Events

Let’s go a little wild on September 28th and visit the native side of Oak Park during the Green Living and Learning Tour 2013.   This stop on the all-day tour serves as the West Cook Chapter Wild Ones September meeting; all are welcome to attend the event and/or to join the local chapter. Wild Ones promotes the use of native plants in landscaping in order to save eco-systems that nurture bees and butterflies – and vice versa.

On September 28th, starting at noon, visit Cheney Mansion in Oak Park and explore the potager (kitchen garden) there. Our host, Charlie Ruedebusch, will lead a guided tour of the Cheney garden from 1 to 2 p.m, describing how the garden has evolved over the past ten years and sharing the joys and benefits (and pop a few myths) of choosing native  lantings in the home landscape. Native plants attract beneficial insects to help pollinate the vegetable garden. Bring a few small paper bags and a pen – you’ll get to collect seeds of the native plants you most desire in your garden.
After Charlie’s tour, at 2:30 p.m. we’ll bicycle across Oak Park searching out food sources for bees, butterflies, and birds. This means finding gardens that have native plantings that serve these creatures well. Bees and butterflies sniff out the fragrance from the nectar of native plants because it’s a fragrance they’ve smelled for thousands of years. Birds chomp greedily on the seeds of these same plants. On our bike trip we’ll admire the diversity of these hardy natives and how well they manage in our soil. Parks, schools and churches offer great opportunities to use green space to feed the creatures that work so hard pollinating the food humans eat. Our bicycle tour will make stops at Scoville Park, Jackson Boulevard parkway, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Elmwood Street, Beye School and more.
The tour route will be published (check here for updates) so that automotive vehicles may stop by these locations as well. From big to small, parkway to front yard, all native to mixed plantings – you’ll see a variety that will inspire you to add some diversity to your garden. We also hope to have some sightings of butterflies, birds, and bees. Biking leisurely to find these treasures will be our only goal for the afternoon. Join us and feel the simple pleasure of going native.

October Wild Ones Meeting

Dr. Neafsey from Save the Prairie Society will speak about the history of Wolf Road Prairie (Westchester, IL), its restoration, the plants, and appropriate native plants in the home landscape.

E.J. Neafsey was born and raised in Chicago (a north sider). Recently retired as Professor of Neuroscience and Director of the Neuroscience Graduate Program, he and his wife Shonagh have been volunteering at Wolf Road Prairie for 8 years and enjoying nature, including gardening, hiking, birding, and photography.  Dr. Neafsey brings an extensive knowledge of ecology and nature to his presentation.

If you were not able to attend September’s meeting at Cheney Mansion for the Green Community Connections Green Living and Learning Tour for the Seed Swap, please bring seeds or some envelopes (we can make envelopes quickly too out of paper or wax paper) to share or exchange seeds.

Dominican University is accessible by public transportation, bike, and we can also set up car-pooling too.

Why Natives is an introduction to landscaping using native plants. The presentation explains the history of our ecosystems, how we got to where we are today and why native plants are vital to the environment. The benefits and fallacies of natural landscaping will be explained. Finally, examples of native plant landscapes will inspire you to change your thinking about your own landscapes.

Tim Lewis is the national president of Wild Ones Natural Landscapers. He has been on the board of directors for over 10 years. Tim was president of the Rock River Valley chapter in Rockford for several years and served on the board for many more years. He is the past president of Four Rivers Environmental Coalition.
Tim was named “Conservationist of the Year” for 2009 by the Sinnissippi Audubon Society. In 2011, he was a finalist for the Seth B. Atwood Memorial Park and Conservation Service Award and in 2012 was the recipient of this award.

He has been growing native plants in his yard since 1991. His yard contains over 100 species of native plants in prairie plots, rain gardens, and savanna and shade gardens.

Dominican's Priory Campus is just west of Harlem on Division Street in River Forest. Park in back and enter on the east side of the building.

Ever wanted to know what the benefits of becoming a Wild Ones Member are?
Join a community of native plant enthusiasts—novice to experts—making a difference locally and nationally by establishing and preserving communities of native plants in our home landscapes, our schools and businesses, and in our communities.  Help us spread awareness and share what we know about the issues related to preserving, restoring and establishing native plant communities, to preserve biodiversity through our own landscaping.

Membership covers everyone in your household and gives you all the benefits of Wild Ones membership including the Wild Ones Journal and the privileges of the “members only” features on our Wild Ones web site.

Here at WestCook WildOnes, we also offer local benefits including:
·         Members only special events;
·         Participation in our Seed and Plant Sharing program
·         Discounts for our members at a growing list of participating outlets.

If you want access to all of these benefits plus the deep satisfaction that comes from knowing that you are taking action to preserve biodiversity and inspiring others to learn and participate, too, then join as a member today and make a note that you would like to affiliate with the West Cook Chapter.