Events

Hosted by Regina Santore, Wild Ones Smoky Mountains Chapter President

Come tour The All-Native Yard, this year's winner of Native Plant Rescue Squad's esteemed Residential Garden Sassafras Award in PERSON and enjoy a Pool Party and Cookout/Potluck - a Members-only Social and Summer Celebration! If you've ever needed a reason to become a Wild Ones member, here it is - new members are WELCOME! C'mon over! We look forward to getting to know you and hearing about your native plant journey. Come hang out in a native plant paradise for the day!

Location is in Farragut, TN; exact address provided upon registration.

Bring a towel and a dish to pass (and serving utensil) - Regina will provide grilling foods, buns, etc. 

Open house from 11 a.m. to dark (so you get to enjoy firefly time!)

REGISTER HERE: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/pool-party-and-open-gardens-at-reginas-for-chapter-members

Native plants are the foundation of habitat, but wildlife need more than food to thrive. Join ecologist and Certified Wildlife Biologist Shaun McCoshum, PhD, to explore how nesting sites, shelter, water, soil conditions, and other often-overlooked resources can transform a yard into a functioning ecosystem that supports biodiversity year-round.

Registration link coming soon.

(Rescheduled from June after heavy rains)

Wild Ones Smoky Mountains invites you to our first-annual Bioblitz and Picnic at the Meadow! The Wildlife Meadow at Knoxville Botanical Garden & Arboretum is one of its most important but often overlooked installations. Bring a blanket and a picnic lunch for your group, and dine "al fresco" with other nature lovers after having some fun observing native bees, butterflies and other cool insects just doing their thing! We will gather at 9am to learn about the meadow's history and ecology, then we'll Bioblitz two portions of it: photographing as much life as we collectively can until picnic time! 

While we eat, we'll upload the photos to iNaturalist so that KBGA, and future ecology researchers, will have a permanent snapshot of the meadow and its life in 2026.

Meet in the parking lot at the Carriage House at the Knoxville Botanical Gardens, 2749 Boyds Bridge Pike, Knoxville, TN.

Rain date: August 23, same time.

REGISTER HERE: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/bioblitz-and-picnic-at-the-meadow-2

What does it really take to turn a conventional lawn into a thriving native meadow? Join Owner & Principal, New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL), Sara Weaner Cooper for a candid look at her family's ongoing lawn-to-meadow transformation featured in The New York Times and BBC. Drawing from three years of hands-on experience, Sara will share the methods, lessons learned, successes, and challenges of converting turfgrass into a dynamic native plant community. Participants will gain practical insights into site preparation, planting, management, and the ecological principles that guide successful meadow establishment, along with realistic expectations for how these landscapes evolve over time.

Registration link coming soon.

Bats are among the most important and misunderstood wildlife in our communities. Join experts from Bat Conservation International to explore how native plants, healthy insect populations, and thoughtful landscape design can help support bats. Learn about the ecological role of bats and discover practical ways to create habitat for North America's night flyers right in your own backyard.

Registration link coming soon.

Monarch butterflies depend on a network of habitats stretching across North America, and home landscapes can play an important role in their survival. Join experts from Monarch Joint Venture to explore the science behind monarch conservation, including the importance of milkweed, nectar resources, and regionally appropriate habitat. Learn practical ways to support monarchs through native landscaping and help sustain one of the world's most remarkable migrations.
 

Registration link coming soon.