Events

Wild Ones GBR gave away native lyre leaf sage plants and offered information on Soft landing plantings under native trees. 

Join the LSU AgCenter and Wild Ones to celebrate Arbor Day. Not ony caan you take home a tree, but you'll have a unique opportunity to plant one in the Burden Woods and even track it's growth with GPS coordintes. This will help restore native tees lot to hurricanes and drought.

Enjoy a fun-filled, family-friendly day with activities for all ages, including educational exhibits on native trees, a scavenger hunt, and a special visit from Smokey Bear.

Come visit out WOs table and see our natve plants and seed display. 

All are welcome to join this free virtual panel discussion exploring the vital roles of native, solitary, and honeybees in pollination and biodiversity. Featuring experts Sam Droege (USGS), Dave Hunter (Crown Bees), and Dr. Lora Morandin (Pollinator Partnership), this event will discuss into the challenges pollinators face, the balance between managed and wild bees, and actionable ways to support all pollinators.

Gain insights from over 90 years of combined experience and learn how to advocate for pollinator habitats through planting native species, participating in community science, and adopting responsible management practices.

Public gardens hold tremendous power to influence landscaping norms and inspire change. By showcasing the beauty, functionality, and ecological value of native plants, these spaces help foster biodiversity, advocate for sustainable practices, and engage communities in environmental stewardship. 

This webinar will explore how public and demonstration gardens serve as powerful tools for native plant advocacy. Attendees will learn how gardens move beyond aesthetics to spark action—turning appreciation into engagement and inspiring participants to replicate these practices in their own communities.

We will hear insights from Nicole Machuca, Environmental Social Scientist at the Field Museum, on how public gardens influence behaviors, foster stewardship, and connect people to conservation efforts through research and community engagement. The Wild Ones Capital Region NY and the Wild Ones San Diego (CA) Chapters will share their experiences building native plant demonstration gardens and how these spaces drive community engagement, education, and advocacy. And We'll finish with a conversation exploring how public gardens create a lasting impact beyond planting day moderated by Kelly Kapuzzi, Demonstration Garden Char with the Wild Ones Hocking Hills (OH) Chapter.

At this spring quarterly meeting, we will have speakers Peggy Coates (WOGBR Member and retired Executive Director of LSU Hilltop Arboretum), and Elise and Leigh from the West Baton Rouge Garden Club will be discussing the growing interest in native plants in the Greater Baton Rouge Area. This will be followed by a talk from Katie Clarke, WOGBR Member and owner of Let it Bee Landscaping, about dealing with invasive plants in home gardens. We will end with a discussion of upcoming chapter events and other membership updates.

Quarterly Member Meeting (open to the public) - speaker to be announced. Will discuss upcoming chapter events and member volunteer opportunities.

Join Wild Ones National Board President Loris Damerow for a special presentation as part of Week 3 of the 2025 Less Lawn More Life Challenge, “Native Plants Planted Right.” Loris will walk us through the basics of native plant gardening- from choosing the right plants to planting and maintaining them with confidence.

Join us on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 5 p.m. CT for the YouTube Live premiere of this 30-minute webinar. Native plant experts from  Wild Ones, Plan it Wild, Homegrown National Park, ReWild Your Campus, and others will be active in the live chat throughout the presentation and for 30 minutes after the webinar, giving you plenty of time to ask questions and engage! 

This event is designed for newcomers to native gardening and is part of the national Less Lawn More Life Challenge, hosted by Plan It Wild in collaboration with Wild Ones, iNaturalist, Homegrown National Park, Pollinator Partnership  and many others! 

See more about the Less Lawn More Life Challenge:  https://www.lesslawnmorelife.com/ 

The closing event of this year’s Less Lawn More Life Challenge, will be led by Lisa Olsen, Chapter Liaison at Wild Ones. In this webinar, you’ll learn how small, personal actions like planting native species and removing invasives, can ripple outward to inspire neighbors, change policies, and reshape communities. 

During the premiere, native plant experts from Wild Ones and collaborating organizations will be active in the live chat. They’ll be ready to answer questions, share tips, and connect viewers with resources. The live chat will remain open for 30 minutes after the webinar, giving you plenty of time to ask questions and engage. Please note: You must be logged into a YouTube account to participate in the chat. 

The Less Lawn More Life Challenge is a free, 12-week action series designed to help people transform traditional lawns into vibrant, life-supporting native plant habitat. Each week, participants complete a simple challenge like planting a native shrub, removing invasives, or observing pollinators to reimagine their outdoor space and take meaningful steps toward restoring biodiversity at home. 

It’s not too late to get involved. Catch up on the weekly videos and start your rewilding journey today at https://www.lesslawnmorelife.com/ 

Spend a summer evening surrounded by nature’s most delicate wonders at Sip & Flutter, a unique program celebrating butterflies, moths, and the plants that support them. Begin your evening with a stroll through Hilltop Arboretum’s flourishing pollinator garden, a haven for winged visitors, while enjoying a refreshing botanical mocktail.

Then, join naturalists Janine Kharey and Teri Rome for an engaging talk on the fascinating lives of butterflies and moths—from their vital roles in ecosystems to the surprising ways they interact with our gardens and landscapes. Whether you’re a nature lover, gardener, or simply curious, this evening will leave you inspired and enchanted.

Cost: Hilltop, LMNGBR members and students $15, Non-members $20

In partnership with Wild Ones GBR, LSU Hilltop Arboretum, Louisiana Master Naturalists of Greater Baton Rouge, and the East Baton Rouge Master Gardener Association.

Discover how ecological landscaping with native plants can make your landscape more resilient and help address the climate crisis. This webinar will highlight practical, evidence-based approaches to designing and maintaining landscapes that build resilience to climate change and support native biodiversity. Join Wild Ones for a free webinar, “EcoBeneficial Landscape Strategies for the Climate Crisis,” featuring environmental horticulturalist and ecological landscape designer Kim Eierman.

Details coming soon! 

Wild Ones Chapter Members have been busy collecting seeds from our certified habitats.

This is the fourth year that we have met to offer seeds and to accept donations to fill our supply for our various projects throughout the year.

You don’t need to bring seeds to attend. But if you do, please be sure to label them as accurately as you can. (Ask us how)

If you are not a chapter member, we ask that you be prepared to help us cover the cost associated with the meeting by paying $5.00 at the door.

If you’d like to become a member or contribute a donation to help us offer more free programs in the future visit greaterbatonrouge.WildOnes.org - join or donate.

Any questions: [email protected]

Details coming soon!