Mexico, New York.

Her presentation will share how she grows her farm’s plants plastic-free including

Winter Sowing (Stratification)Propagation from seeds & cuttingsSeason extension without plasticsSharing the abundance of native plants and flowers without plastic pots, trays etc.

About Our Speaker: Melanie began her native flower farm in 2021 with a dream to transform her 220-year-old farm into a habitat for wildlife featuring native plants. She is a Master Gardener and member of the Flower Collective of Central New York. Melanie creates eco-friendly flower arrangements without metal, plastic or foam. May thru December, bouquets of native flowers and foliage are ‘conservation starters’ to raise awareness about ecological gardening and wildlife conservation here in Central New York.

Schedule
• 1:00 p.m. — Refreshments and conversation with fellow native plant enthusiasts
• 1:30 p.m. — Presentation begins

Location
This meeting is both in-person at the Liverpool Public Library and online via Zoom. Zoom attendees will be able to hear the speaker, view their slide presentation, and ask questions during the Q&A at the end.

Registration is required for Zoom attendance only.

Recording
Meetings are typically recorded and posted on our YouTube channel.

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.

HGCNY Wild Ones is excited to announce we'll have a booth at the 2026 CNY Home & Garden Show!

When: 

Friday, March 27th: 10am to 7pm

Saturday, March 28th: 10am to 7pm

Sunday, March 29th: 10am to 5pm  

Where: New York State Fairgrounds, Exposition Center (Syracuse, NY)

This is one of Central New York's largest home and garden events, drawing thousands of attendees eager to learn about landscaping, home improvement, and outdoor living. Our booth will be a fantastic opportunity to connect with a wide audience and share the benefits of native plants, natural landscapes, and creating healthy habitats right in our own yards.

We Need Volunteers! 

To make the most of this outreach opportunity, we're looking for enthusiastic chapter members and supporters to help staff the booth. Shifts will be available throughout the three-day event (Friday–Sunday), and no prior experience is needed—just a passion for natives and a willingness to chat with visitors! Entry fee will not be required for volunteers.

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/

Habitat Gardening for Life, presented by Janet Allen, President of Wild Ones HGCNY, will take place at the Men and Women’s Garden Club of Syracuse booth at the NYS Fairgrounds Expo Center (Booth 1304).

Description: Caring for our yards is the most direct way we care for the earth. By planting native plants, we can provide habitat for even the smallest creatures, and by using earth-friendly landscaping practices, we can create a healthy yard for our family and a healthy planet for future generations. Just as important, we can reconnect with the natural world as we enjoy our own piece of the earth every day. Become a habitat gardener and watch your yard come to life!

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.

Creating a Butterfly-Friendly Landscape, presented by Janet Allen, President of Wild Ones HGCNY, will take place at the Men and Women’s Garden Club of Syracuse booth at the NYS Fairgrounds Expo Center (Booth 1304).

Description: 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. Learn some simple things you can do so your landscape benefits not only butterflies, but other insects and people, too! 

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.

Description: From wetlands, to upland forests, sand dunes and oak savanna fragments, this talk will cover how we can intentionally connect our yards to local ecosystem types. Through closely observing and learning from exemplary trails and natural areas within the Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands, we can learn which plant choices and layers support struggling and fragmented plant and wildlife communities close to home. 

Speaker’s Bio: Sarah Sutton is an Ontario County master gardener and owner of Spicebush Swallowtail Native Plants and Ecological Garden Design.

Schedule
• 1:00 p.m. — Refreshments and conversation with fellow native plant enthusiasts
• 1:30 p.m. — Presentation begins

Location
This meeting is both in-person at the Liverpool Public Library and online via Zoom. Zoom attendees will be able to hear the speaker, view their slide presentation, and ask questions during the Q&A at the end.

Registration is required for Zoom attendance only.

Recording
Meetings are typically recorded and posted on our YouTube channel.

We're excited to return to the Skaneateles Home & Garden Show for 2026 - a wonderful local event full of inspiration for homeowners and gardeners!

When: Sunday, April 12, 2026 (hours typically 10 AM–2 PM or similar—check updates)

Where: Skaneateles Community Center, 97 State St., Skaneateles, NY

This family-friendly show brings together local experts, vendors, and community members eager for home renovation ideas, landscaping tips, and spring projects. It's the perfect opportunity to reach a fresh, local audience in the beautiful Finger Lakes area - many already thinking about their yards - who we can introduce to the joys of native plants for pollinators, birds, and low-maintenance biodiversity.

Join us to spread the word! 

We need enthusiastic volunteers to staff the table (flexible shifts throughout the day - no experience needed, just passion for natives!). This is a great way to connect with neighbors, share Wild Ones values, and inspire more eco-friendly yards right here 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/

Join us at Pompey, NY's Earth Day Fair!

The Wild Ones Habitat Gardening in Central New York (HGCNY) Chapter will be tabling- stop by to say hello, learn about native plants, and discover how to create biodiversity-friendly landscapes.

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/

April Wild Ones HGCNY Chapter Meeting

Join us for our April meeting featuring a presentation on native plant gardening and landscaping. Topic to be announced.

Schedule
• 1:00 p.m. — Refreshments and conversation with fellow native plant enthusiasts
• 1:30 p.m. — Presentation begins

Location
This meeting is both in-person at the Liverpool Public Library and online via Zoom. Zoom attendees will be able to hear the speaker, view their slide presentation, and ask questions during the Q&A at the end.

Registration is required for Zoom attendance only.

Recording
Meetings are typically recorded and posted on our YouTube channel.

Join us in welcoming back our migratory birds at the Great Swamp Conservancy’s 24th Annual Spring Migration Festival!

Wild Ones Habitat Gardening Chapter of Central New York will have a table there on Sunday, May 3rd, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Stop by, say hello, and chat native plants and habitat with 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're hosting a table again at the 2026 Baltimore Woods Nature Center's Annual Native Plant Sale - a wonderful weekend event full of native plant buyers and habitat enthusiasts!

When:

Friday, May 15, 2026: 4–7 PM

Saturday, May 16, 2026: 10 AM–5 PM

Where: Baltimore Woods Nature Center, 4007 Bishop Hill Rd, Marcellus, NY

This popular sale draws locals eager to buy native plants for their yards—it's the perfect opportunity to connect with a new, motivated audience already sold on natives. We can chat about creating pollinator/bird habitats, share Central NY-specific tips, and introduce folks to HGCNY programs, Wild Ones resources, and our mission.

Volunteer with us! 

We need friendly chapter members and supporters to help staff the table over the two days (flexible shifts, no experience needed - just enthusiasm for natives!). Great way to meet plant lovers and spread the word in our area.

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! 

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!