Events

Events Archive: 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Upcoming Events

January 2025

Jan
11

Winter Seed Sowing

This event has ended
Saturday, January 11th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, 4500 Sioux River Rd, Sioux City, IA, 51109 Map

Public Welcome Family-Friendly Free Event Hands-On/How-To Workshop Seed/Plant Share Wheelchair Accessible Public Restroom Free Public Parking Drinking Fountains

Hands-On workshop to learn how to sow native seeds in mini containers that can be grown outside this Winter season.  In the Spring, you'll have native seedlings ready to plant! 

Bring 1 - 2 empty, clean milk/water jugs.  Soil and Native Seeds will be provided.

Inclement Weather Alternate Date: January 18th* (Same Time & Location)

* Check our Facebook page if the weather is questionable.  

February 2025

Feb
8

Germinating Difficult Seeds with Rod Tondreau

This event has ended
Saturday, February 8th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, 4500 Sioux River Rd, Sioux City, IA, 51109 Map

Public Welcome Family-Friendly Free Event Program/Speaker Presentation Wheelchair Accessible Public Restroom Free Public Parking Drinking Fountains

Rod Tondreau, from Western Iowa Tech's Biology department, will present how to germinate native grass and wildflower seeds. Examples of some of the more difficult seeds to start will be included in the discussion. 

Feb
20

National Panel Discussion: "Bees Beyond Honey: Understanding Native and Managed Pollinators"

Hosted by Wild Ones National
This event has ended
Thursday, February 20th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Online/Virtual

Public Welcome Recording Available Free Event Program/Speaker Presentation

All are welcome to join this free virtual panel discussion exploring the vital roles of native, solitary, and honeybees in pollination and biodiversity. Featuring experts Sam Droege (USGS), Dave Hunter (Crown Bees), and Dr. Lora Morandin (Pollinator Partnership), this event will discuss into the challenges pollinators face, the balance between managed and wild bees, and actionable ways to support all pollinators.

Gain insights from over 90 years of combined experience and learn how to advocate for pollinator habitats through planting native species, participating in community science, and adopting responsible management practices.

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March 2025

Mar
1

Native Plant Day in Orange City

This event has ended
Saturday, March 1st, 2025
to (Central Time)
Sioux County Extension/ Lower Level, East Entrance, 400 Central Ave NW, Orange City, IA, 51041 Map

Public Welcome Free Event Program/Speaker Presentation Conference/Symposium Public Restroom Free Public Parking

Come see our own Danielle Metzger, Wild Ones, Loess Hills chapter secretary,  present “Residential Landscaping with Native Plants” at Sioux County Extension's Native Plant Day.  Danielle will be sharing her experiences about what has worked well in her native gardens at 11am.  

And while you're there, why not stay for all the Native Plant programs?  It's gonna be a fun day filled with many nuggets of information on how to use native plants in areas small and large.   

For the complete Native Plant Program description, see this flyer:

https://www.extension.iastate.edu/lyon/native-plant-day-march-1-2025

Register by February 27th:

Mar
8

Pollinator Friendly Plants & Habitat with Jamie Beyer

This event has ended
Saturday, March 8th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, 4500 Sioux River Rd, Sioux City, IA, 51109 Map

Public Welcome Family-Friendly Free Event Program/Speaker Presentation Wheelchair Accessible Public Restroom Free Public Parking Drinking Fountains

Learn how to help our essential native pollinators on Saturday, March 8 at 10:00 a.m. at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center. 

Jamie Beyer will present the program, Pollinator Friendly Plants and Habitat Pollinators include butterflies, hummingbirds, native bees and honeybees. Beyer will share EASY and FUN ways to help these critters like planting beautiful nectar producing plants. The HARD part is creating a different attitude and habits such as less mowing and less use of herbicides/pesticides. Truly, this should be the easy part since it requires less work. 

There will be two basic themes to this presentation; “In nature, diversity is the key to stability” and the other is “the more you know the less you mow”!!

Beyer is a Lifetime Master Gardener, a beekeeper, and water garden consultant from Boone, Iowa. He has received numerous accolades for his efforts over the years including from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Iowa Beekeepers Association. 

This presentation is co-sponsored by the Loess Hills Wild Ones and the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center. The program is free and open to the public.

