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Greater DuPage Chapter |
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Greater DuPage Chapter |
Wild Ones, Native Plants, Natural Landscapes is a non-profit organization dedicated to natural landscaping and related education.
Wild Ones is a national organization with local chapters that serve various parts of the United States. The Greater DuPage chapter covers several counties across the western suburbs of metropolitan Chicago in Illinois. It was founded in 1991 by Vicki Nowicki and Pat Armstrong.
This local chapter provides a venue for sharing information among members about using plants adapted to the soils and climate of Chicagoland. Our gardens range in size from small areas of native plants up to full-blown prairies. Become a member of Wild Ones and explore how to grow your own natural garden or yard full of native plant species that provide wildlife habitat and an interesting landscape. Gardeners of any skill or interest level are welcome. We encourage visitors to join us at one of our meetings to hear firsthand about our group.
We have over 140 individual, household, and business memberships. See the membership page for more information about the benefits of joining The Wild Ones.
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Naperville
Municipal Center 400 S. Eagle St. Room C (lower level) Naperville, IL 60540 Primary meeting location. Free parking is available in the garage at the south side of the building. |
Willowbrook Wildlife Center 525 S Park Blvd Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 Alternate meeting location. See calendar entry for details related to a specific month's meeting. |
Looking for a group closer to home?
If you are interested in participating in
a new Wild Ones Chapter or sub-group west of Route 59, please contact Jan
Smith 630 653-3958 (
).
Events we sponsor include:
For details about upcoming monthly meetings and special events, see calendar below.
Calendar |
May 04, 2008 (Sun)
Knock Knolls Park - Tour/Picnic
The Greater DuPage Wildones will be having a tour of a woodland area Sunday, May 4th at 10:30AM. Meet in the parking lot of Knoch Knolls Park (Naperville) at 10:30am. We'll explore along the various paths and witness some outstanding spring blooms. Bring a picnic lunch and we'll dine alfresco before proceeding over to the Green Earth Fair sponsored by the Conservation Foundation. The fair starts at 1:00pm. We will have a booth at the fair, and need some help setting it up following lunch. The Green Earth Fair will be held at McDonald Farm, which you pass by on the way to Knoch Knolls Park. HELP NEEDED: If you can volunteer a hour or two of time to help stand at the booth during the afternoon, it would be greatly appreciated. Contact Pat Clancy if you can help in any way: clancypj@sbcglobal.net
Directions to Knock Knolls Park: It would be best to consult a map or your favorite Internet map display. On Washington St, about 1/4 mile south of 87th street, turn west on Ring Road. (Note - this is about one block north of where Naper Blvd and Washington St come together.) On Ring Road, take an almost immediate left onto Knoch Knolls Road - this is south. In less than 1/4 mile, you'll pass a turn off to McDonald Farm and the Conservation Foundation on your right. This is where the Green Earth Fair will be. Pass it by for now and keep going a little way to a turn off on the left for Knoch Knolls Park. Proceed to the parking lot and that is where we will meet at 10:30am
Jun 14, 2008 (Sat)
Sedge Tour - Reed Turner Woods
10:00am - Noon
We will have a one hour sedge workshop with Linda Curtis at Reed Turner Woods which is 1 mile northwest of Long Grove. After the inside session Linda will lead us on a walk in the woods to see sedges in their natural habitat. The sedge meadow is in its fourth year of restoration and should be beautiful. Linda wrote a book on sedges: Woodland Carex of the Upper Midwest.
Read an article on Reed Turner Woods: chicagowildernessmag.org/issues/summer2005/itwreedturner.html
Directions: 3849 Old McHenry Rd, Long Grove, IL - Take Route 53 north to Long Grove and turn left onto Old McHenry Road. The entrance to Reed Turner Woods is about one mile after turning off Route 53 and half a mile south of Route 22. It is on the west side of Old McHenry Rd. Meet in the nature center. Interested in carpooling from Naperville area? Call either Pat Armstrong (630-983-8404) or Pat Clancy (630-964-0448)
Jul 26, 2008 (Sat)
Carol Stream Yard Tours & Picnic
Each host will share their experience with developing their landscape using native plants.
To get the best from it, please arrive at the beginning of each tour.
1:00-1:50, Larry and Joanne Kamin's yard, 1344 Yorkshire Lane
(native foundation plantings and back yard prairie garden)
2:00 - 2:50, Jan and Earl Smith's yard, 555 Chippewa Trail
(extensive perennial garden transitioning to natives)
3:00 - 4:00, Kevin and Christa Collins, 914 Forest Lane
(over 250 native species and a newly planted dry-prairie bed)
4:15 - Wild Ones members only, picnic and cookout at the Collins, bring a chair, non-disposable plates and flatware, a dish to share, and if you want - meat to put on the grill. Soft drinks, ice and condiments will be provided.
Aug 02, 2008 (Sat)
Winfield School Native Plantings
10:00am - Noon
This is the site that received funding from a Wild Ones Seeds for Education Grant last year. Member Phoebe Smith will tell the story of how the restoration took place.
NOTE: We are seeking other locations in or near Winfield to tack onto this tour. Please notify Rich Whitney (630-858-8632) if you would be willing to open your yard this day.
Directions: Winfield Community Outdoor Classroom is on the corner of Winfield Road and Beecher Street - about 1 mile north of Roosevelt Road. Meet there at 10:00am and we’ll let you know what the next stop is on the tour
Aug 22, 2008 (Fri)
Wildones Annual Meeting and Conference - Appleton, WI
Friday thru Sunday, August 22 - 24
Details of the conference will be in the Wildones Journal that comes out this summer. Or check the web site later for information: www.for-wild.org.
We always have a few people from our chapter attend. Included is a tour of the new Wildones Ecocenter
Board Members
President: Denise Sandoval
Vice President: Pat Armstrong
Secretary: Pat Clancy
Treasurer: Rich Whitney
Terms end on December 31st. We line up our leadership and committees for the coming year in October. Open positions can be filled anytime. Please consider sharing your interest by getting involved in one of these capacities. Help support the healthy continuation and growth of our chapter. Duties are flexible; if you think you can help in any way contact one of the people listed above. There is a strong core of former officers still very much involved in the group who will be happy to help anyone new coming on board. Board meetings are held monthly on the second Friday of the month.
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