Events

Chesapeake Natives’ mission is to propagate. promote and protect native plants of the coastal plains and piedmont that form the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. We aim to restore home and public landscapes and park lands in this region with local ecotype native species (LENS) that best contribute to biodiversity, our best natural defense against the impacts of climate change. 

"Join us for the Third Annual Rosaryville Native Plant Festival & Chesapeake Natives' 20th Anniversary Celebration!
Come out to Chesapeake Natives Nursery in Rosaryville State Park on Saturday, May 17th from 10AM–2PM for a day of nature, community, and celebration! In addition to our wide selection of *local ecotype native species (LENS)* grown from wild-collected seed in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, enjoy live music, food trucks, educational activities, local artists, and partner organizations.  
Our knowledgeable volunteers will be on hand to help you find the perfect plants for your space, and to share how LENS support pollinators, wildlife, and a healthier Bay. Celebrate 20 years of impact with us—we can't wait to see you there!"
 

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/ 

Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay is deeply rooted in natives! Join us for our bi-monthly Garden Chat to connect and learn from other native plant garden enthusiasts in our area. We welcome gardeners that are just beginning their journey to those with many years of experience as we all continue to learn about native plants and their ecosystems.

Members of Wild Ones are committed to restoring native landscapes and educating the public. We are often asked a seemingly simple question: “Which are the best native plants?” This month's presenter is Barry Stahl, a professional horticulturist with a career in public gardens throughout the Washington DC area. As a volunteer, he has served as a Master Naturalist, Tree Commissioner, Community Garden Designer and Board Member at Chesapeake Natives Nursery. In 2019, along with his wife Kathy Shollenberger, he founded the Wildlife Habitat Program through Prince George’s Audubon Society. Barry's presentation points out that there are many considerations and he provides a framework for optimal plant selection.

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://wildones-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/ZdnUkIzlS0-QKaEqR9v6DA#/registration

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Join Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay and Nurture Natives at our Bona Terra Community-Led Seedling Giveaway at NatureFest 2025 at the College of Southern Maryland, La Plata campus, on May 31 from 10 am – 2 pm. We are also joining forces with Southern Maryland Audubon and the Town of La Plata to share the message of “Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities.” Providing native plant seedlings is the perfect way to help restore biodiversity in our communities.

Prepare to be amazed, get your hands dirty, and have loads of fun as we learn about the beauties of nature together! NatureFest is a vibrant, family-friendly event celebrating nature and wildlife. Launched during COVID to inspire outdoor exploration, it has grown significantly in its five years. Last year, over 400 children and their families attended, and with support from 30+ mission-aligned partners and a new collaboration with the College of Southern Maryland, we anticipate 500+ attendees this year. The festival features hands-on activities like gardening and wildlife conservation, live presentations from environmental experts, creative workshops in nature-inspired art and photography, and interactive exhibits highlighting native plants, wildlife, and sustainable living practices.

The Chesapeake Mermaid will be on hand as part of her 15th Anniversary tour, bringing her enchanting show to NatureFest 2025, captivating audiences with tales from the bay and introducing them to her fascinating wildlife companions. 

More details coming soon.

This town event will highlight the Bird City Pocket Park and the importance of adding native plants to our landscape - which dovetails (bird joke) nicely with this year's World Migratory Bird Day theme Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-friendly Cities and Communities. Approximately 6 tables from local environmental/nature groups will provide free native plants, information on how to propagate and why native plants are important to our landscape. Kids will be provided with chalk to decorate the sidewalks with nature oriented objects such as plants, birds, and bees, as well as laugh and dance with Polly the Pollinator (adult in a Bee costume). 

Join us for Southern Maryland Native Plant People's next native plant and seed swap - Sunday, June 22 from 1-3 PM at Kings Landing Park in Huntingtown, MD.

Bring native plants and seeds to share with others - native plants to the Maryland coastal plain only please, if you're not sure, just ask. We are happy to help. To help prevent the spread of invasive plants or troublesome insects like jumping worms, please bring your plants either as bare root or rinse them and pot them in fresh, sterile potting soil. We also ask that you label them (Latin and common name, please!) so we don't forget what we have when we get back home.

If you're new on your native plant journey, that's wonderful - come to learn and take some plants home to get started, you don't need to bring anything to participate.

This event is done in partnership with Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay chapter and Calvert Nature Society.

Tabling event and tour of the Rain Garden

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon!