Chapters in Minnesota

Zoom link posted to website closer to event: wildonesprairieedge.org/meetings.html

Natural landscapes in the US and Canada have been drastically altered by human activities such as infrastructure development, logging, overgrazing, the introduction of invasive species, and fire suppression. 

With the current threat of climate change, it is crucial to understand the past and present ecological conditions of these landscapes to inform future restoration efforts. 

The presentation will examine the past to understand grassland systems at the time of Euro-American settlement and discuss how Native Americans managed and influenced their composition through regular use of fire.

Heather will address today's ecological conditions, focusing on oak ecosystems and grasslands, then paint a picture of what a functional, biodiverse, and resilient landscape may look like in the future and what actions are needed to achieve these outcomes.

FOLLOW HEATHER ONLINE:

Facebook: PollinatorsNativePlants

Instagram: beesnativeplants

YouTube: @NativeBeesWasps

Photography Website: www.pollinatorphotos.com

iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/people/723565

Heather Holm is a pollinator conservationist and award-winning author of four books: Pollinators of Native Plants (2014), Bees (2017), Wasps (2021), and Common Native Bees of the Eastern United States (2022). Both Bees and Wasps have won multiple book awards, including the American Horticultural Society Book Award (2018 and 2022, respectively). She is the founder and chair of Minnesota Native Bees, an online field guide illustrating the native bees of Minnesota and beyond.

Program TBD

We will be hosting Dustin Demmer's Blazing Star Gardens' Native Plant Sale in Northfield - Great opportunity to come and purchase high quality native plants.
Cover photo - by Dustin Demmer of part of one of his gardens.
PRE-ORDERING AVAILABLE: https://www.blazingstargardens.com/ 

Bex is a master naturalist who has thoughtfully transformed her small suburban lot into a dynamic native habitat. The front yard, converted to a tall grass prairie in 2023 (with support of a Lawns to Legumes grant), is now in its third growing season. In the backyard, invasive species have been removed to make way for native plantings, alongside a natural pond that supports wildlife.

Ongoing restoration efforts include developing wetland overflow, installation of a dry stream for stormwater management, and expanding prairie and pocket forest plantings. Bex has also installed habitat features such as amphibian shelters, bat and bird houses, and other nesting structures to support wildlife. With continued work to replace turf and enhance biodiversity, this garden is an evolving example of community driven conservation in an urban setting.

We hope you can join us on June 27th as Bex guides us through her transformed property!

This corner plot of downtown Chaska is a National Wildlife Federation–certified habitat that continues to evolve with a focus on adding native plants amongst the current non-natives to attract pollinators and birds. A Fall 2025 Lawns to Legumes grant supported the expansion of current planting beds, the renovation of a shade garden, and the addition of shrubs to enhance habitat for birds.

Over the past few years, several invasive species (including Snow on the Mountain, Vinca, and Lily of the Valley) have been steadily removed and replaced with native plants, creating a more diverse and ecologically functional landscape. With a strong focus on supporting pollinators and birds, the host enjoys trialing new trends and techniques in her garden.