Events

Members are welcome to attend.  We will open with a brief period for member comment before commencing business.  If you are a paid member and would like to attend, please email us [email protected] for the Zoom link. Please include your Membership ID. Your ID can be found on your Membership Page. 

West Cook Wild Ones invites all members to our annual member meeting on Sunday, January 26, 2025 at 2:00 pm in the Veterans Room of the Oak Park Public Library-Main Branch.

First, A Little Business: We want to celebrate our accomplishments, plan for the year ahead, introduce new board members and celebrate departing board members. In 2024, we hosted eight virtual programs, our spring native plant sale enjoyed robust sales, our in-person native garden tour featured nine beautiful gardens, our grant program helped fund 30 native gardens, and our membership grew to over 300 strong! None of our accomplishments would be possible without our members! Thank you!

Then, Garden Photography Workshop: We want to thank you for your support by offering a celebration featuring a smart phone photography workshop with Cynthia Harris. Cynthia will give a short presentation on photography using an iPhone. We plan to have someone to translate to Android phones. Following the presentation,we will have a hands on workshop practicing our photography skills on some beautiful botanics. Please bring your phone but subjects for photographing will be provided. 

We look forward to getting better acquainted in January! We will have time to chat with each other, and will offer catered snacks and some pretty terrific prizes to give away.

Members are welcome to attend.  We will open with a brief period for member comment before commencing business.  If you are a paid member and would like to attend, please email us [email protected] for the Zoom link. Please include your Membership ID. Your ID can be found on your Membership Page. 

Despite intensive urbanization and development, the Chicago Region is a center of biodiversity in North America. A wide variety of natural communities exist across the spectrum from prairie to savanna to woodland, with numerous types of wetlands interspersed among them. Discover the many rare plants and showy wildflowers unique to this area, along with the habitats in which they occur.

Speaker Bio

Christopher David Benda is a botanist living in southern Illinois. He coordinates the Plants of Concern Southern Illinois Program for the Chicago Botanic Garden, conducts rare plant surveys for the Shawnee National Forest, and teaches The Flora of Southern Illinois at Southern Illinois University. An accomplished photographer under the moniker Illinois Botanizer, Chris shares his extensive collection of plant photos on his website, illinoisbotanizer.com.

All are welcome to join this free virtual panel discussion exploring the vital roles of native, solitary, and honeybees in pollination and biodiversity. Featuring experts Sam Droege (USGS), Dave Hunter (Crown Bees), and Dr. Lora Morandin (Pollinator Partnership), this event will discuss into the challenges pollinators face, the balance between managed and wild bees, and actionable ways to support all pollinators.

Gain insights from over 90 years of combined experience and learn how to advocate for pollinator habitats through planting native species, participating in community science, and adopting responsible management practices.

Liven Up Your Landscape with Beautiful Native Plants

Preorders: March 15-May 11, 2025

Two Pick-Up Locations:

Forest Preserve District of Cook County Central Warehouse, 2199 S. 1st Ave,  Maywood, IL.
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center, 12545 W. 111th St., Lemont, IL. 

Join West Cook Wild Ones, the Oak Park Public Library, and the Village of Oak Park’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience to learn how you can plant and design a native garden in your front yard or parkway in a way that’s pleasing to both the eye and the earth. 

Professional Green landscape design experts Christine Nye and Ken Williams will share tips on basic design principles, plant recommendations, site preparation and general maintenance of your public facing single or multi-family unit native garden. 

The presentation hour will be followed by a Q& A with the speakers and the Village Forester. In-person participants are welcome to stay after the presentations for refreshments prepared by a local eco-friendly chef and informal discussion with the panel as well as local gardeners and community organizations. 

This event is brought to you in partnership with the library and West Cook Wild Ones and The Village of Oak Park's Office of Sustainability and Resilience.

Registration recommended for in-person and required for Virtual.
 

Public gardens hold tremendous power to influence landscaping norms and inspire change. By showcasing the beauty, functionality, and ecological value of native plants, these spaces help foster biodiversity, advocate for sustainable practices, and engage communities in environmental stewardship. 

This webinar will explore how public and demonstration gardens serve as powerful tools for native plant advocacy. Attendees will learn how gardens move beyond aesthetics to spark action—turning appreciation into engagement and inspiring participants to replicate these practices in their own communities.

We will hear insights from Nicole Machuca, Environmental Social Scientist at the Field Museum, on how public gardens influence behaviors, foster stewardship, and connect people to conservation efforts through research and community engagement. The Wild Ones Capital Region NY and the Wild Ones San Diego (CA) Chapters will share their experiences building native plant demonstration gardens and how these spaces drive community engagement, education, and advocacy. And We'll finish with a conversation exploring how public gardens create a lasting impact beyond planting day moderated by Kelly Kapuzzi, Demonstration Garden Char with the Wild Ones Hocking Hills (OH) Chapter.

Members are welcome to attend.  We will open with a brief period for member comment before commencing business.  If you are a paid member and would like to attend, please email us [email protected] for the Zoom link. Please include your Membership ID. Your ID can be found on your Membership Page. 

Please join us for "Rethinking Lawn: Can Alternatives Support Wildlife & Climate Resilience?" with Becky Barak of The Chicago Botanic Garden on Sunday, April 27, 2025 at 2:30 pm (Central Time).

Traditional lawns require many resources-water, fertilizer, time and energy yet they support little wildlife, absorb little water and store little carbon. Can we transform our lawns into spaces that meet our needs, wildlife's needs and improve sustainability? The Chicago Botanic Garden in collaboration with other Chicago area institutions seek to answer this question by planting test plots of plants that might work as lawn alternatives. Some plants they are testing include microclover, fine fescue, mixes of sedges, short prairie grasses, prairie mini-meadows (short & tall versions). Come hear what scientists are learning from this exciting study.

Photo credits: Chicago Botanic Garden

Speaker Bio

Rebecca Barak is an Assistant Conservation Scientist at Chicago Botanic Garden and Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University in the Program in Plant Biology and Conservation. Becky studies seed biology and biodiversity in restored tallgrass prairies, and how decisions are made for restoration, particularly for seed mix design.

Members are welcome to attend.  We will open with a brief period for member comment before commencing business.  If you are a paid member and would like to attend, please email us [email protected] for the Zoom link. Please include your Membership ID. Your ID can be found on your Membership Page. 

Liven Up Your Landscape with Beautiful Native Plants

Preorders: March 15-May 11, 2025

Two Pick-Up Locations:

Forest Preserve District of Cook County Central Warehouse, 2199 S. 1st Ave,  Maywood, IL. June 5-7
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center, 12545 W. 111th St., Lemont, IL.  June 6-7

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon!