Events

UPDATE 1/18/2024: Because of bad weather and road conditions and the South Huntsville library closure, this event will be hosted on Zoom rather than an in-person event. Please contact [email protected] to receive the zoom link.

Botany 101 class with Jayne Luetzow from the Cooperative Extension office.

Explore how native gardening can address climate challenges in our next Wild Ones national webinar, “Cultivating Change” with author and activist Lorraine Johnson. Johnson has been researching and writing about environmental issues for three decades. Learn about the pivotal role of gardening as an act of stewardship in the face of climate and ecological challenges. Discover the profound connections between individual gardens and the broader world and learn how these green spaces can serve as catalysts for positive ecological and social change.  Join Wild Ones for a practical and insightful discussion on gardening's positive impact on the environment and our future. 

Virtual registrants will receive a link to watch the talk live as well as a link to the recording. The recording will only be available for a limited time. 

Tour of Hudson Alpha Greenhouse. We will forego the normal Feb meeting because of this event on the same date. This is a members-only event. Please RSVP if you plan to attend, so I will have a head-count. When you arrive, please park outside the greenhouse.

First meeting of the Wild Ones North Alabama Board of Directors

Registration for this event is now closed, and registrants have been emailed about attending. Please contact [email protected] if you have any issues getting in.

This will be a paid event for both in-person and remote viewing. Virtual registrants will receive a link to watch Dr. Kimmerer's talk live as well as a link to the recording. The recording will only be available for a limited time. 

Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
Ecological restoration can be understood as an act of reciprocity, in return for the gifts of the earth. This talk explores the ecological and ethical imperatives of healing the damage we have inflicted on our land and waters. We trace the evolution of restoration philosophy and practice and consider how integration of indigenous knowledge can expand our understanding of restoration from the biophysical to the biocultural. Reciprocal restoration includes not only healing the land but our relationship to land. In healing the land, we are healing ourselves.

Wild Ones is excited to cohost this event with the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh's Earth Week 2024 and the Wild Ones Fox Valley Chapter. 

For her Advanced Master Gardener project titled Homesteading on the Prairie Flower Farm; Using Right Plant-Right Place to Create Sustainable Landscapes Soozi Conner Pline documents how she is creating a sustainable landscape by reducing runoff and erosion, restoring native plant and animal habitats, developing edible and esthetic gardens and introducing pollinators and farm animals all while building land value through conservation practices.  Soozi’s presentation titled Plants Native to North Alabama was developed through observations and trial and error as she and her husband Dan began planting native plants on their 5-acre farm in Limestone County in 2021. This is an ongoing venture that she loves to share and, in the process, hopes her talk will encourage, inspire, and educate you! 

Join us for a wildflower hike in beautiful Monte Sano. Bring your hiking shoes, some water, bug spray, camera/phone and any field guides or hand lenses you'd like to use.

Meet at the Bankhead Pkwy Trailhead at 9:30 AM. We will hike the sinks trail. This is a members-only excursion.

Jesse Akozbek, AKA the Feral Forager, will lead Wild Ones on an ethnobotanical journey to explain the principles of foraging and cooking wild plants, including native and invasive species and what plants to forage in early spring.

This will be a social hike to meet other members and learn about plant identification. Please RSVP if you plan to attend.

Join us for a tour of the famous Paint Rock Research Center where Bill Finch will explain the exciting research they are doing on the flora of North Alabama. Be sure to bring water, a hat, bug spray, and appropriate outdoor attire.

Since retiring, Herb Lewis has dedicated himself to landscaping, birding, and photography. Over the past 20 years, he has channeled his knowledge and experience into creating a natural wildlife habitat within his own backyard garden to attract native and migrating birds. Herb shares his success and techniques for attracting birds through presentations, workshops and training events.  His birding interest has expanded into the establishment of the Lewis Birding Trail and Lewis Bird Watch at the Huntsville Botanical Garden.  Herb also assisted the Land Trust of North Alabama in developing a bird viewing facility at their Chapman Mountain Nature Preserve.

