Chapter Calendar

All Wild Ones members are welcome to attend.

Come learn about the 5 critical components to making good compost from Davey Stewards of Star City Compost.  He'll talk about the proper C:N ratio in a compost pile, moisture content, airflow through the pile, inoculating the pile with decomposers, and size of the pile.  He'll talk about how people can ensure they are accounting for those components in backyard piles, as well as how it's addressed at Star City Compost. 

Star City Compost officially opened their doors as Roanoke's only composting facility in January 2024. Star City Compost provides residential and commercial services for composting responsibly, so food scraps stay out of the landfill and instead become nutrient-rich soil. With their strong mission, values and community building rooted long before that, the vision of creating an ecological infrastructure for the local community has come to life in the greater Roanoke area. 

Come prepared to learn and ask questions, whether you're new to composting, a seasoned composter, or even new to the idea of composting. We are lucky to have Star City Compost's wealth of knowledge with us.

We hope to see you there!

From the Roanoke Rambler:Spring Seed Swap Event at Blindhouse Beer on March 14

Mark your calendars for a free community seed exchange event on March 14 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Blindhouse Beer (534 Salem Ave SW, Roanoke). 

The event is organized by local Roanoke artist and farmer DeHanza Kwong; the seed swap is a natural extension of her monthly Drink & Draw events (held at Blindhouse Beer from November to February), which seeks to provide a safe, nonjudgmental community space and art supplies for drawing, and to showcase a local nonprofit, which has included Southwest Virginia Wildlife Association, Ladies and Gents of the Blue Ridge Transgender Alliance and Saint Francis Service Dogs. A portion of the evening’s beer sales benefit the featured nonprofit, and representatives are also invited to attend, talk about their organization and bring representatives to inspire attendees’ drawings (like portraits of drag queens or guide dogs, for example).

“We've had incredible success so far,” Kwong says. “People of all skill levels show up, connect with their neighbors, learn about important local causes and discover their creative side in the process.”

Last year, Kwong, who operates BirdnD Farm in Bent Mountain with her partner, hosted a seed swap as part of a Drink & Draw event in partnership with LEAP. She noted that folks seemed most interested in exchanging seeds and learning about gardening, so this year’s event won’t include a nonprofit beneficiary or drawing focus. Bringing seeds to swap is optional; free seeds will be offered by Wild Ones Roanoke Region Chapter, which specializes in native plants, and the Salem Public Library’s free seed library. “I used to manage a seed library as a reference library,” Kwong says. “It can be a lot of money for an upstart ; if people get free seeds and information, it may give them the courage to start.”

Join Joey Santore, creator of Crime Pays But Botany Doesn’t, for a candid Wild Ones National Webinar examining how inherited garden aesthetics shape native plant landscapes. Drawing on field experience and real ecology, Joey challenges tidy design norms and explores why dense, irregular plant communities are often the most resilient and ecologically sound.

Learn about tools that can up your game in the garden – and some best practices on tool care and sharpening before the busy season. Bring those dull tools you have and get them sharpened by Any Edge Sharpening (for a fee) during the meeting. Your garden will thank you.

Clean Valley Council will present Roanoke Earth Day Celebration 2026 in historic Grandin Village, Roanoke, Va., on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

This year’s Roanoke Earth Day Celebration theme is “Choose the Planet Over Plastic” to help raise awareness about our collective responsibility to be aware of just how much disposable plastic we use, to eliminate single-use plastics, and to understand the impacts on our environment, on human health, and of the rapidly spreading pollution from microplastics. The day empowers people and communities to take charge of protecting the planet.

Garden Club of Virginia is hosting another Historic Garden Week! 

See description below and event link for registration and to purchase tickets:

This walking tour features five distinguished properties in the North Broad Street Historic District. Built between 1867 and 1891, the homes showcase a rich blend of architectural styles popular in the Victorian era, including Italianate, Second Empire, and Queen Anne. Gardens vary from traditional to cottage to contemporary, offering visitors a delightful mix of design inspiration. Visitors are also invited to see Virginia’s Champion Dutch Elm as well as 76 other species of trees located on the neighboring Roanoke College campus. 

Learn propagation techniques from Ian Caton, owner of Wood Thrush Native Nursery and a local legend in the native plant world, located just down Hwy 221 in Floyd, VA. If you're not sure where you've heard of Ian before, check your Plant Virginia Natives SWVA guide - he has contributed to the first iteration of the guide and some of the great photos of native plants come from his observations.

Ian will be sharing what he knows about propagating native plants using cuttings, and we can't wait to learn how to multiply our native garden favorites for future seasons.

Read a little about Ian here, or check out Wood Thrush Natives's website.

https://www.lwladesign.com/people/ian-caton/

https://woodthrushnatives.com/

Can you reliably identify some of our common native trees? It can be an overwhelming task with so many different sources - field guides, phone apps, Google images, your friends' opinions! Each method is different and has varying levels of reliability.  In Part I of a two-part program, Professor Heather Butler will teach us how to apply some basic steps and tips for identifying the trees that surround us. You'll never look at the trees on your walks in the same way you did before.

 Prof. Butler is  an Assistant Professor of Biology and Program Head of Science at the School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, Virginia Western Community College. She teaches Dendrology, Biology, and other subjects, and is the committee chair of the Bee Campus Committee.

Part I is open to everyone. Part II will include a field walk for members only to practice these identification skills and techniques, location, date and time TBD. 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon!