Events

An informal meet-up group one Thursday a month to have a drink together and talk about native plants, challenges in our gardens, pollinators, and more. This is a time to mingle and get to know other native plant enthusiasts and KAWO members.

Ashley Cole-Wick of MNFI will discuss her research on two of the rarest butterflies that call southern Michigan home: the Karner blue and Mitchell’s satyr. Join us to learn about local conservation and what you can do to help.

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.

An informal meet-up group one Thursday a month to have a drink together and talk about native plants, challenges in our gardens, pollinators, and more. This is a time to mingle and get to know other native plant enthusiasts and KAWO members.

The way humans relate to and interact with their ecosystem determines whether or not thousands of other species have a place to live. In this lively talk, William will discuss how to (and how not to) use native plants to attract humans to your native plant garden and how to get them (especially the stubborn ones) to relate and interact positively with the natural world.

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.

Southern Michigan is rapidly developing and there are numerous conservation challenges. Despite the enormous loss of natural cover, there are several important areas that still need protection and stewardship. This talk will cover some of our remaining natural areas with a focus on the natural communities Gourdneck State Game Area. From physiography and historic land cover to invasive species, rare plants, and the challenges of fragmentation, this presentation will dive into prioritizing conservation actions in our modern landscape.

An informal meet-up group one Thursday a month to have a drink together and talk about native plants, challenges in our gardens, pollinators, and more. This is a time to mingle and get to know other native plant enthusiasts and KAWO members.

Wild-rice expert Roger Labine will travel from his home territory around Watersmeet in the Upper Peninsula to speak to us on “Manoomin, the Sacred Food That Grows on Water.” An enrolled member of the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (Anishinaabe), Roger serves as Water Resource Technician for the Band’s Environmental and Planning Department. 

An informal meet-up group one Thursday a month to have a drink together and talk about native plants, challenges in our gardens, pollinators, and more. This is a time to mingle and get to know other native plant enthusiasts and KAWO members.

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/ 

Jessica Hagan, outreach coordinator for Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy and KAWO board member, will lead a hike to enjoy the Lupine in bloom at Chipman Preserve.

This webinar will explain the science behind the threats posed by neonicotinoid pesticides, aka “neonics,” to pollinators, biodiversity, and our own health, as well as neonics’ surprising prevalence in our environment—and our bodies. The popular pesticides contaminate soil, water, and plant life on a nearly unprecedented scale, driving mass losses of birds and bees, and raising alarm bells for wildlife, clean water, and human health.

The exchange will offer numerous plants from Tom and Ruth’s gardens, as well as plants brought by other Wild Ones members and supporters. Our goal is to encourage the planting of natives for the beauty they offer and to support the wildlife that depends on them.  In keeping with principles we’ve always emphasized, it’s not necessary to bring a plant in order to take one; and no plants will be for sale. You need not be a member of Wild Ones to participate in this event.

Quyen Edwards will give a brief overview of the Waystation at the Library before heading out to experience it.

An informal meet-up group one Thursday a month to have a drink together and talk about native plants, challenges in our gardens, pollinators, and more. This is a time to mingle and get to know other native plant enthusiasts and KAWO members.

Rhonda Spink from the MI Butterfly Network will lead a butterfly walk at the KNC.

Bart Litjens is passionate about backyard ponds and will be explaining his process for establishing them in this lead-up to a backyard pond field trip a few days later.

Jessica Hagan, outreach coordinator for Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy and KAWO board member, will lead a night hike to view the fireflies at a local preserve.

An informal meet-up group one Thursday a month to have a drink together and talk about native plants, challenges in our gardens, pollinators, and more. This is a time to mingle and get to know other native plant enthusiasts and KAWO members.

Get inspired and learn more about growing native plants by visiting established gardens of Wild Ones. 

