Chapter Contact:
Constance McCarthy
President
(815) 627-0344
Rock River Valley President

Meetings are usually held the third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for socializing and browsing the lending library and merchandise tables. Unless otherwise stated, we meet at Burpee Museum of Natural History, 737 N. Main Street, Rockford.

National Chapter Website

Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes promotes environmentally sound landscaping practices to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration, and establishment of native plant communities Wild Ones is a not-for-profit environmental education and advocacy organization.

Wild Ones provides information and teaches people how to use native plants in their landscapes. Wild Ones distinguishes itself from other garden organizations by encouraging gardening with native plants and moving away from the use of chemicals, watering, excessive mowing and other practices commonly used by traditional gardeners. People come to Wild Ones to learn about environmentally friendly gardening—about plants native to our area that have evolved to survive our climate without help from artificial means.

The Rock River Valley Chapter carries out the mission of Wild Ones through a variety of activities, which typically includes any of the following:

• Informative Meetings, include how-to-do-it sessions, presentations by experts in prairie, woodland, and wetland native plants and related subjects and members profiling their own projects.
• Show Me/Help Me Day, members tour other members’ yards, share ideas, and offer suggestions.
• Woodland Native Plant Sale,with orders being taken February through mid-April, for pick up in late April. This sale offers mostly species for shady locations. The pick up location is near Durand. Email Woodland Plant Sale Coordinator for more information. To see last year's brochure, click here.
• Prairie Native Plant Sale, with orders being taken March through April, for pick up in mid-May. This sale offers mostly species for sunny to part shade locations. To see last year's brochure, click here. Email Prairie Plant Sale Coordinator for more information.
• Native Tree and Shrub Sale, with orders being taken in August and September, for pick up early October near Durand, IL. To see last year's brochure, click here. For more information, email Tree and Shrub Sale Coordinator.
• Plant Rescues, where members dig plants in the path of development. The rescued plants go to home landscapes or are used for restoration efforts in the local area.
• Seed Exchanges, we meet in November to exchange native plant seed that members have collected.
• Seeds For Education Program, a grant and education program. The chapter educates and supports community efforts to establish natural areas and to work with educational institutions and other areas of learning. Email SFE Chair for more information. For a flier, click here.
• Lending Library, our lending library includes almost 200 books on a wide variety of native plant and environmental topics. Books can be checked out each month at meetings to be returned the following month. For more information contact Ginnie Watson, Lending Library Coordinator, email Lending Library Coordinator. For a list of the books available click here. For a copy of our Lending Library Policy click here.

The Rock River Valley Chapter publishes a monthly newsletter for its members which contains informative and timely articles about upcoming events, past events, related events, and other useful information. For more information and a sample newsletter, click here.

The Chapter was established in July 1994. Currently we have over 170 household and business memberships. The chapter is lead by dedicated officers, chairs and coordinators. For contact information, click here.

Visitors are welcome at most events and are invited to join the growing membership. For information about membership, click here or email our Membership Chair.

    Aug 16, 2012 (Thu)    

Native Shrubs for Your Landscape


John J. Gishnock III is an ecological designer and owner of Formecology, LLC in Evansville, WI. He has over 15 years of experience in landscape design principles to artistically combine native plants and local materials in an inherently eco-friendly way for a wide variety of settings. We need to include a variety of native shrubs in our landscapes to provide habitat for a diversity of insects, birds and wildlife. Shrubs not only provide a background in our borders and screening from neighbors, they provide much needed food, shelter, safety and a place to nest for birds. Having layers of vegetation is the best way to provide safety and nesting locations for a variety of species of birds. Like trees, shrubs not only are beneficial for the environment, they beautify your landscape and add value to your property.

We meet at Burpee Museum of Natural History, 737 N. Main in Rockford. 7:00 - 9:00 PM. Doors are open at 6:30 p.m. for socializing and browsing the lending library and merchandise tables. This program is free and open to the public. Contact Terry Mohaupt, Program Chair, at mohaupt@comcast.net for more information.

    Sep 20, 2012 (Thu)    

Natural Landscaping


Bret Rappaport, legal expert assisting natural landscapers. One person’s weed is another’s wildflower: that difference in perception has led to “weed wars” as natural landscapers strive to convince others to go natural and go native. Far too often, efforts to create a more natural landscape have met with resistance rooted in ignorance or misinformation.

The weapon most often used to try to bring natural landscapers into conformity with the American lawn ethic is the local weed ordinance. What are weed ordinances and why are they applied to natural landscapes? In a suburban culture in which a lush carpet of green grass is the norm, ambiguous weed laws have been used by neighbors and village officials to prosecute those who choose to “grow” versus those who argue that all in the town must “mow.” A big difference exists, however, between a yard full of noxious, invasive weeds and an intentionally planted natural landscape. Weed laws are generally “complaint-driven” statutes; that is, someone must file a complaint to activate them… and nearly all weed ordinance prosecutions are rooted in neighbor-to-neighbor disputes that often are initially unrelated to natural landscaping.