The presentation illustrates the benefits of gardening for the birds.  Some of the techniques for developing a backyard wildlife habitat to attract a wide variety of birds are included along with personal photographs of the birds in the garden environment.  The program shows methods for incorporating native plants, providing shelter, and incorporating water features into the garden habitat.  The goal is to share the resulting enjoyment and benefits from expanding the vision of backyard gardening.

Why should you plant native plants? Planting native plants provides food for many insects, which in turn feeds our birds.  Additionally, native plants provide natural pest control and soil management.  This presentation focuses on which native plants attract which insects and how to plant and maintain a native garden. Join us for a special guest lecture from Wild Ones Middle Tennessee membership chair Alicia Allen who will guide us on a journey.

Alabama Cooperative Extension System commercial horticulture agent Holt Akers-Campbell will offer best practices in the propagation, planting, and management of some of our most cherished native fruits including pawpaw, American persimmon, blueberry and elderberry. We will discuss planting for wildlife value, managing for fruit yield, and how these fruits can fit into residential landscaping.

Periodic meeting of the WildOnes North Alabama Board of Directors. This meeting is for the Board and members interested to join the Board or learn more about what we are doing/planning. Please contact [email protected] if you are interested to join this event.

Donnie is Vice- President of Middle Tennessee Wild Ones, and a member of The Tennessee Native Plant Society. Since retiring from teaching high school arts in 2018, Donnie has dedicated his time to building an award winning native plant garden in his backyard and becoming a champion seed germinator. Donnie grows over 250 plants for his Wild Ones Chapter plant sales every spring and fall. He works to rescue native plants from local build sites in Nashville. He presents to garden long groups around the Middle Tennessee area. Donnie and his native garden were featured on Nashville Public Television's Volunteer Gardener. 

Explore how native plants can enhance biodiversity and support ecosystems in our upcoming Wild Ones national webinar, “Combating the Biodiversity Crisis with Native Plants” featuring Sarah Gray and Coralie Palmer from the Indiana Native Plant Society.

Native plants are essential for maintaining biodiversity as they provide food and shelter for a wide range of wildlife, including pollinators, birds, and beneficial insects. By incorporating native plants into your landscape, you can create a thriving ecosystem that supports local fauna and flora. These plants are well-adapted to local environmental conditions, making them more resilient to climate change and reducing the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Attendees will learn how native plants can improve soil health, enhance water retention, and contribute to a more sustainable and vibrant ecosystem.

Sara and Coralie are part of the Indiana Native Plant Society (INPS) Landscaping team, and they have collaborated on diverse projects across Indiana, including native planting schemes for schools, community gardens, the Eiteljorg Museum, and the Humane Society. Their new design for Indianapolis reflects typical sub-divisions in Indiana and considers future climate challenges, such as increased flooding and hotter, drier summers. The design features resilient, native Indiana plants that thrive in local soil conditions and contribute to the ecosystem.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insights from leading experts in native plants! Participants will gain practical insights into native garden designs and learn how tailored landscaping can support wildlife, promote ecological balance, and help restore natural habitats. 

My name is Aaron Stiles and I run Foraging Ahead, a landscape design service dedicated to reintroducing native habitats to the urban setting. Habitats are more than just gardens that use native plants- they are dynamic ecosystems that support a wide variety of life. By utilizing native ecosystems as a model, we can create small sanctuaries for the plants and animals that make Alabama so beautiful.

Explore the ecological and aesthetic advantages of hedges and hedgerows in our upcoming Wild Ones national webinar, “The Beauty and Benefits of Hedgerows” with Heather McCargo, founder of Wild Seed Project.

Native hedgerows are diverse plantings of woody plants from shrubs to small trees along with herbaceous groundcovers at their base.  Learn how these low-maintenance and sustainable plantings of shrubs, trees, and groundcovers can enhance biodiversity, provide critical habitats for wildlife, and contribute to climate resilience. Discover practical tips for designing and implementing hedgerows in various landscapes, from farms to urban settings, and understand their role in supporting pollinators, birds, and soil health. 

