The 12th Annual Toward Harmony with Nature Conference will be hosted by the Fox Valley Area Chapter of Wild Ones on Saturday, January 26, 2008 at the Hilton Garden Inn, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Download a registration form or to register on-line.

The keynote address “My Yard, My Canvas, My Celebration: The Joys of Natural Landscaping” will be given by Author Mariette Nowak who was director of Milwaukee County’s Wehr Nature Center for 18 years. Now retired, she is a board member of the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology and former national vice-president of Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes.

There will be nine other speaker sessions, along with vendors and a silent auction.

Questions? Contact Karen Syverson (920)987-5587 or Donna Vanbuecken (920)730-3986.

The Twin Cities and St. Croix Oak Savanna Chapters of Wild Ones, the St. Paul Audubon Society and Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis proudly present the 7th Annual Spring Exposition Through the Eyes of Nature: The Birds’ View of Landscaping Saturday, February 23, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm at the Radisson Hotel Roseville, 2540 North Cleveland Avenue, Roseville, MN 55113

The 2008 Expo focuses on attracting birds to your yard by landscaping with native plants. It's a day-long event featuring two nationally noted wildlife authors, additional workshops, demonstrations, and an array of local native plant and bird-related exhibitors.

Morning keynote speaker, author Mariette Nowak, will discuss the subject of her new book, Birdscaping in the Midwest: A Guide to Gardening with Native Plants to Attract Birds. The featured afternoon speaker is Carrol Henderson from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Non-Game Wildlife Program. Author of the classic Landscaping for Wildlife, he will describe how migrating birds move through our region, winter-scaping with native plants can provide them with food and shelter, and the national lights out campaign.

Over thirty local exhibitors will also be there to discuss their efforts and interest in birding and native landscaping.

For more information about speakers and activities.

WILD ONES HAS A NEW HOME

In December 2007 we closed on the part of the Wild Ones Ecology Center which will enable us to move our headquarters to a permanent facility. But we still have lots of work to do to make the facility handicap accessible before we can move in, so please keep your donations coming in to offset the expenses. To donate.

Although we have not gathered sufficient funds to purchase the remaining 12.5 acres of upland/riparian woodland/marsh which would complete our EcoCenter, we will continue to apply for grants and solicit donations with the hope of being able to do so by the end of 2008. To donate.

So celebrate the new year with Wild Ones! Mark your calendar for the grand opening celebration this summer.

A RARE OPPORTUNITY has befallen Wild Ones to assume ownership of a valuable property on the west shore of Little Lake Butte des Morts near our current headquarters. Because this property is located in the area already designated as West Shore Preserves, we are calling this property the West Shore Preserves Environmental Center.

Wild Ones will be able to assume ownership of this property through grants from the Trustees Council for the Fox River and from the Habitat Area funds from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. The overall goal of the Environmental Center is to involve citizens in the protection and restoration of habitats associated with the Fox River ecosystem which is part of the Great Lakes Watershed.

Our purpose in creating the Center is to provide both an indoor and outdoor “home” for organizations, individuals and students who are working on projects and/or learning about about ways to protect and restore the environmental quality of life in our communities.

HELP US MAKE IT HAPPEN!

For more information about this very significant opportunity for Wild Ones, go to Wild Ones EcoCenter.

Please join us in our good fortune to be part of this rare opportunity. If you have questions e-mail us at Preserve.

If you want to volunteer your services in helping us to fulfill all the requirements related to obtaining the funding and opening the center (grant writing, speaker presentations, telephoning, developing partners, etc) e-mail us at Help Us Make It Happen.

If you wish to donate toward the fulfillment of the amenities (gardens, boardwalk, computer center, laboratory, library, etc) which will eventually be part of the West Shore Preserves Environmental Center please go to Help Us Make It Happen!.