Events

Join Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay at UP Meadow Day - This is a community event hosted by the Town of University Park Sustainability Committee and celebrates native pollinator habitat in University Park!

Event Address: UP Native Pollinator Meadow on Adelphi Road, across Hyattsville Recreation Center on Toledo Ave near Library.
Town of University Park Maryland

Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay will be partnering with Nurture Natives for this fun-filled famliy event. We will have information on monarch butterflies and their host plants and nectar plants, as well as information on our chapter. We will also be distributing milkweed (subject to availability). 

Get ready for a buzzing good time at BUGFEST - a fun-filled day celebrating all things creepy, crawly, and cool. Participants can enter a free raffle on-site for a chance to win a bug hotel!

What’s happening?
UMD Insect Zoo 
Bug Olympics 
Airbrush Tattoos 
Plant a Pot with Master Gardeners 
Make and take mason bee hotel 
Ages: 6–12 years

Learn from experts: Bartlett Tree Experts, Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay, Calvert County Natural Resources, Master Gardeners

Supplies generously sponsored by: Bartlett Tree Experts

Bugfest is perfect for curious kids who love nature, bugs, and hands-on fun. Bring the family and join us for a day that’s sure to bee unforgettable!

You planted native. Your neighbor has opinions. Maybe your HOA does too. If you’ve ever felt like the hardest part of native plant gardening is the conversations, not the gardening, you’re not alone.

Wild Ones is thrilled to share this upcoming free webinar as part of the 2026 Less Lawn More Life Challenge. Join Lorraine Johnson for a practical conversation on navigating HOA rules, addressing neighbor concerns, and fostering community conversations about native plant gardening and ecological landscapes.

Native plants are the foundation of habitat, but wildlife need more than food to thrive. Join ecologist and Certified Wildlife Biologist Shaun McCoshum, PhD, to explore how nesting sites, shelter, water, soil conditions, and other often-overlooked resources can transform a yard into a functioning ecosystem that supports biodiversity year-round.

Registration link coming soon.

A collaboration between Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay, Deale Library, and Southern Maryland Native Plant People. Native plants will be shared with participants. A table with information regarding the benefits of native plants, Wild Ones membership information and plant lists for native plant conditions and garden design. Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay members will be available to answer questions and provide other guidance for including native plants in residential gardens. 

What does it really take to turn a conventional lawn into a thriving native meadow? Join Owner & Principal, New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL), Sara Weaner Cooper for a candid look at her family's ongoing lawn-to-meadow transformation featured in The New York Times and BBC. Drawing from three years of hands-on experience, Sara will share the methods, lessons learned, successes, and challenges of converting turfgrass into a dynamic native plant community. Participants will gain practical insights into site preparation, planting, management, and the ecological principles that guide successful meadow establishment, along with realistic expectations for how these landscapes evolve over time.

Registration link coming soon.

Event hosted by Cape St. Claire Improvement Association. Visit the Read More link for more information from the host. 

Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay members will be on hand to provide information on native plants with an outreach/display table during the plant sale. 

Bats are among the most important and misunderstood wildlife in our communities. Join experts from Bat Conservation International to explore how native plants, healthy insect populations, and thoughtful landscape design can help support bats. Learn about the ecological role of bats and discover practical ways to create habitat for North America's night flyers right in your own backyard.

Registration link coming soon.

Monarch butterflies depend on a network of habitats stretching across North America, and home landscapes can play an important role in their survival. Join experts from Monarch Joint Venture to explore the science behind monarch conservation, including the importance of milkweed, nectar resources, and regionally appropriate habitat. Learn practical ways to support monarchs through native landscaping and help sustain one of the world's most remarkable migrations.
 

Registration link coming soon.