 You will also learn about Heather McCargo and the Wild Seed Project's latest collaboration with Wild Ones on the new Native Garden Design for Portland, ME. Don't miss this opportunity to gain insights from a leading expert in native plant restoration and take your landscaping skills to the next level. 

This is a members-only garden tour (for insurance reasons), and we will limit it to 30 members on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please send a response to [email protected] to reserve your spot.

We (Cathy and Harold Zappe) moved to the US in 1999 from Cape Town, South Africa. We had been gardening there with indigenous plants from the Fynbos biome of the Western Cape so it was natural for us to attempt to do the same in Alabama. It was difficult initially to find native plants so we have used some cultivars and non-natives. The property we bought was nine acres in Harvest, with an older rundown house and several outbuildings. It did have natural elevation changes which gave it more scope for landscaping, a creek and a small patch of woods. The land is multi use with pastures for horses, farmyard and orchard for free range chickens, a vegetable garden using lasagna gardening techniques, a wild meadow and a more formal garden using mostly native plants. The garden is divided into a series of “rooms”, has three flowing water features, plenty of seating, and uses stonework to create structure and interest. The meadow is in its fifth year of succession and has something new each year. We try to plant what will provide a succession of blooming through the year and feed the birds and bugs at all stages and allow things to be a bit weedy so that it provides cover for caterpillars and nestlings. There are about 35 different species of native tree, 14 species of native shrubs as well as many species of perennials, annuals and grasses. We have seen over a 110 species of birds and about 35 species nest on our property. We have seen 18 species of mammal, 30 butterfly species, 10 reptile species and an uncatalogued number of amphibians and other insects.

This will be our annual members-only meeting to elect the Board of Directors for 2025, review the past year's progress, review the organization's budget/finances, discuss your gardening accomplishments and native plant questions, discuss the new volunteer committees and your vision for where the organization should be headed in the coming year. This meeting is for WildOnes members only.

Learn how to use high-density plantings that replicate natural ecosystems in aesthetically pleasing designs, enhancing ecological functions while reducing maintenance efforts in our upcoming Wild One's national webinar, "Matrix Landscape Design" with author, landscape designer, activist, and educator Benjamin Vogt.

Matrix planting is a landscape design approach that mimics natural ecosystems by closely planting and layering compatible perennials and grasses to cover the soil, provide more ecosystem services, and eliminate the need for wood mulch or aggressive weeding.  Join Wild Ones for a webinar to learn how author, educator, and landscape designer Benjamin Vogt applies this approach to create stunning native gardens. Learn the principles behind this method, its ecological benefits, and practical steps to implement matrix planting in your own garden. 

You will also learn about Benjamin's latest collaboration with Wild Ones on the new Native Garden Design for Lincoln, NE. Don't miss this opportunity to gain insights from a leading voice in natural garden design and take your gardening skills to the next level. Register now to secure your spot! 

The Lewis backyard garden was certified as a Wildlife Habitat in 2004. Designed specifically to attract bird life, the garden displays five water features and landscape elements incorporating numerous plants, hardscape and walkways.  Herb and Terry Lewis expanded their backyard habitat in April 2015 when they acquired the lot behind their existing residence (on Red Oak) in Blossomwood.  Over the last eight years they have been developing a bird sanctuary by adding native plants to attract butterflies, pollinators  and birds. A key feature of the Outback Garden is a 12 ft. diameter bubbling rock water feature specifically designed to attract migrating birds.  Other elements include a shade garden and a meadow area planted with native wildflowers and shrubs. The new garden is lovingly referred to as the Outback Garden.  Every time Terry would look for Herb, he'd be "Outback".

This tour will be limited to 30 WildOnes members on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please contact [email protected] to be added to the list. NOTE: There are no paved pathways in the garden.

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