2012 Wild Events

All programs (unless otherwise specified) will begin at 7:00 pm on the third Monday of each month.
For details, see current Newsletter.

    Non-members are always welcome!


    Monday, February 20
    Topic:  A screening of the Film "Green Fire - A Land Ethic for our Time". This
    was a beautiful documentary on the life and work of Aldo Leopold

    Monday, March 19
    Speaker:   Holli Ward, Owner of Michigan Butterflies, LLC.
    Topic:         The River City Wild Ones chapter was honored to have Holli Ward, owner of   
    Michigan Butterflies, LLC and President of West Michigan Butterfly Association as our
    speaker.  Her business specializes in Monarch butterfly special event releases, butterfly
    gardening, and educational materials about Monarchs. To do all of this of course one has
    to have Monarch butterflies, and to have them one has to learn how to feed them, care for
    them and breed them. Holli does all this with the help of her able interns and a lot of
    enthusiasm.


    Monday, April 16
    Speaker:   Mary Ann Menck, Owner of Mary Ann's Michigan Trees and Shrubs
    Topic:         "25 Native Plants You've Never  Heard of but Wish You Had." Mary Ann is    
    the owner of Mary Ann’s Michigan Trees and Shrubs, a business based in Paw Paw,
    Michigan which sells native plants to retail customers. Eleven years ago Mary Ann
    became one of the rare growers of native plants occupying a much needed niche in the
    retail market for people wanting to bring native Michigan plants to their environments.
    She specializes in trees and shrubs grown in pots which can be bought by walk-in
    customers, taken home and planted with minimal work by the client. Because of the
    scarcity of native plants Mary Ann also gets additional business from people all over the

    Work has officially begun on phase one of the Native Plant Demonstration
    Garden located at 920 Cherry, SE in the East town neighborhood of Grand
    Rapids. River City Wild Ones is teaming up with Inner City Christian
    Federation (ICCF) to reconstruct a garden in order to showcase the beauty of
    native plants. Our mission is to help educate the public about the role of native
    plants as part of an Urban or Formal setting so that visitors may be inspired to
    plant natives at their own homes and businesses.

    For more information, please go to the Native Plant Demonstration Garden
    Blog.


    Monday, May 21
    Speaker:   Mary Jane Dockeray, PHD
    Topic:         This local beloved Naturalist will lead us on a foray to learn the
                    characteristics of our native spring wildflowers.
    Location:    Blanford Nature Center
                        1715 Hilburn Ave NW, Grand Rapids, 49504 (map)

    Monday, June 18
    Speaker:   Melanie Manion, Natural Resources Management
                        Supervisor Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Commission.
    Topic:         Melanie will lead us on an exploration of the flora of Grand River Ravines, a
    new
                        park in the Ottawa County system that has yet to be opened to the public.
                        The hike will require traversing a shallow creek - wear appropriate footwear!
    Location:    Grand River Ravines County Park
                        42nd Avenue - about 1/3 mile North of Fillmore Street, Allendale, 49401 (map)
                        A GVSU trail map is shown here.

    Wdenesday, June 27
    Topic:         Wild Ones Look & Learn Tour
    Location:    Home of Sue and Roland, see your RCWO e-mail
    Join us and bring a friend for a Wild One's Look and Learn Tour of Sue and
    Roland's garden. Sue is our Look & Learn Chair and Roland is our
    Webmaster. Their woodland garden is set in the woods with oak, maple,
    redbud and serviceberry trees. The front garden beds are a lovely mix of color
    and texture, with native plants and traditional perennial plants and shrubs.  In
    the somewhat sunnier backyard, there is a small pond and stream designed
    and installed by Roland. Frogs and fish inhabit the pond and is a favorite of
    young visitors. There is a dedicated native garden that was started 5 years
    ago when Sue became a member of RCWO. This is the garden that continues
    to expand in number and variety of MI natives. Their property is a Certified
    Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation, some of their wildlife
    visitors include deer, fox, wild turkey, woodpeckers, barred owls, hawks, and
    of course native plant loving bees, butterflies and numerous other pollinators.

    Monday, July 16
    Speaker:   Kurt Mirandette, Science Instructor
                        City High/Middle School
    Topic:         Field trip to Huff Park to learn about this wetland ecosystem,
                        its flora, fauna, and student research.
    Location:    Huff Park (North Parking Lot)
                        Near Intersection of Aberdeen and Ball Ave Ne, Grand Rapids, 49505 (map)

    Monday, August 20
    Speaker:   Matt Schultz, Regional Stewardship Organizer
                        Michigan Nature Association (MNA)
    Topic:         We will explore a portion of  the 110 acre Newaygo Prairie
                        Sanctuary containing over 100 prairie plants.
    Location:    North of Newaygo on M-37, take first right (Croton Dr.)after crossing
                        the Muskegon River. Turn left on  S Poplar, the sanctuary will be 0.5 miles
                        on the right. Park along road. (map)

    Monday, September 17
    Speaker:    Jesse Lincoln, Botanist/Ecologist
                         Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI)
    Topic:         Will lead us on a tour of a rare 10 acre savannah, and will
                         explain the importance of  protecting it.
    Location:    Mines Golf Course parking lot
                     330 Covell Avenue SW, Grand Rapids, 49534 (map)

    Monday, November 19
    Sixth Annual Auction!       
    Location:    Calvin College Bunker Interpretive Center (BIC)
                    1750 East Beltline Ave SE, Grand Rapids, 49546 (map)



    Previous Year(s)
© 2013 River City Wild Ones.  All rights reserved.
Email questions/comments to webmaster@rivercitywildones.org.
NATIVE PLANTS, NATURAL LANDSCAPES
RIVER CITY  -  GRAND RAPIDS AREA