Events

We will continue to meet via Zoom for our chat meetings.  

These are informal and mostly unstructured meetings where anyone can ask questions related to native plants and related topics. Have a question about using native plants in your yard? Have some comments or pictures you want to share? This is the place to be.  Everyone is welcome.

The Zoom Link will open at 6:45 PM.

The first monthly meeting of 2025 is scheduled for Monday, January 27, at 7:00 PM CST at the Ed Jones Auditorium. This will be our annual meeting where we review our accomplishments over the past year, discuss the chapter's financial status, and set goals for the current year. Come prepared with questions, comments, wish lists, etc. about Wild Ones in general and our chapter in particular.

We will start the meeting with a pot-luck social. You can sign-up using one of the links below  indicating if you would like to bring a dish. Around 7:30, or a little later, we will begin the business portion of the meeting where we review what we accomplished during the past year. We will also discuss goals for the current year. Then question and answers, suggestions, wishes, etc.

We will continue our Freebie/Swap Table, so bring along any suitable items you would like to offer: native plants/plugs/seeds, suitable books, pots, tools, etc.

Date: Monday, January 27, 2024
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 PM CST (doors open 6:30)
Location: Ed Jones Auditorium, Ellington Ag Center, 416 Hogan Road, Nashville, TN
Zoom: Link (The Zoom connection will be open the whole time, but for the presentation part of the meeting, please check in around 7:30.)

Signup Link (same as Registration Link below)

Everyone is welcome!

We will continue to meet via Zoom for our chat meetings.  

These are informal and mostly unstructured meetings where anyone can ask questions related to native plants and related topics. Have a question about using native plants in your yard? Have some comments or pictures you want to share? This is the place to be.  Everyone is welcome.

The Zoom Link will open at 6:45 PM.

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.

Board Meeting for the Wild Ones Middle Tennessee Chapter. Via Zoom.

Zoom Link.

The next monthly meeting will be on Tuesday, February 25 at 7:00 PM CST. Yes, that's right, Tuesday. There was a scheduling conflict on the usual fourth Monday meeting date. Our presentation will be by member Ran Powers titled
 

The Native Plant Pilot – Looping Back for Wildlife 

Ran is a middle Tennessee native, originally from Clarksville, where he gained an early love for the outdoors and wildlife. He's a retired Air Force major and F-111 pilot, was also an airline pilot, and he still flight instructs at Murfreesboro Aviation. Ran's passion for native plants began 31 years ago with a trip to the library. As a self-taught native plant gardener, he says he has had to learn more botanical names than he cares to admit.

We will continue our Freebie/Swap Table, so bring along any suitable items you would like to offer: native plants/plugs/seeds, books, etc.

Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 PM CST
Location: Ed Jones Auditorium, Ellington Ag Center, 416 Hogan Road, Nashville, TN (36.06398, -86.74472) AND via Zoom

Open to the public. Everyone is welcome!

Zoom Link

We will continue to meet via Zoom for our chat meetings.  

These are informal and mostly unstructured meetings where anyone can ask questions related to native plants and related topics. Have a question about using native plants in your yard? Have some comments or pictures you want to share? This is the place to be.  Everyone is welcome.

The Zoom Link will open at 6:45 PM.

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.

Board Meeting. Everyone welcome!

Zoom Link

The symposium is sold out. A link to the YouTube recording of this event will be on this page when it becomes available.

Paul Prill, chapter secretary, will be our speaker for this meeting. His topic will be

Common Lawn Weeds of Middle Tennessee

A little rain and my plants are showing up. Also the chickweed, speedwell, and cleavers are now mocking me. Tonight we will try to get to the root of what weeds are, what they tell about our soil, and what we should do about them. 

Paul is a retired professor and active community member in Nashville, TN. Paul is a Master Gardner of Davidson County, holds a Certificate in Native Plants from the Wild Ones Tennessee Valley Chapter, and is a certified Tennessee Naturalist. His home is certified wildlife habitat that boasts over 100 native species. His efforts have been showcased on several garden tours including an episode of  the public television show Volunteer Gardener. 

We will continue with our Freebie/Swap Table of native plants, seeds, and related items.

Everyone is welcome!

Zoom Link

We will meet in the front lawn of the Warner Parks Nature Center. After examining some common lawn flowers, we will head uphill behind the center to the paved trails and go counterclockwise on the loop. The goal will be to get to the three bluebell coves, looking at the spring ephemerals and other items of interest along the way.  Richard Hitt and Joanna Brichetto will be the hike leaders.

