Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay is deeply rooted in collaborating with and recognizing the like-minded organizations that share our passion for native plants and natural landscapes.
At the College of Southern Maryland, we have the pleasure of partnering with Tracey Stuller and Madeline Kaba on numerous initiatives, including native seed cleaning workshops, winter sowing, and starting a seed library at their La Plata campus in March 2025. The seed library is open to CSM students, staff, faculty, and residents of Charles County.
At the Forrest Career and Tech Center, we partner with Dorothy Birch and her Natural Resources Management students on pollinator gardens, seed cleaning, winter sowing, and most recently, our new “Building Habitat for Native Bees” program.
Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay member Esther Bonney was featured on the Homegrown National Park website and on their Facebook page for her personal testimonial on why she plants native.
“I’m a high school senior, and I fell in love with native plants during my freshman year, spending countless hours by my local creek, where I found peace and healing. This journey ignited a passion for ecology, which inspired me to start Nurture Natives, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering young people through initiatives that promote native biodiversity. Since 2022, Nurture Natives has engaged 9,600 young people, distributed 58,400 seedlings, and planted 2.2 million seeds. Witnessing the native plant movement blossom across Southern Maryland-driven by the enthusiasm and hands of our generation-fills me with hope. I’m so excited about the journey ahead and the impact we can make together right in our own backyards!” ~ Esther Bonney
Sharing our chapter’s and members’ activities and awards allows Wild Ones National the opportunity to celebrate and share our achievements through various channels, including the Wild Ones Journal, at the Annual Member Meeting, in Wild Ones chapter/member newsletters, on the Wild Ones website and social media channels, in programs/presentations, and in printed brochures/materials.
Check out the links below to view stories featuring Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay and our members. Have a story to share? Submit links and details to [email protected].
- 2/26/25/24 “Free Vegetable and Plant Seeds Available at CSM Library in La Plata Starting in March”
- 3/26/25 “Southern Maryland Students Build Bee Houses In Native Pollinator Program”
- 3/27/25 “Youth Join Forces to Create Homes for Native Bees”
- 4/3/25 “Why I Plant Native“
- 4/7/2025 Homegrown National Park personal testimonial “Why We Care” (scroll to Esther Bonney)