Past Events

Josh Banks is an architect (and gardener!) in the Tri-Cities region focusing on designing thoughtful structures that are inspired by the wealth of craftsmanship, history, and natural beauty found in Southern Appalachia and the South. Josh is also an enthusiastic gardener, novice naturalist, and also owns a small scale plant nursery, Paragraph Designs Nursery, where he focuses on growing local ecotype native plants sustainably.

In "Connecting Home & Garden" Josh will discuss the ways in which gardens can accentuate, compliment, and harmonize with the built environment, specifically residences. He will focus on 3 tenets of design that can help achieve harmony between home and garden: Central Idea and Mood, Compliments and Counterpoints, and Balance and Scale.

No registration is required. Join the Zoom meeting at:

https://wildones-org.zoom.us/j/85601661364?pwd=BMhBbLreNa92baxIN6miG0GAwO5oe5.1

Gail Olson will discuss the importance of using native plants in your home gardens and using a method called Winter Sowing to enhance your seed germination this winter. 

Gail is a member of both the Washington County Master Gardeners and founder of the Wild Ones Appalachian Highlands Chapter.

Gail enjoys creating wildlife habitat in her gardens at home by using native plants and management practices to enhance those habitats. She shares this knowledge in habitat classes for Master Gardeners and helping with local public native gardens, such as the Damascus Trail Center.

The presentation on Winter Sowing will be followed by the seed swap.  Many local gardeners, organizations, and farms will have seed to share.  Feel free to bring your own seeds to swap with others, although this is not a requirement.

The event is co-sponsored by Sustain Abingdon, Washington County Master Gardeners, and Wild Ones Appalachian Highlands.

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.

Humans have both the power to destroy nature and the power to heal it. Learn about why we can’t just leave vegetative systems “alone” to return back to their natural states when they have been so heavily manipulated by us. The DCR Natural Heritage Program works to manage, restore, and protect many different types of threatened and endangered habitats and species throughout southwest Virginia. Many of these unique community assemblages or species could be helped by you through greater awareness, volunteer stewardship, or incorporation into your tiny piece of the Earth.

Laura Young will be presenting this talk for the Appalachian Highlands chapter of Wild One. She works with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and will be sharing information related to her work with rivercane restoration on the The Cedars Natural Area Preserve.

In-Person in room 130 of the ISC Building on the campus of Virginia Highlands Community College (VHCC) or virtual via Zoom.

You can link here to VHCC’s campus map and directions: https://www.vhcc.edu/campus-map-directions

Zoom Link:  https://wildones-org.zoom.us/j/89405383386?pwd=MN6DzUB0yMNZmkjNnX8AdK8whhEXQa.1

This Zoom workshop features information on creating a wildlife pond to enhance your native habitat. Wildlife ponds are especially attractive to amphibians and insects, both of which are essential parts of the diversity puzzle. Also, learn about FrogWatch, a national citizen science program that you can participate in to provide important data about frogs and toad populations. Attract them and they will come! Presented by Melanie Smith, WOAH member, Holston Rivers Master Naturalists and FrogWatch Coordinator.

No registration is required. Join the Zoom meeting at:

https://wildones-org.zoom.us/j/83795791828?pwd=uarJBiHAlosaKsERHYxfkkbqFz6JLv.1 

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.

This is a great opportunity to learn about natives, get plants or seeds, and meet members! It is a benefit of being a Wild Ones Appalachian Highlands member.  It is an opportunity to thin out your flower beds of native plants and bring your labeled plants or seeds to swap and share.  If you don’t have any extras, just come and take some home!

The Swap will be followed by a potluck dinner and social hour.  Please bring your own beverage and a dish to share. You will be charged $2 at the gate for parking.

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/ 

Join Laura Young, the Southwest Regional Steward of the VA Natural Heritage Program, to visit one of the most unique natural areas in Virginia.  The Cedars Natural Area Preserve is home to over 30 rare, threatened, or endangered plant and animal species and communities in southwest Virginia.  It also protects and manages for springs, karst features, caves, and riverbanks that are home to over 60 rare, threatened, and endangered aquatic and cave species.  

