Welcome to Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay Chapter!
We promote environmentally friendly, sound landscaping to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration, and establishment of native plant communities across Southern Maryland.
Wild Ones chapters are a space where like-minded people gather to support each other in learning about landscaping with native plants and to share with others in their communities and networks about why it’s important to reintroduce native plants into public and private gardens and how to go about doing it. Chapters are where change happens. We are excited to offer local residents the opportunity to expand their impact in the natural landscaping movement and help promote native plants!
SAVE THE DATES for our Upcoming Chapter Events
Please join us for one or more of our upcoming events. Most events are free and open to the public, but please note that some require registration. Please be sure to invite friends and family! Visit our Events page, our chapter Google calendar, or our Facebook Events page for registration and/or RSVP information.
Recent Posts/News
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- Fall 2025 at a Glance
Fall 2025 has been a busy one for Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay (WOCB), starting with a meadow walk in early September through our participation at the Leonardtown Library’s Diamond Jubilee the last weekend of October and planting a hedgerow in the Front Yard native garden. Whether virtual or in-person, there was something everyone. September Meadows… Read more: Fall 2025 at a Glance - Meadows Matter: A Nature Walk about Habitat, Pollinators, and Beneficial Insects in our Ecosystems
On September 13, 2025, we explored the meadow habitat at Gatewood Preserve in Calvert County! We were fortunate to have as our primary leader Maddie Potter – Faculty Specialist in Entomology and Integrated Pest Management, University of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center. We started with a brief talk from Maddie about the vital connections between… Read more: Meadows Matter: A Nature Walk about Habitat, Pollinators, and Beneficial Insects in our Ecosystems - October is National Leave the Leaves Month!
October is a perfect time to adopt some wildlife-friendly fall gardening practices. While its common practice to bag leaves as “yard waste” and send them to landfills, it’s actually incredibly valuable habitat for wildlife and nutrients for plants. Making the shift to use your fallen leaves in your garden rather than throwing them out can… Read more: October is National Leave the Leaves Month! - Spotted Lanternfly Research and Webinars
Can Nature Help Stop the Spread of Spotted Lanternflies (SLF)? “The spotted lanternfly, first detected in the U.S. in 2014, is an invasive insect that threatens vineyards, ornamentals and forestry. When they munch on tree bark from a specific species called the tree of heaven, they become toxic too, by sequestering the bitter-tasting compounds from the tree… Read more: Spotted Lanternfly Research and Webinars
A Few of My Favorite Native Things
Native bees buzzing and fireflies lighting
Monarches eclosing and new species sightings
Hummingbirds hover on fast-moving wings
These are a few of my favorite things
Red oaks and white oaks in decades old glory
Dogwoods and redbuds in the understory
Paw paw, persimmon, sassafras seedlings
These are a few of my favorite things
Beechdrops on beech roots and milkweed fluff flowing
Seed heads turn brown as the plants finish growing
Winter approaches and then then comes the spring
When I’ll enjoy more of my native things
When the frost bites
When the wind stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my native gard’ning
And then I don't feel so bad
by Marlene Smith, President Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay