Events

First Access for Members (and their guests) at 1pm
Open to the Public at 2pm

Online registration is now closed, but people can come and register at the door. This is a free event. 
 

We hope you can join us! We’ll have a variety of seed including annuals, perennials,  grasses, shrubs, and trees.  We will also have information about how to grow native seed, as well as info about plants which support pollinators and birds.  You don't need to bring seed to attend the event or bring home seed.

If you do have native seed to share, please label each species with this information:
* Botanical Name
* Common Name
* Collection City or County, Elevation, and Year 
* Your First Initial and Last Name
* If your seed is from a wild population rather than a garden site, add “WILD”

We happily accept seed from species native to Colorado and adjacent states. Please avoid cultivars, which might not support native pollinators and wildlife. We do NOT accept seeds from plants designated as noxious weeds.

You can drop off seed before the event in Boulder. Email [email protected] to coordinate. If you plan to bring seed the day of the event, please email the species name(s) to [email protected] ahead of time so that we can prepare information for attendees about your seed.

If you would like to volunteer to plan the Boulder County Plant Swap (Spring 2026!), also use that email.

To volunteer at this seed swap, go  to this page and then select Sign up: 

Volunteer sign up is live!  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B44AEAD2EABF5CE9-60663426-wild 

The Boulder County Region will host three  winter sowing events for our members.  We will be doing the “sow bag” method, but if you are collecting milk jugs, please bring them, and the “milk jug” method can also be demonstrated.  Participants will plant seeds to be cared for until the spring when the member will keep  the plants grown and donate any leftovers to  our  Plant Swap 2026. 

Please bring your seeds from the seed swap, any milk jugs you want to use, and bags or boxes for carrying home your sow bags (and any jugs you make).  This is a messy activity. 

Registration is required, and space is limited.  If you can't make it, please cancel your spot as soon as possible.  

Want to get more involved with the Wild Ones Front Range Chapter in the Boulder County  Region?  Please join us after the winter sowing workshop on Saturday,  January 10th to help plan out the 2026 year.

At the meeting we will discuss the venue and scope of our plant swap, and the  garden crawls and hikes, tours and volunteer events we want to feature in our region in 2026.  Are there other types of events you want to see?  Come and help us plant them!

We are looking for enthusiastic individuals to take on smaller events or join committees to plan larger events.  People stepping up helps determine the scope, type, and number of activities in our region. 

Any amount of time you can give is appreciated, and any level of expertise is welcomed.

Questions?  [email protected] or [email protected] 

This event is open to members only.  

Not a member?  Please consider joining the Wild Ones Front Range Chapter!  Click on the “Read More” button listed below for more information on how to join.

While most in-person propagation activity is happening at the regional level, we'll host three zoom meetings about propagation this winter with our expert, Jan Midgley. This free, virtual event is open chapter-wide, and we invite you to RSVP. Jan will update us on specific species she is working on figuring out germination protocols for, and she will cover some really timely propagation topics. A final agenda will be sent to registrants the week of the event. 

For over 30 years Jan operated a one wheelbarrow native plant nursery in MD and AL. She kept detailed notes on every step of the propagation process for each species. The notes supported the writing of articles, lectures, and books. She continues to self-publish Native Plant Propagation, 5th edition.

After a move to Colorado seven years ago, Jan embarked on a crash course on the flora of the Southern Rockies. She now volunteers arranging specimens two days a week at Denver Botanic Gardens Herbarium. The rest of the time she “plays” with seeds and maintains a Germination Guide for Colorado native plant seeds on the Wild Ones Front Range Chapter website.

This will be a free, members-only event.  If you are not a member, please consider joining so you can access member benefits!

Please register before Monday, January 12 at midnight. Thanks!

Join Stephen Hornbeck for an examination of regional plants and their unique seed adaptations. Our native flora display a myriad of highly specialized adaptations to our extreme climate, but adaptations do not end with leaf margins and flower forms, seeds also carry specialized traits to help them be successful. These traits are critically important for the survival of the species but often pose challenges for us when we try to grow them. We will discuss these ins and outs of seeds and seed dormancy and how you can apply that information to your own growing and gardening practices!

Stephen Hornbeck is the Native Plant Nursery Manager at the High Plains Environmental Center.
Always a lover of the biosphere, he found his niche in watershed ecology and habitat monitoring at a private ecological consultant company based out of Lexington, KY. Working throughout the Appalachians allowed him to see diversity and variations across a spectrum of environments, deepening his affinity for flora and fascination with evolutionary adaptations. After moving to Colorado, he found a wonderful pairing of his fascination with flora and passion for conservation at HPEC.

