Events

Though native plants are gaining popularity with gardeners, native species are often absent from herb gardens and nursery herb departments. In this class, Sarah Sorci of Sweet Flag Herbs will spotlight native plants that enhance our gardens and our cooking, including rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos; H. laevis), nodding onion (Allium cernuum), pepperweed (Lepidium virginicum), bee balm/wild bergamot species (Monarda spp.), and more. 

We’ll briefly discuss their preferred growing conditions and where to purchase plants and seeds. We'll focus on how to use these herbs in the kitchen and sustainable/ regenerative harvest. Samples will be shared.

July 16, 2026, 6-7:30 at Hamburg Public Library.

This is a Wild Ones Members-only event.

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.

Join us for our first Member to Member Garden tour of 2026. We will first visit a well-established shade garden built over years by master gardener Lyn Chimera. Our second stop is Owens Falls Sanctuary, a WNY Land Conservancy site, to see what native plants are thriving in the wooded moist conditions there.

These Member to Member tours are a great time to learn from our peers with real world experience. Also a great time to meet new folks with similar interests.

If you are interested in hosting a Member to Member tour of your yard in the future, please let us know at [email protected].

Back by request! We will be touring two member gardens that were included in our 2025 tours. These are in the KenTon (Kenmore/Tonawanda) area north of Buffalo.    Both of these owners have converted lawn space to gardens and have interesting stories about how the gardens have developed.

One is an established and well-loved garden including LOTS of trees, a  yard packed with happy shade plants. 

The other is FULL SUN and clay with seasonal flooding.  This evolving garden features a rain garden, drainage swales, pond and other water management techniques. There is a diverse collection of native plants including young shrubs and trees. 

If you need ideas for plants that will work in your yard, this is a great way to learn. 

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.