Events

Please join us for our first meeting as a local chapter.  After a brief history of how the Wild Ones Greater Lynchburg Area (seedling) Chapter came to establishment we will review our organizational structure, discuss opportunities for member engagement and receive feedback as to what members want in programming.

We look forward to meeting you in person!

In this special collaboration, Robin Wall Kimmerer, author, botanist, and founder of Plant Baby Plant, joins youth leader and Nurture Natives founder Esther Bonney for an intergenerational conversation about belonging, reciprocity, and native plant action. 

Together, they will explore questions such as:

How do we create opportunities for young people to have a voice and feel empowered, even when they are not homeowners or decision makers?What kinds of relationships and mentorships help people stay engaged in native plant work over decades?Why do stories, shared practices, and community invitations matter just as much as plant lists?

Robin and Esther will reflect on what invites people into this work, what keeps them here, and what elders and youth have to teach each other.

Our upcoming webinar with Basil Camu explores practical, evidence based ways to heal suburban and urban landscapes by working with trees, soil, and natural systems, drawing on real world practices from Leaf & Limb and community centered models for restoring life where we live, work, and play.!  

Join Joey Santore, creator of Crime Pays But Botany Doesn’t, for a candid Wild Ones National Webinar examining how inherited garden aesthetics shape native plant landscapes. Drawing on field experience and real ecology, Joey challenges tidy design norms and explores why dense, irregular plant communities are often the most resilient and ecologically sound.

Representatives from Lynchburg Parks and Recreation will be presenting details of ReviveLYH, their project to identify and remove invasive plants in Lynchburg. Learn how you can help be a part of the process!  Additionally, planned tabling events and further opportunities for member engagement will be discussed.

Join a group of Master Naturalists to clear invasive species from their designated area at Ivy Creek Park. Hand saws and loppers are provided, but bring your own if you'd like. Wear long pants, long sleeves, sturdy shoes and bring eye protection, work gloves, insect repellant and a hat.  Bring water and a snack.  Volunteers may sign in and hours are reported to Jamey Love at Parks and Rec. Meet in the parking lot.

Join a group of Master Naturalists to clear invasive species from their designated area at Ivy Creek Park. Hand saws and loppers are provided, but bring your own if you'd like. Wear long pants, long sleeves, sturdy shoes and bring eye protection, work gloves, insect repellant and a hat.  Bring water and a snack.  Volunteers may sign in and hours are reported to Jamey Love at Parks and Rec. Meet in the parking lot.

Join members of Blue Ridge Wildflower Society on a Wildflower Walk led by head gardener Sandra Elder. The Dorothy Bliss Botanical Garden contains more than 150 species of plants native to the southeastern U.S. and was established in 1994 through the efforts of Dr. Bliss, Professor of Biology. Following the walk will be an opportunity to visit a member garden within walking distance. Contact Lissa Paulson if you plan to attend or have questions. 917-767-3117.

Featuring seven short films about our amazing planet and the living things that inhabit it. The festival will inspire audiences to learn what they can do both to save and explore the natural wonders in their own communities. A portion of each ticket purchase is a tax-deductible contribution to the festival goer’s local land conservancy, opening doors to local land and water conservation close to home.

Wild Ones Greater Lynchburg Area (seedling) Chapter will host an informational table at the Lynchburg Garden Day Headquarters. There will be a giveaway as well as brochures promoting membership for our newly founded local chapter. 

If you are interested in volunteering for a shift at the table during this event, please contact us at [email protected]

Join Urban Forester Nick Meyer for guided explorations of native trees that are as storied and significant as our world-renowned antique roses. While the monuments tell the tales of the past, the native canopy tells the story of our ecosystem’s future. In partnership with the Virginia Native Plant Society and Blue Ridge Wildflower Society, we invite you to celebrate Earth Day by discovering the "living headstones" that define Virginia’s natural heritage. 

Join award-winning author, photographer, and educator Rick Darke for What Is Wild and Why It Matters, a free national webinar on Tuesday, April 28th at 10 am CT. Discover how inviting a bit of authentic wildness can create a vibrant landscape that sustains you and local biodiversity. This national event is presented in collaboration between Wild Ones and Homegrown National Park.

Members of Greater Lynchburg Area Wild Ones will be hosting a booth to spread the word about our new local chapter and our native plant garden design plans.  Mosquito Dunks will be given away.

The Festival of Gardening (FOG) is the Hill City Master Gardeners’ annual plant sale and will feature over 3,000 plants, all started from seed or carefully divided and grown by Master Gardeners. Shoppers can choose from a wide selection of high-quality, locally grown plants. Garden décor items will be offered as well. 

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.

Doug Tallamy will be speaking in person on the topic  “A Guide to Restoring the Little Things that Run the World”.  Vendors will be in the lobby an hour prior to the program.

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.