Members $5,  Nonmembers $25

All registrants will receive the webinar recording within a week after the webinar. 

Want to get more involved with the Wild Ones Front Range Chapter in the Pikes Peak Region?  Please join us on Saturday morning,  January 17th, to help plan out the 2026 year.

At the meeting we will decide on what educational and fun events, workshops, and activities we want to feature in our region.  In the past we have held socials, plant and seed swaps, neighborhood native plant giveaways,  garden crawls, and seed propagation, collecting, and cleaning workshops.

We are looking for enthusiastic individuals to chair and organize each event. The number of volunteers we get determines how many events we can plan in our region.   

Any amount of time you can give is appreciated!

Questions?  [email protected]

This event is open to members only.  

Not a member?  Please consider joining the Wild Ones Front Range Chapter!  Click on the “Read More” button listed below for more information on how to join.

Monthly meeting of the Front Range Chapter's Board of Directors. All members are welcome to attend. Email us at [email protected] if you're interested in joining the call.

In this special collaboration, Robin Wall Kimmerer, author, botanist, and founder of Plant Baby Plant, joins youth leader and Nurture Natives founder Esther Bonney for an intergenerational conversation about belonging, reciprocity, and native plant action. 

Together, they will explore questions such as:

How do we create opportunities for young people to have a voice and feel empowered, even when they are not homeowners or decision makers?What kinds of relationships and mentorships help people stay engaged in native plant work over decades?Why do stories, shared practices, and community invitations matter just as much as plant lists?

Robin and Esther will reflect on what invites people into this work, what keeps them here, and what elders and youth have to teach each other.

We will sow native plant species that require cold stratification in milkjugs.  Instructions and hands on for how to prep milkjugs.

Come and learn about winter sowing our native forbs, using milkjugs.  All seeds and supplies are provided.  Take home several species in jugs to place outside in the winter and allow cold stratification to work it's magic.  RSVP [email protected]

The Boulder County Region will host three  winter sowing events for our members.  We will be doing the “sow bag” method, but if you are collecting milk jugs, please bring them, and the “milk jug” method can also be demonstrated.  Participants will plant seeds to be cared for until the spring when the member will keep  the plants grown and donate any leftovers to  our  Plant Swap 2026. 

Please bring your seeds from the seed swap, any milk jugs you want to use, and bags or boxes for carrying home your sow bags (and any jugs you make).  This is a messy activity. 

Registration is required, and space is limited.  If you can't make it, please cancel your spot as soon as possible.  

Please join us for a  2-hour workshop on starting native plants from seed with Allisa Zurbuchen, , CSU Extension Horticulture Specialist in El Paso County. This is a hands-on workshop and you will be leaving with samples of native seeds to get you started!   

Allisa is currently working on her Ph.D. researching container production of Colorado Native Plants. 

She  will be covering a host of topics relative to starting native plants from seeds including what is a native, seed science basics, propagation methods adapted for home growers, and expose you to new native plant species.

Registration is limited to 15 participants.

Questions:  [email protected]

This event is free for members.  There is a $5.00 fee for nonmembers.

Not a member?  Please consider joining the Wild Ones Front Range Chapter.  Click on the “Read More” button for more information on how to join!

The Boulder County region will continue with planning our plant swap and regional propagation activities.  We will be meeting at the home of a member in Superior; please register in order to receive the address.

While this meeting is focused on members who have chosen to be on the plant swap planning committee, that committee and all related efforts are open to everyone!  Feel free to register if you are curious and/or just want to help out.

 Member Ron Martin will be giving a talk on Planning and Seeding a Pollinator Garden—an expansion of his portion of the Propagation 101 talk earlier in December.  If you are interested in seeding a pollinator garden, come on out!

This talk is part of the Carbon Valley Regional Library's Bee Love festival from 10 am to 2 pm.  There will be informational tables and other events.  Please plan extra time so you can check out the entire event!

https://wildones-org.zoom.us/j/88688943030?pwd=lYk8WjVcsGKmmE3yP0GKWx8KHJgpsr.1

Are you interested in learning more about native plants and landscaping? Or looking for a way to contribute to the mission and help us spread the word about the benefits and joys of native plants? Do you have ideas about what activities our region could offer in 2026? If any of those ring true for you, we'd love to have you join us at our planning session! 

We'll talk about what leadership roles and committees could help our region succeed. 

The Denver Metro/Aurora Region includes residents of Denver and Aurora, as well as Highlands Ranch, Centennial, and other Arapahoe County addresses.

