The Portage District Library is hosting our local Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones Chapter monthly speaker presentations in 2023!

Wild Ones is a national non-profit organization that promotes environmentally friendly, sound landscaping to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration, and establishment of native plant communities. 

The Kalamazoo Area chapter of Wild Ones was established in 1998 to help inform, educate and offer resources to people interested in learning about native plants. 

Presentations are free and open to the public. Visit Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones Programs & Events page for more details. 

Wednesday, April 26  Growing Wildflowers from Seed • Tom Noland, Research Scientist, retired, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Ontario • 7:00 pm

Dr. Noland’s wildflower adventure began when he took a Local Flora botany course at the Ohio State University as a forestry undergraduate. Ever since learning about spring ephemerals he has loved botanizing and growing wildflowers, which he has done for the past thirty years. In his presentation, Dr. Noland will provide an overview on how to germinate and grow native wildflowers and sprinkle in some medicinal folklore of native wildflowers.

“Whether you live on a small lot or a large property, you can help preserve the biological diversity of southwest Michigan by reducing the size of your lawn and replacing it with native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and grasses. Your yard will come alive with butterflies and birds, which—along with the constantly changing spectacle of the plants themselves—will provide a year-round source of interest and drama.” - Nancy Small, co-founder of KAWO