Events

Event hosted by all Minnesota Chapters.  Presented by Lucas Rhoads.

Presentation on growing Monarch habitat and winter seed sowing demonstration.

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.

THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 20, 2025

Meeting and Panel Discussion | 7:00 to 8:30 pm

Livestream, open to public

Limited in person seating for Wild Ones members

REGISTER HERE

Please have your membership number for registration. You can find it by logging into WildOnes.org.

What's In a Bee Lawn | Panel Discussion

Moderator | Ren Graham

Panelists | Bonnie Harper-Lore, Heather Holm, Andy Scott and Dan Tix

A panel of experts will discuss the trend of converting turf lawns into bee lawns containing a blend of fescues, Dutch white clover, self heal, and creeping thyme. The Bee Lawn movement arose from multiple incidents of bee kills in 2012 and 2013 linked to improper use of pesticides.

Our moderator, Ren Gram, will open the evening with background on the current Bee Lawn trends. Guest panelists represent different perspectives, including how to meet the needs of Minnesota native bees, native plant landscape design and maintenance, ecological restoration, and historical trends, including how lawns are part of our culture.

Questions we hope to answer: Do Bee lawns support the habitat goals for our native bees and pollinators?  What are the consequences of adding more nonnative clover into our ecosystems? What are some lawn alternatives Wild Ones supports?

A good read to learn more:: Why a Clover Lawn Isn't Helping Nature All That Much - Monarch Gardens

Moderator | REN GRAHAM

Ren Graham is a native landscape experimenter and writer. She had a business restoring urban soils in the Twin Cities after studying with Elaine Ingham, founder of Soil Food Web. As a Wild Ones Twin Cities member, Ren worked with Marty Rice and many others to develop an annual native plant and landscape education event. Over 18 years, the event evolved from a small Expo to an all-day conference, called Design with Nature, bringing in a host of local exhibitors and drawing upon speakers near and far. The event focused on encouraging all to share their insights on native plantings across Minnesota with a special emphasis on the future.

Ren is now focused on writing and supporting legislation in the Minnesota House and Senate on ATV trail planning. The bill to be introduced advocates for the inclusion of local voices and set guidelines to protect natural areas in Minnesota during the trail planning process.

Panelists

BONNIE HARPER-LORE | Restoration Ecologist, Author and Co-editor of Lessons Learned in Protecting and Restoring Biodiversity: Conservation in Action

Bonnie L. Harper-Lore holds a master’s from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA, in which she focused on the preservation, restoration and management of native plant communities. As a restoration ecologist, she spent 20 years with state and federal roadside programs, providing technical transfers, research oversight and policy support. She spent 15 of those years as Editor of the quarterly newsletter, Greener Roadsides. She is also the author of Roadside use of Native Plants, Roadside Weed Management and Vegetation Management, an Ecoregional Approach.

HEATHER HOLM | Pollinator Conservationist and Author

Heather Holm is a pollinator conservationist and award-winning author of four books: Pollinators of Native Plants (2014), Bees (2017), Wasps (2021), and Common Native Bees of the Eastern United States (2022). Both Bees and Wasps have won multiple book awards including the American Horticultural Society Book Award (2018 and 2022 respectively). Heather’s expertise includes the interactions between native pollinators and native plants, and the natural history and biology of native bees and predatory wasps. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Minneapolis Star Tribune, and many local publications. Heather is also an accomplished photographer and her pollinator photos are frequently featured in print and electronic publications.

Heather serves on the boards of the following non-profits: Friends of Cullen Nature Preserve and Bird Sanctuary, Friends of Minnetonka Parks, and the new Minnesota Oak Savanna Chapter of The Prairie Enthusiasts. In her spare time, she is an active community supporter, writing grants, and coordinating and participating in volunteer ecological landscape restoration projects. The latest project is a 13-acre oak savanna restoration that will provide thriving habitat for pollinators, birds, mammals, and passive, nature-based opportunities for people.

ANDY SCOTT | ReWild Native Gardens

In 2017, Andy shifted career focus to pursue his passion for nature and gardening. The result was ReWild Gardens, a Bloomington-based landscape outfit specializing in nature-inspired solutions. ReWild designs and builds habitat spaces that foster native plants, healthy soils and water conservation that balance human needs with those of the local ecosystem. Andy's own property served as a testing ground to better understand how native plant species respond to urban settings and developed a natural approach to convert lawn and stressed landscape into resilient wildlife-friendly gardens. These spaces become havens for beneficial insects, birds and other fauna, contributing to vital wildlife corridors. Passionate about sharing his knowledge, Andy works closely with clients to provide education and resources to demystify the plant-pollinator relationships that their landscape will foster.

Andy has served on the City of Bloomington Sustainability Committee since 2022.

DAN TIX | PhD, CERP - Senior Restoration Ecologist, MNL Corp

Dan is a restoration ecologist with over 25 years of experience working on restoration projects in Minnesota and in the upper Midwest. He prepares Vegetation Management Plans (VMP), completes site assessments, and monitors vegetation establishment. Dan also completes botanical surveys, wetland delineations, plans for wetland mitigation, and will assist with permitting and environmental review. He has spent his career providing technical assistance for projects affecting wetlands, vegetation, and other natural resources and building respect for natural resource professionals and his clients. Dan is the principal investigator for the conservation grazing project on solar sites and seeks to lead additional investigations that further ecological restoration and improve outcomes and management.

Univ. of MN, Ph.D. (Plant Biology) | Grinnell College, BA (General Science ); Environmental Studies Concentration | School for Field Studies, Center for Wildlife Management Studies, Kenya Certification | Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner (CERP):Society for Ecological Restoration

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.

THURSDAY | MARCH 20, 2025
Social and Set-Up | 6:30 pm
Meeting and Presentation | 7:00 to 8:30 pm
In Person at Richfield Community Center

Chasing Minnesota's Native Wildflowers
Presenters | Phyllis Root and Kelly Povo, Local Minnesota Authors

Meet Phyllis Root and Kelly Povo, authors of Searching for Minnesota’s Native Wildflowers; A Guide for Beginners, Botanists, and Everyone in Between.

Phyllis, an award-winning author, has written many picture books about Minnesota, including Big Belching Bog, Plant a Pocket of Prairie, One North Star, and The Lost Forest, all published by the University of Minnesota Press. Kelly, a professional photographer for over thirty years, has exhibited in galleries and art shows across the country. Her photographs have been published on posters, calendars, note cards, and in books.  

After their first book about wildflowers Kelly and Phyllis started a blog  (flowerchasers) and they frequently send audio postcards of their searches to Minnesota Public Radio. They are still chasing flowers and love sharing what they learn with fellow wildflower lovers.

Whatever they are doing, Phyllis and Kelly laugh—a lot.

THURSDAY | APRIL 17, 2025
Design for Life: Basics and Local Examples
Presenter | Nathalie Shanstrom, Pasque Ecologica Design and Consulting
 

After a brief introduction on how to design with native plants, this presentation will use a range of case studies to illustrate by example how to design with native plants to: maximize sustainability and ecological function, draw out the beauty of regional landscapes, and create functional spaces that foster healthy, invigorating, meaningful connections between people and their environment. A range of examples of varying scales, context, and site uses will be included to show how the design process can vary from site to site.

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/ 

TUESDAY | MAY 20, 2025
2025 Native Plant Resource Fair
We were nearly rained out last year and we are hoping for better weather this year as we embrace our new space at Richfield Community Center. This popular open house will offer educational resources from Wild Ones members and partner organizations.

WILD ONES PARTNERS

Altlawns of Richfield and Bloomington 

Blue Thumb – Planting for Clean Water® 

The Xerces Society 

Friends of Minnehaha Park 

Nokomis Naturescape 

Minnesota Bird Coalition

Izaak Walton League of America - Bush Lake Chapter

Minnesota Dragonfly Society

Pollinator Ambassadors

PROFESSIONALS AND MEMBER BUSINESSES

ReWild Native Gardens 

Pasque Ecological Design 

Earthwise Organic Consulting 

Agrarian Seed 

Garden Variety Art 
 

Wild Roots Market

(not just a Wild Ones native plant sale!) 

SATURDAY | JUNE 14, 2025

Noon to 3:00 pm

Wentworth Ave just south of 98th Street in Bloomington

Wild Ones Twin Cities is going back to an old school plant share with a twist. We're hosting a Free Will Offering marketplace with member donated native plants plus native plant gardening related items, books, tools and yard ornaments. We are taking every step to ensure that protocols are followed to prevent the accidental spread of invasive species.

Do you have any native plants or garden related items that need a new home?

Watch for an email with details on what donations we are accepting and how to prepare plants for donation. Meanwhile, look for native plants you may have too many of, consider sharing some of your winter sown bounty, or tools and other garden related items you no longer need.

Bareroot Clinic and Potting Sessions

We currently have host sites for three Bareroot Clinics and Potting sessions. Our first clinic was Monday, May 19th at the home of Karen Parker. We managed to clean and pot about 10 flats of donated plants in just a few hours! The next two clinics are in Bloomington on May 29 and in Eagan on either June 4 or 5, depending on weather. If you want more information, contact Julia Vanatta, her email address is on chapter website. 

SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2025

Adrienne's Gardens in St. Louis Park

SATURDAY, JULY 12, 2025

Emily's Gardens in West St. Paul

SATURDAY, AUGUST 9, 2025

Bria & Kendra's Indigo House Prairie in South Minneapolis

17th Annual Monarch Festival – Festival de la Monarca

The next Minneapolis Monarch Festival will occur on Saturday, September 6th, 2025, 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.

Like Monarch Butterfly this time of year, we are busy! The festival is coordinating with our artist friends and science colleagues to bring you activities and learning opportunities at the 2025 Monarch Festival.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2025

Leslie's Garden in Mendota Heights

Coming soon!

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon! 

Coming soon!

Following the Business Meeting, we will have a short presentation.

Details coming soon!