Join us at the Wehr Nature center at 1:30 on the second Saturday of the month! These meetings are free and open to the public. There is a parking fee at the nature center. Our programs:
January 14, 1:30 pm at the Wehr Nature Center:
Dr Suzanne Joneson of UWM-Waukesha speaks on lichens
An introduction to lichens and what they are, how to recognize them including in our own neighborhoods, and how they are used as indicators of human pollution.
February 11, 1:30 pm at the Wehr Nature Center
Deb McRae, former director of the Wehr Nature Center
How to Build a Prairie and Wild Yard in the Land of Riding Lawn Mowers
We bought our house in 1983 because we loved the yard with woods in the back and sun in the front and its infinite possibilites. The yard was interesting because it had an extra deep well dug to make sure the first owners could keep the grass watered yet a part of the front yard was “early” meadow. Join me as a I share our journey to create a yard that would be a place for wildlife, pollinators, people, and a place to show that your acre does not have to be all mowed grass to be beautiful.
March 11, 1:30pm at the Wehr Nature Center
Jennifer Phillips-Vanderburg from the Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory
Using Science to Expand the Benefits of Native Plants
Come learn about the Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory’s Neighborhood Habitat Improvement Project (NHIP). This program uses social science to make it easier to utilize native plants in a variety of contexts and uses biological science to improve our understanding of how birds are affected by native plants. Dr. Jennifer Phillips-Vanderberg, Director of the Observatory, will share what has been learned so far and how the Observatory is working to expand the program in the region. She will share lessons learned about working with diverse partners with different goals, about public opinions about native plants, and the tremendous potential for expanding the benefits of native plants beyond our backyards.
April 8, 1:30pm at the Wehr Nature Center
Paul Sparks of the Wisconsin Dragonfly Society
Wisconsin Dragonflies
Also, here is the link to our February 2022 presentation with Jennifer Lazewski, “Gardening for Birds”:
and the link to our March 2022 meeting with Jeff Kante, “How to Identify Trees in Winter”: https://youtu.be/GrTd63xvPc4
and the link to our April 2022 presentation with Danielle Bell, “The Forgotten Layer”, all about native shrubs: https://youtu.be/D3dyo6qbqUg
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Reach us at: [email protected]
The Milwaukee Southwest/Wehr chapter is an active & vibrant chapter serving southern Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties. We offer new member support, mentoring, an extensive lending library, excellent programs and field trips, seed exchanges, and native plant sales. We pride ourselves on good communication and quality programming in a supportive, friendly setting. Visit us at an upcoming meeting or click on “Join” to join our chapter.
With it’s “roots” in the “Natural Landscaping Club” founded at the Wehr Nature Center in the early 1980s, our group was the second official chapter of the fledgling Wild Ones organization.
Our long history of association with the Wehr Nature Center, part of the Milwaukee County Parks system, has given us a solid foundation on which to grow our membership and influence in southeast Wisconsin.
We meet on the second Saturday of the month at the Wehr Nature Center, 9701 W. College Ave Franklin, WI 53132 (in Whitnall Park in southwest Milwaukee County).
Programs from October through April offer presentations on native plant landscape design; woodland, prairie, wetland and savanna plant communities; native plant support of wildlife and native plant propagation and much more. These meeting are open to the public at no charge. (The Wehr Nature Center charges a small parking fee).
From May through September we tour yards with native plant landscapes and local natural areas. Generally, these tours are for members-only, but memberships are always available on the day of the tour.