In Celebration of Nature

2008 Wild Ones Annual Meeting
and Conference

August 22 - 24, 2008
At the Wild Ones EcoCenter, Appleton, Wisconsin

The Wild Ones Annual Meeting and Conference will be held in conjunction with the first viewing of the Wild Ones EcoCenter.

Speakers and Workshops

What’s on the Horizon? The Future of Natural Landscaping in America
with Neil Diboll
Do we dare to hope that people are finally coming to their senses? Now that the Era of Cheap Energy is over, will the citizens of our land finally embrace the values of conservation and stewardship? As with almost all human endeavors, change comes painfully, and usually as a result of economic forces. The only thing that has gotten people to give up their gas guzzling SUV’s is the high price of gas. Nothing else has. The only thing that will increasingly push people to living more sustainable and ecological lifestyles is the increasing cost to push Nature around. As the price of gasoline, fertilizers, and pesticides increases, the lawn begins to look like a luxury (which it was originally in 19th century England). When it hurts your pocketbook to fill up your riding mower, then more natural landscaping may be on the horizon.

Neil received his degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1978. He has since worked for the U.S. Park Service in Virginia, the U.S. Forest Service in Colorado, and the University of Wisconsin. In 1982, Neil began his involvement with Prairie Nursery, producing native plants and seeds and designing native landscapes. He has since devoted his efforts to championing the use of prairie plants, as well as native trees, shrubs and wetland plants, in contemporary American landscapes. Neil’s work includes designs for residential, commercial and public spaces throughout the Midwest and Northeast United States. The essence of Neil’s philosophy is that we, as stewards of the planet, must work to preserve and increase the diversity of native plants and animals, with which we share our world. The protection of our natural heritage and our soil and water resources is essential to maintaining a high quality of life for today, and for the children of future generations to come. Click here to read Neil's "Propagation of Herbaceous Native Perennials," as presented to the International Plant Propagators Society."

Raptors – Up Close and Personal
with Ann Rosenberg
Ann will talk about the natural history of some of the more common raptors in the greater Fox Valley area. Speaking about her rehabilitation efforts and what people can do when they find injured or orphaned wildlife, she will show us the three educational birds she is licensed to have: a Screech Owl, a Red-tailed Hawk and a Great Horned Owl. These birds are unreleasable.

Ann has had a great love for wild animals and an interest in our environment all of her life. Ann started working at a rehabilitation center 15 years ago. When the center closed, she applied for her own license and educational permit. She lives outside of Neenah, Wisconsin, where she spends some of her free time rehabilitating birds and doing educational programs with raptors to enable people to see them “up close.”

Birds, Bugs and Butterflies
with Anita Carpenter
Whether they be scratching the earth for wild seed, hiding under leaves or nectaring on prairie blooms, birds, bugs and butterflies enhance the enjoyment and accomplishment of turning a sterile lawn into a wild place. Join Anita as she reveals secrets of the interesting and often overlooked creatures found in our back yards.

Anita has been interested in the natural world since childhood. Though her education led her into a career as a registered pharmacist, she still made time to earn a master’s degree in biology. She serves as adjunct faculty on the UWOshkosh Biology Department spring field trip to Florida where she shares with students the excitement of discovering the natural world. As a nature writer, she is a frequent contributor to Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine.

Favorite Prairie Forbs & Grasses
with Connie Ramthun
Connie met Bill Volkert in 1980, during the time he was surveying original prairie communities in the Northern Kettle Moraine State Forest. She had enjoyed gardening for many years before meeting Bill and became very interested in learning to grow these native plants. Soon they began collecting (with permission) seeds of prairie species native in their area, and after awhile made seed mixes for friends and members of the local Audubon Society.

Connie is the owner of Kettle Moraine Natural Landscaping which specializes in local eco-type seed mixes for southeastern Wisconsin. Because of her passion for native plant communities, she has a deep concern about ecological impacts from invasive exotic species. She has provided consulting for the establishment of native prairies and wildflower gardens for the past 25 years. You may find Connie on a summer day, pulling knapweed from a prairie remnant, or educating people about exotics.

Fun Facts About Woodland Plants
with David Kopitzke
There is so much more to learn about native woodland plants than merely their names: unexpected pollination, odd legends, little known food, medicinal, and craft uses are just a few of the topics of this talk.

David has taught classes in Biology, Botany, Ecology, and Tropical Ecology at the University of Wisconsin campus in Richland Center. Prior to his teaching career he worked for the Bureau of Endangered Resources (Wisconsin DNR) and as Curator of Botany at the Milwaukee Public Museum. All these jobs have presented opportunities for him to put his deep affection for the natural world into action. Click here to read David's paper on Midsummer Transplanting of Wildflowers. Also two other articles: Green Treasures in a Sea of Blue, and Threatened and Endangered Species in Forests of Wisconsin.

Environmentalism in the Fox River Valley and the Rest of the USA
with Gregory Summers
A history of the development of environmentalism in the Fox River Valley and a brief look ahead at the challenges of protecting nature.

Gregory received his Ph.D. in United States history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Since then he has taught environmental history at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He is author of Consuming Nature: Environmentalism in the Fox River Valley, 1850-1950, which was published by the University Press of Kansas in 2006. His next book is The Comforts of Nature: A Natural History of the American Home to be published by the University of Washington Press.

Workshop Leaders

Eileen Herrling has a music degree and teaches privately and also has over thirty years experience in photography. She has been active in local, national and international photography organizations as a star exhibitor and judge. Click here and here to view some of Eileen's work.

Donna VanBuecken has been Executive Director of Wild Ones since 1988 and holds a BA in organizational management from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Steve Maassen has been Seeds for Education (SFE) Director since 2000 and active in the Fox Valley Area Chapter SFE Program since 1994. He was a founding member of the national Green Charter Schools organization and he has helped develop a multitude of outdoor learning areas within the Fox Valley.

Kristin L. Kauth, Co-President FVAC-WO, is a retired community development/outreach professional in academic, corporate and non-profit settings.

Kay Lettau, currently Co-President of the FVAC-WO, holds BS degrees in Biology and Natural Science (Geology emphasis) from UW-Oshkosh, and has recently retired after teaching 32 years of high school science.

Carol Andrews currently serves as national Wild Ones President. She has been president of the Arrowhead Chapter since 2000. Carol, an environmental engineer with over 20 years of experience that includes developing marketing plans, is drawing on the help of other Wild Ones members that have worked in marketing and public relations to build on our existing efforts by coordinating a long-range marketing plan.