Partial Plant List

We will continue to meet via Zoom for our chat meetings.  

These are informal and mostly unstructured meetings where anyone can ask questions related to native plants and related topics. Have a question about using native plants in your yard? Have some comments or pictures you want to share? This is the place to be.  Everyone is welcome.

The Zoom Link will open at 6:45 PM.

Nashville Earth Day celebration will be open from 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM at Centennial Park. Our chapter will have a booth at the event that needs staffing. Volunteer at the registration link.

Board Meeting.

Zoom Link

The next chapter monthly meeting will be on Monday, April 28, at 7:00 PM CDT. We will continue with the in-person/Zoom hybrid meeting format. Richard Hitt, our chapter president, will give an updated version of a presentation he gave at Belmont University on

 The Necessity of Native Plants

Richard will talk about the essential role that native plants play in the ecosystem. Examples of the connectedness and dependency of native flora and fauna species will be given. He will summarize some of the recent reports of the decline of biodiversity and how native plants are one of the components in combating that decline.

Richard is a retired math professor. He completed the Tennessee Naturalist Program in 2013 and has been working on becoming a better naturalist ever since.  It's a work in progress.
 

We will continue our Freebie/Swap Table, so bring along any suitable items you would like to offer: native plants, plugs, seeds, books, trinkets, etc.

Everyone is welcome!

Zoom Link

Details are still in the works. Visit the Read More link for the latest updates.

We will continue to meet via Zoom for our chat meetings.  

These are informal and mostly unstructured meetings where anyone can ask questions related to native plants and related topics. Have a question about using native plants in your yard? Have some comments or pictures you want to share? This is the place to be.  Everyone is welcome.

The Zoom Link will open at 6:45 PM.

Our Wild Ones / Owl's Hill  native plant and seed sale  will open for online shopping on Tuesday, May 6, at Noon and continue until Tuesday, May 13, at Noon. Plant pickup for online shopping will be on Friday, May 17, at Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary from 8 AM until 2 PM. The in-person sale will be Saturday, May 18, 10 AM - 12:30 PM, also at Owl's Hill.  

Shareable Flyer

Online shopping website (available in early May)

For this meeting, we'll be watching a video of a presentation by Doug Tallamy on his new book, How Can I Help.  We will be giving away a copy of the new book as a door prize!

We will continue having our Freebie/Swap table, so bring any items related to native plants that you are interested in giving to a new home.

Everyone is welcome!

Join Wild Ones National Board President Loris Damerow for a special presentation as part of Week 3 of the 2025 Less Lawn More Life Challenge, “Native Plants Planted Right.” Loris will walk us through the basics of native plant gardening- from choosing the right plants to planting and maintaining them with confidence.

Join us on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 5 p.m. CT for the YouTube Live premiere of this 30-minute webinar. Native plant experts from  Wild Ones, Plan it Wild, Homegrown National Park, ReWild Your Campus, and others will be active in the live chat throughout the presentation and for 30 minutes after the webinar, giving you plenty of time to ask questions and engage! 

This event is designed for newcomers to native gardening and is part of the national Less Lawn More Life Challenge, hosted by Plan It Wild in collaboration with Wild Ones, iNaturalist, Homegrown National Park, Pollinator Partnership  and many others! 

See more about the Less Lawn More Life Challenge:  https://www.lesslawnmorelife.com/ 

The Perennial Plant Society and the Wild Ones Middle Tennessee Chapter will have a joint native plant propagation workshop on Saturday, June 7, from 1:30 - 4:00 PM in the main meeting room of the Edmundson Library in Nashville. The workshop  will begin with a lecture followed by a hands-on workshop.  Participants will be able to take home a 50-cell propagation tray of seeds and cuttings to care for over the summer and transplant in the Fall.

W. Marshall Hamilton will be the instructor.  Marshall has B.S. and M.S. degrees in plant and soil science from MTSU and Texas Tech University.  He has worked on propagating pecan trees and inoculating  with native pecan truffles, he taught at MTSU (Plant Science, Soil Science, Agroforestry), and worked as the propagationist at GroWild.  He is currently the special projects manager for TreeTopBuilders.

This event is for members only.

The propagation workshop is full.  If you would like to be added to a waitlist, send an email to [email protected].

We will continue to meet via Zoom for our chat meetings.  

These are informal and mostly unstructured meetings where anyone can ask questions related to native plants and related topics. Have a question about using native plants in your yard? Have some comments or pictures you want to share? This is the place to be.  Everyone is welcome.

The Zoom Link will open at 6:45 PM.

Wild Ones Middle Tennessee Board Meeting

We have regular board meetings using Zoom on the Thursday before the monthly chapter meeting.  They are open to the public.

Zoom link

Plants Are People, Too
 

We will continue our hybrid in-person and Zoom meetings. This presentation will explore the surprising intelligence of plants – how they learn from experience, remember patterns, respond to environmental cues, communicate with each other, and make decisions to optimize survival. We will dive into deeper philosophical territory, questioning where the boundary of “personhood” lies and what it means to recognize agency in non-human life.

The presentation will be given by Dan DeFigio who is an amateur naturalist in Nashville. Dan holds naturalist certifications in Tennessee, Montana, and Yellowstone. A wellness provider by trade, Dan is a bestselling author, a shamanic medicine practitioner, and a lifelong student of various spiritual practices and philosophies. 
 

We will continue our Freebie/Swap Table, so bring along any suitable items you would like to offer: native plants, plugs, seeds, books, trinkets, etc.

Zoom Link

Biodiversity is on display in Paul’s backyard, with over 100 species of native plants from 20 different plant families. 95 percent of the plants in the backyard are native plants, right above Doug Tallamy’s threshold for the replacement of song bird populations. The front and side yards feature specimen or demonstration gardens showing what can be done with native plants in smaller spaces. Paul’s gardens have several certifications.

Paul’s garden was featured on Volunteer Gardener in August 2024.

Paul’s home is in south Nashville between I-65 and Nolensville Road. Address information will be sent to registrants (registration required).

Registration:  at signup.com

Members treated Chinese Privet and Tree of Heaven with appropriate herbicides.

My Garden: If I found myself amongst those who wouldn’t understand “mostly native, wild, crowded, and full of bugs and critters” as a good thing, I would, instead, describe my garden diplomatically as “eclectic cottage-style.” 

Where: quarter-acre lot—all garden, no lawn—in the Hillsboro-West End neighborhood .

What: predominantly-native gardens, a few 7-11 year-old mixed beds, but mostly new ‘lawn-replacement’ native gardens started in stages four years ago, the newest (last available space) just filled with 140 plugs in mid-May. 

Features for:

Neighbors: front gardens use fieldstone and steel edging, flagstone paths to look neater; a few decorative accents for utility/whimsy;

Wildlife: small log and brush piles; dry-stack stone walls; small, 33-gallon pond; compost piles; lots of messy areas;

Gardeners: organic/non-chemical upkeep; aiming towards 4-season interest; ca. 70/30 native/non-native mix: shade to sun with native stalwarts amongst very diverse beds with some odd, uncommon specimens, and useful non-natives &/or interesting volunteers in containers or left alone in beds (e.g., culinary herbs, house plants, hummingbird & pollinator-nectoring pots);

Challenges: young beds, very dynamic (i.e., kinda chaotic!); seeds/plugs/small plants leave space, soils all recently disturbed, and all edges as yet unaddressed, so ever ongoing battles with encroaching invasives and good-but-bully natives (i.e., weedy mess!); old features need reinvention (e.g., shaded out raised-caged veg beds, tree roots rendered compost unturnable, grotto area too sunny, hydrangea bed too dry—i.e., some ideas were far better on paper!); etc.

Registration is required using the link below.

We will continue to meet via Zoom for our chat meetings.  

These are informal and mostly unstructured meetings where anyone can ask questions related to native plants and related topics. Have a question about using native plants in your yard? Have some comments or pictures you want to share? This is the place to be.  Everyone is welcome.

The Zoom Link will open at 6:45 PM.

This tour will begin in the front yard where Donnie has installed some recent gardens. After about half an hour, the tour will move the the back where Donnie  has converted the entire back yard into a native plant wonderland installed on a terraced slope.

This event will have two parts.  There will be a garden tour from 10 AM - Noon followed by a pot-luck lunch from Noon - 2 PM.  You can register for either or both events at the registration link below.

A few native plants will be available to share. Feel free to bring a few of your own if you wish.

The closing event of this year’s Less Lawn More Life Challenge, will be led by Lisa Olsen, Chapter Liaison at Wild Ones. In this webinar, you’ll learn how small, personal actions like planting native species and removing invasives, can ripple outward to inspire neighbors, change policies, and reshape communities. 

During the premiere, native plant experts from Wild Ones and collaborating organizations will be active in the live chat. They’ll be ready to answer questions, share tips, and connect viewers with resources. The live chat will remain open for 30 minutes after the webinar, giving you plenty of time to ask questions and engage. Please note: You must be logged into a YouTube account to participate in the chat. 

The Less Lawn More Life Challenge is a free, 12-week action series designed to help people transform traditional lawns into vibrant, life-supporting native plant habitat. Each week, participants complete a simple challenge like planting a native shrub, removing invasives, or observing pollinators to reimagine their outdoor space and take meaningful steps toward restoring biodiversity at home. 

It’s not too late to get involved. Catch up on the weekly videos and start your rewilding journey today at https://www.lesslawnmorelife.com/ 

Board Meeting.

Zoom link.

Agenda

Call to orderminutes correction/approval (attached)Treasurer’s reportMembership reportMarketing reportOutreach reportOld BusinessIntroduction to Strategic Planning (attached, a light read is adequate)Plant sale updateVideo shorts:  (Paul, Richard) Non-profit donations update (Richard, Patty)Name tags.  Who doesn’t have a new one yet?Return to exploring Google Workspace? (still on hold)Status of Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee setup? (Richard, Carole)Wild Ones new state sales tax informationVIII.New BusinessOther?

Our speaker for this meeting will be Claire Wainwright, who will give a presentation on

Conservation and Recovery of Tennessee’s Rare Plants

In this presentation, Claire will give an overview of how the Tennessee Division of Natural Areas works to conserve and manage some of the nation’s rarest plant species. She will highlight examples of the Division’s work in diverse ecosystems across Middle Tennessee.

Claire Wainwright is a botanist in the Natural Heritage Program within the Division of Natural Areas for the state of Tennessee. Her work focuses on the recovery of federally listed plant species. Claire holds a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Queensland in Australia. 

We will continue with our Freebie/Swap Table, so please any native plants, seeds, related books and trinkets that you would like to re-home.

Everyone is welcome!

If you prefer to join the meeting via Zoom, use this link.

Details coming soon.

Walking Tour of The Farm Community's Prairie Barrens Preserve

Our chapter will have a joint hike with the Swan Conservation Trust to explore The Farm Community's Prairie Barrens Preserve in Summertown, TN. This hike will feature the largest prairie remnant in Middle Tennessee.  Native warm-season grasses and wildflowers showcase this historical grassland’s summertime beauty! Richard Hitt,  President of Wild Ones Middle Tennessee, and Cynthia Rohrbach, Biologist at Swan Trust, will provide nature interpretation. This is an easy hike.

Restrooms, drinks and snacks are available at The Farm Store.

Consider bringing a hiking stick, sunscreen, hat, plenty of water, snacks, and bug repellent of preference.

When: Saturday, August 2, 2:00 - 5:00 CDT
Where: The Farm Store, 100 Second Rd, Summertown, TN
Registration:  Follow the registration link below. Use something short for the event name like Hike or Walking Tour.

We will continue to meet via Zoom for our chat meetings.  

These are informal and mostly unstructured meetings where anyone can ask questions related to native plants and related topics. Have a question about using native plants in your yard? Have some comments or pictures you want to share? This is the place to be.  Everyone is welcome.

The Zoom Link will open at 6:45 PM.

Our chapter will share a booth with the Sierra Club of Tennessee at the State Fair in Levanon.  Volunteer to staff the booth at the chapter's singup.com page.

WOMT August 2025 Board Meeting Agenda

Call to orderMinutes correction/approval (attached)Treasurer’s reportMembership reportMarketing reportOutreach reportOld BusinessStrategic PlanningPlant sale updateVideo shorts:  (Paul, Richard)Non-profit donations update (Richard, Patty)Name tags.  Review policy.Google Workspace reportMore generally, see this webpageStatus of Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee setup? (Richard, Carole)Wild Ones new state sales tax informationVIII.New BusinessOther?

Zoom Link

You’re Invited – August Wild Ones Middle Tennessee Meeting

Join us in-person or on Zoom for our August meeting!