The first step is to educate yourself so you can tell your neighbor the difference between monarda and chicory. Remember that although you have a right to your purple coneflowers and little bluestem grass, your neighbor has the right to a clipped lawn, plastic pink flamingoes, and tidy rows of color spots. Yard by yard, the face of suburbia is changing. Even neighbors who choose to have traditional lawns accept what we are doing. They appreciate and respect what we are doing and understand why we’re doing it. That’s what being neighborly is all about.

Bret Rappaport is an Adjunct English Professor at Dominican University and a partner with the Chicago law firm of Hardt Stern & Kayne. He is nationally recognized for his knowledge of and commitment to the preservation of our natural heritage by educating about and advocating for native landscapes, wildflowers, and prairies. For a copy of his presentation, click here.
We meet at Burpee Museum of Natural History, 737 N. Main in Rockford. 7:00 - 9:00 PM. Doors are open at 6:30 p.m. for socializing and browsing the lending library and merchandise tables. This program is free and open to the public. Contact Terry Mohaupt, Program Chair, at mohaupt@comcast.net for more information.

    Oct 18, 2012 (Thu)    

Photo Yard Tours


A visual tour of native planting projects presented by chapter members. The use of native plants in our landscapes increases the biodiversity of our environment. Native plants provide food and shelter for our native insects, birds, and animals. These creatures, in turn, assist in providing the food and water that we as humans need for our existence. There are only a few creatures in the deepest parts of the ocean that do not depend on plants in some form for their existence. The native creatures that we depend on for our existence often do not utilize the ornamental, non-native plants that they have not evolved with to provide for all the needs of those depending on them. Therefore, it is important that we continue to add native plantings back into our landscapes, and encourage others to do so. However, some people feel that adding native plants to their landscapes can be a daunting task.

For the past year, many of our members have been busy snapping pictures of their activities in using native grasses, forbs, ferns, vines, shrubs, and trees in their landscapes. Pictures have been taken showing a wide variety of local birds, bees, butterflies, and other critters visiting our native plantings throughout the seasons. Major projects have also been documented through pictures.

Join us for a visual tour presented by Wild Ones members as they have added native plantings into Northern Illinois landscapes. We will hear about the steps members have taken, with pictures showing how they have landscaped with natives. Some have added them into existing landscaping, while others have established all-native areas in their yards. We meet at Burpee Museum of Natural History, 737 N. Main in Rockford. 7:00 - 9:00 PM. Doors are open at 6:30 p.m. for socializing and browsing the lending library and merchandise tables. This program is free and open to the public. Contact Terry Mohaupt, Program Chair, at mohaupt@comcast.net for more information.

    Nov 15, 2012 (Thu)    

Annual Meeting- Pot Luck and Seed Exchange


Members only - all members welcome, with or without seeds. November is a time to celebrate all we have accomplished. It is a time to visit with and get to know our newer members. Please join us at our members only (i.e., members plus partner, significant other, friend, etc.) by coming together to remember our activities and experiences from this year. Although there will be no formal program, there will be an opportunity to exchange native seeds from our yards for those who wish to do so. It is not required that you bring seeds in order to take seeds home! Even if you haven’t attended any meetings or events this year, you are very warmly invited to join us at this event.

Details for the Pot Luck and Seed Exchange:

You bring: a side dish to share (salad, vegetable, dessert), a place setting, silverware & cup

We provide: hot main dish – pasta dish—both with meat and meatless— plus apple cider

For those who wish to exchange seeds, here is how it works: Please bring any native seed you have collected on your property and would like to share with other members. Preferably, the seed should be of local species. All seeds should be clearly identified with the botanical and/or common name on the container. If possible, please indicate if the seed was collected from a local plant or a purchased plant. Seeds do not need to be cleaned and ready for planting. For those who need them, small envelopes will be provided to use in transporting your new seeds home.

Remember: Anyone may take seeds, and you do not have to bring seeds to take seeds! Come whether you plan to participate in the seed exchange or not!

We meet at Burpee Museum of Natural History, 737 N. Main in Rockford. 7:00 - 9:00 PM. Contact Terry Mohaupt, Program Chair, at mohaupt@comcast.net for more information.

Guests are welcome at most events. If you would like to receive a complimentary three month subscription to our newsletter please contact Newsletter Editor. You can request an digital version (PDF) via email or a paper version via standard mail.