The targeted unique landscapes range from rocky limestone above ground karst with cliff break ferns and stone crop to dry, fire-maintained prairie glades loaded with big blue stem, hoary puccoon, yarrow leaved ragwort, and lobelias. We have woodland savannas full of milkweeds, mountain mints, and rattlesnake master that are abundant with butterflies and other pollinators during the summer months. As well as wet, rich, coves full of celandine poppies, Virginia blue bells, spring beauties, and bloodroot.  We'll try to take a glance at a wide variety of different communities in various stages of restoration. 

The Cedars is not a typical preserve in the sense of walking trails and parking areas, it exists for the resources first and the humans second.  Plan to be walking through the forest, potentially on uneven ground, and through vegetation at times. It's recommended to wear long pants and sturdy hiking shoes or boots, and bring trekking poles if they would assist you.  Bug spray and sunscreen are recommended as well as whatever food, water, and weather appropriate clothing items you need to have a good day in the woods. 

Participation in this event will be limited to maintain a high-quality experience for all attendees. WOAH members can register starting May 10th, and registration will be available to the others starting May31th. Register by email to:  [email protected]

The Cedars are about 1 ½ hour drive from Bristol.  Confirmation and directions to The Cedars will be provided to the registrants. by email.

Join Lee Borg at the Blue Ridge Discovery Center to identify and learn about various mushroom species growing there.  Lee is a Virginia Master Naturalist with a passion for edible wild mushrooms.  She retired from software engineering after 36 years, moved to the mountains, and began to notice mushrooms.  Dazzled by the stunning variety of shapes and colors, curiosity drove her to have them identified.  When told she had found a choice edible, something shifted in with her mind about the possibility of obtaining good food from the forest vs. the grocery store.  Lee has now safely consumed over 100 species of wild mushrooms, learned about the trees and plants that support them, and most importantly, how interconnected our natural world is.

We encourage participants to bring a sack lunch and explore the wildlife habitat at the BRDC after the mushroom walk.  Included are a wetland, rain garden and nature trail. 

Participation in this event will be limited to maintain a high-quality experience for all attendees.  WOAH members can register starting June 24th, and registration will be available to the public starting July 10th.  

Register by email to: [email protected]

We are excited to offer a home garden tour by Susan Brown, a WOAH member since 2022.  She has spent 3 years transitioning some of her 12 wooded acres to native plants.  Susan has consulted with Christy Shivell, owner of Shy Vallet Nursery in Fall Branch, TN.  Christy will be joining us to talk about her design and planting of various areas.  Susan has native plants around her house and a new area established with Christy’s help.  There are also 4 sections of a rain garden that run down a slope in front of her house.  An open sloped area has native nut and berry trees and shrubs.

She and her husband have spent many hours eradicating Japanese Stilt grass and Asiatic bittersweet, along with many other invasives.  We can learn a lot from her experiences with this evolving project.

Susan’s list of native plants is impressive.  We believe you will have to see her gardens to appreciate the work she has done over 3 years. 

Location: Members will use email to register for the tour: [email protected] and the address will be provided by email closer to the date.

Join Certified Tennessee Naturalist Jen Skarsaune to explore the flora and fauna of edge habitat at Doe Mountain Recreation Area.  We will learn about native plants in bloom and some of the pollinators that they support.  Jen is a member of the WOAH Chapter.

We will gather at the Doe Mountain Adventure Center before leaving on a 1-mile naturalist guided walk along one of Doe Mountain's trails.  Wear durable footwear and weather appropriate clothing.  The walk will take approximately an hour.  Bring your curiosity, a water bottle and hiking stick.  This is a FREE event. You do not need to purchase a day pass but please complete a waiver if you do not already have a DMRA pass.  https://waiver.smartwaiver.com/w/wvujn19nk2mezbgnmb2ymw/web/

This event is open exclusively to Wild Ones Appalachian Highlands members.  Participation will be limited to maintain a high-quality experience for all attendees.  WOAH members can register via email to: [email protected].  DMRA is about 1 hour’s drive from Bristol.  Confirmation will be provided to the registrants by email.

Date:  Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Time:  6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Location:  Adventure Center, 1203 Harbin Hill Road, Mountain City, TN 37683

From Shady Valley, take US421 to J Shoun Rd and Harbin Hill Rd to the Center.  From Damascus, take TN91 South to Mountain City and TN 67 2.7 miles west to Harbin Hill Road. The Center coordinates are: 36.45635, -81.84616

More info: http://dmra.gov

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon!