Calendar

@*Meet at Braddock Park (5 Lakeside

Drive South, North Bergen NJ - next to Rumba's Cafe) on 2/9

at 11:30 am - 1:30 pm.

Limited spots! Sign up at link in bio or bit.ly/braddock-

sowing

• Wash & Save your milk jugs, large salad containers or plastic bottles with lids. We'll provide the rest.

© Coffee, snacks & chit chat for the first half hour.

• Rain or Shine

Winter Sowing in containers create mini greenhouses to start seeds earlier taking full advantage of the whole growing season.

É Hearty NJ Native Seed varieties including : Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Wild Bergamot, Rudbeckia hirta, Common Milkweed and MORE

All are welcome to join this free virtual panel discussion exploring the vital roles of native, solitary, and honeybees in pollination and biodiversity. Featuring experts Sam Droege (USGS), Dave Hunter (Crown Bees), and Dr. Lora Morandin (Pollinator Partnership), this event will discuss into the challenges pollinators face, the balance between managed and wild bees, and actionable ways to support all pollinators.

Gain insights from over 90 years of combined experience and learn how to advocate for pollinator habitats through planting native species, participating in community science, and adopting responsible management practices.

Create a garden that buzzes with life and attracts butterflies, bees, fireflies and other insects. This presentation discusses what gardeners can do to create a healthy habitat for a variety of insects and birds right in their garden! Garden design, maintenance, and native plant selection are addressed as well as specific host plants and what insects they support. Join the growing number of home landscapes that are improving our world through their gardens. 

About Webinar Host: Lourdes Osorio 

A passionate gardener for over 25 years, Lourdes enjoys gardening not only for beauty but to provide an eco-friendly sanctuary for butterflies, bees, other insects and birds. Lourdes is a social media influencer as the creator of Native Plant Channel on YouTube and Facebook, a free educational channel that helps gardeners design ecological landscapes by growing native plants. She also manages the Native Plant Garden at Laurelwood Arboretum in Wayne, NJ.

Public gardens hold tremendous power to influence landscaping norms and inspire change. By showcasing the beauty, functionality, and ecological value of native plants, these spaces help foster biodiversity, advocate for sustainable practices, and engage communities in environmental stewardship. 

This webinar will explore how public and demonstration gardens serve as powerful tools for native plant advocacy. Attendees will learn how gardens move beyond aesthetics to spark action—turning appreciation into engagement and inspiring participants to replicate these practices in their own communities.

We will hear insights from Nicole Machuca, Environmental Social Scientist at the Field Museum, on how public gardens influence behaviors, foster stewardship, and connect people to conservation efforts through research and community engagement. The Wild Ones Capital Region NY and the Wild Ones San Diego (CA) Chapters will share their experiences building native plant demonstration gardens and how these spaces drive community engagement, education, and advocacy. And We'll finish with a conversation exploring how public gardens create a lasting impact beyond planting day moderated by Kelly Kapuzzi, Demonstration Garden Char with the Wild Ones Hocking Hills (OH) Chapter.

Join Wild Ones National Board President Loris Damerow for a special presentation as part of Week 3 of the 2025 Less Lawn More Life Challenge, “Native Plants Planted Right.” Loris will walk us through the basics of native plant gardening- from choosing the right plants to planting and maintaining them with confidence.

Join us on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 5 p.m. CT for the YouTube Live premiere of this 30-minute webinar. Native plant experts from  Wild Ones, Plan it Wild, Homegrown National Park, ReWild Your Campus, and others will be active in the live chat throughout the presentation and for 30 minutes after the webinar, giving you plenty of time to ask questions and engage! 

This event is designed for newcomers to native gardening and is part of the national Less Lawn More Life Challenge, hosted by Plan It Wild in collaboration with Wild Ones, iNaturalist, Homegrown National Park, Pollinator Partnership  and many others! 

See more about the Less Lawn More Life Challenge:  https://www.lesslawnmorelife.com/ 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon!