Events

Wild Ones Mountain Laurel Chapter will host an educational display as part of this inaugural Arbor Day celebration of trees at the Connecticut College Arboretum.  Our table will provide information about the value of planting native trees and shrubs, particularly keystone species, and ways to incorporate them into home landscapes that are both beautiful, practical and functional from an ecosystem standpoint.  There will be free tours of three different Arboretum collections, all of which include mature native trees in designed or naturalistic landscape settings.  Stop by our table on Chapel Green and see displays by other partner organizations:  Bartlett Tree Experts, New London Trees and CT DEEP's Forestry Division.  See link for a complete schedule of tree-themed events and activities plus suggestions for parking.  

Wild Ones will  join Groton Conservation Advocates, the Eastern Connecticut Conservation District and scores of other local vendors at this family-friendly annual event that aims to educate and inspire attendees to live more sustainably and take meaningful action against climate change.  If you can help staff our information table and inspire people to take action in a positive way by gardening with native plants and  turning their yards into welcoming havens for wildlife, contact Lydia at [email protected].

(More details about the day’s activities and events will be forthcoming).

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

Our event will begin with an hour of social networking in the lobby of 33 Gallows Lane.  The featured presentation by Advanced Master Gardener Steve Colgan will begin at 11 AM.  This program is free and registration is not required.

Moss gardening has been popular in Asia for millenia, but if you Google “moss” you will mostly find recommendations on the best ways to kill it!  Steve believes that moss can be an element of almost any garden or landscape and will talk about practical aspects of moss gardening with how-to’s and don’t-do’s.  He will also give some consideration to lichen, ferns and other lower vascular plants that feel comfortable in moss-friendly environments. 

Highstead comprises more than 100 acres of largely unmanaged woodland and wetland habitat as well as managed fields and meadows. This diverse landscape is connected by a 1.5-mile trail that reveals the natural and human forces that shape it.

We will go on a guided walk and tour, learning about the diverse habitats and site appropriate native plants.  They have a Mt. Laurel area that may be in bloom then.

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

Learn about different types of ferns and their distinguishing characteristics. Followed by a walk in Connecticut College Arboretum Native Plant Collection to see examples. 
Talk and walk will be led by Emily B. Sessa, Ph.D., the Patricia K. Holmgren Director of the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium at The New York Botanical Garden. Dr. Sessa is the author of a new field guide:  Ferns, Spikemosses, Clubmosses and Quillworts of Eastern North America (2024, Princeton University Press).
 

Program limited to 25 participants.  A registration link will be posted soon.

Whether or not you have space for a garden, you can add more native plants to your surroundings by growing in containers.  After a short workshop/demonstration to show you how to plant container gardens,  participants can get help selecting plants based on their height, bloom season and other desired traits.  Bring your own container (at least 20 inches diameter) or purchase one at the workshop.  A materials fee will cover the cost of plants and potting mix for one container garden.  Participants will have the option to purchase additional plants.

More details and a registration link are forthcoming.

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.

A tour and discussion about two adjacent gardens developed on public land by the Cheshire Pollinator Pathway group with the option to visit their third site, not too far away.  Potluck or picnic lunch following the tour.

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

SAVE THE DATE!  We will be offering a selection of woody and herbaceous native plants for pre-ordering online.  Additional plants will be available for sale on site during pickup hours.  Times may be subject to change.

Many volunteers will be needed to prepare for and staff the sale.  We will send a link to sign up closer to the sale date.

SAVE THE DATE!  We will be offering a selection of woody and herbaceous native plants for pre-ordering online.  Additional plants will be available for sale on site during pickup hours.  Times may be subject to change.

Many volunteers will be needed to prepare for and staff the sale.  We will send a link to sign up closer to the sale date.

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.

Smaller American Lawns Today, SALT, is a movement introduced in June of 1997 by Dr. William A. Niering, professor of botany at Connecticut College. The SALT mission is to decrease the size of lawns in America by restoring home grounds to more harmonious, productive, ecologically sound and naturalistic landscapes. SALT offers an alternative vision of the monocultured lawn. As Dr. Niering wrote, “There’s nothing wrong with dandelions, there’s something wrong with people.”

This annual conference is organized and hosted by Connecticut College Arboretum and sponsored in part by Wild Ones Mountain Laurel Chapter.  Wild Ones members receive discounted registration.

SAVE THE DATE.  Information specific for the November 8, 2025 conference will be posted here when available.

Our 2024 Conference, “To mow or not to mow: Creating your home meadow” sold out.  

An archive of SALT conferences may be found at the link.

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.