Events

In this special collaboration, Robin Wall Kimmerer, author, botanist, and founder of Plant Baby Plant, joins youth leader and Nurture Natives founder Esther Bonney for an intergenerational conversation about belonging, reciprocity, and native plant action. 

Together, they will explore questions such as:

How do we create opportunities for young people to have a voice and feel empowered, even when they are not homeowners or decision makers?What kinds of relationships and mentorships help people stay engaged in native plant work over decades?Why do stories, shared practices, and community invitations matter just as much as plant lists?

Robin and Esther will reflect on what invites people into this work, what keeps them here, and what elders and youth have to teach each other.

Our upcoming webinar with Basil Camu explores practical, evidence based ways to heal suburban and urban landscapes by working with trees, soil, and natural systems, drawing on real world practices from Leaf & Limb and community centered models for restoring life where we live, work, and play.!  

Co-hosted by Wild Ones New York Metro Region and Wild Ones Delmarva

Zoom link to join

We are pleased to offer a webinar to be presented by garden coach and consultant Concetta Gibson, President of the Wild Ones Delmarva Chapter, to discuss choosing and using beneficial native plants that look attractive at your home and neighborhood. Topics will include what to consider with regard to soil types and local environment when designing plant bed layouts, the advantages of native species and nativars, and container and small space gardening options. There will be a question-and-answer period at the end of her presentation, so you are encouraged to prepare your questions whether general and/or specific regarding the conditions of your garden space for Ms. Gibson to answer.

Bio:

Concetta Gibson is the founder and owner of Leaf & Bed, an Eastern Shore small business on the Delmarva Peninsula, that provides garden design, coaching, consulting, and native plant sourcing. She brings her experience as a former earth and environmental science teacher and nonprofit professional to support gardeners in Maryland and beyond, with special focus areas in ecology, planting in containers, and accessible and adaptable gardening. Concetta holds certifications as a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP) and in Permaculture Design, certified by the Permaculture Institute of North America, she teaches garden courses part-time at Chesapeake College, and is a co-founder and President of the Delmarva Chapter of Wild Ones, a national nonprofit focused on promoting native plants and sustainable gardening.

Agenda/table of contents:

Why use native plants and setting yourself up for success

Environmental conditions: Right plant, right place, right fit

Horizontal, vertical spaces, and containers

Personal style

Researching, choosing, and sourcing responsibly

Basic layout creation: paper and digital option

We are pleased to offer a webinar to be presented by garden coach and consultant Concetta Gibson, President of the Wild Ones Delmarva Chapter, to discuss choosing and using beneficial native plants that look attractive at your home and neighborhood. Topics will include what to consider with regard to soil types and local environment when designing plant bed layouts, the advantages of native species and nativars, and container and small space gardening options. There will be a question-and-answer period at the end of her presentation, so you are encouraged to prepare your questions whether general and/or specific regarding the conditions of your garden space for Ms. Gibson to answer.

ZOOM LINK:

https://wildones-org.zoom.us/j/87221880894?pwd=AyJuCu4ga2PHAUVE4hMboizpOrkHgh.1

Join Joey Santore, creator of Crime Pays But Botany Doesn’t, for a candid Wild Ones National Webinar examining how inherited garden aesthetics shape native plant landscapes. Drawing on field experience and real ecology, Joey challenges tidy design norms and explores why dense, irregular plant communities are often the most resilient and ecologically sound.

Westbury High School is creating a native garden to compliment their food garden. This prep day will be in support of their main event on Earth Week, Thursday, April 23rd. 

This garden will be facing Jerusalem ave with high visibility from the street. It’s a great opportunity to show our neighbors that they can have a native garden too. 

We ask for volunteers to help us clean and mulch the space to the main event, when all students and parents will be present to help planting. 

Agatha Martello from More Than Gardens will be co-hosting this event and will answer questions on food gardens, native plants and ecological landscaping practices. 

We hope to see you there. 

Help grow our native plant garden at Bush Terminal Piers Park. Tools provided. We will be adding cardboard and mulch for weed suppression as we convert even more turf to pollinator garden. 

To celebrate Earth Week, Westbury High School will host a native and food garden planting this Thursday. We are creating a pocket meadow right in front of the school, visible from the road for all our neighbors to see. The pocket meadow will come with an organic food garden right next to it that will provide for our community and teach students about nature and their relationship with it.

There will be planting, plant sales to support the project, and talks about the space and its importance for the environment.

Prep day was a success last Saturday, and now we invite everyone to join the students and support them on their new journey of welcoming birds and pollinators into our shared spaces. Together, we are creating more than safe spaces for nature in our city, we are building a strong community that supports each other.

I hope to see you there. If you have any questions, please call or text me at 516-500-3135 or email [email protected].

Thank you.

Agatha Martello
WildOnes
Community Leader for TOBAY

Join award-winning author, photographer, and educator Rick Darke for What Is Wild and Why It Matters, a free national webinar on Tuesday, April 28th at 10 am CT. Discover how inviting a bit of authentic wildness can create a vibrant landscape that sustains you and local biodiversity. This national event is presented in collaboration between Wild Ones and Homegrown National Park.

Join conservation biologist Agatha Martello for a short, scenic hike at Massapequa Preserve. We’ll explore how your own garden connects to the natural areas around you, learn basic ecology tips you can use every day, and enjoy the beauty of the woods, birds, plants, and all. Bring your camera and your curiosity!

Meet at the sign on Merrick Road, Massapequa Preserve

What to bring: Water, closed-toe shoes, long sleeves/pants, camera (optional)

RSVP: [email protected]

Terrain: asphalt path + woodland trails with a few fallen trees and narrow spots. Family-friendly, but dress for the woods!

Join botanist Zihao Wang from Torrey Botanical Society for an in-depth wildflower walk as we learn about beautiful wild plants, insects, and their fascinating relationship. Co-sponsored by Wild Ones New York Metro Region Chapter. https://www.marineparkalliance.org/event/wildflowers-of-marine-park/

Marine Park Alliance tends to locations across the park by painting over graffiti, removing invasive plant species, planting native species, picking up litter, and more. Help keep the park green; wear comfortable clothes; and we’ll provide gloves and tools! Pre-registration is required. Please register and contact Carri ([email protected]) with any questions about the volunteer program. Co-sponsored by Wild Ones New York Metro Region Chapter.

We repeat our event from last year visiting St Joseph's Convent and The LI Native Plant Initiative (LINPI) in Brentwood to see and learn about their efforts at reforestation, grassland installation, and invasive species eradication efforts. We finish the day with a visit to LINPI to learn about their seed collection of local native plants, their propagation, and to enjoy a 10% discount on purchases for event attendees. (We will break for 30 min. for lunch.)

RSVP to [email protected]. 

You planted native. Your neighbor has opinions. Maybe your HOA does too. If you’ve ever felt like the hardest part of native plant gardening is the conversations, not the gardening, you’re not alone.

Wild Ones is thrilled to share this upcoming free webinar as part of the 2026 Less Lawn More Life Challenge. Join Lorraine Johnson for a practical conversation on navigating HOA rules, addressing neighbor concerns, and fostering community conversations about native plant gardening and ecological landscapes.

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.

Registration link coming soon.

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.

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.