Calendar of Events and Programs

Wild Ones Columbus will be tabling at the Environmental Education Fair presented by Greener Violet, a Pickerington-based environmental nonprofit focused on restoring the native flora and fauna of the local community as well as protecting local watersheds. 

The fair will feature presentations, demonstrations, and resources from a number of local conservation organizations. Join us to learn more about the importance of native plants, pollinators, and waterways, and how you can make a positive impact in your community!

Save the date! Join us for our annual native seed swap. Free and open to the public. We'll also demo winter sowing techniques using milk jugs as well as other ways to grow native plants from seed.

Please bring native plant seeds to swap and label them with the Latin name and common name to pass along. The seeds don’t need to be removed from the seed head if you aren’t sure how to do it but don’t leave much stem on the seed heads. If you don’t have any seeds to bring, no worries. If you are new to native plants or didn't have time to collect seeds, there are ALWAYS plenty from those that do bring them! We love to see "newbies" at our seed exchange! Also remember to bring something to put seeds in such as envelopes, paper bags or containers.

Member, Mary May, has been winter sowing native seeds with success and will be displaying examples of ways she sows seeds in the winter along with the tools/accessories she uses. Mary and our President, Holly Latteman, will be sharing tips and tricks and answering questions.

Below are containers Mary recommends for winter sowing:
Easiest to work with: Semi-opaque HDPE gallon or half gallon milk or water jugs. This plastic is easy to work.
Next best: Clear PETE containers (cake covers, rectangular salad containers, water jugs, 2 liter soda bottles, juice containers.) 
Other: Protein powder jugs, large yogurt containers, deli containers.

If you have or will have any of these containers but don't need them for yourself, please bring all that you can to the seed exchange for those attendees that do want the above-listed containers for winter sowing.

***Also, if you have them, please bring wax covered cardboard 1/2 gallon milk/juice containers which other members can reuse for winter sowing.

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. 

Amy Dutt, Ecological Landscape Designer with Scioto Gardens, will be presenting on landscaping your yard with an ecological focus. Detailed description coming soon!

Come join us for an introduction into native edible plants, presented by David Williams. You'll learn proper harvesting techniques, some of these plants' historical significance, and identification of plants you might have in your yard right now! You'll also be able to taste test some locally sourced products including home-tapped maple syrup.

Speaker bio: David Williams has been a volunteer for Ohio conservation programs for years, including: Wild Ones, Appalachia Ohio Alliance, Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed, and most recently Stratford Ecological Center and the Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio. He uses these groups to get people interested in the outdoors, and more recently edible native plants. He is a writer, poet and uses his knowledge of edible plants to make his own wines.

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 this month's program, we will be touring Wild Ones Columbus member Barbara Altenburg's yard. Barbara has been a member of Wild Ones since 1997. She has landscaped her yard to be a habitat for birds and to provide native plants for their food source. Visitors will be able to see trillium, blood root, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, and many more spring ephemerals! Barbara lives on a small lot in Dublin and has removed the invasive honeysuckle behind her house in an area the size of her city lot, restoring it to native plants as well.

PARKING NOTE:  Please only park on the right/north side of Stonewall Ct or park on the connecting street - Monterey Dr. 

Help us get ready for our native plant sale in May by participating in a plant dig! We will be digging and potting up plants at Wild Ones Columbus board member Don's yard. No need to stay the whole time if you can't and the more members that show up, the faster we'll finish.

Snacks and extra water will be available. Please bring your own gardening implements such as gloves, trowels, shovel, scissors, pruner, knee pad or kneeler. Also, sunscreen, insect repellent and a water bottle.

A wide variety of herbaceous plants, trees, and shrubs will be available from Wild Ones Columbus and other local vendors. Be sure to stop by!

Join us for a tour of the Marsolo's yard! Their yard is a standard quarter acre but includes many native plants and interesting features such as bog areas, ponds, troughs, crevice rock gardens and hardy cacti. There will be maps posted to help visitors identify the native plants in each area.