The closing event of this year’s Less Lawn More Life Challenge, will be led by Lisa Olsen, Chapter Liaison at Wild Ones. In this webinar, you’ll learn how small, personal actions like planting native species and removing invasives, can ripple outward to inspire neighbors, change policies, and reshape communities. 

During the premiere, native plant experts from Wild Ones and collaborating organizations will be active in the live chat. They’ll be ready to answer questions, share tips, and connect viewers with resources. The live chat will remain open for 30 minutes after the webinar, giving you plenty of time to ask questions and engage. Please note: You must be logged into a YouTube account to participate in the chat. 

The Less Lawn More Life Challenge is a free, 12-week action series designed to help people transform traditional lawns into vibrant, life-supporting native plant habitat. Each week, participants complete a simple challenge like planting a native shrub, removing invasives, or observing pollinators to reimagine their outdoor space and take meaningful steps toward restoring biodiversity at home. 

It’s not too late to get involved. Catch up on the weekly videos and start your rewilding journey today at https://www.lesslawnmorelife.com/ 

Get inspired and learn more about growing native plants by visiting established gardens of Wild Ones. See the difference community activism is making with the passionate group, Reforest Vine.

Paul MacNellis, former Director of Landscaping Services at Western Michigan University will provide a tour of a 25 acre savanna restoration project he and neighbors have undertaken in recent years. 

An informal meet-up group one Thursday a month to have a drink together and talk about native plants, challenges in our gardens, pollinators, and more. This is a time to mingle and get to know other native plant enthusiasts and KAWO members.

Get inspired and learn more about growing native plants by visiting established gardens of Wild Ones. Final garden tour of the season and social.

Our annual fall plant exchange will offer numerous plants brought by Wild Ones members and supporters. Our goal is to encourage the planting of natives for the beauty they offer and to support the wildlife that depends on them.

In keeping with principles we've always emphasized, it's not necessary to bring a plant in order to take one; and no plants will be for sale. You need not be a member of Wild Ones to participate in this event.

Discover how ecological landscaping with native plants can make your landscape more resilient and help address the climate crisis. This webinar will highlight practical, evidence-based approaches to designing and maintaining landscapes that build resilience to climate change and support native biodiversity. Join Wild Ones for a free webinar, “EcoBeneficial Landscape Strategies for the Climate Crisis,” featuring environmental horticulturalist and ecological landscape designer Kim Eierman.

An informal meet-up group one Thursday a month to have a drink together and talk about native plants, challenges in our gardens, pollinators, and more. This is a time to mingle and get to know other native plant enthusiasts and KAWO members.

Sara Huetteman is the Invasive Species Coordinator for Barry, Calhoun, and Kalamazoo counties. In this role, she manages the partnership that is BCK CISMA and oversees the Strike Team that takes action for the good of the service area and partners in BCK CISMA. These actions include outreach, regional monitoring, consultations, and management activities, such as invasive species control and post-treatment restoration.

Sara has 5+ years of experience managing natural areas of mid- Michigan, which included many hours of invasive species control.

Along with managing land for recreation and habitat, Sara enjoys sharing with the community what she has learned firsthand and from fellow professionals to empower all to control invasives and keep a watchful eye for new invasions.

Even after reading books and attending talks, many still have pressing questions about ecological landscaping. In this talk, Tallamy addresses common concerns on biodiversity, invasive species, native plants, and conservation strategies, providing practical guidance and motivation to restore nature in everyday spaces. 

An informal meet-up group one Thursday a month to have a drink together and talk about native plants, challenges in our gardens, pollinators, and more. This is a time to mingle and get to know other native plant enthusiasts and KAWO members.

This presentation will explore the past, present, and future of cultural fire stewardship practiced by the Anishinaabeg in Michigan. In Anishinaabemowin, Ishkode—or “fire”—is understood as a powerful spiritual being that brings renewal. The talk will examine the cultural intentions behind Anishinaabeg fire practices across generations, and discuss the ecological role of fire in fire-dependent natural communities and the ways it supports plant and animal relatives. The presentation will also highlight the ongoing efforts of the Michigan Natural Features Inventory and its collaborations with Tribal governments, universities, and state and federal agencies to document Indigenous fire histories and incorporate this knowledge into prescribed fire planning and support opportunities for co-stewardship.

