Events

At Wild Ones Wayne County (WOWC) we don't dream about ‘Connecting people and native plants for a healthy planet’, we actively DO STUFF!   And that “doing” is where WOWC Programs comes in.  It takes People and Planning to Make Stuff Happen. Discussions include:

-Bi-monthly chapter meetings with a presenter or speaker
-Plant Sales
-Tabling Events
-Member-to-Member yard tours
-Stewardship Events
-Seeds to Community Program Events
-Social Events
-Private and Public garden tours

Join us on the first Monday of every month 6:00pm on Zoom where we discuss plans for Events and Activities, as well as Volunteer Opportunities. 

Members will receive an invite and Zoom link via email prior to the meeting. 

Contact Steve Ray, Programs Chair with questions or ideas.

Members can look forward to Member-to-Member Garden Yard Tours throughout the growing season!

This EVENING event will feature a Delightful yard in Dearborn Heights and is open to all Chapter Members and also non-members.  Non-members and anyone wishing to Car Pool are asked to Register using the button below. 

The address of each yard will be communicated to both members and registered non-members approximately 48 hours before the event.

If you are bringing children, please ensure they respect the gardens and their inhabitants.

 Lisa's Yard - 48127 (7:00pm)

What starts with a few purple coneflowers and a curious butterfly sighting?  Find out by exploring this evolving suburban garden, where milkweed sparked a decade-long journey into native plants, blending wildlife-friendly additions with cherished legacy favorites. 

Accessibility:  Everything is on one level but the backyard has uneven ground so anyone  with balance issues might want to bring their cane or walking stick.

Read More About Lisa's Yard

Member-to-Member (M2M) yard visits (aka Show Me-Tell Me) allow members to share experiences, ideas, and challenges with maintaining native plants in our landscapes. These tours help members & invited guests to learn about different natives and enjoy conversations with other native plant enthusiasts.

Members can look forward to Member-to-Member Garden Yard Tours throughout the growing season!

This day's tour will feature two fantastic yards in Livonia and is open to all Chapter Members and also non-members.  Non-members and anyone wishing to Car Pool are asked to Register using the button below. 

The address of each yard will be communicated to both members and registered non-members approximately 48 hours before the event.

If you are bringing children, please ensure they respect the gardens and their inhabitants.

Yard One:  Jennifer’s Yard - 48150  (1:00pm)

Discover how one self-taught gardener transformed a small front yard into a thoughtfully planned native habitat designed to support the greatest possible diversity of caterpillars. Stroll winding paths through woodland, rain, and sunny gardens while exploring the science behind the design. 

Accessibility: Yard is viewable from paved surfaces. 

More About Jennifer's Yard

Yard Two:  Bob’s Yard - 48154 (2:00pm)

What began with a quest for better hydrangeas blossomed into a sixteen-year journey with native plants and wildlife habitat. Explore a fully native backyard, a pollinator-friendly front yard, and the lessons learned while creating a landscape designed to support nature and inspire neighbors.

Accessibility: Yard is viewable from paved surfaces.

Read More About Bob’s Yard

Member-to-Member (M2M) yard visits (aka Show Me-Tell Me) allow members to share experiences, ideas, and challenges with maintaining native plants in our landscapes. These tours help members & invited guests to learn about different natives and enjoy conversations with other native plant enthusiasts.

The mission of the WOWC Seeds to Community program is to create connections with people and nature through the process of growing native plants from seed. The program is driven through community engagement in collection, germination and cultivation workshops.

WOWC Seeds to Community events require planning and community engagement. Join each third Wednesday of the month to be a part of the year-round community initiative of growing native plants from seed.

This July meeting will include discussion on:

Seeds Status Update

Seed Collection Planning

Seed Collection Notices

Program Donations

Members will receive invite and Zoom link via email. Reach out to Derek Shaffer or [email protected] with questions.

Members can look forward to Member-to-Member Garden Yard Tours throughout the growing season!

This day's Tour will feature two Amazing venues and is open to all Chapter Members and also non-members.  Non-members and anyone wishing to Car Pool are asked to Register using the button below. 

The address of each yard will be communicated to both members and registered non-members approximately 48 hours before the event.

If you are bringing children, please ensure they respect the gardens and their inhabitants.

1.  Lindsey's Smart Habitat Garden at the MSU Ext Office in Romulus -  48174 (1:00pm)

Inspired by a book that reshaped their view of gardening, this gardener created a living demonstration of ecological landscaping at the MSU Extension Office. Explore a thriving habitat designed to be beautiful, resilient, pollinator-friendly, and guided by nature's own processes.

Accessibility:  This garden will be viewed from a paved surface.
Bonus:  Attendees may also have the opportunity to take home a souvenir native plant.  

Read More about Lindsey and Her Office Garden 

2:  Brenda's Butterfly Garden in Westland - 48186 (2:00pm)

A chance encounter at a local plant nursery transformed a simple desire for a butterfly garden into a 27-year journey with native plants. Explore a completely grass-free landscape where every corner has been converted into thriving habitat for butterflies, bees, moths, and countless other beneficial insects. 

Accessibility:  This garden can be viewed from a paved surface.

Read More About Brenda's Butterfly Garden

Member-to-Member (M2M) yard visits (aka Show Me-Tell Me) allow members to share experiences, ideas, and challenges with maintaining native plants in our landscapes. These tours help members & invited guests to learn about different natives and enjoy conversations with other native plant enthusiasts.

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.

Wayne County Wild Ones will be at the Bugtopia!

Details Coming Soon!

Members can look forward to Member-to-Member Garden Yard Tours throughout the growing season!

This day's tour will feature two Dazzling Yards in Detroit and is open to all Chapter Members and also non-members.  Non-members and anyone wishing to Car Pool are asked to Register using the button below. 

The address of each yard will be communicated to both members and registered non-members approximately 48 hours before the event.

If you are bringing children, please ensure they respect the gardens and their inhabitants.

Yard One:  Jen’s Yard in Hubbard Farms - 48209  (1:00pm)

A childhood surrounded by native gardens came full circle when caring for a mother’s landscape sparked a lifelong passion. Tour an evolving, experimental garden where family history, heirloom plants, and newly established natives come together in a landscape still very much in the making. 

Accessibility: There is a flagstone path from the front to the back but it's pretty level

Read More About Jen’s Yard

Yard Two:  Marianne’s Yard - 48221  (2:00pm)

What happens when someone replaces an entire lawn with native plants all at once? Tour a landscape created through curiosity, experimentation, and continual learning, where native habitat and edible plants grow side by side in a garden that's still happily evolving. 

Accessibility: Gardens are viewable from paved surfaces.

Read More About Marianne's Yard

Member-to-Member (M2M) yard visits (aka Show Me-Tell Me) allow members to share experiences, ideas, and challenges with maintaining native plants in our landscapes. These tours help members & invited guests to learn about different natives and enjoy conversations with other native plant enthusiasts.

At Wild Ones Wayne County (WOWC) we don't dream about ‘Connecting people and native plants for a healthy planet’, we actively DO STUFF!   And that “doing” is where WOWC Programs comes in.  It takes People and Planning to Make Stuff Happen. Discussions include:

-Bi-monthly chapter meetings with a presenter or speaker
-Plant Sales
-Tabling Events
-Member-to-Member yard tours
-Stewardship Events
-Seeds to Community Program Events
-Social Events
-Private and Public garden tours

Join us on the first Monday of every month 6:00pm on Zoom where we discuss plans for Events and Activities, as well as Volunteer Opportunities. 

Members will receive an invite and Zoom link via email prior to the meeting. 

Contact Steve Ray, Programs Chair with questions or ideas.

Members can look forward to Member-to-Member Garden Yard Tours throughout the growing season!

This EVENING event will feature a Naturally Beautiful Yard in New Boston and is open to all Chapter Members and also non-members.  Non-members and anyone wishing to Car Pool are asked to Register using the button below. 

The address of the yard will be communicated to both members and registered non-members approximately 48 hours before the event.

If you are bringing children, please ensure they respect the gardens and their inhabitants.

Natalie's Yard in New Boston - 48164 (7:00pm)

(Description Coming Soon!)

Accessibility:  The road is gravel, the driveway is gravel, and the backyard may have free ranging chicken droppings.

Member-to-Member (M2M) yard visits (aka Show Me-Tell Me) allow members to share experiences, ideas, and challenges with maintaining native plants in our landscapes. These tours help members & invited guests to learn about different natives and enjoy conversations with other native plant enthusiasts.

Members can look forward to Member-to-Member Garden Yard Tours throughout the growing season!

This day's tour will feature a Phenomenal yard in Plymouth AND a curated tour of some of the Plymouth Pollinator Gardens, and is open to all Chapter Members and also non-members.  Non-members and anyone wishing to Car Pool are asked to Register using the button below. 

The address of each yard will be communicated to both members and registered non-members approximately 48 hours before the event.

If you are bringing children, please ensure they respect the gardens and their inhabitants.

Carly's Yard in Plymouth - 48170 (1:00pm)

What started with a simple question—“Where have all the butterflies gone?”—grew into a decade-long passion and a community movement. Visit the home garden that sparked it all, along with two thriving public pollinator gardens that inspired nearly 20 more across Plymouth. 

Accessibility:   The gardens can be viewed from paved surfaces.  

Parking: There is limited parking in the driveway and the hosts are checking with with the City of Plymouth for street parking permission on the day.  Otherwise, depending on the number of people that attend, folks may have to park on the next block and head over to the house.

Read More About Carly's Yard 

Lions Club Park  (2:00pm)

Burroughs St and Harding St, Plymouth, MI 48170

Accessibility:   ADA Compliant Public Park

Fire Station Park in Old Village (2:30pm)

N. Holbrook St. and E. Spring St, Plymouth, MI 48170

Accessibility:   ADA Compliant Public Park

Member-to-Member (M2M) yard visits (aka Show Me-Tell Me) allow members to share experiences, ideas, and challenges with maintaining native plants in our landscapes. These tours help members & invited guests to learn about different natives and enjoy conversations with other native plant enthusiasts.

Members can look forward to Member-to-Member Garden Yard Tours throughout the growing season!

This day's event will feature two Laudable Yards in Livonia  and is open to all Chapter Members and also non-members.  Non-members and anyone wishing to Car Pool are asked to Register using the button below. 

The address of each yard will be communicated to both members and registered non-members approximately 48 hours before the event.

If you are bringing children, please ensure they respect the gardens and their inhabitants. 

Yard One:  Laura G's Yard - 48154 (1:00pm)

(Description Coming Soon)

Yard Two:  Laura J's Yard - 48154 (2:00pm)

Explore nearly three decades of native gardening on a wooded acre along Bell Creek. Wander through an established wildlife habitat featuring towering trees, woodland wildflowers, pollinator favorites, hidden garden rooms, and creative solutions for managing deer, runoff, and invasive plants. 

Accessibility: The front yard is fully accessible.  The back yard has slopes that would be impossible for wheel chair access, but there is an accessible deck which not only offers a great view, but has its own grotto garden and secret garden. 

Read More About Laura J's Yard

Member-to-Member (M2M) yard visits (aka Show Me-Tell Me) allow members to share experiences, ideas, and challenges with maintaining native plants in our landscapes. These tours help members & invited guests to learn about different natives and enjoy conversations with other native plant enthusiasts.

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.

The mission of the WOWC Seeds to Community program is to create connections with people and nature through the process of growing native plants from seed. The program is driven through community engagement in collection, germination and cultivation workshops.

WOWC Seeds to Community events require planning and community engagement. Join each third Wednesday of the month to be a part of the year-round community initiative of growing native plants from seed.

This August meeting will include discussion on:

Seeds Status Update

Seed Collection Planning

Seed Cleaning & Storage Workshop Planning

Program Donations

Members will receive invite and Zoom link via email. Reach out to Derek Shaffer or [email protected] with questions.

It's time for a Field Trip!

One of our Wild Ones Member  has a Micro Forest Project in Warren that looks amazing!

So, as an inter-chapter combined effort, the North Oakland Chapter and the Wayne County Chapter have arranged for an exclusive tour!

Not only will we get a chance to walk the forest and talk with the creator, after the forest tour we will head over to a nearby park for a Picnic/Pot-luck where we can also socialize and mingle with our fellow Native Plant Lovers.

