Events

RESCHEDULED (this presentation was originally scheduled for May  18)

Free, open to the public, and geared to "do it yourself" gardeners. 

In this interactive online presentation, Wild Ones Greater Richmond Virginia Chapter Director Janit Llewellyn and Chapter President Sharon Lamberton will host designer Pete Corbino of District Native Plants, who created the Wild Ones Native Garden Design for Richmond, Virginia. 

Together we'll walk through key elements of Pete's design, introduce design concepts, and conduct some brief exercises with downloadable tools available through the Plant Virginia Natives initiative that you can use to better understand your planting site, consider your design priorities, and find the "sweet spots" where the sample design can best contribute to your own planting goals.  

Wild Ones sample garden designs--including the design for Richmond--are available for download from Wild Ones at https://nativegardendesigns.wildones.org/.

Links to the downloadable resources will be provided to registered participants ahead of the meeting so you can have them handy during the presentation.  The presentation will be recorded and posted later to the chapter's YouTube channel. 

Insects are an essential, yet often underappreciated, part of our ecosystem. They provide numerous ecological and economic services that influence and benefit our daily lives. Despite their crucial importance, their populations are declining rapidly, which could lead to serious consequences. Stream scientist Leah Purdy discusses the services insects provide and the factors contributing to their declining populations. Her presentation emphasizes gardening and land management practices that can enhance insect habitat in the context of ecological restoration and residential landscapes, including the principles of integrated pest management, seasonal garden maintenance, and insect hotels. She also highlights a short list of plants that can offer good insect habitat and nectar resources while serving as vital hosts for insect pollinator species.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.