Native Gardening Mini-Sessions
2025-10-20 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | 805 S Cottage Ave Normal IL, 805 S Cottage Ave, Normal
Enjoy some native gardening mini-sessions on October 20 from 7:00-8:30pm presented by the Illinois Prairie Chapter of Wild Ones.
This program will consist of three small group native gardening mini-sessions (approx. 15 minutes each) presented by chapter members Ann Schreifels, Barry Lake and Janet Rasmussen. Program attendees will be split into groups and rotate between sessions and then reconvene as a large group for a question-and-answer session and further discussion.
The topics of these mini-sessions are:
Goldenrods (by Ann Schreifels): Goldenrods are lauded for their late season blooms, but also cursed because of the false belief they cause fall allergies to spike. While there are many ecosystem benefits to goldenrods, not all are suited to home landscaping. This presentation will discuss several species and the characteristics that make them best suited for gardeners. Ann is a Master Naturalist and co-president of our chapter. She dove deep into the world of goldenrods to find the best ones for our area.
Native Grasses for Birds (by Barry Lake): Many people can identify the birds that visit their backyards, and some even know what birds eat which seed at a feeder! However, when it comes to native prairies with their variety of grasses and other plants, what birds are living there, and what the birds are specifically using these plants for may not be as well known. This presentation will take an abbreviated look at several different types of prairie grasses and the birds that use them. Barry is a self-taught birder who enjoys the interconnection between birds and the wild areas they occupy. Having been a Wild One member for several years, Barry has always visualized a “rewilding” of state areas that provide a safe haven for birds and wildlife by providing the natural habitat they instinctively seek.
Fall and Winter Landscaping Activities (by Janet Rasmussen): Fall and winter don’t need to be slow times in our yards. Janet will present a variety of activities that can be carried out during this time that can help make our yards more environmentally friendly. Janet has been an active member of the Illinois Prairie chapter since its founding in 2010 and has served in several capacities on the chapter’s Board. She has enjoyed seeing first-hand how both adding native plants to the home landscape and being a “messy” gardener are beneficial to the environment.

Bringing the Indiana Bat Home to Roost in (Coles County) Illinois
2025-10-23 19:00 - 20:00 | Illinois Wesleyan University – Center for Natural Sciences C101, 201 E. Beecher St., Bloomington, IL, 61701-7222, United States
The Grand Prairie Bird Alliance and Illinois Wesleyan University will sponsor a talk about the federally endangered Indiana Bat. Sarah Livesay, Executive Director of Grand Prairie Friends Land Trust will be the speaker. “On a hot, buggy day in the woods of Coles County in 2015, a researcher located a federally endangered female Indiana bat with her pup. This discovery set in motion a 30-year, multiple-partner effort in research, habitat restoration, and volunteer monitoring at the Warbler Ridge Conservation Area in Coles County, IL. If we build it, did they come? Join us for the amazing results!”
This talk will be at the Center for Natural Sciences, room C101 at Illinois Wesleyan University’s campus and will start at 7:00pm on October 23.