Speaker: Judson Newbern
Topic: How Nashville became Home to the Largest Urban Forest within the Limits of any Major City in the World

Judson will give a presentation that tracks how the efforts of a small group of volunteers evolved the story of Nashville’s Highland Rim Forest over the past 2 years. He will explore ways this might serve the region in the future. Judson hopes to open a dialogue to get ideas and input from the audience since this is very much an active work-in-progress.

Judson has a graduate degree from Harvard in environmental planning & design which led to a 30-year career on Vanderbilt University's executive administration team overseeing the design, construction, and operations of all campus facilities and grounds. He also organized the institution's Sustainability program as well as the Environmental Health & Safety program.  In 2016, he transitioned to private-sector consulting and serving on several nonprofit boards. His interests are in networking across various stakeholder groups in matters involving local ecological interest, particularly the preservation of tree canopy, and in using plein air painting to advocate for the preservation of Middle Tennessee landscapes.

We’ll continue our popular Freebie/Swap Table, so if you have any native plants, seeds, nature-related books, or other treasures you wish to re-home, please bring them along.

Everyone is welcome!

Zoom Link

We will tour Amanda Nick's garden and property in Lyles, TN. We will begin with the intentional garden, then explore the rest of the property soaking up all the native plants, including majestic white oaks which will give us plenty of shade, as needed. 

Members may bring a guest.

The address will be emailed to registrants several days before the event.

Insect protection is recommended for this outing.

We will continue to meet via Zoom for our chat meetings.  

These are informal and mostly unstructured meetings where anyone can ask questions related to native plants and related topics. Have a question about using native plants in your yard? Have some comments or pictures you want to share? This is the place to be.  Everyone is welcome.

The Zoom Link will open at 6:45 PM.

Discover how ecological landscaping with native plants can make your landscape more resilient and help address the climate crisis. This webinar will highlight practical, evidence-based approaches to designing and maintaining landscapes that build resilience to climate change and support native biodiversity. Join Wild Ones for a free webinar, “EcoBeneficial Landscape Strategies for the Climate Crisis,” featuring environmental horticulturalist and ecological landscape designer Kim Eierman.

Board Meeting.

Ran Powers will speak on 
Do You Have the Keys? - A Look at a Few of Our Keystone Native Plants

Everyone is welcome!

Welcome to the native landscape and gardens of Rita and Phil Venable! Our garden is in suburban north Franklin near the Cool Springs mall. 

We love our native garden and the wildlife it attracts but we must work within the guidelines of our HOA and want to do it in a friendly way that is also in step with the neighborhood. How? Come and see.

The following should be in bloom: sweet, gray and zigzag goldenrods, hoary vervain, New York, late purple and aromatic asters, hairy golden aster, whorled sunflower, beautyberry, ironweed, autumn sage and southern wild senna. Some non-natives will also be in bloom.

Registration link coming soon.

We will continue to meet via Zoom for our chat meetings.  

These are informal and mostly unstructured meetings where anyone can ask questions related to native plants and related topics. Have a question about using native plants in your yard? Have some comments or pictures you want to share? This is the place to be.  Everyone is welcome.

The Zoom Link will open at 6:45 PM.

Details coming soon! 

Board Meeting.

Our Wild Ones / Owl's Hill  native plant and seed sale  will open for online shopping on Tuesday, October 14, at Noon and continue until Tuesday, October 21, at Noon. Plant pickup for online shopping will be on Friday, October 24, at Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary from 8 AM until 2 PM. The in-person sale will be Saturday, May 18, 10 AM - 12:30 PM, also at Owl's Hill.  

Shareable Flyer (New flyer coming soon)

Online shopping website (available in early October)

Justin Stefanski will speak on 
Tennessee Naturescapes - Crafting a Biodiverse Landscape

Everyone is welcome!

We will continue to meet via Zoom for our chat meetings.  

These are informal and mostly unstructured meetings where anyone can ask questions related to native plants and related topics. Have a question about using native plants in your yard? Have some comments or pictures you want to share? This is the place to be.  Everyone is welcome.

The Zoom Link will open at 6:45 PM.

Details coming soon! 

Board Meeting.

More details soon. 

Everyone is welcome!

We will continue to meet via Zoom for our chat meetings.  

These are informal and mostly unstructured meetings where anyone can ask questions related to native plants and related topics. Have a question about using native plants in your yard? Have some comments or pictures you want to share? This is the place to be.  Everyone is welcome.

The Zoom Link will open at 6:45 PM.

Board Meeting.