Mar
20

National Panel Discussion: The Advocacy Power of Public Native Gardens

Hosted by Wild Ones Capital Region NY Chapter, Hocking Hills (Seedling) Chapter, San Diego Chapter and Wild Ones National
This event has ended
Thursday, March 20th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Online/Virtual

Public Welcome Recording Available Free Event Program/Speaker Presentation

Public gardens hold tremendous power to influence landscaping norms and inspire change. By showcasing the beauty, functionality, and ecological value of native plants, these spaces help foster biodiversity, advocate for sustainable practices, and engage communities in environmental stewardship. 

This webinar will explore how public and demonstration gardens serve as powerful tools for native plant advocacy. Attendees will learn how gardens move beyond aesthetics to spark action—turning appreciation into engagement and inspiring participants to replicate these practices in their own communities.

We will hear insights from Nicole Machuca, Environmental Social Scientist at the Field Museum, on how public gardens influence behaviors, foster stewardship, and connect people to conservation efforts through research and community engagement. The Wild Ones Capital Region NY and the Wild Ones San Diego (CA) Chapters will share their experiences building native plant demonstration gardens and how these spaces drive community engagement, education, and advocacy. And We'll finish with a conversation exploring how public gardens create a lasting impact beyond planting day moderated by Kelly Kapuzzi, Demonstration Garden Char with the Wild Ones Hocking Hills (OH) Chapter.

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April 2025

Apr
12

Meet the Plants & Roll-out the Grants

This event has ended
Saturday, April 12th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, 4500 Sioux River Rd, Sioux City, IA, 51109 Map

Public Welcome Family-Friendly Free Event Program/Speaker Presentation Wheelchair Accessible Public Restroom Free Public Parking Drinking Fountains

Loess Hills Wild Ones will share details of the native plants that will be available at the upcoming Spring Plant Sale. This is a great way to learn more about native wildflowers and grasses which can help you plan your own garden.

The program will also feature a rollout of the grants available for individuals and local organizations to apply for native plants.

Apr
27

Adopt-a-Street Clean-Up: Lincoln Way

This event has ended
Sunday, April 27th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Parking Lot at South Ravine Park, Sioux City, IA, 51106 Map

Volunteers Needed Public Welcome Family-Friendly Free Event Hands-On/How-To Workshop Free Public Parking Lots of Physical Activity

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 water, trash picker, garden gloves, and wear sturdy walking shoes.    

This is always a very worthwhile event and we hope you will join us for a little productive outdoor recreation.

May 2025

May
3

Spring Wildflower Walk

This event has ended
Saturday, May 3rd, 2025
to (Central Time)
Stone State Park Lodge Parking Lot/ Carolyn Benne Trailhead, 5001 Talbot Rd, Sioux City, IA, 51103 Map

Public Welcome Family-Friendly Free Event Nature Walk/Hike Free Public Parking Lots of Physical Activity

Celebrate Iowa Wildflower Month by joining us for a walk through this woodland to view the diversity of spring wildflowers. Brian Hazlett, local native plant expert and Briar Cliff Biology Professor will lead this walk along the Carolyn Benne trail in Stone State Park. 

Meet at the Carolyn Benne trailhead/Stone Park Lodge parking lot (near GPS Coordinates: 42.560658, -96.466828). 

Wear sturdy walking shoes. The trail meanders a creek bed with some hilly areas. 

For more information on the location, click the link to the Stone State Park map and look for the Carolyn Benne Trail (#9).  

https://www.iowadnr.gov/media/1216/download?inline

Sponsored by Woodbury County Conservation & Loess Hills Wild Ones.

May
16

Spring Native Plant Sale - Members Preview Members Only

This event has ended
Friday, May 16th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Hilltop Gardens, 2801 S Cecelia St, Sioux City, IA, 51106 Map

Members Only Family-Friendly Free Event Chapter Social Seed/Plant Sale Public Restroom Free Public Parking

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

Here's the list of plants that will be available from LHWO:

https://loesshills.wildones.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2025/05/2025-Simple-Plant-List.pdf

If you're not a member, but want to join us, click the “Join” button on our homepage: 

https://loesshills.wildones.org

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

Special guests from Siouxland Prairie Farms of Rock Valley will also have native ecotype plants for sale from their native plant farm.

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.

May
17

Spring Native Plant Sale- Public Welcome

This event has ended
Saturday, May 17th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Hilltop Gardens, 2801 S Cecelia St, Sioux City, IA, 51106 Map

Public Welcome Family-Friendly Free Event Home/Private Garden Tour Seed/Plant Sale Public Restroom Free Public Parking

Shop for native wildflowers and grasses at the Spring Public Native Plant Sale.

