Category: Our Education

Meadows Matter: A Nature Walk about Habitat, Pollinators, and Beneficial Insects in our Ecosystems

Posted on | Community Science, Habitat Impact, Our Education

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 […] Continue reading "Meadows Matter: A Nature Walk about Habitat, Pollinators, and Beneficial Insects in our Ecosystems"

From Bloom to Buzz: Protecting Pollinators and Beneficial Insects Amid Climate Change

Posted on | Our Education

On Tuesday, September 23, Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay was proud to host “From Bloom to Buzz: Protecting Pollinators and Beneficial Insects Amid Climate Change” with Madeline Potter, Faculty Specialist in Entomology and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) with the University of Maryland Extension (UME) Home and Garden Information Center. In this presentation, Madeline explored the vital […] Continue reading "From Bloom to Buzz: Protecting Pollinators and Beneficial Insects Amid Climate Change"

Butterfly Trails and Pollinator Paths: Beautiful and Beneficial

Posted on | Our Education

Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay member Amy Henderson is passionate about native plants. Read about Amy’s journey in her own words and watch Amy’s presentation on “Butterfly Trails and Pollinator Paths: Beautiful and Beneficial” presented at the Leonardtown Library earlier this summer. Thank you, Amy, for all you do to promote native plants and biodiversity in […] Continue reading "Butterfly Trails and Pollinator Paths: Beautiful and Beneficial"

September Events Featuring Madeline Potter

Posted on | Habitat Impact, Our Education

Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay is excited to announce two events in September featuring Madeline Potter, Faculty Specialist in Entomology and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) with the University of Maryland Extension (UME) Home and Garden Information Center. In this role, she educates the public and provides training to UME faculty and staff on insect conservation, sustainable […] Continue reading "September Events Featuring Madeline Potter"

Increasing Biodiversity One Yard at a Time

Posted on | Native Plants & Seeds, Our Education

During our July 2025 meeting, Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay (WOCB) members Robin Madel and Sue Williams present “Increasing Biodiversity One Yard at a Time” and discuss turning residential gardens into more biodiverse native plantings. Topics include ecoregions, critical areas, and considerations for choosing native plants. Robin Madel is an environmental educator who has been helping […] Continue reading "Increasing Biodiversity One Yard at a Time"

Building Habitat for Native Bees – Youth Empowerment

Posted on | Community Engagement, Habitat Impact, Our Education

One of the keystone programs of Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay is youth empowerment. Our chapter President, Marlene Smith, has been mentoring Esther Bonney, WOCB chapter member and Founder/President of Nurture Natives, since the two met at a local University of Maryland Extension 4-H project on pollinators in January 2022. Together, the two have partnered on […] Continue reading "Building Habitat for Native Bees – Youth Empowerment"

“Bees Beyond Honey” with Lora Morandin

Posted on | Our Education

In the past two blogs, we introduced Sam Droege and Dave Hunter, two of three guest speakers on the February 20th Wild Ones webinar on “Bees Beyond Honey, Understanding Native and Managed Pollinators” hosted by Sara Ressing, Wild Ones Education and Program Coordinator. In this third installment of this multipart series on “Bees Beyond Honey”, […] Continue reading "“Bees Beyond Honey” with Lora Morandin"

“Bees Beyond Honey” with Dave Hunter

Posted on | Our Education

In last week’s blog, we introduced you to Sam Droege, one of three guest speakers on the February 20th Wild Ones webinar on “Bees Beyond Honey, Understanding Native and Managed Pollinators” hosted by Sara Ressing, Wild Ones Education and Program Coordinator. In this second installment of this multipart series on “Bees Beyond Honey”, we introduce […] Continue reading "“Bees Beyond Honey” with Dave Hunter"

“Bees Beyond Honey” with Sam Droege

Posted on | Our Education

In the February 2025 Wild Ones webinar on “Bees Beyond Honey, Understanding Native and Managed Pollinators” hosted by Sara Ressing, Wild Ones Education and Program Coordinator, we were introduced to three pollinator experts: USGS Wildlife biologist Sam Droege, Crown Bees founder Dave Hunter, and Associate Director of the Pollinator Partnership Lora Morandin. Sam, Dave, and […] Continue reading "“Bees Beyond Honey” with Sam Droege"

Show Your Love with Native Seeds

Posted on | Native Plants & Seeds, Our Education, Our Work, Public Outreach, Uncategorized

Collecting, cleaning, sharing, and sowing native seeds are keystone activities of Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay. Collecting Seeds From the time the spring ephemerals start to drop their seeds in spring until the last of the fall bloomers’ seeds have ripened, our chapter members were armed with organza bags, paper bags, markers, and clippers in hand […] Continue reading "Show Your Love with Native Seeds"