Chapters in Michigan

Welcome back to the library! Wild Ones had a busy summer and we are sure you did too! This month we plan to talk about two native plant gardens we were involved with planning, designing, and installing. 

We also want to hear about what you did in your gardens. Bring your successes, failures, questions and suggestions for a round table discussion.

Did you fall in love with any new native plants, participate in the Less Lawn More Life challenge, read any good nature books? We look forward to hearing from you!

WOWC will be joining Friends of Maybury State Park for a Stewardship Workday to clean up the area by the pond at Maybury State Park.

This is a light workday to clear woody debris from an area by the pond in preparation of a Native Meadow planting.

What to bring:

      -Work gloves and rakes

      -There is poison ivy in the area, so please wear boots, long-pants and long-sleeved shirt

      -Drinking water and snacks for yourself

We will park at the Beck Rd entrance and meet at the shelter in front of the horse stables.

(Optional)  Afterglow lunch with the Friends at a nearby restaurant following.

(Optional) If you would like to join the WOWC Nature Explorers for a hike on the trails, arrive at 9:45 at the Beck Rd entrance

Volunteer Registration is required for this Event.

For more details please see the FoMSP Event Posting.

Join us for a fun evening to connect with your fellow Wild Ones and to meet newcomers!

We will be celebrating our accomplishments in 2026, our 19th year as a chapter with a short slide presentation. The River City 2027 officers and board members will be introduced. The meeting will be followed by the Seed Swap and refreshments. 

Wild Ones will be selling native plant books and related merchandise before and after the presentation.

Attendees are encouraged to bring native seeds from their garden to share if you have them. If you are new to native plants and don't have seeds to share, no worries, you can still take home some seeds.

FREE 2-hour parking is available in the library lot with ticket validation inside the library.
The parking lot is located on the East side of the library.

In November we will be discussing the book “Noticing: Intimate Encounters with the Natural World” by Richard Louv. 

By the author of Last Child in the Woods, Noticing is about discovering who you are by exploring the natural world. Louv shows how, by tapping into the thirty or more human senses we have, readers can develop skills––sensory, scientific, artistic, and spiritual––to see and experience the otherworlds of nature. 

Through personal essays, rich with descriptions of the California wilderness around his home in the most biodiverse county in the nation, Louv draws on wisdom from influences as far-reaching as neuroscience, nature photography, Indigenous traditions, and mindfulness to foster what he calls "bioenchantment.” He offers a new, deeper understanding of what it means to see a tree, know a fox, and to become fully human.

Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 854 0848 3379
Passcode: aAbBcC1!

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National Hiking Day—also known as National Take a Hike Day

Come help us explore somewhere new! We'll venture into Palmer Park to discover its natural features, look for native plant communities, and document the biodiversity we encounter.  And especially the Old Growth Forest there. This is an TRAILBLAZER, meaning-this is our first time here, so we'll be learning and discovering together!

(Find out what a TRAILBLAZER is vs. a WILD WALK)

A Note About Safety

WOWC Nature Explorers outings are informal outdoor activities, and participation is voluntary. Outdoor environments present inherent risks, including uneven terrain, changing weather, insects, ticks, and other natural hazards.

Participants are responsible for their own safety. Please assess your physical abilities and limitations, wear appropriate clothing and footwear, bring adequate water, and use your own judgment throughout the outing.

A TRAILBLAZER may involve unfamiliar trails, terrain, and less predictable conditions. Please participate only if you are comfortable with the nature of the outing.

By attending, you acknowledge and accept the inherent risks associated with outdoor recreational activities.

Please review our full Participant Safety & Responsibilities Guidelines before attending.

MEET IN THE PARKING LOT off of Merrill Plaisance Street (P nearest to 23 on the Palmer Park Trail Map)