Events

Join DPNC to find and identify as many species as possible throughout our trails with the help of iNaturalist! We’ll walk our trails with experts on birds, fungi, reptiiles and amphibians, and plants. See the schedule below and come for one, some, or all!

Birds: 8 AM–10 AM 

Fungi: 10 AM–12 PM 

Reptiles & Amphibians: 12 pm - 2 pm 

Plants: 2 PM–4 PM

Meet at DPNC. Free to attend.

The town of Weston and the Lachat Town Farm are hosting an Earth Day  event called Eco Fest.

This is a family friendly event with live music, food trucks, farm animals and environmental organizations and businesses display information and products.

Wild Ones, Aspetuck Land Trust, Fairfield Audobon and others will be there.

No registration or fee, just stop by.

All members are welcome at chapter Board business meetings. Email chapter in advance to receive Zoom link if you wish to attend.

Invasive plants threaten biodiversity and degrade habitats for native wildlife.  Learn what makes invasives harmful, how to recognize species common to our area, and what strategies homeowners can use to control or eliminate these noxious weeds on their own property.  After a short introductory talk, we will walk around Coogan Farm to see and discuss how selected sites are being managed to replace invasive-dominated landscapes with diverse native plant communities to improve habitat for wildlife and human enjoyment.

Your instructor is Lydia Pan, who leads a team of habitat restoration volunteers at Coogan Farm.  Meet outside the Avery Farmhouse, lower level.

This program is free of charge and open to the public.  Registration is requested since gruop size will be limited.  Offered in partnership with the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center.  

Mountain Laurel was the first Wild Ones chapter in New England, chartered in May 2006.  Join us to celebrate and reflect upon what has changed (and what has not) over the past two decades.  At the “READ MORE” link, you can find an article by chapter co-founder Kathy Dame, discussing the connections between the late Professor William Niering's S.A.L.T. (Smaller American Lawns Today) initiative and the founding of the Mountain Laurel Chapter.  If you have stories, photos or other memorabilia from the chapter’s early days, we invite you to share them.  After some informal networking and light refreshments, we’ll enjoy viewing “The Extraordinary Caterpillar,” a new film that showcases the dazzling world of nature’s tiny superheroes.  Please RSVP if you plan to attend.

Joe Bear was determined to turn a one acre plot on town community fields from mugwort to a pollinator meadow.  He had been birding in the area for 20 years and noticed the rapid decline of bird species. He is over four years into the conversion and we will get to hear how he did it, and see the life he has brought back to a neglected area.

The meadow won an award last year for most bird species seen. Link to article here

https://goodmorningwilton.com/connecticut-birding-community-gardens-challenge-wilton-allens-meadow/

Member Ellen Rockett is welcoming members to see her beautiful property and discuss the issues and successes of her transitioning her property to native plants. 

Don't miss this opportunity to get inspired, to ask questions and learn from someone who has been doing this work for years.

All members are welcome at chapter Board business meetings. Email chapter in advance to receive Zoom link if you wish to attend.

Stefan Martin, Conservation Manager of CT Audubon, will lead us on a tour of this incredible restoration effort of 36 acres of invasives being transformed into a wildlife oasis. Larry Weaner is consulting on management practice of such a large parcel restoration.

Until roughly 2016, the section was a thicket of weeds and invasive shrubs and vines, including barberry, porcelain berry, bittersweet, and multiflora rose. They have installed over 3,000 native trees, shrubs and plants. Four acres are converting to meadows.

Dont miss this opportunity to learn from Stefan.

This should be an informative walk and talk on how to use the plants in our yards to boost our health and to feed us as humans have done for millenia. 

 Amelia South, owner,  NO-BS Herbalist, will lead us on a Foraging Walk looking for both edible and medicinal plants.  She has over 15 years of experience identifying and using the plants on our property for overall health.

 Depending on what she finds, she will show us how to make something to eat and taste, and/or make medicine following the walk. 

This CT Horticultural Society Speaker Event was made possible through the generosity of the Lois and Herb Isaacson Endowed Lecture fund and the Mountain Laurel Chapter of Wild Ones.

What is Ecological Horticulture? What distinguishes it from mainstream horticulture? Why is genetic diversity important?  Ecological Horticulture takes a different approach from traditional gardening by focusing on nature-friendly principles. This talk will dive into key ideas and challenge common gardening practices. For example: Why is genetic diversity essential? Can I use cultivated versions of native plants? How should climate change influence my gardening choices? These questions and more will guide a discussion on creating and caring for gardens in harmony with the environment.

Uli Lorimer serves as the Director of Horticulture for the Native Plant Trust, a leading non-profit dedicated to preserving the native flora of the Northeastern United States. In this role, he oversees the acclaimed Garden in the Woods in Framingham and Nasami Farm in Western Massachusetts, which focuses on native plant propagation and research. Uli’s impressive career includes positions at the National Arboretum, Wave Hill, and as the Curator of Native Plants at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. A lifelong enthusiast of plants and biodiversity, Uli continues to study the region’s ecosystems, collect seeds from the wild, and introduce new plants to collections.

He is also a prolific author and speaker, well-known to audiences across the horticultural community. His publications include Tough Natives for Tough Places and A Native Plant Reader. His latest work, The Northeast Native Plant Primer, reflects his deep commitment to native plants and their ecological value. With a science-based approach and a passion for biodiversity, Uli offers invaluable insights into selecting plants that maximize the ecological impact of our gardens while celebrating the beauty of native flora.

This event is free for CT Horticultural Society and Wild Ones Mountain Laurel Chapter members, $10 for non-members.  CT Hort members and the general public should register at  CT Hort Events:  Digging Deeper.  Mountain Laurel Chapter members SAVE THE DATE – you will receive the Zoom link for free on or around June 1.   DO NOT REGISTER at the CT Hort website or you will have to pay the non-member fee!

All members are welcome at chapter Board business meetings. Email chapter in advance to receive Zoom link if you wish to attend.

All members are welcome at chapter Board business meetings. Email chapter in advance to receive Zoom link if you wish to attend.

All members are welcome at chapter Board business meetings. Email chapter in advance to receive Zoom link if you wish to attend.

Details coming soon! 

SAVE THE DATE - DAY 1 of our annual plant sale pre-order pickup and walk-in sale.   (Dates are not yet confirmed and subject to change.)

SAVE THE DATE - DAY 2 of our annual plant sale pre-order pickup and walk-in sale.   (Dates not yet confirmed and  subject to change.)

All members are welcome at chapter Board business meetings. Email chapter in advance to receive Zoom link if you wish to attend.

Details coming soon! 

All members are welcome at chapter Board business meetings. Email chapter in advance to receive Zoom link if you wish to attend.

Details coming soon! 

All members are welcome at chapter Board business meetings. Email chapter in advance to receive Zoom link if you wish to attend.