Host bio: David Marsolo has been a Wild Ones member since 2002. His yard is basically a collector's garden that has evolved over 40 years. There are many natives of the Eastern and Central US. The Marsolo's have also been working to lessen their environmental impact by reducing the area of lawn to mow, composting, growing an organic vegetable garden, and rainwater run-off use. Recently they installed 16 solar panels which meets all their electric needs in the home as well as power an electric vehicle.

Join us in July for a tour of Terri and Randy Litchfield's 1.3-acre property in Delaware County. Featured in Ohio Magazine, the Litchfield's yard, which now hosts roughly 275 native species, serves as a native plant demonstration garden for the Delaware County Master Gardeners and for the public. In 2023 they launched a blog and website devoted to their garden: Catchfly Commons.

Parking is next door at 667 Bunty Station Road. Signs and a greeter will guide you to a parking spot.

Host bio: Terri and Randy Litchfield's interest in gardening stems from a more general appreciation of nature. They learned about native plants from attending sustainability conferences and simple living festivals in the 80's and early 90's. In 2001 they moved to Delaware to a home with a sunny backyard, much of which was a blank canvas. They both became Delaware County Master Gardener Volunteers. Terri proposed and then chaired the Native Plant Propagation Project, which in 2021 won the Ohio Outstanding Large Master Gardener Volunteer Project Award. One of Randy's hobbies is macrophotography, and this has been a good way to document the insect visitors to the garden.

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. 

UPDATE: Due to the drought conditions at Gallagher Fen, our tour will now be held at Prairie Road Fen, a permit-only preserve located 5 minutes from Gallagher Fen. We will still meet at Gallagher Fen and carpool to the new site.

John F. Gallagher Fen State Nature Preserve contains one of the best examples of a prairie fen community in the state. The oak savannah above the fen meadows support a variety of dry prairie species. The preserve is named in honor of John F. Gallagher, a well-known environmentalist from Springfield.

TOUR GUIDE: Michelle Comer, West Regional Preserve Manager, Division of Natural Areas & Preserves, Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

PLEASE NOTE: NO RESTROOMS ON SITE; pets are not permitted.

PARKING: The parking lot is small, so we encourage carpooling.

NO SIGN AT ENTRANCE FROM ROAD! Look at Google maps streetview before driving there to see what to look for from the road.  YOU NEED GPS to get there!

Space is limited to 20 people. AS OF 9/10/24, THERE ARE 14 SPOTS OPEN.

Please “Register” below to RSVP to this event.

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. 

Nature photography indoor program. Learn photography tips and tricks to enhance and improve your photos with whichever equipment you want to use - mobile phone or camera. If weather permits, we'll then go outside to practice what we've learned!

Chris Brinkman will be our instructor. Chris is a Columbus based conservation-oriented nature and wildlife photographer. His work has been featured internationally by numerous publications including Outdoor Photographer magazine, U.S. Department of Interior, Canon USA, Africa Geographic, Think Tank, Shutterbug magazine, Smithsonian magazine, National Geographic, Faerie magazine, and Princeton University press.

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! 

Learn how to create your very own native matrix garden alongside Michael Keeler from Ohio Native Concepts LLC. Matrix planting is a design method that optimizes every square foot of garden space by utilizing a multi-layered planting scheme that minimizes weeds, enhances biodiversity, and provides a habitat for pollinators to complete their life cycles. During this workshop, you will learn about the layers in matrix planting, the arrangement of plants within these layers, and the selection of suitable plants.

Michael Keeler is the founder and principal of Ohio Native Concepts. Michael brings a background in natural resources management and a passion for nature and community to his work creating impactful landscapes for residential and institutional clients across Central Ohio. His design approach focuses on creating spaces that connect humans to nature and improve ecological function and biodiversity. By creatively combining art with ecology, Michael creates living landscapes that are as beautiful and meaningful as they are resilient and sustainable. 

Native plants have an incredible ability to adapt to climate extremes, offering sustainable solutions for resilient landscapes. Join Wild Ones and the Native Plant Society of Texas to explore the power of native plants to thrive in challenging conditions.

This event features Christy Ten Eyck, founder of Ten Eyck Landscape Architects. Drawing from her latest Dallas-Fort Worth native garden design, Christy will share insights into designing low-maintenance, ecologically rich spaces that withstand intense climate fluctuations.

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.