The Ann Arbor Chapter of Wild Ones was formed in 1996 and has over 100 members. Our members are primarily from Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, but also welcomes people from from Livingston, western Wayne, and other neighboring counties.

Calendar  |  Projects  |  Membership  |  Email list  |  Officers  |  Committee Chairpersons

    May 09, 2012 (Wed)    

Plant Sale and Exchange at Native Plant Nursery

Time: 6pm
Location: 3052 Nordman Road (Entrance on Butternut, west of Nordman)
    Ann Arbor, MI
    Map

Need native plants? Have extras to share? Join us at our annual plant exchange and sale with Greg Vaclavek, owner of Ann Arbor's very own Native Plant Nursery. Staff from the nursery will be on hand to offer advice and answer questions. Take advantage of this special opportunity to visit the nursery, which is not open for retail sales at any other time of the year.

Note: Because the Native Plant Nursery is not a retail business, this sale is held with special permission. Please do not visit except during this sale! To purchase plants at other times, stop by the nursery's booth at the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market, May through September. Or, visit the NPN website at www.nativeplant.com.

It's pleasant and economical to share a ride; please consider carpooling to this event. Or, take the AATA bus, route #7.
 

    Jun 13, 2012 (Wed)    

Biodiversity at Oak Openings

Time: 6-8pm
Location: Nichols Arboretum
    1610 Washington Hts.
    Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Meet at the Reader Center near the Peony Garden
For map and directions, click here, then scroll down to Arb info

We will play, we will work. And we will learn more about wildflowers and biodiversity at the Oak Openings Garden.

We'll admire the butterflies and birds visiting the garden, look at beautiful flowers, and talk about how we can use these ideas in our home landscapes.

This event will be held rain or shine.

Free and open to the public. Young people welcome if accompanied by a parent or teacher. Please leave pets at home.

Bring a cushion or stool to sit on, and your own gloves and tools if you wish.

Parking is limited and gas is expensive. Please consider walking, biking, taking the bus, or car-pooling to this event. Nichols Arboretum is served by the Ann Arbor bus system; please visit The Ride for maps and schedules.
 

    Jul 11, 2012 (Wed)    

Seven Gardens by Greg Vaclavek at Sue Williams’s house

Time: 6:45-8:00pm
Location: 3353 Maple Drive
    Ypsilanti, MI 48197 (Pittsfield Township)
    Map

From Sue:

Over a period of seven years, Greg Vaclavek, owner of the Native Plant Nursery in Ann Arbor, planted seven native wildflower gardens in my yard—five in the backyard and two in the front. (One or two of his staff worked with him.)

The gardens include more than 40 varieties of wildflowers, several kinds of sedges, and two small bushes. (In the grassless dog pen, an eighth garden has sprung up, planted by birds, squirrels, and the wind.) In my backyard stand a mature red oak, two mature hickory trees, a small maple, a Kousa dogwood, and two serviceberry trees, yet the shade is not deep—rather sun and shade. The front yard is similar.

My home is on a typical single lot in a residential neighborhood.

Free and open to the public.
 

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The Ann Arbor Chapter occasionally sponsors special one-time or long-term projects. Meetings and workdays for these projects are separate from the monthly chapter meetings.

Oak Openings Garden Project

This long-term project was begun in 2001 and is a joint effort with the University of Michigan Nichols Arboretum. The garden aims to represent a habitat similar to the one that was most common in the Ann Arbor area before settlement by Europeans: open, grassy places with a few widely spaced trees. Meetings and workdays for the garden are held throughout most of the year. For more information, please contact Rick Meader.

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To become a member of the Ann Arbor Chapter, or to renew your membership, please go to www.wildones.org/joining.html and indicate Ann Arbor as your chapter preference.

After becoming a member, please consider joining a committee or serving as an officer. Also consider joining the email list to receive announcements and information regarding Wild Ones and natural landscaping.

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The Ann Arbor Chapter of Wild Ones sponsors an email list. Anyone may subscribe to the list, but only subscribers may send email to the list. A copy of each message is automatically forwarded to all subscribers.

The list is primarily for announcements, questions, and information of interest to native plant gardeners in the southern Michigan area. Please help us keep this focus. Traffic averages about 5-10 messages per month.

To subscribe to the Ann Arbor Chapter’s email list, go to the list's web interface, click on the button labeled, "Join wild.ones," fill in your email address and name, and click on the "Save" button.

To send a message to the list, address your email to wild.ones@umich.edu.

To unsubscribe from the list, send an email to wild.ones-request@umich.edu, with the word UNSUBSCRIBE as the SUBJECT of the message. Leave the body of the email blank.

To change your personal settings for the list, go to the list’s web interface.

To contact the list administrator, send email to wild.ones-owner@listserver.itd.umich.edu.

For more information, see the standard list welcome message. You can print out the page for reference.

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Officers are responsible for the operation of the Ann Arbor Chapter. Each fall, a nominating committee identifies and contacts potential candidates to serve as officers for the following calendar year. Nominations are made in October, and an informal election is held at the November meeting.

President: Oversees the direction of the chapter events, acts as primary “external” contact person, and coordinates with the national organization.
Andrea Matthies: (734) 604-4674, e-mail

Treasurer: Oversees budget and fundraising.
Larry Sanford, (734) 439-1272, e-mail

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Committee chairpersons are responsible for planning and organizing most of the activities and projects of the chapter. Chairpersons join the officers in meetings (approximately monthly) to guide the group and prepare for events. This steering committee gives more people access to the organizational aspects of the group and its long-term direction.

Program Chair. Identifies and selects meeting topics, assists with contacting guest speakers, sends meeting announcements to the email list, and coordinates related events.

Publicity Chair. Submits meeting announcements to local newspapers, identifies events in which Wild Ones should participate, and seeks out other opportunities for publicizing the group.

Membership Chair. Identifies methods to increase membership, contacts lapsed members to encourage them to renew, and maintains meeting-attendance records, membership database, and email list.

Rescue Chair. Coordinates plant rescue efforts between the local chapter and landowners.

Exhibit Coordinator. Maintains the Ann Arbor Wild Ones tabletop display and serves as the contact person for presentations by our local chapter.

Webmaster. Updates meeting information as it becomes available throughout the year. Updates officer and chairperson information annually.

Nominating Chair. Identifies and contacts potential candidates for officer and chairperson positions. The Nominating Chair operates from August through October of each year and is appointed by the president.

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