Chapter Events

Jessica Chambers loves to help things grow. In this program, Jessica will teach us basic design principles and how to incorporate native plants following a plan that suits our yards. She will show us the difference between a yard with nice plants and a beautifully landscaped yard. Presented by Jessica Chambers. She attended Illinois State University where she graduated with a degree in Agri-Business, and went on to earn her Master's Degree in Plant and Soil Science from Southern Illinois University. Jessica worked as a landscape designer for a landscape company before becoming an instructor at Illinois State University. In 2005, ISU began the development of the ISU Horticulture Center off of Raab Road and Jessica was selected as the Director of the Center. Jessica was recognized with the John English Award for outstanding contributions to horticulture from the Master Gardeners and was a 2010 YWCA Woman of Distinction for her efforts. The Horticulture Center is primarily an outdoor lab for students to gain firsthand knowledge about horticulture techniques. In addition, the Center is open to the public and there are various gardens which you are free to appreciate.

At this working session various Wild Ones Chapter members will sit at stations to answer your specific questions about landscaping with native plants. Possible topics include: Propagation of Natives, Common Mistakes When Planting Natives, and Selecting Well-behaved Natives. This is the meeting for those who want help with incorporating natives into their landscape. You will benefit from the successes and failures of members with years of experience with native plants. Bring your questions! Small groups will rotate between specific stations followed by a short panel wrap-up session allowing participants to ask any last minute or unanswered questions. Don't have any questions that come to mind? Come anyway and learn from those that do. Are you interested in helping to staff a station and answer questions on a native plant topic you have experience with? If so, please contact Sherrie Snyder no later than January 15.

Rain, rain go away? Cathy Walker-Bilow, landscape designer at Grieder Nursery cannot make the rain go away, but she can help you turn that soggy wet spot in your yard into an attractive garden. She will offer practical suggestions that can solve your wet landscape problem and help you use rain water wisely.

In Central Illinois we are fortunate to have a wide variety of native trees, but will they grow in your soil? Mary Jo will explain how to select, space, plant and prune trees that will enhance your landscape for decades. Presented by Mary Jo Adams, Master Naturalist Intern

When Hazel Buck Ewing lived at her home at 48 Sunset Road she was surrounded by stands of native trees and blankets of spring ephemerals. Over the years that native landscape has diminished. Tour the grounds and learn how Heather Vozella, Ewing Cultural Center Grounds Manager, is working to bring back native woodland shade trees and flowers.

Learn which native plants help to create ideal habitat for butterflies. If you want to learn more about butterflies, come hear from this expert! Presented by Jane Grillo, Midwest Groundcovers, LLC

Join us on a tour of several members' rural native gardens. Rural landscaping has challenges that urban yards don't, so learn how these members have met the challenges of larger scale tree and shrub planting, wetland, prairie, and rain garden establishment, and woodland landscaping. Tour will start at Carlock Elementary School and members can car pool to the different properties. Facilitated by Mary Jo Adams and Sherrie Snyder

Do you know what type of ecosystem existed on your plot of land long before you owned it? Prairie, savanna, woodland? Ellen Starr will teach us how to conduct a CSI on our property to look for clues to determine pre-settlement habitat. Whether you live in town or own a few acres outside of town, Ellen will help us understand a little more about our own backyards. Presented by Ellen Starr, Biologist, NRCS

Loda Cemetery Prairie (9:00 am) - Collect prairie seeds with the Grand Prairie Friends followed by a history and tour of this remnant prairie led by Jamie Ellis; Lunch in Fairbury (1:00 pm); Fugate Woods Tour (2:00 pm) - led by Sara Hostetter, Fugate Woods Steward and Master Naturalist. Come to one or combination of these events.

Come join us for this special evening with nationally known speaker, Doug Tallamy. His book, Bringing Nature Home, as well as this lecture, will help us to understand how we can garden to preserve the natural world around us and how vitally important it is that we do so. Thanks to many local donors, there will be no charge for this presentation. The presentation will take place in the Astroth Community Education Center Auditorium.

Presented by Douglas W. Tallamy, Professor and Chair of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology and Director of the Center for Managed Ecosystems at the University of Delaware

Potluck, Annual Meeting, Seed Exchange,  2012 in Review, Election of Officers for 2013, Preview 2013 programs.