The Mountain Laurel (Connecticut) Chapter of Wild Ones, based in New London, CT, is all volunteer and sponsored by the Connecticut College Arboretum. It was founded in 2006 by Nancy Livensparger, a Wild Ones member from Ohio, after she moved to Connecticut, together with Kathy Dame, who was at that time the Assistant Director, Connecticut College Arboretum.* The chapter name “mountain laurel” refers to Connecticut’s state flower Kalmia latifolia, a beautiful native species, but we champion all of our native plants! As the oldest Wild Ones chapter in New England, we currently serve the entire state of Connecticut.
Our chapter provides mentorship and learning opportunities for those new to gardening with native plants through educational programming, volunteer opportunities and our human community of native plant enthusiasts. To receive announcements of our public programs, subscribe to our mailing list by emailing [email protected]
During warm weather, field trips and outdoor programs are offered. Most of our programs are free and open to the public although capacity is sometimes limited. Occasionally, dates or venues may change, so subscribe to our listserv or check our Facebook page for the latest information.
*SALT meets Wild Ones – a story about the founding of the Mtn Laurel Chapter (published in Wild Ones Journal in Sep/Oct 2008) https://www.conncoll.edu/media/website-media/green/arbo/arbodocs/article_for_Wild_Ones_Journal_final.pdf