What a busy fall season our chapter has had! From tots programs to free native plant giveaways, installing new gardens to maintaining existing ones, chapter members have volunteered hundreds of hours to support our vision of native plants and natural landscapes thriving in every community. We’ll be posting a blog of our fall activities soon, plus providing an annual recap at our virtual chapter meeting on November 17. Don’t forget to register in advance to receive the zoom link.
Our annual chapter elections are currently underway. Members were emailed the link to the e-ballot on October 18. Reminder – only active members can vote, and only 1 vote per membership. Voting is open until midnight November 5.
Featured Highlights
We are excited to be hosting a Pop-Up Thrift Store on Sunday, December 6, 10 am – 3 pm, at Thomas Stone High School. Shop our unique collection of gently used gardening, nature, and holiday items and meet other chapter members. Help reduce, reuse, and recycle while supporting native plants, insects, birds, and other wildlife. Special thanks to chapter member Tracey Stuller for inviting us to host the Pop-Up Thrift Store.
All proceeds from the Pop-Up Thrift Store will benefit Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay programs that promote native plants and natural landscapes thriving in every community! You can help support our Pop-Up Thrift Store by:
- Donating gently used gardening, nature, and holiday items in advance of the sale
- Volunteering to help prepare donations for the sale (date to be determined)
- Volunteering the day of the sale
- Shopping at the Pop-Up Thrift Store
If you would like to donate items, help prepare donations, of volunteer the day of the sale, please contact us at: [email protected].
Our Pop-Up Thrift Store is being held in partnership with the annual Holiday Craft Fair at Thomas Stone High School, a decades old tradition in Charles County. Shoppers can browse a wide variety of crafts and gifts from over 100 vendors while supporting local makers and conservation efforts.
Sponsored this year by the Southern Maryland Audubon Society, this festive event will also feature a new “Where the Wild Things Are” corridor of local nonprofit environmental and conservation organizations whose missions support healthy local ecosystems. Participating organizations with educational outreach tables include Southern Maryland Audubon Society, Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay, Port Tobacco River Conservancy, and the College of Southern Maryland Seed Library. Come out and learn about their work and ways to get involved.
Upcoming Events
Thank you to chapter members who were involved in activities and events last month! Our upcoming events have something for everyone, and volunteers are always welcome! If you would like to volunteer at any of our upcoming events or at our garden workdays, please email us. We rely on volunteers to help make our events successful and to make our garden workdays so much fun (“Many hands make light work!). Your support helps our chapter grow and ensures our vision of native plants and natural landscapes thriving in every community.
Tots in the Front Yard: Sleepy Seeds in the Front Yard!
📆 Saturday, November 14th, 2026
⏰ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
📍Leonardtown Library, 23630 Hayden Farm Ln, Leonardtown, MD, 20650 Map
A fun exploration of seeds and fruits found in the garden for flowers, shrubs and trees. We have flower seeds & pods, shrub fruits and tree nuts to look at, feel and learn to associate with our garden plants.
Annual Chapter Meeting
📆 Tuesday, November 17th, 2026
⏰ 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
📍Online/Virtual
Join us for our annual chapter meeting. Our annual meeting agenda will include – annual Board of Directors election results, membership report, financial report, and a summary of our year’s activities, including public outreach, habitat impact, education, advocacy, and collaborations. We also hope to share a preview of our “Year in Review” video.
Holiday Pop-Up Thrift Store
📆 Sunday, December 6th, 2026
⏰ 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
📍Thomas Stone High School, 3785 Leonardtown Rd, Waldorf, MD, 20601 Map
Join us for a Holiday Pop-Up Thrift Store at Thomas Stone High School on Sunday, December 6, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Shop our unique collection of gently used gardening, nature, and holiday items and meet other chapter members. Help reduce, reuse, and recycle while supporting native plants, insects, birds, and other wildlife. All proceeds from the Pop-Up Thrift Store will benefit Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay programs that promote native plants and natural landscapes thriving in every community!
Recent News Blogs
If you’re not following our News blogs, please check them out. This is one of the ways we keep our members and community up to date on what’s happening in our chapter. As always, we invite all members to contribute to our chapter’s News blog and/or social media channels. If you have anything related to native plants that you’d like to write about for publication on our News blog or social media, please email us, along with any photos or videos, and we’ll be happy to publish them. Likewise, if your work in the community has been recognized in the media or if you’ve received an award, please let us know so we can share it with our chapter members and the national office. We know our members are doing a lot of great work out in our community, and we’d like to share and recognize your accomplishments!
Nonprofit Spotlight – Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership
Did you know that for Maryland’s native birds, finding the right habitat is becoming increasingly difficult? However, the Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership (MBCP) is changing that narrative from the ground up. In this sixth post in our ongoing series of nonprofit organizations, we introduce you to the MBCP, its programs, and our recent collaborations to […] Continue reading
From Brower Youth Award to BBC Earth, Esther Bonney Helps Heal the Planet
We are excited and proud to announce that Esther Bonney, Founder and Executive Director of Nurture Natives, lifetime member of Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay, and Honorary Director of Wild Ones (2026-2029), has been recognized nationally as one of six 2026 Brower Youth Award winners for promoting mental health through native landscapes. And internationally, Esther is […] Continue reading
October 2026 WOCB Chapter Pulse – Just Say No to Fall Cleanup
Over time, our gardens and our garden practices change, and that’s ok. And quite frankly, it’s to be expected. I often say “when we know better, we do better.” One of the many things I’ve learned over the years – native gardens are not “no maintenance”, but they can be lower maintenance, especially this time […] Continue reading
ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)
Watch the “Bats in the Backyard” webinar and check out the new Bat-Friendly Native Garden Design.
What does a bat-friendly landscape look like? Bats need reliable food sources, clean water, safe places to roost, dark travel corridors, and insect-rich landscapes. Native plants can help form the foundation of this habitat by supporting the moths and other insects many bats depend on.
Watch the recording of our Bats in the Backyard webinar with experts from Bat Conservation International to learn how your yard, big or small, can contribute to bat conservation. Then put it into practice with our new bat-friendly native garden design, created by Melanie Hick and made possible through the generous sponsorship of WildYard.
Let’s make a difference for bats this Bat Week and all year long!
Wildly appreciative of your continued support!
✍️M.Smith
Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay is deeply rooted in native plants and cultivating partnerships, while striving to educate, advocate, and collaborate to connect people and native plants for a healthy planet. Our vision is native plants and natural landscapes thriving in every community. Check out our Events page, Google calendar, Facebook, and/or Instagram for our upcoming events. And don’t forget to subscribe to our new YouTube channel and email subscriber list!
