Past Events

In this zoom presentation, Claiborne Woodall, a regional supervisor for the Virginia DC&R Natural Area Preserves System will speak on natural areas stewardship in Southwest Virginia. He will describe the Channels and Pinnacle areas which have public access. Some of the rare plants and natural communities at these and other sites will be highlighted. He will also describe efforts to restore and enhance habitat conditions suitable for rare species and to sustain the inherent biodiversity and beauty of natural communities. 

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Chapter Zoom Discussions: We will continue our monthly Zoom sharing of garden photos and how to tips plus answering questions about establishing native habitats.

Starting with description of stratifying native seed by Mel Kelley. Please send photos to share to WOAH Chapter email.

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Wild Plant Chat Zoom Discussion: We will continue our monthly Zoom sharing of garden photos and how-to tips, plus answering questions about establishing native habitats.

Gail Olson will start the Chat by describing starting meadows from seeds. Please send photos to share to [email protected] 

Join Zoom Meeting: https://wildones-org.zoom.us/j/87250277607?pwd=VTRiRU5hRmtQcDh4VWVrOFBocXJydz09

Be sure to stop by the Appalachian Highlands Chapter booth to take home some free native plant seeds including stratified common milkweed.

Are you interested in learning about ecological interactions in your landscaping that includes native plants? Mark Burnham, a WOAH member and professor at Emory & Henry College, is starting a research project studying the sustainability and environmental impacts of home gardens and local small farms. He is looking for folks to volunteer their gardens to help with his research. He will briefly describe his project and ways we may volunteer to help!

Wild Plant Chat Zoom Discussion: Please email your garden photos to share to: [email protected]

Join the Zoom Meeting:

https://wildones-org.zoom.us/j/87250277607?pwd=VTRiRU5hRmtQcDh4VWVrOFBocXJydz09

Winged Deer Park Disc Golf- open to both members and non-members.

Join us as we walk with JCP&R naturalist, Connie Deegan to explore one of the largest patches of naturalized bluebells in East TN. This area also has a large enough population of Spring Beauties to support the specialist Spring Beauty bee.

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The Chat started with a presentation of Garden Evolution from Almost Scratch: Lessons learned by Macey Brown describing her own experiences in creating her native plant garden.

Wild Plant Chat Zoom Discussion: Please email your garden photos to share to: [email protected]

Join the Zoom Meeting:

https://wildones-org.zoom.us/j/87250277607?pwd=VTRiRU5hRmtQcDh4VWVrOFBocXJydz09

Members only!  Steele Creek Park, Civitan Shelter, Bristol

Benefits of being an official Wild Ones member!  This is an opportunity to thin out your flower beds (especially native plants) and bring your labeled plants (or seeds) to swap/share.  Most of us will take home more than we bring!  You will be charged $2 at the gate for parking.

The Appalachian Highlands Chapter had an informational table with displays and handouts for the Chapter.  We estimated over 100 stopped at our table each day and over 60 asked to be added to our email list for future event information.

Laurel Run Park's floral and fauna diversity is amazing! Join us as we inventory all the naturally occurring life the park has to offer as part of the world's largest all species bioblitz- the City Nature Challenge.  Parts of the trail will be muddy, wear sturdy shoes.  This walk is to the creek but we will not be crossing it.  Last year we recorded rare butterflies, rare plants and rare migrating birds!

Parking is limited at the Laurel Creek trailhead in the Cherokee National Forest.  Therefore, we plan to meet in Damascus and, after touring the Gardens, carpool to view the Pink Lady Slippers about 5 miles south.  There is adequate parking in Damascus at Laurel Creek Park (127 West Imboden Street) 2 blocks from the Damascus Trail Center.  If you plan to come to this Family Friendly event, please send an email to [email protected]  before May 5.

First Stop: 1:30 pm, Damascus Trail Center, 209 West Laurel Ave., Damascus, VA.  Past president Gail Olson will describe native plant landscaping that she designed in her Master Gardener role.  This is the second growing season for this collection of 40 native species.  A native plant wetland is currently being installed there.  Arrive early to tour the DTC, which has restrooms available. 

Second Stop: 3:00 pm, Laurel Creek Trail, Cherokee National Forest, Johnson County, TN, Highway 91, 
approximately 5 miles south from Damascus, Va. and 9 miles north from Mountain City, TN.  Member Ken More, retired Asst. Dir. of the North Carolina Botanical Garden, will lead the walk to see a thriving natural population of pink lady slippers along a short, accessible, hard packed gravel trail.  Seeing Pink Lady Slippers in the wild is very special, because these orchids do not survive relocation away from their natural home.  We may also see Showy Orchids and Louseworts, among other early May wildflowers.  Participants wishing to extend their afternoon of wildflower observations, are welcome to stay longer to explore a nearby more difficult creek-side trail.  Picnic tables and a handicap-accessible Porto-toilet are near the parking lot.

Garden meadows have color, interest, and wildlife value every month, but July can be one of the more spectacular displays of native wildflowers.  Gail Olson has been converting a hayfield to a meadow for 10 years.  She will describe the process and lessons learned to establish over 40 species of wildflowers, grasses, and shrubs covering ¼ acre.  The Olson’s Garden was featured in a recent issue of the Wild Ones digital journal, see Read More.

The tour will be followed by a social hour.  You are invited to bring light refreshments to share and a beverage of your choice.  Water will be provided.

Directions will be sent to members in the Chapter Newsletter.

Damage from deer pressure can be very frustrating and costly! Michele Armon from Ninety % Native deals with this issue daily on her wooded lot in Northern Virginia.  She will talk about the methods she uses to reduce deer damage and the plants she finds to be particularly unattractive for deer browsing. While different herds are known to eat different things and nothing is really deer resistant, Michele hopes you can apply some of her lessons learned in a way that will help you limit deer damage in your landscape.

Zoom Link: https://wildones-org.zoom.us/j/87250277607?pwd=VTRiRU5hRmtQcDh4VWVrOFBocXJydz09

We are pleased to have Chris Ludwig draw on his passion and knowledge of Virginia’s flora to describe native plants that can be utilized in our gardens to create natural wildlife habitat.

Chris worked for the Virginia Natural Heritage Program within the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.  There he served as Staff Botanist from 1988 to 1996 and Chief Biologist from 1997 until his retirement in 2019.  For 31 years, Chris explored the wilds of Virginia, documenting more than 1,000 rare species populations resulting in a new, richer understanding of Virginia’s biodiversity.  In 2001, he founded and served as executive director of the Flora of Virginia Project (https://floraofvirginia.org/) an organization supporting the 2012 publication of The Flora of Virginia, a comprehensive manual to the vascular plants of the Commonwealth.  Chris was a coauthor of the manual which describes nearly 3,200 plant species native to or naturalized in Virginia.

Join Wild Ones Appalachian Highlands Chapter on Thursday, September 14 at 7 p.m. for Chris’s presentation.  It will be at the Virginia Highlands Community College located at 100 VHCC Drive, Abingdon, VA.  Take Exit 14/I-81. drive toward Abingdon and turn right at the first traffic light onto VHCC Drive.  Take the first left on to Opportunity Ln. when you enter campus (do not drive down to the Higher Education Center).  We will be meeting in the Keyser-Aday Theatre on campus.  The campus map highlights parking and the Theatre.  The theatre is straight ahead from the roundabout, but you can find parking from any of the turns.

Join Wild Ones Honorary Director Heather Holm as she explores the nesting habitats, life cycles, pollen collection, brood rearing, and general characteristics of some of the most common native bees in eastern North America, while highlighting the pollination of native plants and the mutualism between native plants and native bees.

When creating and managing thriving habitats for native bees, many factors such as seasonal phenology, nesting strategies, and flower preferences must be considered—and with approximately 3,600 species in North America (north of Mexico), there are many unique aspects to keep in mind when managing successful landscapes for bees. 

The Chapter provided a speaker and information table for the Park's annual family-oriented Wildlife Weekend.  Gail Olson spoke on Native Plant Gardening to an audience of 20.  The information table included an activity to distinguish between native and non-native plants given a collection of fresh flowers from 12 plants and a sheet to put stickers next to native plant names.  

New names and emails were recorded for 10 potential new members.  At least 30-40 participated in plant quiz and over 50 stopped at info table.

Members only!  Steele Creek Park, Civitan Shelter, Bristol

Benefits of being an official Wild Ones member!  This is an opportunity to thin out your flower beds (especially native plants) and bring your labeled plants (or seeds) to swap/share.  Most of us will take home more than we bring!  You will be charged $2 at the gate for parking.

Artist Suzanne Stryk invites us to her William King Museum of Art studio to explore her newest project featuring natural landscapes in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee.  She'll also read from her book, The Middle of Somewhere, which describes her three-year creative journey across Virginia to create an art project titled "Notes on the State of Virginia"-- a spin on Thomas Jefferson's book of that title.  Suzanne's assemblages will open your eyes to minute details and the vast natural world we all share.  Be sure to mark your calendar for October 26!

There will be limited seating with Wild Ones members given the first opportunity to register.  Registration will be announced closer to the event. 

On November 2nd we will celebrate our second year as the Appalachian Highlands Chapter with a social hour and business meeting.  The social hour will include a slide show reviewing our activities over the year.  This will be followed by a short business meeting with election of 2024 officers.  Finally, the 3-yr strategic plan for the Chapter will be presented.  The plan is based primarily on the Chapter Strategic Directions survey which had 44% of the members providing input.  Water and coffee will be provided.  Please bring your favorite light refreshment and your nametag.  

The Summit building is set back from Volunteer Parkway with an access road between Eastman Credit Union and Bank of Tennessee.  There is a cut-through the Parkway divide for a left turn if you are coming from downtown Bristol area.  

Join us for an enlightening webinar featuring authors, Neil Diboll and Hilary Cox, as they present their latest book, "The Gardener’s Guide to Prairie Plants." This comprehensive compendium is a treasure trove of knowledge for gardeners looking to incorporate native prairie plants into their landscapes. Neil and Hilary will delve into the making and application of this essential guide, sharing rich historical and ecological insights about prairie ecosystems, all while showcasing stunning images of prairie flora. 

Good native landscaping attracts All animals.  Snakes are an amazingly important part of the ecosystem, and many people happily coexist with snakes on their property.  Connie Deegan’s program will include a discussion on the physiology of snakes, the rarity of actual snake bites and what to do in the event of a rare mishap.  Connie Deegan is a naturalist, with the city of Johnson City, TN Parks and Recreation Department, specializing in herpetology.  Connie received the Tennessee Wildlife Federation Conservation Achievement Award in 2021 for Conservation Educator of the Year.  Her motto: Any day working outside is a good day!

Connie will have an article on this subject in the September issue of the WildOnes quarterly digital journal available for WOAH members by accessing their Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes web account.

Join Zoom Meeting:  https://wildones-org.zoom.us/j/86554043647?pwd=MU1GNU1tQXYzZkRDNEE5eVdpWHhYQT09