Anyone who is a member of Wild Ones can attend! 

Once again, in partnership with the Louisville Public Library and Louisville's Bee City USA, we are pleased to offer a seed swap open to members and the public.

We hope you can join us! We’ll have a variety of seed including annuals, perennials,  grasses, shrubs, and trees.  We will also have information about how to grow native seed, as well as info about plants which support pollinators and birds.  You don't need to bring seed to attend the event or bring home seed.

If you do have native seed to share, please label each species with this information:
* Botanical Name
* Common Name
* Collection City or County, Elevation, and Year 
* Your First Initial and Last Name
* If your seed is from a wild population rather than a garden site, add “WILD”

We happily accept seed from species native to Colorado and adjacent states. Please avoid cultivars, which might not support native pollinators and wildlife. We do NOT accept seeds from plants designated as noxious weeds.

You can drop off seed before the event. Email [email protected] to coordinate. If you plan to bring seed the day of the event, please email the species name(s) to [email protected] ahead of time so that we can prepare information for attendees about your seed.

If you would like to volunteer to plan the Boulder County Plant Swap (Spring 2026!), also use that email.

Volunteer sign up is live!  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B44AEAD2EABF5CE9-61429767-wild 

While most in-person propagation activity is happening at the regional level, we'll host two more zoom meetings about propagation this winter with our expert, Jan Midgley. This free, virtual event is open chapter-wide, and we invite you to RSVP. Jan will update us on specific species she is working on figuring out germination protocols for, and she will cover some really timely propagation topics.The second workshop in this series with Jan will feature a review in propagation techniques which are covered in her manual, and each workshop will cover a different set of species, all of which aren't in the manual - yet.All registrants will receive an electronic "handout" with an agenda and notes on species to be covered 2 days in advance of the workshop.

For over 30 years Jan operated a one wheelbarrow native plant nursery in MD and AL. She kept detailed notes on every step of the propagation process for each species. The notes supported the writing of articles, lectures, and books. She continues to self-publish Native Plant Propagation, 5th edition.

After a move to Colorado seven years ago, Jan embarked on a crash course on the flora of the Southern Rockies. She now volunteers arranging specimens two days a week at Denver Botanic Gardens Herbarium. The rest of the time she “plays” with seeds and maintains a Germination Guide for Colorado native plant seeds on the Wild Ones Front Range Chapter website.

This will be a free, members-only event.  If you are not a member, please consider joining so you can access member benefits!  The sooner members register, the easier it is for us. 

Once registered, the Zoom link will be provided in the program reminder email.

All registrants will receive the recording 1-2 weeks after the workshop. Registration ends Feb. 7th at 10 am. Firm!

What is rainwater harvesting? Let's join presenter, Theodore Mencimer, as he dives into what it is, why it's important, and how it can both conserve water and help us grow more diverse, more successful native plant landscapes. You'll leave this webinar with the tools to start harvesting rainwater in your landscape and a library of resources to reference down the road.

This webinar draws much of its information from Brad Lancaster's book, Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond (vol. 1 & 2), but applies those principles to the climate of Colorado's Front Range. We'll focus on assessing your site for rainwater harvesting potential, understanding the importance of earthworks, knowing what steps we can legally take in Colorado, and covering easy first steps to get you harvesting rainwater in a day. Lastly, we'll look at a few case studies from both Tucson and Boulder.

Theodore Johnson Mencimer is a Native Plant Designer working at Meadow Pro, a native plant landscaping company in the Denver/Boulder Metro area. He graduated with a Bachelor's in Environmental Design with an emphasis in Landscape Architecture from CU Boulder, is a  Colorado Native Plant Master, and received his Water Harvesting Design Practitioner Certificate from the Watershed Management Group in Tucson in 2024. He is quite fond of penstemons and bumblebees.

Members $5,  Nonmembers $25

All registrants will receive the webinar recording within a week after the webinar. 

Registration will close on Monday, February 9, at midnight.

Join us for a hands-on Winter Sowing workshop where we will germinate native seeds using plastic jugs. Check out this post on frontrange.wildones.org to learn more about this simple approach to propagating native plants that yields a high success rate.

We will provide a variety of native seed species for you to take home and grow, whether using the milk jug method or sowing directly into the soil to plant in situ.

Registration opens soon!

Monthly meeting of the Front Range Chapter's Board of Directors. All members are welcome to attend. Email us at [email protected] if you're interested in joining the call.

Our upcoming webinar with Basil Camu explores practical, evidence based ways to heal suburban and urban landscapes by working with trees, soil, and natural systems, drawing on real world practices from Leaf & Limb and community centered models for restoring life where we live, work, and play.!  

We'll meet at the home of Boulder member Zoe T. and learn hands on about cold stratification using the refrigerator, sowing out stratified seed, and hopefully a little transplanting. Space is limited, so registration is necessary!  If you find you cannot make it, please cancel your registration as soon as possible and/or contact Kristine for help canceling it.  

If the weather cooperates, we will be on Zoe's deck outside; if not, we will be inside.  Plan your clothing accordingly.  A reminder will be sent two days before the event with Zoe's address.

Registration link will be added shortly.

Join us for a hands-on workshop to build muliple winter sowing bags for native seeds. This is a simple approach to propagating native plants that yields a high success rate. We will provide a variety of native seed species for you to try, but please also feel free to bring extra seeds you have to share with workshop participants.

Join us for a hands-on Winter Sowing workshop where we will germinate native seeds using pots in trays. 

We will provide a variety of native seed species for you to take home and grow, whether using the pot method or sowing directly into the soil to plant in situ.

As a new Wild Ones Front Range Member, we would like to welcome you to the chapter!

Are you curious about what your benefits as a member of the WO Front Range?

Would you like an opportunity to network with other native plant gardeners in the area?

This free event is for you! This is a great place to learn about the benefits of your membership, ask questions about the chapter, meet others native plant enthusiasts, and take home some beginner-friendly seeds to grow your Coloradoscape.

Food and drinks will be available for purchase with happy hour discounts including, $6 draft beers, $2 off wine, $2 off cocktails, and some discounted appetizers until 6:00 pm.

While most in-person propagation activity is happening at the regional level, we'll host three zoom meetings about propagation this winter with our expert, Jan Midgley. This free, virtual event is open chapter-wide, and we invite you to RSVP. Jan will update us on specific species she is working on figuring out germination protocols for, and she will cover some really timely propagation topics. A final agenda will be sent to registrants the week of the event. 

For over 30 years Jan operated a one wheelbarrow native plant nursery in MD and AL. She kept detailed notes on every step of the propagation process for each species. The notes supported the writing of articles, lectures, and books. She continues to self-publish Native Plant Propagation, 5th edition.

After a move to Colorado seven years ago, Jan embarked on a crash course on the flora of the Southern Rockies. She now volunteers arranging specimens two days a week at Denver Botanic Gardens Herbarium. The rest of the time she “plays” with seeds and maintains a Germination Guide for Colorado native plant seeds on the Wild Ones Front Range Chapter website.

This will be a free, members-only event.  If you are not a member, please consider joining so you can access member benefits!

Join us for a hands-on Winter Sowing workshop where we will germinate native seeds using plastic jugs. Check out this post on frontrange.wildones.org to learn more about this simple approach to propagating native plants that yields a high success rate.

We will provide a variety of native seed species for you to grow, whether using the milk jug method, or sowing directly into the soil to grow the plants in situ.

Monthly meeting of the Front Range Chapter's Board of Directors. All members are welcome to attend. Email us at [email protected] if you're interested in joining the call.

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.

Monthly meeting of the Front Range Chapter's Board of Directors. All members are welcome to attend. Email us at [email protected] if you're interested in joining the call.

Monthly meeting of the Front Range Chapter's Board of Directors. All members are welcome to attend. Email us at [email protected] if you're interested in joining the call.

Monthly meeting of the Front Range Chapter's Board of Directors. All members are welcome to attend. Email us at [email protected] if you're interested in joining the call.

Monthly meeting of the Front Range Chapter's Board of Directors. All members are welcome to attend. Email us at [email protected] if you're interested in joining the call.

Monthly meeting of the Front Range Chapter's Board of Directors. All members are welcome to attend. Email us at [email protected] if you're interested in joining the call.

Monthly meeting of the Front Range Chapter's Board of Directors. All members are welcome to attend. Email us at [email protected] if you're interested in joining the call.

Details coming soon! 

Monthly meeting of the Front Range Chapter's Board of Directors. All members are welcome to attend. Email us at [email protected] if you're interested in joining the call.

Details coming soon! 

Monthly meeting of the Front Range Chapter's Board of Directors. All members are welcome to attend. Email us at [email protected] if you're interested in joining the call.

Details coming soon! 

Monthly meeting of the Front Range Chapter's Board of Directors. All members are welcome to attend. Email us at [email protected] if you're interested in joining the call.