Events

From Lawn to Habitat

Please join us for a self-directed garden tour at a private residence.  Alexandra Lotero Vanderkam, Wild Ones Mid-Hudson Valley Membership Chair, is hosting a tour of her home landscape. You can see how she changed her conventional landscape into a naturalized garden supporting wildlife and native plants.

Alex describes the process: “When we moved to our 5-acre property in 2020, nearly two acres around the house were lawn. Over the past several years, I have gradually transformed about half an acre into a series of connected habitats using primarily native plants.

Visitors will find a sunny meadow that I established from seed, a woodland garden beneath mature trees, a mixed hedgerow of native shrubs and understory trees, and a natural wildlife pond that supports frogs, toads, dragonflies, and other beneficial creatures. I have planted more than 800 perennials and 140 trees and shrubs to create blooms from spring through fall and provide food and shelter for pollinators and birds. I planted most of the perennials as small landscape plugs, and many of the shrubs and trees as inexpensive bare-root seedlings.

This garden reflects my belief that landscapes can be both beautiful and ecologically vibrant. Come get inspired and enjoy hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and seasonal flowers. Through this ongoing project, I demonstrate practical ways to replace lawn with habitat while creating a garden that welcomes both wildlife and people.”

Registration required. This is a private residence and address will be sent to all who register. Arrive at any time during the open period.

Wild Ones members need not register! NEW: Special members-only hour from 9 am - 10 am. Members go to the Members Only page for Garden Tours 2026 for details.

The main garden is accessible via well-maintained mown paths and lawn. Optional: The most adventurous may want to explore the large wetland on site. If that's you, bring tall boots, long pants, and tick repellent.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Subscribe to the Wild Ones Mid-Hudson Valley monthly newsletter to receive program announcements.

Visit the Gardiner PollinateHV Meadow and Riparian Buffer, including ¼-acre meadows on former lawn at a historic home.

Join us to tour the PollinateHV case study site in Gardiner, a meadow and riparian buffer that includes ¼-acre meadows on former lawn at a historic home on the banks of the Wallkill River; plus a 300’ tree and shrub planting in partnership with  Trees for Tribs. We'll discuss best practices and pitfalls for meadow-making and meadow management, get to know the native plants growing in the meadows, and address practical questions around land stewardship in the Hudson Valley.

Registration is required. $10 fee is paid via registration. This event takes place on private property in Gardiner, NY - address will be provided upon registration.

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to receive program announcements.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Join us for a fascinating exploration of the unique ecology of our region’s forests and the communities of fungi that call them home with Luke Sarrantonio. By a focus on Fungi, we'll pull back the curtain and take a closer look at the fascinating organisms we discover and the intricate relationships that make up the ecosystems where we live. We will be meeting in Rosendale at the Joppenbergh Mountain Preserve and walking on some of the newer trails added to this very special karst ecosystem. Fungi are much more than we once believed; they are decomposers, indicators of ecosystem health, essential components of soil structure, and their mycorrhizal sequester enormous volumes of carbon dioxide. While many parts of these incredible organisms are unseen, they influence every aspect of woodland life. 

Members are invited to join the next Wild Ones Mid-Hudson Valley leadership team meeting on zoom. We will be discussing a range of topics including ongoing business and chapter operations. As a new chapter, we have a lot we're doing and planning, and we appreciate our members' participation.

If you would like to attend, please get in touch with us at [email protected].

Native plants are the foundation of habitat, but wildlife need more than food to thrive. Join ecologist and Certified Wildlife Biologist Shaun McCoshum, PhD, to explore how nesting sites, shelter, water, soil conditions, and other often-overlooked resources can transform a yard into a functioning ecosystem that supports biodiversity year-round.

Registration link coming soon.

Join us for a tour of the Mountain Top Arboretum in Tannersville, NY, where we will meet with our guide at the Education Center. We’ll explore the building first with its timber-frame construction was built using twenty-one species of native trees from the Arboretum’s forest. From here we will explore the landscape surrounding the center, planted exclusively with species native to the Catskills. Designed by Jamie Purinton of the Hudson Valley, this landscape also features six interconnected rain gardens. The tour will then proceed to the West Meadow area which includes another Rain Garden, the Bird Cove and Spiral Labyrinth. Of special note in this area is a new 1.5-acre meadow designed by Larry Weaner.  For those with the time and energy, we encourage you to continue exploring with a self-directed tour of the Woodland Walk, East Meadow and Spruce Glen.

Registration is required. The address will be sent to all who register. 

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to receive program announcements. 

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact [email protected]

Join us on this tour to see these wonderful gardens in all their mid-summer glory. Flying Trillium Gardens and Preserve is located in the southern Catskill Mountains in Sullivan County, NY. The gardens are an ongoing work by author, teacher, and landscape designer, Carolyn Summers. Throughout her career, Carolyn has been acutely aware of the need for clients, DIY homeowners, and designers to be able to see how lovely native plants are when used in garden settings. The Catskills – mostly in a Zone 5 climate – makes an excellent test for fitness and hardiness. In addition to managed gardens, large areas of the property are preserved to protect native flora in their natural habitats, along with the wildlife that depend on them. We invite you to come and experience the beauty, diversity and sustainability of the native flora for yourself. These gardens will leave you inspired to plant more of the same.

This is a free event on private property and requires registration. Address will be sent to all who register. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Subscribe to the Wild Ones Mid-Hudson Valley monthly newsletter to receive program announcements.

Join us for a visit to Earth Tones Native Plant Nursery in Woodbury, CT.  Earth Tones is a unique nursery that specializes in growing and selling Northeast native plants that are both beautiful and ecologically beneficial. Earth Tones offers nearly 400 native plant species, most of which have been propagated on site. (See their website for their current plant list.) In addition to plant sales, the nursery offers landscape design, installation (rain gardens, meadows, bogs), habitat restoration, stormwater management, and wetlands mitigation services.

We will tour the nursery with the owner and learn about the nursery’s origins, their propagation methods, the development and infrastructure of the nursery, along with lots of information about their plants. The nursery is quite large and located on a hill. Come prepared for lots of walking on steepish paths.

Registration is required.

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to receive program announcements.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Come one, come all to our first fall plant sale at the Vassar Barns!  Did you know….Fall is the perfect time for planting - the soil is warm and the roots are ready to grow in preparation for the next growing season.   These plants are beautiful, economical, fast growing and will fit right into your garden spaces.   Most will bloom their second or third season.  </b> Volunteers welcome!  Please use the registration link to volunteer. </b>

Species include but are not limited to:

-Alliums (deer resistant)

-Cardinal flower - hummers love these

-Monardas/beebalms

-Penstemons/beardtongues

-Obedient plant

-Little bluestem

-Carexes/Sedges

-Butterfly weeds

….and many more

What does it really take to turn a conventional lawn into a thriving native meadow? Join Owner & Principal, New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL), Sara Weaner Cooper for a candid look at her family's ongoing lawn-to-meadow transformation featured in The New York Times and BBC. Drawing from three years of hands-on experience, Sara will share the methods, lessons learned, successes, and challenges of converting turfgrass into a dynamic native plant community. Participants will gain practical insights into site preparation, planting, management, and the ecological principles that guide successful meadow establishment, along with realistic expectations for how these landscapes evolve over time.

Registration link coming soon.

Members are invited to join the next Wild Ones Mid-Hudson Valley leadership team meeting on zoom. We will be discussing a range of topics including ongoing business and chapter operations. As a new chapter, we have a lot we're doing and planning, and we appreciate our members' participation.

If you would like to attend, please get in touch with us at [email protected].

Members are invited to join the next Wild Ones Mid-Hudson Valley leadership team meeting. We will be discussing a range of topics. As a new chapter, we have a lot we're doing and planning, and we appreciate our members' participation.

If you would like to attend, please get in touch with us at [email protected].

Bats are among the most important and misunderstood wildlife in our communities. Join experts from Bat Conservation International to explore how native plants, healthy insect populations, and thoughtful landscape design can help support bats. Learn about the ecological role of bats and discover practical ways to create habitat for North America's night flyers right in your own backyard.

Registration link coming soon.

Members are invited to join the next Wild Ones Mid-Hudson Valley leadership team meeting on zoom. We will be discussing a range of topics including ongoing business and chapter operations. As a new chapter, we have a lot we're doing and planning, and we appreciate our members' participation.

If you would like to attend, please get in touch with us at [email protected].

Monarch butterflies depend on a network of habitats stretching across North America, and home landscapes can play an important role in their survival. Join experts from Monarch Joint Venture to explore the science behind monarch conservation, including the importance of milkweed, nectar resources, and regionally appropriate habitat. Learn practical ways to support monarchs through native landscaping and help sustain one of the world's most remarkable migrations.
 

Registration link coming soon. 
 

Meet fellow plant lovers and hear Carolyn Summers speak at our annual meeting.

Carolyn Summers is co-founder of Go Native U and is co-author with Kate Brittenham of the newly revised Designing Gardens with Flora of the American East. Carolyn’s 300-acre Flying Trillium Gardens and Preserve in the Catskills is open to the public by appointment. She holds a bachelor of science in landscape architecture from the City College of New York and has worked for the Trust for Public Land, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, and the Natural Resources Defense Council. She is a member of The Native Plant Center’s Steering Committee.

The annual meeting of Wild Ones Mid-Hudson Valley will follow Carolyn’s talk. You will learn more about our work and opportunities to get involved. Snacks and coffee available.

All are invited.

Registration is required and will be available in early October.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to receive program announcements.