Events

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.

Monarch tagging will be hosted by Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center naturalist!

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.

Monarch tagging will be hosted by Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center naturalist!

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.

Come join us for a presentation about how to Germinate Native Seeds and then stick around for a hands-on Native Seed harvest at the Loess Hills Arboretum and Nature Trail at Western Iowa Tech Community College on Sunday, October 4th from 3:00pm to 5:30pm.  

Rod Tondreau, biology professor,  will describe the conditions that various native seeds need to break dormancy and germinate.  Techniques like cold, moist stratification will be explained, along with methods to clean and store seeds.

We will start in room L-205, and then move to the Loess Hills Arboretum and Nature Trail.  Park in Lot 1 (first lot on the left), enter through the main entrance to find room L-205.  See the WITCC campus MazeMap for detailed directions.

https://www.witcc.edu/maps/

When traveling to WITCC, if Stone Avenue near Caseys on Gordon Drive is closed, follow this detour:

https://www.witcc.edu/road-closure/

The format is casual.  Come for just the presentation, the seed harvest, or both.

A variety of native seeds will be harvested by hand along the nature trail.  There is a wide, paved trail for those not wishing to walk on the uneven ground of the prairie.

Bring clippers, garden gloves, and drinking water. No prior experience needed. 

Free and Open to the Public

Seeds harvested will be collected for the Seed Share Library at Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center.

Co-sponsored by Loess Hills Wild Ones and Western Iowa Tech Community College

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.

We will be partnering with Plymouth County Conservation to bring a Winter Sowing event.

More info to come!

Hillview Recreation Area - Plymouth, IA

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.