Mary Parr is a fire ecologist and Conservation Associate for the Michigan Natural Features Inventory. Mary has expertise in fire-dependent natural communities and the strategic use of prescribed fire to enhance biodiversity and support critical habitat for fire-adapted rare and endangered species. Raised in southwest Michigan, Mary developed an early passion for plants and the ecology of natural systems. She earned her BS in Natural Resource Management from Grand Valley State University (GVSU) and spent her early career in the Great Plains and Midwest, where she honed her knowledge in large-scale prescribed fire, grassland management, and long-term ecological monitoring. In 2020, she returned to southwest Michigan as a land manager at a biological field station, where she spent four years overseeing conservation projects, leading prescribed fire operations, mentoring undergraduate students, and advancing the protection of rare and endangered species. During this time, she also earned an MS in Biology from GVSU, studying the impact of prescribed fire seasonality on plant composition in restored tallgrass prairies. Mary is a passionate educator, frequently delivering presentations on the intricacies of fire-dependent ecosystems and promoting the relevance of Indigenous Knowledge in natural resource management. She is a proud member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (Ojibwa) and an active participant in the Michigan Prescribed Fire Council.

From home-grown native gardens in Kalamazoo, to critical but underappreciated landforms in the Great Lakes, environmental historian Dr. Lynne Heasley will explore how local ecological knowledge-building can become a powerful form of storytelling. She argues that intentional—and intentionally-revised—storytelling is fundamental to repairing our relationships with nature, and to tackling global biodiversity, climate, and water crises. After a few examples derived from her research and from her long marriage to a native plant gardener (Lynne just lives in their home; insect and plant kin own the place), she’ll open the floor to audience stories of their more-than-human places.

Dr. Lynne Heasley is an environmental historian and writer, and a sustainability educator, at Western Michigan University. At WMU, Lynne serves on the Asylum Lake Policy and Management Council, the Native American Affairs Council, and the University Center for the Humanities. Outside of WMU, she is on the boards of the indomitable Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance, and the Forest History Society (which sustains an exceptional library and archives of our North American forest heritage). Lynne’s most recent book, The Accidental Reef and Other Ecological Odysseys in the Great Lakes, was a Next Generation Indies grand prize winner, and a Nautilus Silver winner for lyric prose. She is currently working on “Dreamscapes: Revised Storytelling for Biodiversity Conservation in the Great Lakes.” Lynne experiments with storytelling to make seemingly unremarkable or invisible small worlds visible and worthy of learning, wonder, and stewardship.

Discover the power of ecological garden design in this free national webinar, Living in the Liberated Landscape: My Yard, with award-winning landscape designer Larry Weaner. Join us for a personal look at how dynamic, self-sustaining landscapes can emerge when we partner with nature instead of controlling it. Drawing on more than 35 years of experience, Larry will share practical strategies for designing dynamic gardens that evolve naturally, support biodiversity, and bring lasting beauty to your yard.

An informal meet-up group one Thursday a month to have a drink together and talk about native plants, challenges in our gardens, pollinators, and more. This is a time to mingle and get to know other native plant enthusiasts and KAWO members.

Designing with native plants isn’t just about what you grow, it’s about how you shape your space. In this hands-on workshop, Zoe Evans (Plan it Wild) and Heather Evans (Design Your Wild) guide you through the process of creating a cohesive yard plan that supports both your lifestyle and biodiversity.

An informal meet-up group one Thursday a month to have a drink together and talk about native plants, challenges in our gardens, pollinators, and more. This is a time to mingle and get to know other native plant enthusiasts and KAWO members.