Are you passionate about preserving biodiversity and creating sustainable landscapes? Do you want to make a positive impact on the environment in your local community? Starting a Wild Ones chapter in Greater Newaygo County is the perfect opportunity for you to get involved and inspire others to embrace native plants and natural landscapes. In this blog post, we will guide you through the process of starting a chapter and explain how you can contribute to this important environmental cause.
Why Start a Wild Ones Chapter in Greater Newaygo County?
Greater Newaygo County is blessed with natural beauty and diverse ecosystems unique to our area: prairie, forests, and oak savannah. By starting a Wild Ones chapter here, you can play a crucial role in preserving and restoring native plant communities in our area. Native plants offer a range of benefits, including improved biodiversity, reduced storm-water runoff, and decreased reliance on water, fuel, and lawn chemicals. By promoting the use of native plants, we can create healthier and more sustainable landscapes for ourselves and future generations.
How to Get Involved:
Attend our Wild Ones! Native Plants Seedling Chapter of the Newaygo Region on Saturday, May 18, 11 am – 12:30 pm at Brooks Township Hall.
The NCEC has done the groundwork to see if this “sister” non-profit organization could thrive in Newaygo County.
We have:
1. Researched and Gathered Support: Start by researching the Wild Ones organization and its mission. Familiarized ourselves with their core values and vision for the future. Reached out to like-minded individuals, local garden clubs, nature centers, or university departments to gauge interest and gather support for starting a chapter in Greater Newaygo County.
2. Contacted Wild Ones: We’ve had a meeting with the Wild Ones National Organization leaders. They provided us with guidance, information, and a starter kit to help you get started. We discussed the requirements for becoming a chartered chapter, such as selecting officers, recruiting 10 paid members, and creating a meeting calendar for 12 months with four confirmed plans.
3. Spread the Word: We’ve utilized various communication channels to spread the word about the new Wild Ones chapter in Greater Newaygo County. Reach out to local media outlets, community organizations, and social media platforms to announce the launch and invite interested individuals to join. We hosted informational workshop on 11/11/23 in which the River City Wild Ones Chapter representatives presented about the benefits of native plants and sustainable landscaping practices.
Click to Register for the May 18th, 2024 Event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-wild-ones-chapter-naming-winter-sowing-meeting-tickets-785617542217?aff=oddtdtcreator
How Can You Help?
1. Attend our May 18th meeting.
2. Become a member of Wild Ones Member-At-Large ($40 per year). On acceptance of our Seedling Chapter Application, part of your membership fee will come directly to our newly formed chapter to support events development.
3. Collaborate and Network: Building partnerships and collaborating with other organizations that share similar goals can amplify your impact. Reach out to local environmental groups, conservation organizations, or county extension agents to explore opportunities for collaboration. By working together, we can preserve native plants, protect biodiversity, and make a more significant difference in our community.
4. Volunteer and Lead: As a grassroots organization, Wild Ones relies heavily on volunteers. By joining a chapter or taking on a leadership position, you can actively contribute to the mission of promoting sustainable landscaping practices. Whether it’s organizing events, leading educational initiatives, or advocating for native plants, your efforts will be invaluable in creating a positive change in Greater Newaygo County.
Starting a Wild Ones chapter in Greater Newaygo County is an excellent way to make a tangible difference in the environment and inspire others to embrace sustainable landscaping practices. By preserving native plants and promoting biodiversity, we can create healthier and more resilient ecosystems for ourselves and future generations. Get involved today, and together, let’s make Greater Newaygo County a shining example of the power of native plants and natural landscapes.
Address: 490 Quarterline St, Newaygo, MI 49337
Email buzz@nc-ec.org
A cloud of road dust blanketed the car behind me from my excited acceleration as I passed the Newaygo Prairie Nature Sanctuary. Ignition time was in less than an hour. This was my very first burn.
“Vernal Pools are like our Coral Reefs of the Forest,” states Katie, Vice Chair and Program Manager of the Newaygo County Environmental Coalition (NCEC). “They are small, important wetlands that appear in spring and dry up during the fall. They are ideal breeding grounds for a variety of amphibians and invertebrates that would be vulnerable to lake or stream fish; the fairy shrimp, wood frogs, spotted and blue-spotted salamanders can only breed in Vernal pools. They even travel back to their birth Vernal pool to spawn.”
As humans, it makes sense that we often think of the Earth from our own point of view. We imagine it as a place with trees and meadows and houses and highways. We think of cities as places for people, roads as ways to get from one place to another. But this is only our experience, and there are about a billion others.