Events

We will be teaching winter sowing of native seeds. We will provide the materials needed. Please feel free to bring garden gloves. We will have light snacks available. Everyone will bring home a milk jug filled with native seeds ready to go outside until the summer.  Please enter at office door. 

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. 

Join us for our first Chapter Meeting! Meet the chapter officers and learn about our exciting upcoming events and big plans for the year.  After a brief chapter meeting, stay for refreshments and making of native seed packets which we can distribute at our events.  Everyone attending will receive FREE seeds as well.

We are partnering with Flanner Farms to help them create a pollinator garden and food forest. To start the project we will need to help them prep the site.  Please join us to do some cleaning up and moving of dead material to get the site ready for planting. We will be working in the back area of the vegetable farm.  Park in large parking lot and walk to location. Please bring gloves. Check Wild Ones Greater Indianapolis Facebook page for updates in case of bad weather. 

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. 

We will meet outside the Nature Center and go on an 1 hour walk around the park. During the walk we will identify native spring plants and other native plants and trees. Bring your iPhone, we will be using iNaturalist to help identify plants we see.  

We will be giving away FREE button bushes and chokecherry bushes to celebrate Arbor Day. 1 bush per person, 200 available. We will be located near the shelters off of the large parking lot on 40th Street.

Information table at Nature Center event

We are excited to have a table at the FREE Earth Day event put on by Indy Creation Fest.  Stop by our table for FREE native seed packets. 

We will be pulling weeds and planting native plants in the area behind the future pollinator garden. If you have any native plants you want to thin out please bring them to plant. Bring gloves and shovels. 

Please bring any native plants from your backyard or from the milk jugs from the Winter Sowing meeting and come to our First Annual Plant Swap. We will have extra the plants available, all are welcome with or without plants to swap. Members free and non members $5 donation. 

We will be pulling weeds and planting native plants in the area behind the future pollinator garden. If you have any native plants you want to thin out please bring them to plant. Bring gloves and shovels. 

We will be meeting at our membership chair’s home to repot 100+ plugs that were donated by Native Plants Unlimited. The plants will then be used for our plant swap in Sept.  All the plant repotting volunteers will take home a FREE plant of their choice.

please email Jonit at [email protected] to reserve your spot

We will be distributing 3000+ seed packets at the State Fair.  These packets were custom designed to promote native prairie seeds and Wild Ones. We need volunteers to help put stickers on the seed packets and also to fill and seal packets. All volunteers will receive a FREE seed packet. Please follow sign to park in gravel parking lot, then head up driveway to house. 

Join us for the recording of data for the Monarch bio blitz. We will be checking a large milkweed patch and other parts of the prairie to record Monarch activity. We will be observing milkweed, chrysalis, eggs, caterpillars and monarch butterflies. The International Monarch Monitoring Blitz invites community scientists from across North America to come together to protect and conserve the beloved monarch butterfly. Dress for being outside and short walking will be involved. 

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. 

Please bring any native plants from your backyard. We will have extra plants available, all are welcome with or without plants to swap. Members free and non members $5 donation. 

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. 

We will be pulling weeds and planting native plants in the area behind the future pollinator garden. If you have any native plants you want to thin out please bring them to plant. Bring gloves and shovels. 

Join us for a Street Block party and native plant/seed giveaway at Wildergarden in Broadripple. This event is FREE for everyone 

We will be collecting native seeds to use for winter sowing event and to give away in seed packets

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! 

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.