Here's the list of plants that will be available from LHWO:

https://loesshills.wildones.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2025/05/2025-Simple-Plant-List.pdf

Special guests from Siouxland Prairie Farms of Rock Valley will also have native ecotype plants for sale from their native plant farm.

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.

May
20

Native Plants Planted Right: A Practical Guide for Beginners

Hosted by Wild Ones National
This event has ended
Tuesday, May 20th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Online/Virtual

Public Welcome Recording Available Free Event Program/Speaker Presentation

Join Wild Ones National Board President Loris Damerow for a special presentation as part of Week 3 of the 2025 Less Lawn More Life Challenge, “Native Plants Planted Right.” Loris will walk us through the basics of native plant gardening- from choosing the right plants to planting and maintaining them with confidence.

Join us on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 5 p.m. CT for the YouTube Live premiere of this 30-minute webinar. Native plant experts from  Wild Ones, Plan it Wild, Homegrown National Park, ReWild Your Campus, and others will be active in the live chat throughout the presentation and for 30 minutes after the webinar, giving you plenty of time to ask questions and engage! 

This event is designed for newcomers to native gardening and is part of the national Less Lawn More Life Challenge, hosted by Plan It Wild in collaboration with Wild Ones, iNaturalist, Homegrown National Park, Pollinator Partnership  and many others! 

See more about the Less Lawn More Life Challenge:  https://www.lesslawnmorelife.com/ 

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May
30

Loess Hills Prairie Seminar

This event has ended
to (Central Time)
Sylvan Runkel State Preserve (Loess Hills Wildlife Management Area) , IA, 51010 Map

Public Welcome Family-Friendly Youth Engagement Free Event Program/Speaker Presentation Conference/Symposium Group Tour Nature Walk/Hike Public Restroom Free Public Parking

Join us to explore, learn, and relax in the heart of the Loess Hills in Monona County, Iowa for the 49th Anniversary of the Loess Hills Prairie Seminar (LHPS)!

​ The LHPS is a free, come-and-go event, which runs throughout the weekend of May 30th - June 1st.  

Participate in just one session, an entire day, or the whole weekend.  

If you want to stay overnight, there's Free Camping*, a Hotel, Airbnbs, and a few Monona County Cabins available to rent.

Friday, May 30th - 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Saturday, May 31st- 6:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Sunday, June 1st - 6:00 AM - 12:00 PM  

​*Free Primitive tent camping & car camping on site. No electrical hook ups. No running water. Potable Water and Porta-Johns available.  A solar-powered phone charging station will also be available.

Check out these links for more info on the 2025 LHPS Event Schedule, Description, and Locations: 

https://www.loesshillsprairieseminar.com/copy-of-last-year-s-schedule

https://www.loesshillsprairieseminar.com/

https://www.loesshillsprairieseminar.com/_files/ugd/3ad5ed_d937e29ba9934a438853ac6ec9dc950a.pdf

June 2025

Jun
22

100th Year Celebration at the Old House & Hilltop Gardens! Members Only

This event has ended
Sunday, June 22nd, 2025
to (Central Time)
Hilltop Gardens, 2811 S Cecelia St, Sioux City, IA, 51106 Map

Members Only Free Event Chapter Social Home/Private Garden Tour Seed/Plant Share Public Restroom Free Public Parking Drinking Fountains

Cheri's grandparents, Perry and Hilda Zenor, built their own house on this hill in 1925 and worked a small farm.  The Old House has been loved by the same family ever since!  

The original barns are gone and the brome is slowly being replaced with prairie plants, but old memories are treasured while new ones are made.

Please join us at this MEMBERS ONLY Event to commemorate this milestone with an Open House and Hilltop Native Garden Walk! 

Refreshments will be served with cake cutting at Noon.

The Old House and Hilltop Gardens are located at 2811 S. Cecelia St, Sioux City. 

We will also host a plant exchange that can include natives, non-invasive ornamentals and house plants.

MEMBERS ONLY Event.   

Not a Member?  Join us!

https://members.wildones.org/join/?chapter=113

The Loess Hills chapter of Wild Ones is a non-profit organization that promotes planting native landscapes, both small and large, in Iowa, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Native plants attract pollinators, birds, and other wildlife, enhancing your home and the environment. 

July 2025

Jul
12

Bees & Blooms Garden Walk

This event has ended
Saturday, July 12th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Bees and Blooms Garden, 901 46th St, Sioux City, IA, 51104 Map

Public Welcome Family-Friendly Free Event Home/Private Garden Tour Free Public Parking

Come join us at Marc and Tracy's Bees & Blooms Garden Walk.  

