Chapters in Minnesota

Bring empty envelopes & your dry seeds in containers labeled with name, color, soil type, sunlight needs, etc. 

if you have extra empty, clean plastic 1 gal. milk jugs, bring them to share for winter sowing

7:00 pm Election of 2026 board members

7:15 pm optional video: Filippine Hoogland's Seed Swap Meadow Garden Tour | Walk on the Wild Side  (12 minutes, 2025) Watch how Filippine grows stunning meadows from seed on a typical residential property. Learn her techniques for meadow management, discover the magic of community seed swaps, and see how neighbors sharing knowledge and seeds can transform entire neighborhoods. Experience how one yard becomes a catalyst for community-wide change. This is where the rewilding revolution actually lives.

Bring empty plastic 1 gal. milk jugs.

We will hear about various native bees, including bumble bees, with a focus on the endangered Rusty patched, as well as many pollinators and other wildlife relationships in a native ecosystem. She plans to include native plant lists for sun and shade that support pollinators, and native habitat to support pollinator nesting, hibernation, and shelter.
Judy Cardin is a bumble bee expert and educator with the WI DNR’s community science program Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade. When Judy retired as Bureau Director with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, she transitioned her 50 year passion for nature and gardening into her retirement career: sharing her knowledge of bumble bees, how to restore yard and community spaces to native habitat that will support native wildlife, in particular bumble bees and pollinators. Judy is also the administrator of the Wisconsin/Midwest Bumble Bee Observers Facebook page. Wisconsin/Midwest Bumble Bee Observers | Facebook
An excellent booklet From Judy and her husband: Rusty Patched Bumble Bee Floral Phenology

Landscaping for Pups & Pollinators: Creating a Dog Friendly Garden
Presenter | Jackie Lutes

Join us as we discuss creating a beautiful garden that not only pollinators will enjoy, but also your pup! Topics covered include potential hazards in the garden, fun elements to incorporate for your dog in a garden setting, and how to identify dog friendly native plants in the garden. 

Jackie Lutes has been a plant lover for most of her life. She started off as an indoor plant enthusiast, but has transitioned her plant skills to include outdoor gardening with the purchase of her family’s first home. She and her husband began their native plant garden journey in 2021, and have spent the last few years removing invasive plants and establishing in their place, native plants. She has two wonderful pups, Porter & Lincoln, who love to join her while she works out in the garden.

    Dustin is the owner of the native plant nursery Blazing Star Gardens, and is well known for producing and landscaping with native plants.   In addition to growing and marketing beautiful native plants, he is a professional landscaper and garden designer who understands many people want beautiful, high-quality gardens with native plants.  His mission for Blazing Star Gardens is to create wildflower gardens that support wildlife and bring native plants back to the cities and back to the people.   

Dustin will help folks figure out how to reduce their lawns and bring their yards to life with native plant landscapes designed to enhance the beauty and vitality of their properties.