History

Purpose

As the only national not-for-profit educational organization with a mission to promote native landscapes through education, advocacy and collaborative action, Wild Ones serves as a resource for private individuals, schools, commercial property owners, and community decision makers as they move toward ethical choices in land use and in the redefinition of current guidelines and ordinances affecting our landscape. Because we are a “plants-roots” organization, our organizational goals are accomplished through local chapters and their individual members.

The Beginning

In 1977, nine people, Gini Lindow, Ann Hill, Theresa Kloehn, Carol Beger, Rae Sweet, Renee Gardner, Eileen Roeder, Sally Meyer, and Rosemary Cowan attended a natural landscaping workshop offered by the Schlitz Audubon Center of Milwaukee, WI and became intensely interested in the new concept of landscaping with native plants. Their enthusiasm launched the “Wild Ones Garden Club” on July 23, 1979, which blossomed into Wild Ones, a national nonprofit organization with a mission to educate and share information with members and community at the “plants roots” level and to promote biodiversity and environmentally sound practices. The founding nine members had Lorrie Otto has their resident expert, and she became responsible for programs.

Founding Inspiration

Lorrie Otto was the founding inspiration for Wild Ones. Lorrie was the pioneering force behind the natural landscaping movement and taught others to view natural landscaping as a public good rather than as a health hazard.

Lorrie, a farmer’s daughter, was born near Madison, Wisconsin in 1919. Lorrie’s love of nature traces back to long, hot summers traipsing behind her father as he guided the horse-drawn plow, soil squished between her toes, studying unearthed grubs and worms.

Lorrie graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, married Owen Otto, and had two children while living in a Milwaukee suburb. Her Milwaukee neighborhood included a twenty-acre ravine called Fairy Chasm, a local play area for children in a natural setting. In the late 1950s, the area was slotted to be sold for development. Lorrie turned naturalist, crusader, and teacher, and was instrumental in The Nature Conservancy taking title of the twenty-acre property.

To learn more about Lorrie Otto.

Incorporation

On June 8, 1990, Wild Ones Natural Landscapers Ltd was organized under Articles of Incorporation — Non-stock Corporation Law, Chapter 181 of the Wisconsin Statutes. On April 11, 1995, Wild Ones was granted exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code for educational purposes.

Organizational Change

Prior to 1995, the original Milwaukee Chapter of Wild Ones (Milwaukee-North) had been functioning as the administrative hub for the entire membership and there were only a few chapters. Because of membership growth, it became necessary to rethink the organizational structure in order to meet present and future needs and to enhance communication among the growing number of chapters. The summer of 1995 marked the first meeting of the new National Board and national officers. Bret Rappaport, a Chicago attorney, was elected as President, and continued to serve on the national Board. In 1998, Wild Ones hired Donna VanBuecken as its first Executive Director.

First Executive Director

Donna VanBuecken has been a leading voice for native plants and
natural landscapes for almost four decades. In the mid 1980s, Donna
joined the young Wild Ones organization and became a founding member of the Wild Ones Fox Valley Area Chapter in Wisconsin.

During her 17-year tenure as executive director, Donna established key partnerships and programs, including naming Otto and Neil Diboll and Doug Tallamy as lifetime honorary directors, partnered with Monarch Joint Venture to promote monarch butterflies and helped raise $850,000 in donations and grants to open the WILD Center in 2008, located on a 16-acre ecosystem in Neenah, Wisconsin.

She served as Executive Director until retiring in 2015 and then additionally served as an honorary director from 2018-22, Donna served as an honorary director.

To learn more about Donna VanBuecken.

New Name

In 2003, the Wild Ones national board approved a new name for Wild Ones. The legal name remains Wild Ones Natural Landscapers Ltd, but for purposes of more clearly aligning our name with the mission of our organization, we now refer to ourselves as: Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes.

Recognition by Wisconsin

On July 23, 2009, the State of Wisconsin recognized Wild Ones in honor of its 25th anniversary as an exemplary organization. Wild Ones celebrated the occasion of its 25th anniversary with a blow-out annual meeting and conference in Madison, Wisconsin. Keynote speaker was Robert Michael Pyle, noted speaker, professor, and ecologist and award-winning author. We were fortunate to have several of the original founders celebrate with us. In 2014 we celebrated our 35th anniversary in the Fox Cities of Wisconsin.

Current Wild Ones Programs