Events

Join fellow garden enthusiasts, experts and novices alike for a garden design symposium. Grow your knowledge and realize your garden dreams with presentations from acclaimed landscape designers Jay Sifford and Preston Montague along with a special lunch and learn presentation with Mary Roberts of Windcrest Farm. The day will also include vendors and exhibitors.​ This event offers an excellent opportunity to expand your knowledge, network with like-minded individuals, and gain inspiration for your garden projects.

The Wild Ones Charlotte Piedmont chapter is supporting this event with a table in the exhibit area.

All are welcome to join this free virtual panel discussion exploring the vital roles of native, solitary, and honeybees in pollination and biodiversity. Featuring experts Sam Droege (USGS), Dave Hunter (Crown Bees), and Dr. Lora Morandin (Pollinator Partnership), this event will discuss into the challenges pollinators face, the balance between managed and wild bees, and actionable ways to support all pollinators.

Gain insights from over 90 years of combined experience and learn how to advocate for pollinator habitats through planting native species, participating in community science, and adopting responsible management practices.

This is the third year that Wild Ones Charlotte Piedmont has hosted a booth at this festival. It is great fun! We provide literature and information about native plants and a craft for children - fairy gardens using air-dry clay and nature items, such as small pinecones, lichen,  bark, sticks, dry grasses, etc. 

Tickets are required. 

Join NCWF Habitat Builders Chapter, the NC Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Union County, and the Wild Ones Charlotte Piedmont Chapter for an in-person, four class gardening series focused on Gardening in the Southern Piedmont.  The four class dates are on Mondays - Feb 24, March 3, 10, and 17 - at 6PM - 8PM.

If you are new to gardening  or new to the area, this is the series for you. We provide a class that covers the basics, with a strong focus on native plants, building soil, and gardening for wildlife. Learn to garden with nature and create spaces that are easy to maintain.

Registration includes your choice of a native plant guide or garden tool, knowledgeable instructors with extensive experience in the Piedmont, and educational resources provided by the sponsor organizations. We will cover gardening basics, turf, landscaping, and gardening for wildlife all with a focus on making the process as low maintenance and environmentally friendly as possible.

Registration link provides more detailed information. 

Public gardens hold tremendous power to influence landscaping norms and inspire change. By showcasing the beauty, functionality, and ecological value of native plants, these spaces help foster biodiversity, advocate for sustainable practices, and engage communities in environmental stewardship. 

This webinar will explore how public and demonstration gardens serve as powerful tools for native plant advocacy. Attendees will learn how gardens move beyond aesthetics to spark action—turning appreciation into engagement and inspiring participants to replicate these practices in their own communities.

We will hear insights from Nicole Machuca, Environmental Social Scientist at the Field Museum, on how public gardens influence behaviors, foster stewardship, and connect people to conservation efforts through research and community engagement. The Wild Ones Capital Region NY and the Wild Ones San Diego (CA) Chapters will share their experiences building native plant demonstration gardens and how these spaces drive community engagement, education, and advocacy. And We'll finish with a conversation exploring how public gardens create a lasting impact beyond planting day moderated by Kelly Kapuzzi, Demonstration Garden Char with the Wild Ones Hocking Hills (OH) Chapter.

The Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer Association of Iredell County organizes this event each year. Vendors offer for sale a variety of plants, garden equipment and accessories, lawn and garden supplies, yard art and more. The Fair also includes educational sessions, activities for children, and food for sale. Master Gardener volunteers will be on hand to answer your garden questions.
Proceeds support gardening education for the community. The event is free and open to the public.

Save the date! Two tours will be available: 10am-12pm and 1:30-3:30pm 

 More details coming soon. 

TreesCharlotte is excited to bring back our TreeFest event for its third year! This family fun tree celebration will include tree friendly arts and crafts, live music, environmental activites, an “ask the arborist” booth for free tree advice, food trucks, and an eco-market with local businesses, artists, and nonprofits. We will also have a tie dye station with natural dyes–bring an extra bag, bandana, or shirt! We will be distributing tree seedlings and will bring back our seedling potting station for anyone who would like their tree potted for them. This is a public event and free for anyone to join! 

Lizards and hawks and owls, Oh my!   DLC is back for our 4th annual NatureFest.

Local conservation partners, Davidson College scientists, Woodlawn’s STEAMfest, World of Wonder, Wild Ones, other native plants experts, Red Wolves Coalition, and many more will gather on the green to share their knowledge of wildlife and native habitats.  We have some exciting new additions this year.  We are partnering with the library and will have readings of children’s nature books throughout the event and we have a Treasure Tree scavenger hunt.  NatureFest is free and open to all.

NatureFest is a great way for families to explore the natural world as it awakens for the spring.  State Fair Mini Donuts will also be there with their delicious donuts

Join us for a wonderful afternoon of relaxed conversation, native gardening chats, and delicious food & drink! 

This is a great opportunity to connect with current, past, and prospective members of Wild Ones. Come by for a bit or stay the whole time — and feel free to bring along a friend who might be interested in joining. We can't wait to see you there!

Location: Under the "Big Red" umbrella in the Biergarten at The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery (LoSo location), 4150 Yancey Road, Charlotte, NC 28217

Parking:  The temporary lot is the best option during their renovation.
GPS Address for lot: 343 W. Peterson Drive.  Street parking is also available on Yancey Road. 

Questions? Text or call Linda Nelson at 843-422-0986. 

Finding us:  Ask any staff member to direct you to Wild Ones at Big Red!

Food & Drink: Plenty of great choices for purchase on their menu.

We look forward to spending time together, getting to know you, and celebrating our shared love of nature and native plants! 

Join Wild Ones National Board President Loris Damerow for a special presentation as part of Week 3 of the 2025 Less Lawn More Life Challenge, “Native Plants Planted Right.” Loris will walk us through the basics of native plant gardening- from choosing the right plants to planting and maintaining them with confidence.

Join us on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 5 p.m. CT for the YouTube Live premiere of this 30-minute webinar. Native plant experts from  Wild Ones, Plan it Wild, Homegrown National Park, ReWild Your Campus, and others will be active in the live chat throughout the presentation and for 30 minutes after the webinar, giving you plenty of time to ask questions and engage! 

This event is designed for newcomers to native gardening and is part of the national Less Lawn More Life Challenge, hosted by Plan It Wild in collaboration with Wild Ones, iNaturalist, Homegrown National Park, Pollinator Partnership  and many others! 

See more about the Less Lawn More Life Challenge:  https://www.lesslawnmorelife.com/ 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon!