Greater DuPage Chapter Events

Presented by Cindy Crosby
 
Enjoy the delights of the tallgrass prairie in winter through this interactive program. Enjoy lovely photography of the snow-covered prairie as you hear stories of how animals, pollinators, and birds use the prairie for overwintering. Discover what prairie plants look great in winter, in terms of structure, seeds, and even color. Listening to prairie readings will spark your creativity and warm your soul.

Please register for this FREE Event through EVENTBRITE!  The ZOOM link will be sent about a week prior to the meeting.

Follow these interesting websites with more information of what Cindy Crosby has been doing!
https://www.dupageforest.org/catching-nature/cindy-crosby
https://cindycrosby.com/

Explore how native gardening can address climate challenges in our next Wild Ones national webinar, “Cultivating Change” with author and activist Lorraine Johnson. Johnson has been researching and writing about environmental issues for three decades. Learn about the pivotal role of gardening as an act of stewardship in the face of climate and ecological challenges. Discover the profound connections between individual gardens and the broader world and learn how these green spaces can serve as catalysts for positive ecological and social change.  Join Wild Ones for a practical and insightful discussion on gardening's positive impact on the environment and our future. 

Virtual registrants will receive a link to watch the talk live as well as a link to the recording. The recording will only be available for a limited time. 

Our special guest speaker will be Mr. Chris Evans, Forestry Extension and Research Specialist, University of Illinois.  He is based at the Dixon Springs Agricultural Center in Southern Illinois.  Chris is a popular speaker on topics of Forestry, Natural Resources, and the Environment. 

This meeting is free and does not require registration. A link to the Zoom meeting will be sent out in our newsletter a few days prior to the meeting. Click here if you are not already subscribed to our newsletter and wish to receive it. If you have any questions on attending, please email [email protected].

Registration for this event is now closed, and registrants have been emailed about attending. Please contact [email protected] if you have any issues getting in.

This will be a paid event for both in-person and remote viewing. Virtual registrants will receive a link to watch Dr. Kimmerer's talk live as well as a link to the recording. The recording will only be available for a limited time. 

Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
Ecological restoration can be understood as an act of reciprocity, in return for the gifts of the earth. This talk explores the ecological and ethical imperatives of healing the damage we have inflicted on our land and waters. We trace the evolution of restoration philosophy and practice and consider how integration of indigenous knowledge can expand our understanding of restoration from the biophysical to the biocultural. Reciprocal restoration includes not only healing the land but our relationship to land. In healing the land, we are healing ourselves.

Wild Ones is excited to cohost this event with the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh's Earth Week 2024 and the Wild Ones Fox Valley Chapter. 

Our March 21st meeting will be a panel of long-time members answering your questions and offering their best advice.  

Do you have a problem area? 
Are you wondering how to get started? 
Is there a plant you are wondering about? 

Send in your questions to [email protected]. Submitting questions ahead of time will help us prepare, but questions can be asked during the meeting, too.

The link to the Zoom meeting was sent out in our March newsletter.  If you did not receive it and would like to attend please email [email protected].

Doors open at 6:00 PM
Dinner starts at 6:30 PM 

Bring a dish to share!  Please bring your own drinks and place servings.  A short presentation on Periodical Cicadas presented by Nanette Kalscheur will follow the dinner. It will cover cicada life cycle, timing for DuPage County, and what people can do once the cicadas emerge.

Nanette has some free native trees & shrub seedlings to share with members. They will be given away bare root, wrapped in damp newspaper & are approximately 2-4 years old.  All were grown from seed.  Plants will only be available at the Pot Luck Thursday, April 18th.

Trees
Horse Chestnut - 6-10” tall, 2 available
Kentucky Coffee - 1-2’ tall, 4 available
Swamp White Oak - 6” tall, 4 available

Shrubs
Carolina Allspice - 1-2’ tall, 4-5 available

Pat will take us on a walk to view 2 special restoration projects at Lyman Woods completed by Eagle Scout, Shreeman Patel. Shreemann Patel is an Eagle Scout from Troop #10 Hinsdale, based out of the Union Church of Hinsdale. 

The first project, the Pollinator Garden, was built from August to September of 2023, and consists of many different regions aimed at helping all of the pollinators, not just the already popular ones like the butterflies and bees. There is a region for hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, moths, and even flies. The "general pollinator" regions also included some plants helpful to bats.  The garden helps showcase the importance of these bees in our day-to-day lives, especially the direct impact they have on our food.  There are also informative signs placed throughout, letting visitors know which pollinators are being benefitted, and which native flowers are planted in the region.  The project took just under 300 labor hours and just under $3,000 to complete.  Click here for more information on this project. 

The second project is the Pond Restoration Project. Prior to the project, the site suffered from intense soil erosion and water pollution, primarily due to three water pipes feeding into it. These pipes carried phosphorus and other potentially harmful chemicals from nearby residences, especially from the Midwestern University Parking Garage. The pond was surrounded by invasive buckthorn and a bit of invasive honeysuckle. Shreeman's team worked on removing them, while Lyman Woods sprayed the stumps with herbicide. They created sand filters to improve the water quality entering through the pipes, promoting self-regeneration over time. On one of the final days of the project, Shreeman noticed a slight film on the pond's surface, along with an algal bloom, leading him to suspect blue-green algae. To be cautious, he and his team removed much of the algal bloom and prescribed long-term barley treatment for the pond to naturally regenerate. Additionally, they installed a solar-powered pond aerator to keep the water moving and prevent further algal blooms, while also improving conditions for wildlife. This project required 290 labor hours. Shreeman spent approximately $600 on the project, with Lyman Woods contributing additional funds for plants and other resources. Click here for more information on this project.