Events

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.

Join us for a Seed & Plant Cuttings
Swap with fun activities like Plant
Trivia, tips on native landscaping &
propagation, and awesome prizes!

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.

Organizing for the 2025 Calendar Year

EcoFest is a collaborative annual event planned by several local non-profit environmental and arts groups, along with other community organizations.  

The Corridor’s premier Earth Day celebration, this family-friendly festival includes interactive educational activities, eco-products, eco-practice demonstrations in how to reduce our consumption of resources, fun ways to reduce and reuse household items, local foods, arts and free live music!  EcoFest helps us connect our personal choices to individual, community and planetary sustainability.   

Our local Wild Ones chapter will have a table at this event to spread awareness and attract new members.

Let's tour some member gardens! This event is a chance to exchange ideas and education about our shared passion, landscaping with native plants.

Please note that these members' gardens are opened for our visit with the understanding that they are shared "AS IS" and no extra preparation will be done, and the ravages of such factors as the weather, vacation neglect, and works-in-progress will be evident!

Wild Ones member Eric Miller will be speaking about native spring ephemerals as part of Johnson County Conservation's Native Plant Series. 

This will be a small event for seeding grasses, sedges, and other wildflowers which don't need stratification. 

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/ 

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/ 

Hickory Hill Park is a wonderful wildlife park within Iowa City. We will meet at 9:00 a.m. at the Conklin lane entrance to the park to gather any tools we need and then hike to the worksite. Wear work clothing and bring water, bug spray, water, and sunscreen. Because this is a mid summer work event, we will find a shady spot to work, and we will ensure we have extra water.

**This event was rescheduled from July 19th to August 2nd due to storms on the 19th**

Meeting point: Park and meet at this location, near 1180 Cemetery Road, Tipton, IA. https://maps.app.goo.gl/SB1PPBbatDVhErvv8

The Rochester Cemetery dates back to the 1830s and contains the graves of some of the area's earliest settlers. It is also one of Iowa’s few remaining original prairie remnants. An oak savanna and diverse prairie are home to more than 300 native plant species, including uncommon ones like Spider Milkweed, Prairie Willow, and Wild Quinine. This event is open to Wild Ones Cedar Rapids Iowa City Chapter members.

Recent visitors have said:

“This is one of the most beautiful places in Iowa, in all seasons, lovingly maintained and preserved.”

“The wildflower show is beyond compare spring, summer, and fall. The large oaks are magical.”

The plants and wildlife are meticulously documented in this Google sheet:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1c11GWQD1mQ8N13SPBFhaS2Jgi1tmqHzdSk2dgifl8gU/edit?gid=1984659035#gid=1984659035

Let's tour some members’ gardens! Come explore, get inspired, and exchange ideas about our shared passion, landscaping with native plants.

We will gather at Indian Creek Nature Center at the Butterfly Hoop House, a volunteer-maintained haven for native plants and pollinators. From there, we will announce an itinerary of four chapter members’ home gardens in Cedar Rapids.

The theme of the tour is “Sleep, Creep, Leap”. In their first year, native perennials can appear to “sleep” as they focus on root development. In year two, plants “creep” with slow and steady growth. Starting in year three, plants “leap” to life with rapid growth and bold blooms. The tour will progress through all three stages from newly established to increasingly mature gardens, all shared “as is” with minimal preparation.

Please register at the link below, so we can notify you in case of weather delay, cancellation, or reschedule.

(Note: This event is members-only, however a limited number of spots are available to non-members at $10 per person. Better yet, become a member!)

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.

Details coming soon! 

The 120-acre Etzel Sugar Grove Farm was donated to Indian Creek Nature Center to establish an environmentally and economically self-sufficient farm, which uses regenerative and organic practices to model the future of agriculture for a more resilient, sustainable world.

After a farm tour with Jean Wiedenheft, Director of Land Stewardship, we will collect seeds for use by ICNC and for the Wild Ones Cedar Rapids-Iowa City Chapter seed library.

The farm includes a mature woodland, a pasture, tillable fields, vegetable beds, berry bushes, and fruit and nut trees. The farm team are weaving prairie buffer strips throughout the cropland and restoring the woodlands to encourage ecological diversity and wildlife.

The prairie forbs are diverse and concentrated, making seed collection very rewarding! A restroom is available.

This event is open to chapter members and non-members.
 

Annual meeting to elect chapter officers and board of directors. The date and time here are placeholders for now, but we will likely hold this meeting in November. This time can also be used to plan events in 2026.

Details coming soon!