Events

Join us for a guided tour of Mni Owe Sni (Coldwater Spring) to experience one of the Twin Cities’ beautiful native prairie restorations in peak bloom. This walk will explore the rich diversity of prairie wildflowers and grasses.

Participants should wear comfortable tennis shoes or hiking boots as this tour will take place on limestone trails. We hope you can join us as we learn more about this sacred, native land.

This tour is free and open to the public.

Come garden lakeside with us!

All are welcome. 

New to gardening with native plants? Come learn alongside seasoned pros!

Already an experienced habitat gardener? Come share your knowledge and passion!

Questions? Please contact Volunteer Steward Vicki Bonk.

Native plants are the foundation of habitat, but wildlife need more than food to thrive. Join ecologist and Certified Wildlife Biologist Shaun McCoshum, PhD, to explore how nesting sites, shelter, water, soil conditions, and other often-overlooked resources can transform a yard into a functioning ecosystem that supports biodiversity year-round.

Over the past 3–4 years, this suburban yard has been gradually transformed into a diverse native plant landscape, largely grown from winter-sown plants. About half of the front yard now features native plantings, including a 12×18’ tapestry lawn installed with support from a Lawns to Legumes grant.

In the larger backyard, roughly one-third of the space has been converted into multiple native planting beds connected by mulched paths. New trees—including white swamp oak, serviceberry, and chokecherry—add structure, while former lawn and garden areas continue to evolve with native flowers. The landscape also incorporates raised vegetable beds, blending habitat-focused gardening with edible plantings.

Join us for the grand unveiling of the newly installed native garden at Hiawatha Elementary School! In the spring of 2026, Hiawatha's second grade team planted nearly 300 native plants across three classroom garden spaces thanks to funding from the Wild Ones "Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Program and support from Wild Ones Twin Cities Chapter volunteers. This event will provide attendees with the opportunity to tour a native school garden in its first year of growth, and to meet with members of the volunteer garden team that made this project possible.

Come garden lakeside with us!

All are welcome. 

New to gardening with native plants? Come learn alongside seasoned pros!

Already an experienced habitat gardener? Come share your knowledge and passion!

Questions? Please contact Volunteer Steward Vicki Bonk.

Host Guided Tour by Don Gustafson

Easy hike at Eloise Butler to view the prairie at peak bloom.
 

Come garden lakeside with us!

All are welcome. 

New to gardening with native plants? Come learn alongside seasoned pros!

Already an experienced habitat gardener? Come share your knowledge and passion!

Questions? Please contact Volunteer Steward Vicki Bonk.

18th Annual Monarch Festival – Festival de la Monarca

The next Minneapolis Monarch Festival will occur on Saturday, September 12th, 2026, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The Festival celebrates the monarch butterfly amazing 2,300 mile migration from Minnesota to Mexico with music, food, dance, hands-on art, native plant sales and plenty of opportunities to get up close with monarch butterflies, learn about their habitats, and what you can do to make a difference.

The Festival will be held just east of the Lake Nokomis Community Center in the area bounded by E. Minnehaha Parkway, Woodlawn Boulevard, and E. Nokomis Parkway. Map & Directions.

What does it really take to turn a conventional lawn into a thriving native meadow? Join Owner & Principal, New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL), Sara Weaner Cooper for a candid look at her family's ongoing lawn-to-meadow transformation featured in The New York Times and BBC. Drawing from three years of hands-on experience, Sara will share the methods, lessons learned, successes, and challenges of converting turfgrass into a dynamic native plant community. Participants will gain practical insights into site preparation, planting, management, and the ecological principles that guide successful meadow establishment, along with realistic expectations for how these landscapes evolve over time.

Registration link coming soon.

Bats are among the most important and misunderstood wildlife in our communities. Join experts from Bat Conservation International to explore how native plants, healthy insect populations, and thoughtful landscape design can help support bats. Learn about the ecological role of bats and discover practical ways to create habitat for North America's night flyers right in your own backyard.

Zoe Evans, rewilding coach and VP of Partnerships & Programs at Wildr shares a practical, science-informed framework for evaluating a home landscape, identifying its greatest habitat opportunities, and choosing actions that support more plants, insects, birds, and other wildlife.

Registration link coming soon.

No yard required. Learn how native plants can turn patios, balconies, containers, and other small spaces into meaningful habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. This practical panel will cover plant selection, container design, seasonal care, and realistic ways to support biodiversity in limited spaces.

Registration link coming soon.

Birds depend on healthy, connected habitats for food, shelter, nesting, and migration support. Join experts from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to explore how native plants and thoughtful landscape choices can support birdlife at home. Learn how gardens, yards, and community spaces can provide the insects, seeds, berries, cover, and habitat structure birds need throughout the year.

Registration link coming soon. 

Monarch butterflies depend on a network of habitats stretching across North America, and home landscapes can play an important role in their survival. Join experts from Monarch Joint Venture to explore the science behind monarch conservation, including the importance of milkweed, nectar resources, and regionally appropriate habitat. Learn practical ways to support monarchs through native landscaping and help sustain one of the world's most remarkable migrations.
 

Registration link coming soon.