Events

Plant A Rain Garden – Keep our Rivers Clean, One Garden at a Time  

Anyone can plant a rain garden! You don’t need any special equipment—just a yard, a spade, compost, and a few native plants.  Rain gardens are a beautiful addition to any landscape—and keep our rivers, lakes and streams clean!  We’ll talk about the benefits of rain gardens and how to build and plant one at your own home. Rain gardens are for the greater good, and they are practical solutions for basement and yard flooding.   

About Susan Bryan

Susan Bryan created and teaches the Master Rain Gardener class at Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office. The program became a state-wide certification in 2015, and has spread to the Great Lakes western states including—gasp!—Ohio! (a Michigan joke there), as well as to our neighbor to the north, Canada.  Over 2,000 rain gardens have been built by homeowners on her advice by the industrious and spectacular Master Rain Gardeners.  Susan was the recipient of the Ann Arbor Wild Ones Bob Grese Deep Roots award in 2014.

Rain Garden Gallery on Flickr

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.

Watch this space for more information; exact start time still needs to be confirmed. 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon!