Events

Sioux City Railroad Museum Garden Walk
Sioux City Railroad Museum, 3400 Sioux River Rd, Sioux City, IA, 51109
La Vone and Dotty welcome you to the native plantings at the Sioux City Railroad Museum. We are in our sixth year, so we still have some sleeping, creeping & leaping going on!
This 31-acre site was previously an industrial area of the Milwaukee Road "Shops" where steam and later diesel engines, and train cars were maintained and repaired from 1920-1965.
The Siouxland Historical Railroad Association attained the site in 1995 (which had been a junkyard for 15-20 years) and began the lengthy process of restoring historic buildings and developing educational displays. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places, earning the honor in 2016.
Our seven gardens are named for buildings on site such as Engineer's Tool Shed or Car Shops Garden, or a feature of significance such as the Wig Wag Garden or the Grand Scale Train Platform. They each contain a large variety of native plants for partial shade, shade, partial sun, full sun.
Hosts La Vone Sopher & Dotty Zales, who designed and installed the gardens, will be available to answer your questions. Light refreshments will be served.

Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center Garden Walk
Saturday, August 29, 2026, 10:00 am to Noon (Central Time) 4500 Sioux River Rd., Sioux City, IA 51109
The Nature Center turned 30 in 2025, and the gardens have undergone many changes over the years. New native plants were added in 2021 with the help of Loess Hills Wild Ones (LHWO) and Sioux City Garden Club grants and many volunteers. It has been exciting to see the transformation of our three-tiered gardens over time. The nature center and LHWO volunteers assisted with the planning, planting, and maintenance of our garden beds.
The rear of the Nature Center houses a water feature and native plants. This area has been under repair for a few years, and the staff will share future plans for the renovation of this popular area. Take time to stroll our trails and visit our indoor exhibits while you are here!
Host: Kari Sandage, Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center

Seed & Feed
Native Seed Harvest

This will be held at Prairie Hills Preserve, 15384 N Ridge Rd., Westfield, Iowa 51062

Hosts: Bill & Dotty Zales

Bring clippers, gloves, drinking water.
Lunch served afterward in appreciation of your work!
Please RSVP to 712-540-0952 for an accurate lunch count.

Seed will be collected for LHWO’s Seed Share Library, owner’s new acreage, and yourself.

Open to all.

Board Members and any other member interested in helping to plan events for LHWO.  Meet for our annual planning session.

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.

Members Only Plant Sale Preview Event.  Members get reduced pricing and first choice of plants today only. 

If you're not a member, Join Us (Click Here)

Fall Grant Awards will be announced at 5:30 p.m.

Proceeds from the sale are used for numerous native plant gardens and projects in the region, including individual and community grants to assist with native plantings.

Tour the beautiful Hilltop Gardens and shop for native wildflowers and grasses at the Fall Public Native Plant Sale.

Proceeds from the sale are used for numerous native plant gardens and projects in the region, including individual and community grants to assist with native plantings.

Join us to clean-up a section of Lincoln Way along Sioux City's South Ravine Park.  We'll meet at the gravel parking lot at S. Ravine Park which is just East of the intersection of Lincoln Way and S.  Lewis Boulevard in Sioux City, IA.  

Hi-visibility vests and large orange plastic bags for collecting trash will be provided.  Bring your own drinking water, trash picker, garden gloves, and wear sturdy walking shoes.   

And then afterwards, join us for refreshments at the Stewart's Hilltop Gardens. 

This is always a very worthwhile event.  We hope you will join us for a little productive outdoor recreation and refreshment rewards afterwards.

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.

Join us for our Annual Meeting with a recap of our 2026 Events, 2027 Elections, and a Potluck.   We'll also talk about our wildly successful Seed Share Library.

 LHWO will provide Sneaky's Chicken, beverages, and table service! 

Bring a side dish to share!

Zoe Evans, rewilding coach and VP of Partnerships & Programs at Wildr shares a practical, science-informed framework for evaluating a home landscape, identifying its greatest habitat opportunities, and choosing actions that support more plants, insects, birds, and other wildlife.

Registration link coming soon.

No yard required. Learn how native plants can turn patios, balconies, containers, and other small spaces into meaningful habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. This practical panel will cover plant selection, container design, seasonal care, and realistic ways to support biodiversity in limited spaces.

Registration link coming soon.

Birds depend on healthy, connected habitats for food, shelter, nesting, and migration support. Join experts from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to explore how native plants and thoughtful landscape choices can support birdlife at home. Learn how gardens, yards, and community spaces can provide the insects, seeds, berries, cover, and habitat structure birds need throughout the year.

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.