Pasque flowers Program Schedule has information about upcoming meetings. All Wild Ones meetings take place at the Wehr Nature Center and are free and open to the public, so bring your friends and family! Our meetings are usually held the second Saturday of the month at the Wehr Nature Center, 9701 W. College Ave in Whitnall Park in southwest Milwaukee County. Thank You to all who volunteer! If you're at all interested in helping, call Pat at (414) 529-4101.

The Beauty of Rain Gardens Watersheds in the US are being damaged by the soil particles, pesticides, and herbicides in stormwater runoff. President of Earth and Water Works, Ellen Rulseh, explained how rain gardens temporarily hold stormwater and prevent some of the problems caused by stormwater runoff. Ellen explained that native plants help water to infiltrate the soil because the roots of native plants go down five feet or more into the soil. About a third of the root mass dies each year. The roots that die leave small channels in the earth that water flows through to go more deeply into the underground water. When planting a rain garden, Ellen suggests that you test the soil to see if it is porous. The test is simple. Dig a hole about a foot deep and pour a bucket of water into the hole. If the water sinks into the ground within 24 hours, the soil is good for building a rain garden. When planting a rain garden, Elen suggested using plant plugs. She said that the plugs grew fast and some even bloomed the first season they were planted. Many people worry about mosquitoes breeding in their rain gardens. This is not a concern because the water does not stay long enough in the rain garden to allow the mosquitoes to breed.

Our Facebook Page See also our Facebook page. It can be found at: Wehr-Wild-Ones-Southwest-Milwaukee-Chapter Sharing Knowledge Everyone who attended chapter meetings was asked to share some of their knowledge. To read the results click on Wheel Enhancements

    Dec 08, 2012 (Sat)    

Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Wehr Nature Center
Holiday Party
The time for our annual holiday party has arrived! We will have a wide selection of different chilies, cookies, cakes, and other holiday treats, door prizes, seed exchange and, of course, socializing. We will also have a short presentation from Judy Kesser on Wild Ones’ partnership with the Monarch Joint Venture Program. The event will be great fun. Please bring a treat to share if you can.
If you have surplus seeds, please bring them to share. If you need seeds, please come and take some home.

    Jan 12, 2013 (Sat)    

Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Wehr Nature Center
Insects – Up Close and Personal
Tom Kroeger, DNR manager at Lakeshore State Park, will discuss and show the environment and beauty of insects through closeup photos.

    Feb 09, 2013 (Sat)    

Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Wehr Nature Center
Prairie Restoration for Homeowners
Corrine Daniels, director of Applied Ecological Services, Broadhead, Wis, will discuss planning, cost control, implementation, plants vs. seeds, species selection, and maintenance of prairie landscapes. The talk will focus on small-scale and mid-size restorations suitable for homeowners

    Mar 09, 2013 (Sat)    

Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Wehr Nature Center
Forest Restoration
Matthew Smith, land steward manager at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, will discuss the forest restoration at the center The nature center is trying to restore the lake forest of the mid 1800s. The problems that they face include removal of invasive plant species, improving diversity, protection of trees from deer and other wildlife, and insect threats such as the emerald ash borer.

    Apr 13, 2013 (Sat)    

Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Wehr Nature Center
Landscape Design
Paul Ryan, owner of Northern Lights Natural Landscaping, will present a talk on landscape design. He will emphasize the design of the native planting to present an appealing landscape and to make the native planting friendly to “non-wild” neighbors. He is a board member of the Milwaukee Area Land Conservancy and active member of Wild Ones.

Other items for your calendar:

Do Your Gift Shopping with Wild Ones Shop online at wildones.org/store or at our Wehr chapter meetings. Choose from posters, cards, clothing, signs, books, DVDs, and a 2013 calendar.

Landscape Pesticide Application Advance Notice Registry; Your Deadline is February 1, 2013 The landscape pesticide registry provides a free notification service to homeowners and renters by requiring professional lawn or landscape companies to contact you at least 12 hours in advance of pesticide applications being made to properties near you. As a participant, you must provide the addresses for which you want advance notice by submitting forms online to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. To keep the registry current and accurate, you must renew your listings each year. Once you have signed up for the registry, the DATCP will send you a reminder email in late fall or early winter, asking you to review the information from the previous year. To learn more and register, visit http://datcpservices.wisconsin. gov/landreg/index.jsp