Greater DuPage Chapter Events

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.

Join Brittany Rogness from the Illinois Bat Conservation Program to explore the fascinating bats of Illinois. Learn about their benefits, the challenges they face, conservation efforts, and ways you can help bats in your own backyard. Brittany will also discuss bat acoustics and demonstrate the equipment researchers use to study bats. Weather permitting, we'll head outside to listen for bats.

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.

Start saving seeds now and join us for the much-anticipated Greater DuPage Wild Ones Annual Seed Exchange and Chapter Meeting, hosted at The Growing Place in Aurora! This event is a favorite among our members and friends, and it is an excellent opportunity to connect, share seeds and valuable information. We encourage everyone to save seeds in preparation for this gathering. 

Schedule
10:30 am - 10:45 am: Arrival and Set-up
Tables will be organized and labeled by seed type (Woodland, Prairie, Wetland, Savanna). Hand your seeds to our volunteers to place them in the appropriate category, then please stand apart from the tables (outside, if it is nice), and visit with other attendees until we are ready to start the meeting portion of the day.
10:45 am - 11:00 am: Membership Meeting and Elections
All members are invited to attend our Chapter Membership Meeting, which will coincide with the Seed Exchange. Officer elections will take place during this time, between setting out the seeds and the start of the exchange. The meeting will be brief, lasting about 10 minutes.
11:00am - Noon: Seed "Shopping" and Silent Auction
Explore the variety of seeds available for exchange, and don't forget to check out our Silent Auction!

How the Exchange Works
Bring your own native harvested seeds to the Seed Exchange and trade them with fellow enthusiasts. Don't worry if you don't have seeds to trade; you can make a nominal donation in exchange for seeds. Here is a list of the species that we exchanged in recent years. To see some tips on seed collecting go to our Seed Harvest page.

Zoe Evans, rewilding coach and VP of Partnerships & Programs at Wildr shares a practical, science-informed framework for evaluating a home landscape, identifying its greatest habitat opportunities, and choosing actions that support more plants, insects, birds, and other wildlife.

Registration link coming soon.

No yard required. Learn how native plants can turn patios, balconies, containers, and other small spaces into meaningful habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. This practical panel will cover plant selection, container design, seasonal care, and realistic ways to support biodiversity in limited spaces.

Registration link coming soon.

Birds depend on healthy, connected habitats for food, shelter, nesting, and migration support. Join experts from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to explore how native plants and thoughtful landscape choices can support birdlife at home. Learn how gardens, yards, and community spaces can provide the insects, seeds, berries, cover, and habitat structure birds need throughout the year.

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.