Events

WONA is planning our first weed wrangle at the Mountain Gap Trail in South Huntsville. This trail is badly overgrown with invasive species, and we have received permission from the City of Huntsville to begin the process of clearing invasive plants from the trail. A Weed Wrangle® is a one-day, area-wide, volunteer effort to help rescue our public parks and green spaces from non-native invasive species through hands-on removal of especially harmful trees, vines, and flowering plants. While there are many invasive species on the Mountain Gap Trail (bush honeysuckle, nandina, mimosa, kudzu, English Ivy, Liriope, et al.) the focus will be on removing woody invasive plants - principally bush honeysuckle. This activity will be moderately strenuous and will involve the application of herbicides on cut stumps. If you would like to attend, please email [email protected] with the subject “Weed Wrangle.” We will meet in the parking lot of Weatherly Heights Elementary school at 9 AM for a brief orientation before carpooling to the site at ~9:15 AM. If you live in the vicinity of the Mountain Gap Trail, you can walk to meet us at the terminus of Hemlock Dr. SE at 9:15 AM. The required training (safety, identification and control) will be provided to Weed Wrangle participants and a trained botanist will be present to supervise the work. NOTE: There are no restrooms available at the event.

Things to bring include: water, loppers and handsaws, bugspray, heavy duty gardening gloves, eye protection

Clothing: long sleeves and pants, sturdy shoes, hat and eye protection

Neonicotinoid insecticides, commonly known as “neonics,” have become the most widely used insecticides in the U.S., leading to drastic declines in bees, pollinators, birds, and aquatic ecosystems. In this webinar, Lucas Rhoads, Senior Attorney with NRDC’s Pesticides & Pollinators Team, will share expert insights on how neonics impact our environment and pose serious risks to human health. He’ll delve into the harms associated with neonic-treated seeds, which are a major source of contamination, and explore effective policy advocacy strategies to rein in their widespread use without disrupting farmers or landscapers.

Gardening for wildlife is more than feeding the birds and the pollinators, it means providing resources to all levels of the food chain! Learn how to integrate small changes and create a diverse ecosystem of insects, birds, and other fauna in your own backyard. We will focus on native plants and their interactions with various insect species and discuss how to design your garden to encourage wildlife. Learn more about the food web of your own backyard and the unique interactions within our urban or suburban ecosystems. 

You can learn more about Sara's work at https://www.saraannjohnson.com/

Learn about the Wild Ones San Diego Chapter's newest demonstration garden funded in part by Monarch Joint Venture and U.S. Forest Service International Programs. You'll also hear from landscape designer Jeanine Sharkey about this newest San Diego native garden design. 

More details and registration coming soon. 

How do plants develop? Do all plants require the same environmental needs? In this class we will look at how flowers, foliage, fruit, and roots of plants have evolved of time to adapt to their environment. This class will be taught by ACES Home Grounds RÉA Jayne Luetzow February 20th at 6pm

Learn about the Wild Ones Capital Region NY Chapter's newest demonstration garden, funded partly by Monarch Joint Venture and U.S. Forest Service International Programs. You'll also hear from landscape designer Kate Brittenham about this newest Albany NY native garden design. 

More details and registration coming soon

60 minute program to allow for an in-depth discussion of the history of Alabama’s cranes, the science behind the reintroduction, the continued efforts to protect cranes, and how to be a crane ambassador. The presentation will feature a discussion highlighting land management practices that landowners can adopt to promote ideal crane habitat.

Olivia is the Alabama Outreach Program Assistant for the International Crane Foundation (ICF). While ICF is headquartered in Baraboo, WI, Olivia is spending the winter in North Alabama providing outreach programming to a variety of groups to spread the word about both Sandhill Cranes and the federally endangered Whooping Cranes that frequent the state. 

The Scotts have a 40 acre property divided into two 20-acre parcels on either side of the road. On one side is a creek that is carpeted with Virginia Bluebells, phlox, larkspur, and other native spring ephemerals under a canopy of buckeye and red mulberry. It is easy to walk among the bluebells and other wildflowers. Across the road, the Scott's house is nestled into the side of Backbone Mountain, which includes an easy half-mile trail with a different assemblage of Spring ephemerals, including wild ginger, bloodroot, Dutchman's breeches, shooting star, Jacob's Ladder, Pawpaw and many others.  There is also a plant building with a covered porch where visitors can rest and view birds and the mountains. This is a wild, shaded woodland garden & landscape tour that showcases some of Alabama's most beautiful and iconic Spring ephemeral wildflowers.  

Join Alabama Extension's Allyson Shabel for this informative talk about invasive species. She'll discuss 8 plant and insect species that are problematic to Alabama’s ecosystems to see how they got here, why they are problematic, and what we can do about them.

Denise planned and designed her suburban garden to be a pollinator habitat and to attract hummingbirds and birds.  She lives in a newer subdivision with an HOA and moved into her new house in 2020. The flower beds were installed in the spring of 2020. The entire front yard is a native perennial flower bed with pathways through the garden.  The backyard slopes down to a pond and has a 1,000 sq ft native perennial flower bed in the middle of the yard. The backyard also includes flower beds planted with native trees and shrubs and a bubbling rock water feature.  

This is a WildOnes member-only event. You must be a current member (individual, business or household) to tour the property. Tours are one of the perks of a WildOnes membership. This tour will be held in both the Spring and Fall to demonstrate how native gardens change across time.

Susan McDonald has spent her entire life gardening in USDA Hardiness Zone 7, the last 20 years in Huntsville.  For the last 12 years she has volunteered weekly in the Fern Glade of the Huntsville Botanical Garden and has served as the manager of the Fern Glade since 2018.  The Glade covers almost an acre.  It has over 80 different species of ferns growing within its borders, including about ten native Alabama ferns. She will talk about important characteristics of ferns, how to grow them in North Alabama, and which native ferns do well in home gardens.

This will be a tour of the Fern Glade with Susan McDonald at the Huntsville Botanical Gardens. Normal admission prices will be in effect. Please RSVP if you'd like to join.

Details coming soon! 

Denise planned and designed her suburban garden to be a pollinator habitat and to attract hummingbirds and birds.  She lives in a newer subdivision with an HOA and moved into her new house in 2020. The flower beds were installed in the spring of 2020. The entire front yard is a native perennial flower bed with pathways through the garden.  The backyard slopes down to a pond and has a 1,000 sq ft native perennial flower bed in the middle of the yard. The backyard also includes flower beds planted with native trees and shrubs and a bubbling rock water feature.  

This is a WildOnes member-only event. You must be a current member (individual, business or household) to tour the property. Tours are one of the perks of a WildOnes membership. This tour will be held in both the Spring and Fall to demonstrate how native gardens change across time.

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon!