Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes promotes environmentally sound landscaping practices to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration, and establishment of native plant communities Wild Ones is a not-for-profit environmental education and advocacy organization.

Wild Ones provides information and teaches people how to use native plants in their landscapes. Wild Ones distinguishes itself from other garden organizations by encouraging gardening with native plants and moving away from the use of chemicals, watering, excessive mowing and other practices commonly used by traditional gardeners. People come to Wild Ones to learn about environmentally friendly gardening—about plants native to our area that have evolved to survive our climate without help from artificial means.

The Rock River Valley Chapter carries out the mission of Wild Ones through a variety of activities, which typically includes any of the following:

• Informative Meetings, include how-to-do-it sessions, presentations by experts in prairie, woodland, and wetland native plants and related subjects and members profiling their own projects.
• Show Me/Help Me Day, members tour other members’ yards, share ideas, and offer suggestions.
• Woodland Native Plant Sale,with orders being taken March through April, for delivery in May. This sale offers mostly species for shady locations. Contact Woodland Native Plant Sale Chair to recieve a flier and order form.
• Native Plant Sale, with orders being taken March through April, for delivery in May. This sale offers mostly species for sunny to part shade locations. Contact Native Plant Sale Chair to recieve a flier and order form.
• Native Tree and Shrub Sale, with orders being taken in July and August, for pick up on September 6. Contact S&T Sale Chair to recieve a flier and order form.
• Plant Rescues, where members dig plants in the path of development. The rescued plants go to home landscapes or are used for restoration efforts in the local area.
• Seed Exchanges, we meet in November to exchange native plant seed that members have collected.

The Rock River Valley Chapter publishes a monthly newsletter for its members which contains informative and timely articles about upcoming events, past events, related events, and other useful information. For more information and a sample newsletter, click here.

The Chapter was established in July 1994. Currently we have about 178 household and business memberships. The chapter is lead by dedicated officers and chairs. For contact information, click here.

Visitors are welcome at most events and are invited to join the growing membership. For information about membership, click here or contact our Membership Chair.

    Mar 19, 2009 (Thu)    

Rain Gardens: Benefits and Installation


Remember the Labor Day floods a few years ago? All that water gathering soil, debris and chemical contaminants as it rushed down roads and across yards into our storm sewers, streams and rivers.

Come join us as Stacy James a Water Resources Specialist with Prairie Rivers Network based in Champaign, IL explains to us what rain gardens are and what role they play in capturing rain water and keeping communities safe from flooding and pollution. Learn how to construct and maintain a rain garden.

We meet at Burpee Museum of Natural History , 737 N. Main in Rockford. 7:00 - 9:00 PM. This program is free and open to the public. Contact Kim Risley at 815-962-4584 for more information.

    Apr 16, 2009 (Thu)    

Natural Landscaping for Shaded Environments


The shaded areas of our landscape often seem to present the most difficult challenges for the natural landscaper. What grows where? How can color, form and texture be used to achieve an eye-pleasing landscape? What will attract and benefit the environment – land, birds, mammals, and pollinators such as bees and butterflies alike?

Professor John Harrington, teacher and researcher in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, will explore the landscaping of woodland gardens using the philosophy of designing with nature. The benefits of native plants over non-native plants in the home landscape will be presented. He will explore the ecology of Midwest woodlands fitting into the neighborhood context, design concepts and aesthetics.

We meet at Burpee Museum of Natural History , 737 N. Main in Rockford. 7:00 - 9:00 PM. This program is free and open to the public. Contact Kim Risley at 815-962-4584 for more information.

    May 21, 2009 (Thu)    

Identifying Prairie and Savanna Plants


Dr. Steven Hill from the Illinois Natural History Survey will talk about some of the common problems in distinguishing seedlings and young prairie and savanna plants before they flower. He will discuss the important characteristics of the plants that are necessary for identification. Distinguishing between specific groups, genera and species (such as, which aster is this?) will also be explained.

We meet at Burpee Museum of Natural History , 737 N. Main in Rockford. 7:00 - 9:00 PM. This program is free and open to the public. Contact Kim Risley at 815-962-4584 for more information.

    Jun 18, 2009 (Thu)    

Welcoming the ‘Bee’ Pollinators to Our Landscapes


The emergence of colony collapse disorder has garnered the public's attention about the health of honeybees and the important role they play in agriculture. Less media attention has been devoted to concerns in the scientific community over the decline of native pollinators around the world. Recently, scientists and policymakers have started to trumpet the call for greater attention to our native pollinators, due to their importance in both agricultural and natural ecosystems. Public participation, in saving our native pollinators, is vital for its success.

Cynthia McDonnell, a doctoral candidate in Entomology at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign will introduce the native pollinators of Illinois, focusing on the bees, the current state of knowledge on their worldwide decline, and questions that remain to be answered. She will then discuss ways to encourage native bees in our backyards, through planting native species and providing nesting sites.

We meet at Burpee Museum of Natural History , 737 N. Main in Rockford. 7:00 - 9:00 PM. This program is free and open to the public. Contact Kim Risley at 815-962-4584 for more information.

    Aug 20, 2009 (Thu)    

Secrets to Identifying Our Native Trees


“Trees are the primary living structural elements of the outdoor environment – the meat and bones of the landscape. Tree planting is a lifetime investment, and such investments should be made with prudence. Native species have evolved with our climates, soils, pathogens, pollinators, and associated species over thousands of years; what you see is what you get,” writes renown author and lecturer Guy Sternberg in the introduction to the book he wrote in 2004 with Jim Wilson – Native Trees for North American Landscapes. Owner of his own research arboretum, Starhill Forest, Guy will describe for us some native trees, which are suitable for our changing climate.

Following that, an interactive workshop on tree identification will allow the audience to examine some tree specimens. Audience members will learn how to distinguish between different members of tree families (i.e. burr oak vs. red oak, sugar maple vs. black maple) in a hands-on workshop as Guy discusses different trees’ distinguishing features and cultural requirements.

We meet at Burpee Museum of Natural History , 737 N. Main in Rockford. 7:00 - 9:00 PM. This program is free and open to the public. Contact Kim Risley at 815-962-4584 for more information.

    Sep 17, 2009 (Thu)    

Underground Ecology-or, How I Learned to Love Dirt


Presented by Teri Balser, Associate Professor of Earth Sciences, UW Madison.

We meet at Burpee Museum of Natural History , 737 N. Main in Rockford. 7:00 - 9:00 PM. This program is free and open to the public. Contact Kim Risley at 815-962-4584 for more information.

    Oct 15, 2009 (Thu)    

What is a Burn? How Does Burning Help Our Landscapes?


Andy Bacon of Natural Land Institue will be the main presenter.

We meet at Burpee Museum of Natural History , 737 N. Main in Rockford. 7:00 - 9:00 PM. This program is free and open to the public. Contact Kim Risley at 815-962-4584 for more information.

Guests are welcome at most events. If you would like to receive a complimentary three month subscription to our newsletter please contact Newsletter Editor. You can request an electronic version (PDF) via email or a paper version via standard mail.