Events

Wild Ones of Wayne County (WOWC) is interested in building a “Seeds to Community” program (S2C) that is similar to the successful Washetnaw community program of the same name. Tonight, the WOWC has invited Washtenaw natural steward Jonathan Parker, who is the creator of the Washtenaw, to present the purpose and vision behind this outstanding program!

Winter sowing is a fun, easy, and low-cost way to prepare native seeds for the upcoming planting season! We'll provide materials and instruction, and participants will be able to take home their prepped seeds and containers. Stay tuned to join us for part 2 where we'll “up-pot” our seedlings to larger containers and swap with other participants!

We will offer 3 sessions - 10am, 11am, and 12pm

WOWC can provide a limited amount of materials, but feel free to bring 1-3 of your own gallon milk jugs if you can!

All are welcome to join this free virtual panel discussion exploring the vital roles of native, solitary, and honeybees in pollination and biodiversity. Featuring experts Sam Droege (USGS), Dave Hunter (Crown Bees), and Dr. Lora Morandin (Pollinator Partnership), this event will discuss into the challenges pollinators face, the balance between managed and wild bees, and actionable ways to support all pollinators.

Gain insights from over 90 years of combined experience and learn how to advocate for pollinator habitats through planting native species, participating in community science, and adopting responsible management practices.

Wild Ones Wayne County Chapter Board Meeting 

Discuss chapter operations via a Zoom meeting. (No speaker) 

WOWC current Members are welcome. However, topics discussed during this meeting are limited to chapter operations & planning. Any suggested discussion topics should be sent via email prior to the meeting. If you would like to attend, please email [email protected] to register. 

Bill Kirst from Adapt: Community Supported Ecology will be joining us virtually as part of our March member meeting. Attendees may join us virtually via Zoom or in-person at the Environmental Interpretive Center!

Presentation: Humans are undoubtedly the most important species in any ecosystem. How they relate to and interact with their ecosystem determines whether or not thousands of other species have a place to live. In this lively talk, William will discuss how to (and how not to) use native plants to attract humans to your native plant garden and how to get them (especially the stubborn ones) to relate and interact positively with the natural world. 

Speaker Bio: William Kirst is the founder of Adapt: Community Supported Ecology, a 501(c)3 that trains Community Leaders who offer a variety of free services, and is co-owner of Adapt Landscapes LLC, a full-scale garden design and installation company for those seeking larger, elegant native plant and perennial edible landscapes. While not freaking out about running two organizations, he likes to hang out with his children - doing art or playing football, play a variety of musical instruments, sing with Adapt Landscapes co-owner Kat Baskin, read science fiction and pretend that someday he will start running or practicing yoga again.  Learn more about Adapt here: https://adaptecology.org/

Public gardens hold tremendous power to influence landscaping norms and inspire change. By showcasing the beauty, functionality, and ecological value of native plants, these spaces help foster biodiversity, advocate for sustainable practices, and engage communities in environmental stewardship. 

This webinar will explore how public and demonstration gardens serve as powerful tools for native plant advocacy. Attendees will learn how gardens move beyond aesthetics to spark action—turning appreciation into engagement and inspiring participants to replicate these practices in their own communities.

We will hear insights from Nicole Machuca, Environmental Social Scientist at the Field Museum, on how public gardens influence behaviors, foster stewardship, and connect people to conservation efforts through research and community engagement. The Wild Ones Capital Region NY and the Wild Ones San Diego (CA) Chapters will share their experiences building native plant demonstration gardens and how these spaces drive community engagement, education, and advocacy. And We'll finish with a conversation exploring how public gardens create a lasting impact beyond planting day moderated by Kelly Kapuzzi, Demonstration Garden Char with the Wild Ones Hocking Hills (OH) Chapter.

Description TBA

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 Thursday of the month to be a part of the year-round community initiative of growing native plants from seed.

This April meeting will include discussion on:

Up-Potting Workshop Planning

Seed Collection Opportunities

Usage of Seedlings

Program Donations

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

Join WOWC for a 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 more about the Environmental Study Area here 

Karen Marzonie, Director of Gardens & Grounds at the Ford Fair Lane Estate with speak on her groups efforts on restoring the native gardens and  grounds at the Ford Fair Lane Estate, in an effort to restore some of Jens Jenson's original designs.

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 Thursday of the month to be a part of the year-round community initiative of growing native plants from seed.

This May meeting will include discussion on:

Up-Potting Workshop Planning

Seed Collection Opportunities

Monthly Seed Collection Watch Communications

Usage of Seedlings

Program Donations

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

Bring your jugs from our winter sowing event in February, or seedlings from your own winter sowing project to be a part of our new Seeds to Community program! 

Winter sowing can produce a large quantity of seedlings, and here is an opportunity to separate them out into individual pots or trays, and trade species with other participants! Beyond what was sowed in the last workshop, there will be additional stratified seeds from WOWC that will be ready to plant in trays as well as seeds not requiring cold stratification. We would love for you to go home with the plants you would like for your space! 

For those that are ambitious or looking to make an even bigger impact, we are hoping to have additional seedlings to be used by WOWC for upcoming planting projects.

Limited materials will be provided, please bring gently used seed trays, small individual plant pots, or other suitable planting containers you may have.

If you are interested in volunteering at this event, please let us know at [email protected]

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 Thursday of the month to be a part of the year-round community initiative of growing native plants from seed.

This June meeting will include discussion on:

Up-Potting Workshop Recap

Seed Collection Opportunities

Monthly Seed Collection Watch Communications

Usage of Seedlings

Program Donations

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

Karen Marzonie, Director of Gardens & Grounds at the Ford Fair Lane Estates will be conducting an evening tour of the estate's gardens, paying a particular attention to the native plants that were part of the original plans by  landscape designer Jens Jenson.

A $5.00 donation to the Ford Fair Lane Estate Gardens & Grounds is suggested.

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 Thursday 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:

Seed Collection Opportunities

Monthly Seed Collection Watch Communications

Seed Cleaning Event Planning

Collaborative Efforts with S2C Washtenaw

Program Donations

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

River Bend Gardens was established in July 2017, and formally founded by my wife and I in January 2019 as a private botanical garden, aviary, and retreat for our family of five children.

The property was selected for its unique combination of natural features, and is located in Washtenaw County, 15 miles Southwest of Ann Arbor, in the Village of Manchester.  The gardens are situated on 65 acres with a half mile of frontage on the River Raisin, and adjacent to the South and West with the Leonard Preserve, a 259-acre property owned by Washtenaw County’s Natural Areas Preservation, and The Nature Conservancy.

There are twelve gardens that make-up River Bend, with nine natural plant communities, and several glacial features in the landscape from kames, an out-wash plain, to a floodplain that includes a Buttonbush depression.  In addition to the River Raisin, the property includes a 4 acre pond, two brooks, and over 30 natural springs.

Hiking River Bend Gardens offers our guest an opportunity to view a gardener's pragmatic effort at native plant preservation and restoration.  Wayne is happy to share the mechanics of the preservation work and prairie restoration with considerations to methods, successes, and failures.  

River Bend Gardens offers our guests a short walk (1/4 mile) to the prairie and meeting location, or guests may elect a longer hike (3 miles) through the garden on the trails to the meeting location.  While the trails are established, they are not completely groomed, the garden is not ADA compliant, nor is there a restroom present on the property.

Guests who chose the three mile hike on the Garden Trail, presented in yellow on the attached trail map, should arrive at 9:00am at the East Entrance Garden.  You can use 115 Mound Street Manchester, MI 48158 as the GPS address.  There is a horseshoe drive where you can pull-in for parking, or on the shoulder of Mound Street on the north side of the street facing west.

Guests who prefer a short walk to the prairie should arrive at 10:30am at the West Entrance Garden.  You can use 328 River Bend Manchester, MI 48158 as the GPS address.  There is adequate parking off the street on garden property.

In either case there will be someone from the River Bend family there to guide you to the meeting location.  After a discussion and Q&A, the guests will be free to walk the trails and experience the gardens at their own pace.

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 Thursday 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:

Seed Collection Opportunities

Monthly Seed Collection Watch Communications

Seed Cleaning Event Planning

Collaborative Efforts with S2C Washtenaw

Program Donations

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

Details 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 Thursday 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:

Seed Collection Opportunities

Monthly Seed Collection Watch Communications

Seed Cleaning Event Planning

Seed Storage Planning

Collaborative Efforts with S2C Washtenaw

Program Donations

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

Details 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 Thursday 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:

Seed Cleaning Event Planning

Collaborative Efforts with S2C Washtenaw

Seed Storage Planning

Program Donations

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

Details 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 Thursday 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:

Winter Sowing Workshop Planning

Seed Data Updates

Collaborative Efforts with S2C Washtenaw

Program Donations

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

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 Thursday 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:

Winter Sowing Workshop Planning

Seed Data Updates

Program Donations

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