Next Meeting: Tuesday, January 21, 2020

6:30 pm-7:00 pm | Social
7:00 pm-8:45 pm | Program
Wood Lake Nature Center
6710 Lake Shore Dr S, Richfield, MN 55423
All meetings are free and open to the public.
Surprises that Await us in our Native Pocket Gardens

Tom Dickhudt
Sunrise Native Plant Nursery

Dr. Tom Dickhudt founded and ran the Sunrise Native Plant Nursery in St Croix, MN for nearly two decades.  In January as our hearts are yearning for the greening of Spring, Tom will inspire us with his beautiful photography as he documents the wonderful surprises he has discovered in his native plantings.  These surprises will include wildlife critters, native plants you can eat and interesting ways of seeing the native plants we love.

 Tom will share strategies for developing a pollinator habitat.  Each of us will take home a colorful “Native Pocket” guide suitable for the conditions in our yard.

We will be holding our 2nd 
NATIVE SEED EXCHANGE 
at our January meeting!

Don't forget to bring any native plant seeds you would like to share!  Please label with both the botanical name and common name (example: Asclepias tuberosa, Butterfly-weed) for each species, as well as seed source. Envelopes will be available for sharing.
Click here for native seed collection instructions.

Click here for a printable pdf on Native Plant Winter Seed Sowing.. There will be a brief demonstration if anyone is interested in trying it out this easy process for growing native plants all year!


TICKETS for the 2020 
DESIGN WITH NATURE CONFERENCE
are now ON SALE!

Click here for more information
Click here for online registration
Click here for mail-in registration
Click here to volunteer

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Next Meeting: Tuesday, November 19, 2019

6:30 pm-7:00 pm | Social
7:00 pm-8:30 pm | Membership Meeting & Pizza Party
Wood Lake Nature Center
6710 Lake Shore Dr S, Richfield, MN 55423
All meetings are free and open to the public.
WOTC MEMBERSHIP MEETING,
SEED EXCHANGE
& PIZZA PARTY

Please join us for our chapter's annual membership meeting! 

This year we will be recognizing our amazing volunteers—everyone who helped greet meeting attendees, brought refreshments, answered questions at our "Ask an Expert" table or an outreach event, hosted a summer tour, volunteered at the Design With Nature Conference or our annual native plant sale, served on our board or recruitment committee, or any number of ways in which our members made 2019 a banner year for Wild Ones Twin Cities! 

2019 has also been a year of change, as we have been working all year to build a new leadership and volunteer framework that positions us for sustainable growth and better facilitates member participation into 2020, our 20th year as a Wild Ones chapter. Our November newsletter will have more information about this ongoing work.

As we celebrate our volunteers at the November Membership Meeting, we will also be discussing these changes and asking for member input. This is YOUR chapter, and we want to hear from you...

  • What kinds of program topics or speakers would you like to see at monthly meetings?
  • Where would you like to visit as part of a native plant landscape summer tour?
  • Would you like to host a tour of your native plant garden?
  • Do you have an interest in volunteering on a committee or a special project? 
  • How about a leadership role, helping to shape our chapter's future?
  • Which native plants would you like to see available in our spring sale? 
  • Would you like to learn more about gardening with native plants? 
  • What kind of resources, materials or publications would you like to see our chapter provide?
  • Which media do you prefer for educational materials—printed, online, audio, video?
  • Would you like to be part of a mentorship program, teaching or learning about habitat gardening with other members in your community?
  • Do you know about any other opportunities, events or organizations where you would like to help further our Wild Ones mission?

 PIZZA PARTY!

This year, instead of a potluck dinner, we decided to have a pizza party as part of our membership appreciation meeting. We will be ordering from Pizza Luce in Richfield! Please email Holley Wlodarczyk if you would like gluten-free or vegan options available. 

NATIVE PLANT SEED EXCHANGE

Don't forget to bring any native plant seeds you would like to share!  Please label with both the botanical name and common name (example: Asclepias tuberosa, Butterfly-weed) for each species, as well as seed source. Envelopes will be available for sharing.
Click here for native seed collection instructions.

Thank you—and we hope to see you on November 19th!


TICKETS for the 2020 
DESIGN WITH NATURE CONFERENCE
are now ON SALE!

Click here for more information
Click here for online registration
Click here for mail-in registration

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Next Meeting: Tuesday, October 15, 2019

6:30 pm-7:00 pm | Social
7:00 pm-8:45 pm | Program
Wood Lake Nature Center
6710 Lake Shore Dr S, Richfield, MN 55423
All meetings are free and open to the public.
Tools for Finding and Exploring 
the Rich Natural World of the Twin Cities

John Moriarty
Author & Senior Manager of Wildlife

Novices and long-time naturalists alike will enjoy viewing this visual journey of the Twin City region’s significant patchwork of remaining native and restored habitats including prairies, woods, and wetlands. The beautiful photography in this presentation illuminates 30 places within an hour of the Metropolitan Twin Cities area where you can see a wide variety of native plants and wildlife. Hear John’s expert insight on how to discover and explore the rich natural world of the Twin Cities. John’s new book A Field Guide to the Natural World of the Twin Cities will be available for purchase and author signing.  Interested in exploring specific habitat in the Twin Cities? Come and ask John where to find it!  

__________________________________________

 A huge thank you to our September speaker, Don Arnosti!

 If you didn't get a copy of his handout, you can download it here: 
What Can I Do About Global Warming?

 Here is the link from his presentation to the National Audubon Society Climate Report.

 See more about the Christmas Bird Count here, and read about last winter's count here in Minnesota.
__________________________________________

Cranes over the Mississippi River at Frontenac State Park, September 14, 2019
Woodland encroaching on the prairie.


 Thanks to Bonnie Harper-Lore and Steve Winter for guiding us on a member-only tour of Frontenac State Park on Saturday, September 14th with the Minnesota Driftless Chapter of The Prairie Enthusiasts!

We had a lovely day and learned much! 

 Frontenac offers "visitors a rich diversity of natural communities and landscapes: bluffs, prairie, floodplain forests, and hardwood forest in its 2,300 acres."



Bonnie leading the way through a prairie path, surrounded by a sea of Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)
Carefully making our way to a remnant prairie on the bluff.
Steve Winter of the Minnesota Driftless Chapter of The Prairie Enthusiasts helps Trudi ID a plant on the cliff

Spectacular view of the Mississippi Rive we enjoyed during a lunch break.
Natural treasures rewarded those who made the steep climb up the remnant goat prairie...like...
...clumps of Dotted Blazing Star (Liatris punctata)...
... though there were plenty of exciting finds along the roadside, like this Monarch caterpillar
on Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)
Asters & Goldenrods abounded across the park, a few of the many late summer species visited by a variety of busy pollinators while we took in their combined beauty!
 __________________________________________

And a BIG thank you to our chapter volunteers as we begin a new program season!

 If you would like to know more about how we are positioning our chapter for 2020 and beyond, please read "Beyond the Scenery" - a message from our co-presidents.
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