Events Calendar

Native plants are the foundation of habitat, but wildlife need more than food to thrive. Join ecologist and Certified Wildlife Biologist Shaun McCoshum, PhD, to explore how nesting sites, shelter, water, soil conditions, and other often-overlooked resources can transform a yard into a functioning ecosystem that supports biodiversity year-round.

This park has a nice waterfall and views over Myosotis Lake.  We will meet at the visitor's center parking lot and walk around the lake, for a total of about 3 miles. See the Preserve's website for visit information and a trail map.

Everyone is welcome, with no need to RSVP. To get reminders and be informed of any last-minute changes, sign up for meet-and-hike updates.

We would be delighted to have you join us for a summer work party at our demonstration garden.  On this evening we will be doing some light weeding and placing bricks around the edging of our newly planted tree line.  Please bring shovels, trowels, kneeling pads, gloves, buckets, and wheelbarrels for you to use.  We will be able to help you learn what is considered a weed and what is not.  Thanks for helping us maintain our beautiful demonstration garden.

What does it really take to turn a conventional lawn into a thriving native meadow? Join Owner & Principal, New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL), Sara Weaner Cooper for a candid look at her family's ongoing lawn-to-meadow transformation featured in The New York Times and BBC. Drawing from three years of hands-on experience, Sara will share the methods, lessons learned, successes, and challenges of converting turfgrass into a dynamic native plant community. Participants will gain practical insights into site preparation, planting, management, and the ecological principles that guide successful meadow establishment, along with realistic expectations for how these landscapes evolve over time.

Registration link coming soon.

Mills Park:

One-acre meadow park in its 10th-year of growth in the village of Kinderhook.  Volunteers and Kinderhook's Department of Public Works cooperated in renovating the mowed green into a managed meadow. A mowed grass path circuits the gentle roll of the park.  New York State's Empire Trail transits through the center of the park. 

The park entrance is at the corner of Albany Avenue and Railroad Avenue, Kinderhook.

Sigrid G’s one acre property is  85%-90% native species, but other than house/barn/paths she has solidly planted (plugs, seeds) with NO lawn.

Mills Park's volunteers will join Wild Ones for tea/coffee/snacks at Sigrid’s barn, to talk native plants following the tour.

This sanctuary has some beautiful moss-covered paths in an open new-growth forest. We planned a walk in May but canceled due to weather, so we will try again in September! We will meet at the main (western) parking location and walk about 1.5 miles. See the Audubon site for more information about the preserve.

Everyone is welcome, with no need to RSVP. To get reminders and be informed of any last-minute changes, sign up for meet-and-hike updates.

This is the Part 3, the autumn viewing of Genoveffa’s gardens through the season.  Gen is a long time member and current VP of Wild Ones Capital Region, NY and is opening her expansive gardens for the third time this season.  Come see what her garden looks like later in the garden season.  Members may bring a guest.

Read more about Genovefffa’s garden.

http://capitalregionny.wildones.org

Join us for our monthly  Leadership Team & Business Meeting.   Reach out by email for zoom link:  [email protected] 

This 400 acre preserve is mostly meadow and grassland, with a riparian forest buffer along the Coxsackie creek at the East end of the property. The plants here are managed primarily to benefit threatened bird species, but we can also practice identifying sedges, grasses, and rushes.

Meet at the kiosk just beyond the parking area, which is itself behind some industrial properties. 

Everyone is welcome, with no need to RSVP. To get reminders and be informed of any last-minute changes, sign up for meet-and-hike updates.

Sunday October 18, 2026. 1:30pm- 4pm  Our annual Membership Appreciation Garden Party!  at the Kelly Adirondack Center. What a great 5th year our Wild Ones chapter has had! Come celebrate our successful growth and projects at our Garden Party!  We will also briefly  highlight  our achievements of the past year, roll out the new and beautifully done native planting guide, and elect new officers.  It will be a wonderful opportunity to mingle with members (both new and renewed) and fellow garden enthusiasts, maybe win a prize, and enjoy the beautiful setting. We will have refreshments.  Bring an interested friend(s): registration required to plan for appetizers.  Address:  897 St David's Ln, Niskayuna, NY, 12309  

Bats are among the most important and misunderstood wildlife in our communities. Join experts from Bat Conservation International to explore how native plants, healthy insect populations, and thoughtful landscape design can help support bats. Learn about the ecological role of bats and discover practical ways to create habitat for North America's night flyers right in your own backyard.

Join us for our monthly  Leadership Team & Business Meeting.   Reach out by email for zoom link:  [email protected] .  Please note date change from 2nd Wednesday to 1st Wednesday.

Ann Lee Pond is a 180-acre preserve with a large pond, woodlands, and extensive wetland between. We will take the red trail, about 0.8 miles, around and over the pond.

There is ample parking at this site just off the main airport road, and we will meet at the side of the pond near the parking area.

Everyone is welcome, with no need to RSVP. To get reminders and be informed of any last-minute changes, sign up for meet-and-hike updates.

 Wild Ones is celebrating our New York native plants with a seed swap!  Join us for a free, family-friendly seed swap celebrating the beauty of New York's native plants! Connect with fellow gardeners, share your favorite local seeds, and discover new varieties to cultivate for a more vibrant, resilient, and biodiverse garden. Please pre-register any seedsyou wish to bring so we can have plant care signs made.

Don't have seeds to trade? No problem! All are welcome to come and learn about seed saving and take home some native treasures to get started.

In addition to the main event, attendees can explore tables from various like-minded organizations, participate in dedicated crafts for kids and adults, get started with winter seed sowing, and enjoy a special bake sale that showcases native ingredients.  If you would like to volunteer for the day of the event, please register so we have a way to contact you. 

Zoe Evans, rewilding coach and VP of Partnerships & Programs at Wildr shares a practical, science-informed framework for evaluating a home landscape, identifying its greatest habitat opportunities, and choosing actions that support more plants, insects, birds, and other wildlife.

Registration link coming soon.

No yard required. Learn how native plants can turn patios, balconies, containers, and other small spaces into meaningful habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. This practical panel will cover plant selection, container design, seasonal care, and realistic ways to support biodiversity in limited spaces.

Registration link coming soon.

Birds depend on healthy, connected habitats for food, shelter, nesting, and migration support. Join experts from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to explore how native plants and thoughtful landscape choices can support birdlife at home. Learn how gardens, yards, and community spaces can provide the insects, seeds, berries, cover, and habitat structure birds need throughout the year.

Registration link coming soon. 

Monarch butterflies depend on a network of habitats stretching across North America, and home landscapes can play an important role in their survival. Join experts from Monarch Joint Venture to explore the science behind monarch conservation, including the importance of milkweed, nectar resources, and regionally appropriate habitat. Learn practical ways to support monarchs through native landscaping and help sustain one of the world's most remarkable migrations.
 

Registration link coming soon.