Events

Garden tour of vegetable beds and native planting that help support pollination of  food crops. The kindergarten and first grade classes are allowed into the garden to learn where their food comes from and to help grow and plant seeds and plants. They are also taught the importance of having the native  plants and their value to the environment.

Patty Zebrick will give a public talk about the importance of native plant species in the landscape, discussing WOPB, Homegrown National Park, Less Lawn More LIfe and resources for natives in our region.

Patty Zebrick, President of WOPB will give a public talk about the importance of native plant species in the landscape, discussing WOPB, Homegrown National Park, Less Lawn More LIfe Project, and resources for natives in our region.

Patty Zebrick will give a public talk about the importance of native plant species in the landscape, discussing WOPB, Homegrown National Park, Less Lawn More LIfe and resources for natives in our region.

Monthly Board meeting 

3rd Quarterly Public Meeting with presentation. Wendy Rihner will offer a discussion of the colorful history of plant taxonomy and why it matters more than ever. Rihner, a retired Delgado Community College English professor, started birding in 1997 but had yet to make the connection between birds and native plants. It was not until 2015 that she made that connection after watching Ruby-throated Hummingbirds feed on the Red Buckeye trees at Longue Vue House and Gardens.  Rihner has been making up for lost time ever since, gardening with natives and even growing them! Her small, seasonal business, Birdgirl's Blooms, grows native plants and sells them February through April and donates all profits to the Orleans Audubon Society's Plants for Birds mission. Rihner is a board member of the Wild Ones Pontchartrain Basin and is both the Education Chair and Chair of the Plant for Birds Mission for the Orleans Audubon Society. 

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.

Patty Zebrick will give a public talk about the importance of native plant species in the landscape, discussing WOPB, Homegrown National Park, Less Lawn More LIfe Project, and resources for natives in our region.

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.

Monthly Board meeting

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.

Monthly Board meeting

Planning is underway for the Pelican Park Nature Club, Fontainbleau State Park, and Wild Ones Bartram BioBash weekend event. 

4th Quarterly meeting with presentation by LA's USDA-NRCS soil scientist team. The presentation will be be focused on Assessing native soils and habitat restoration. A field trip to a restoration site might be included. The particular site might be private. If so, it will be for a limited number of members only, to be determined closer to the event.

Monthly Board meeting 

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.

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. 
 

Monthly Board meeting 

Monthly Board meeting