Here is the schedule for the day:

10:45-11:00am Meet at Warren Micro Forest (Free parking on nearby streets)
11:00am Tour Start at Warren Micro Forest
11:45am Commute to nearby Park
12:00pm Picnic-Potluck Lunch
1:30pm  (Optional) Commute to Yard Tour in Mt Clemens
2:00pm  (Optional) Yard Tour of Shoreline Restoration Native Garden (Private Residence)
2:45pm Safe Travels Home

We will be setting up Car Pooling from various locations to make the trek to the East Side.

The locations for the Picnic and the Optional Yard Tour will be communicated to all who Register. Please use the sign-up form or click the Register link below.

Click the Read More button for more information on the Warren Micro Forest.

Members can look forward to Member-to-Member Garden Yard Tours throughout the growing season!

This day's event will feature two Stunning Yards in Southgate and is open to all Chapter Members and also non-members.  Non-members and anyone wishing to Car Pool are asked to Register using the button below. 

The address of each yard will be communicated to both members and registered non-members approximately 48 hours before the event.

If you are bringing children, please ensure they respect the gardens and their inhabitants.

Katie's Yard in Southgate - 48195 (1:00pm)

From a university interest in environmental studies to transforming a flood-prone backyard, this gardener has embraced native plants as both a practical solution and a source of wonder. Discover wet prairie blooms, a growing woodland, a wildlife pond, and lessons learned through experimentation.

Accessibility: The front gardens can be viewed from paved surfaces and grassy path to the backyard gardens is very flat.

Read More about Katie's Yard

Jen P's Yard in Southgate - 48195 (2:00pm)

See how a modest suburban yard has been transformed into a thriving wildlife habitat over the past decade. With more than 30 native plant species, every new insect discovery inspires another addition, creating a landscape designed to support an ever-growing diversity of birds and pollinators. 

Accessibility: The gardens can be viewed from paved surfaces.

Read More about Jen P's Yard

Member-to-Member (M2M) yard visits (aka Show Me-Tell Me) allow members to share experiences, ideas, and challenges with maintaining native plants in our landscapes. These tours help members & invited guests to learn about different natives and enjoy conversations with other native plant enthusiasts.

At Wild Ones Wayne County (WOWC) we don't dream about ‘Connecting people and native plants for a healthy planet’, we actively DO STUFF!   And that “doing” is where WOWC Programs comes in.  It takes People and Planning to Make Stuff Happen. Discussions include:

-Bi-monthly chapter meetings with a presenter or speaker
-Plant Sales
-Tabling Events
-Member-to-Member yard tours
-Stewardship Events
-Seeds to Community Program Events
-Social Events
-Private and Public garden tours

Join us on the first Monday of every month 6:00pm on Zoom where we discuss plans for Events and Activities, as well as Volunteer Opportunities. 

Members will receive an invite and Zoom link via email prior to the meeting. 

Contact Steve Ray, Programs Chair with questions or ideas.

The mission of the WOWC Seeds to Community program is to create connections with people and nature through the process of growing native plants from seed. The program is driven through community engagement in collection, germination and cultivation workshops.

WOWC Seeds to Community events require planning and community engagement. Join each third Wednesday of the month to be a part of the year-round community initiative of growing native plants from seed.

This September meeting will include discussion on:

Seeds Status Update

Seed Collection Planning

Seed Cleaning & Storage Workshop Planning

Program Donations

Members will receive invite and Zoom link via email. Reach out to Derek Shaffer or [email protected] with questions.

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.

At Wild Ones Wayne County (WOWC) we don't dream about ‘Connecting people and native plants for a healthy planet’, we actively DO STUFF!   And that “doing” is where WOWC Programs comes in.  It takes People and Planning to Make Stuff Happen. Discussions include:

-Bi-monthly chapter meetings with a presenter or speaker
-Plant Sales
-Tabling Events
-Member-to-Member yard tours
-Stewardship Events
-Seeds to Community Program Events
-Social Events
-Private and Public garden tours

Join us on the first Monday of every month 6:00pm on Zoom where we discuss plans for Events and Activities, as well as Volunteer Opportunities. 

Members will receive an invite and Zoom link via email prior to the meeting. 

Contact Steve Ray, Programs Chair with questions or ideas.

