Chapter Events

Bring some native seeds (seed exchange/sharing is happening at our December Meeting) and a milk jug or 2.  We will supply soil, pots, trays etc.  If you have extra feel free to bring some too.  If you bring soil make sure it is not advertised as moisture retaining.  Great way to start Native Plants for planting in 2026!

FREE for Chapter Members

$10 for nonmembers 

Please join us as we gather to celebrate our love for Native Plants!

Get to know other members, share knowledge, ask questions & help us build our community.

Bring a guest & be eligible to win a door prize.

More details to follow…

Gardening Green Expo 2026 will be a hybrid event this year, and it is scheduled for March 16-21. There will be live Zoom presentations during the week, and will have a live event at Kennedy’s Country Gardens on Saturday, March 21 from 10am-2pm.  Wild Ones will have a table display in the greenhouse at the live event.  Please stop by and say hello and take in the displays and live speakers.

Doug Tallamy will be doing a Zoom presentation on his new talk Next Steps for Nature on Tuesday, March 17.  Details on other Zoom speakers to follow.

The theme this year is Help Heal the Planet - Most of us remember a time when windshields needed frequent cleaning from insects and yards were alive with birds and butterflies. Fields once held cocoons, chrysalises, and egg cases, and backyards teemed with insect and bird life. Today, these are far less common, raising the question: where have all the birds and bugs gone?
Since the 1970s, North America has lost more than three billion birds—nearly one-third of its population. Insects, the foundation of the food web, have declined by over 40%, with some regions experiencing losses of up to 75% of flying insects. A single chickadee requires nearly 9,000 caterpillars to raise one brood; when insects disappear, birds cannot survive. Habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change are the primary drivers of these declines.
We can do our part to help heal the planet by making thoughtful choices at home. Planting native species that require less water and fertilizer, avoiding pesticides and herbicides, and creating backyard habitats for insects can make a meaningful difference. Gardens can become vital links in pollinator corridors, helping restore ecosystems one plant choice at a time.

In the words of E. O. Wilson, insects are “the little things that run the world.”
It’s true: protecting insect life protects all life.
Insects fulfill vital roles for keeping our planet functioning, such as pollinating our flowers, serving as food sources for birds, decomposing wastes, and cycling nutrients.

By growing native plants, we can protect insects. Plants provide the foundation for insect life. This extends beyond pollinations services. Virtually all terrestrial and freshwater aquatic plants are fed on by insects.
Join this program!
We will review science-based information to provide actionable tools you can rely on. Want to support nature? 
With the right knowledge and tools, we can build a healthier planet.
*The intimate connection between plants and insects
*Potential causes for insect declines
*Planting recommendations
*Gardening tips

Bio:
Blake Dinius B.S. in Biology from University of Massachusetts – Boston, 7 years experience in insect research, 7 years experience as the entomologist educator for Plymouth county extension, lifetime lover of insects, spiders, centipedes and all things entomology-related.

Adding Native Plants for Native Birds!

Please join us for a presentation & discussion around Planting Native Plants for our Native Birds.  The benefit of adding Native Plants to our landscapes is they attract Native Birds.  These Birds rely on the seeds & insects attracted by Natives to maintain healthy populations - critically important!

Fellow gardeners - I'm delighted to invite you to my very-much-in-progress acre being converted to a native plant retreat.  We are into the third year and battling lots of invasives (and beginning to see the progress of the native perennials, shrubs, and trees).  Lots of new things are getting planted and established.  Some have volunteered or been uncovered as the years of debris, thickets of vines, and conventional lawn are being given the opportunity for regenerating. I'm looking forward to your suggestions and criticisms!

 I'll have some refreshments on the deck in the back, so come any time after 8:30 - just walk around on the walkway to the back. The wonderful landscaper from Restoration Landcare, *Sam Mohnkern, will be with us and we'll check out our near-acre at 328 Union St in Hanover. He has been gardener for all sorts of local folks including a college Aboretum and Kristen from Blue Stem.

We'll have some food and time for conversation on the deck after the tour!

*Samuel Mohnkern has been working in the fields of arboriculture and ecological restoration for over 14 years. Having spent 8 of those years at Eastern Nazarene College where he began his tree care trade and also specializing in green space conversion with a focus on native woodland gardens. During the last six years he started his own business, Restoration Landcare, where he manages projects and properties throughout the north east focusing primarily on South Eastern Massachusetts and Western Pennsylvania where he and his family resides. His experience in arboriculture as a tree care specialist has diversified his range of work from tree climbing, trimming and removal services, to select timber harvesting, managing forest succession and invasive species control. This aspect of his business directly compliments his background in landscape design and property management with an ecological perspective. Samuel’s family is directly involved in his work with the support of his wife and 3 daughters as well as his youngest sister who is one of his primary project managers. 

We will email registrants address & parking instructions prior to the event

Registration due before July 11