Just a few hundred years ago, the North American landscape was rich with woodlands, prairies, deserts, and wetlands full of native plants. Today, these natural areas are under attack, and we are losing species and habitats at a rate unprecedented in human history. A short tour through your community will provide a quick reminder that turfgrass dominates residential and public lands in the United States and we still have a lot of work to do to convince people to make changes in their own yards and community spaces. “You can’t,” as Benjamin Franklin said, “turn back the clock, but you can wind it up again”.
Your support provides the funding for national programming such as:
- Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education, For more than 25 years, this donor funded program has provided meaningful learning opportunities that connect youth to nature and the Wild Ones mission by awarding grants to create educational native plant gardens across the country.
- Publication of the Quarterly Journal, While it has seen many changes since its first publication in 1988, the Wild Ones Journal continues to be a valuable resource in sharing knowledge around native gardening.
- Creation of Regional Native Garden Designs, Wild Ones offers 20 free designs, and your support empowers us to grow this resource by commissioning designs in new regions.
- Educational Webinars, This year Wild Ones hosted 8 educational webinars, reaching over 9,000 people.
- Support for Local Chapters, It takes a lot of resources to support over 100 chapters across 33 states, with new chapters taking root each month. Wild Ones national staff works hard to ensure that chapters have the tools and resources they need to be successful in delivering their local programs.
With your continued support, Wild Ones will flourish, and expand programs and services to support native landscaping nationwide.
Now is the time to act! Will you make a gift today that empowers us to move the mission forward and extend our reach and impact in the native plant movement? It is our sincere hope that in the near future you will be able to see native plants and natural landscapes in every community; offering refuge to wildlife and connecting people to nature for a healthier planet.