The mission of the WOWC Seeds to Community program is to create connections with people and nature through the process of growing native plants from seed. The program is driven through community engagement in collection, germination and cultivation workshops.

WOWC Seeds to Community events require planning and community engagement. Join each third Wednesday of the month to be a part of the year-round community initiative of growing native plants from seed.

This October meeting will include discussion on:

Seeds Status Update

Seed Cleaning & Storage Workshop Planning

Winter Sowing Workshop Dates & Locations

Program Donations

Members will receive invite and Zoom link via email. Reach out to Derek Shaffer or [email protected] with questions.

Join WOWC for this Stewardship Saturday volunteer workday event to preserve the health of the Environmental Study Area at U of M-Dearborn!

This year-round, ongoing effort helps to improve and sustain the ecological health of the habitats in the Environmental Study Area. That includes addressing the many threats posed by invasive plants and re-establishing native plant life.

 Children must be at least 10 years of age to participate.

All equipment for removing invasive plants will be provided by the Center. But if you can bring a sturdy pair of long-handled branch loppers, please do.  Also, please bring your own drinking water and work gloves for use in the field.

This activity involves moderate physical activity in off trail natural habitat areas. Wear suitable work clothes that can be scraped and poked by twigs and/or the occasional thorny plant, or have contact with sticky bur seeds. A good pair of sturdy work shoes/boots is also a must. No sandals, please.

Read about this and other Volunteer Opportunities at the Environmental Study Area 

The folks at the U of M-D EIC have been so generous to WOWC, this is a opportunity for us to give back.  Registration suggested to help us plan with the EIC on the activity, but not required. 

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.

At Wild Ones Wayne County (WOWC) we don't dream about ‘Connecting people and native plants for a healthy planet’, we actively DO STUFF!   And that “doing” is where WOWC Programs comes in.  It takes People and Planning to Make Stuff Happen. Discussions include:

-Bi-monthly chapter meetings with a presenter or speaker
-Plant Sales
-Tabling Events
-Member-to-Member yard tours
-Stewardship Events
-Seeds to Community Program Events
-Social Events
-Private and Public garden tours

Join us on the first Monday of every month 6:00pm on Zoom where we discuss plans for Events and Activities, as well as Volunteer Opportunities. 

Members will receive an invite and Zoom link via email prior to the meeting. 

Contact Steve Ray, Programs Chair with questions or ideas.

The mission of the WOWC Seeds to Community program is to create connections with people and nature through the process of growing native plants from seed. The program is driven through community engagement in collection, germination and cultivation workshops.

WOWC Seeds to Community events require planning and community engagement. Join each third Wednesday of the month to be a part of the year-round community initiative of growing native plants from seed.

This November meeting will include discussion on:

Seeds Status Update

Seed Cleaning & Storage Workshop Planning

Winter Sowing Workshops Planning

Program Donations

Members will receive invite and Zoom link via email. Reach out to Derek Shaffer or [email protected] with questions.

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. 
 

At Wild Ones Wayne County (WOWC) we don't dream about ‘Connecting people and native plants for a healthy planet’, we actively DO STUFF!   And that “doing” is where WOWC Programs comes in.  It takes People and Planning to Make Stuff Happen. Discussions include:

-Bi-monthly chapter meetings with a presenter or speaker
-Plant Sales
-Tabling Events
-Member-to-Member yard tours
-Stewardship Events
-Seeds to Community Program Events
-Social Events
-Private and Public garden tours

Join us on the first Monday of every month 6:00pm on Zoom where we discuss plans for Events and Activities, as well as Volunteer Opportunities. 

Members will receive an invite and Zoom link via email prior to the meeting. 

Contact Steve Ray, Programs Chair with questions or ideas.

The mission of the WOWC Seeds to Community program is to create connections with people and nature through the process of growing native plants from seed. The program is driven through community engagement in collection, germination and cultivation workshops.

WOWC Seeds to Community events require planning and community engagement. Join each third Wednesday of the month to be a part of the year-round community initiative of growing native plants from seed.

This December meeting will include discussion on:

Seeds Status Update

Seed Cleaning & Storage Workshop Planning

Winter Sowing Workshops Planning

Program Donations

Members will receive invite and Zoom link via email. Reach out to Derek Shaffer or [email protected] with questions.