Across the country, Wild Ones chapters are helping native plants move from the margins to the mainstream. Not through one big moment, but through a steady stream of visible, practical actions that meet people where they are: on the radio, in parks, in libraries, at community planting days, and in conversations with local decision-makers.
A round-up of 2025 local media coverage tells a bigger national story. Chapters are expanding access to native plant knowledge, shifting community norms around habitat-friendly practices, and building partnerships that put native plants into public view.
Education: Meeting people where they are
Roanoke Region (Virginia) was featured in a gardening/lifestyle article that encouraged readers to find their “gardener type” and connect with local learning communities. The story spotlighted Wild Ones as an open, mission-driven option for gardeners seeking regionally appropriate native plant guidance—and highlighted the Roanoke chapter’s rapid growth and hands-on programs.
St. Charles Area (Missouri) reached new audiences through a call-in “Garden Hotline” segment featuring chapter leader Wendi Martin, offering practical native plant and seasonal gardening guidance in an accessible format.
Columbus (Ohio) was highlighted in a Substack recap of a community seed-cleaning gathering at Inniswood Metro Park, where chapter members and newcomers worked side-by-side preparing native seed for sharing and future planting, turning a simple activity into a welcoming on-ramp to native gardening.
Advocacy: Shifting norms toward habitat-friendly practices
Miami Valley (Ohio) advanced native landscaping values through an opinion piece encouraging residents to skip (or skimp) fall clean-up to protect overwintering insects and the food web—reminding readers that pollinator gardens also need to function as habitat, not just seasonal blooms. nd later contributed to the dialogue about deer overpopulation and its ecological impacts in Oxford City Council discusses deer management options.
Chesapeake Bay (Maryland) and Greater Baltimore (Maryland) were listed among coalition partners supporting legislation to establish a permanent Maryland Native Plant Month. By joining a broad alliance of environmental and community organizations, the chapters are helping build public support and legislative momentum for long-term recognition of native plants and their ecological benefits.
West Cook (Illinois) was highlighted in reporting on Oak Park’s simplified parkway planting rules and was later featured in advance of its “Birds, Bees & Butterflies” Native Garden Walk. Charlotte Piedmont (North Carolina) was represented in coverage of proposed updates to Charlotte’s vegetation ordinance to protect native plant gardens.
Collaborative action: Partnerships that put native plants in public view
San Diego (California) was named as a supporting partner in a KPBS story about a Lemon Grove community planting day to add habitat near a trolley corridor—one of many examples of chapters teaming up with local organizations to turn overlooked public spaces into pollinator-friendly places.
Even short announcements help normalize native plants in public life: Fox Valley Area (Wisconsin) was featured in a Winnebago Audubon newsletter promoting a joint educational program—highlighting not only the event itself but also the chapter’s ongoing 40-year partnership with Audubon, a longstanding collaboration rooted in shared conservation goals.
Native plants in the news (and on the calendar)
Native plant sales and public events also drew media attention. Southern Kentucky received local coverage for its fall native plant sale, highlighting the chapter’s goal of helping more residents “get as many native plants into our local landscapes as possible,” alongside education about supporting birds, bees, and butterflies. Similarly, South Bend (Indiana) earned local TV coverage both before and after its spring native plant sale, emphasizing community education, partnerships, and the role native plants play in supporting pollinators and local ecosystems.
Greater Baton Rouge (Louisiana) was profiled for expanding its native seed and seed library efforts, while Central Upper Peninsula (Michigan) partnered with the MSCU Forestry Innovation Center for a public program on invasive species education.
Greater Cleveland (Ohio) brought native landscaping into the podcast space with a conversation series (Native Yards Pt. 1 & Native Yards Pt. 2) featuring then chapter president Janice Arch, addressing common misconceptions about native plantings and highlighting benefits for climate resilience and wildlife.
Rock River Valley (Illinois) was featured for hosting a public program on spiders = using curiosity and science-based education to build ecological understanding and reduce fear-driven responses to beneficial wildlife.
Taken together, this coverage reflects how chapters bring Wild Ones’ mission to life through education, advocacy, and collaborative action. Local media stories may focus on a single event or policy moment, but the pattern is national: chapters are making native plants more familiar, more practical, and more welcome in everyday community life.
Want to get involved?
Find a chapter near you, attend an event, or start small at home with regionally native plants. If you are already part of a chapter, keep making your work visible. It helps neighbors discover what’s possible, and it helps communities see native landscaping as normal.
Have a media story to share?
Submit coverage links and details through the Wild Ones media coverage form: https://members.wildones.org/media-coverage/