Events

We have scheduled our first outdoor meeting of the year! On Saturday, May 27, at 11 am , Steve Saupe and Brian Johnson will lead a tour of the SJU Arboretum. We will take the Boardwalk Loop, which will bring us past prairie, wetland, woods and savanna, all in 1.5 miles.

Steve is a retired Biology professor at St. John’s and St. Ben’s and has a wealth of knowledge of native plants. Even better, this is a joint meeting with the Twin Cities Wild Ones, so there should be more like-minded people to meet and spend time with in this beautiful setting. Park by the kiosk on the entrance road to St. John’s. Mark your calendar and bring a friend.

Our June meeting will be on Wednesday, June 14, at 7:00 pm at Roger Sorensen’s house in St. Cloud.  Roger is our chapter VP and will be displaying the natives that he has installed in his lawn.  He has recently received a Lawns to Legumes grant and can talk about that process as well.   He will be receiving  a shipment of plants about that time, so we’ll help him put them in the ground.  Please bring your trowel and any other items you might need to help with some planting.  Check your chapter email from Brian for address and directions.  Again, bring a friend!

You might remember that Brian sent out a call for prairie burn volunteers at Carmen Converse’s.  That burn happened, and we’ve been invited back for a picnic and to see the results!  Carmen notes that late June is about the peak for her prairie.  Please join us for this event, whether or not you were able to assist with the burn. We’ll convene on Wednesday, June 28 at 5:30 at Carmen’s.  Her address is 13954 Hummingbird Lane, Cold Spring MN.  (BTW, as you drive down Hummingbird Lane and are nearing her address, feel free to drive past an ominous “private property” or some such sign.)  Wild Ones and Carmen will provide burgers and veggie burgers and some other food items.  For this meeting, we’d like to get an idea of the number of attendees, so please RSVP to Brian by Mon, June 25 if you are attending.  We’ll also ask you to bring something (dessert, chips, side dish, etc.)  We hope to see you there.

We will see the prairie installation located at the church.

Seirra will show us the native plantings she has installed in her yard.

We will visit the Sand Prairie WMA on the east side of St. Cloud and look for native plants and pollinators.

We will gather seeds at SJU as well as bring our own to exchange.  We will also elect officers for next year.

We will remove buckthorn and have a picnic to celebrate!

Join Wild Ones Honorary Director Heather Holm as she explores the nesting habitats, life cycles, pollen collection, brood rearing, and general characteristics of some of the most common native bees in eastern North America, while highlighting the pollination of native plants and the mutualism between native plants and native bees.

When creating and managing thriving habitats for native bees, many factors such as seasonal phenology, nesting strategies, and flower preferences must be considered—and with approximately 3,600 species in North America (north of Mexico), there are many unique aspects to keep in mind when managing successful landscapes for bees. 

Join us for an enlightening webinar featuring authors, Neil Diboll and Hilary Cox, as they present their latest book, "The Gardener’s Guide to Prairie Plants." This comprehensive compendium is a treasure trove of knowledge for gardeners looking to incorporate native prairie plants into their landscapes. Neil and Hilary will delve into the making and application of this essential guide, sharing rich historical and ecological insights about prairie ecosystems, all while showcasing stunning images of prairie flora.