Marc’s interest in prairies and native gardens started about five years ago. Over the years, he has worked on cultivating native grasses and flowers in the back half of the yard. Tracy has always enjoyed vegetable and flower gardening and has started to drink the kool-aid on the importance of native flowers and grasses. 

Tracy planted a native flower bed around the electrical boxes in the backyard about four years ago, and it's really beautiful. There are also native flowers and grasses planted around the vegetable garden and the bees. Marc started another native flower garden above the fire pit about two years ago, and it is getting better each year.

Four years ago, Tracy took a beekeeping class and started beekeeping. She usually has two
hives and both she and Marc love to sit and watch the bees bring in pollen, drink from the
birdbaths, and fly around the yard. Tracy harvests honey in the fall—last year she harvested
140 pounds. 

Both Marc and Tracy love spending time in their backyard with the bees and the blooms!

This event is free, open to the public, and open yard style. Come and go as you please.  

The Loess Hills chapter of Wild Ones is a non-profit organization that promotes planting native landscapes, both small and large, in Iowa, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Native plants attract pollinators and other wildlife, enhancing your home and the environment. 

Jul
19

​Agape Community Garden Walk

This event has ended
Saturday, July 19th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Agape Community Garden, 1421 Geneva St, Sioux City, IA, 51103 Map

Public Welcome Family-Friendly Free Event Public Garden Tour Free Public Parking

Come see over twenty species of native forbs and grasses, almost entirely sourced from or donated by the Loess Hills Wild Ones, as well as seven species of native shrubs can be found in the garden. These native plants promote healthy soil and carbon sequestration, provide food sources for beneficial insects, and support songbirds and other cherished wildlife.

Depending on this summer's weather conditions, the following species could be flowering during your visit: 
Black-eyed Susan, Butterfly Milkweed, Common Boneset,Culver’s Root, Cup Plant, Early (False/Oxeye) Sunflower, Lead Plant (considered a shrub), Marsh (Rose) Milkweed, Meadow Anemone, New Jersey Tea, (considered a shrub). Nodding Onion, Ohio Spiderwort, Pale Purple Coneflower,Prairie Coreopsis, Prairie Onion, Prairie Sage, Purple Prairie Clover, Purple (Sweet) Joe Pye, Rattlesnake Master, Spotted Joe Pye, 
Wild Bergamot (Bee Balm, Wild Petunia, Yellow (Gray-headed) Coneflower, Zigzag Goldenrod.

Also note our native grasses and sedges: Common Oak Sedge, Little Bluestem, and Prairie Dropseed.

Native trees and shrubs along the back of the garden include: American Elderberry, American Hazelnut, Chokecherry, Serviceberry/Juneberry, Wild Plum, Ninebark, and Aronia (Chokeberry). 

Agape Community Garden is located on West 15th St, 1.5 blocks west of Hamilton Blvd.

This event is free, open to the public, and open garden style. Come and go as you please.  

The Loess Hills chapter of Wild Ones is a non-profit organization that promotes planting native landscapes, both small and large, in Iowa, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Native plants attract pollinators and other wildlife, enhancing your home and the environment. 

Jul
22

Growing the Native Plant Movement Together

Hosted by Wild Ones National
This event has ended
Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
to (Central Time)
Online/Virtual

Public Welcome Recording Available Free Event Program/Speaker Presentation

The closing event of this year’s Less Lawn More Life Challenge, will be led by Lisa Olsen, Chapter Liaison at Wild Ones. In this webinar, you’ll learn how small, personal actions like planting native species and removing invasives, can ripple outward to inspire neighbors, change policies, and reshape communities. 

During the premiere, native plant experts from Wild Ones and collaborating organizations will be active in the live chat. They’ll be ready to answer questions, share tips, and connect viewers with resources. The live chat will remain open for 30 minutes after the webinar, giving you plenty of time to ask questions and engage. Please note: You must be logged into a YouTube account to participate in the chat. 

The Less Lawn More Life Challenge is a free, 12-week action series designed to help people transform traditional lawns into vibrant, life-supporting native plant habitat. Each week, participants complete a simple challenge like planting a native shrub, removing invasives, or observing pollinators to reimagine their outdoor space and take meaningful steps toward restoring biodiversity at home. 

It’s not too late to get involved. Catch up on the weekly videos and start your rewilding journey today at https://www.lesslawnmorelife.com/ 

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Jul
26

Morningside Garden Walk & Plant Sale

This event has ended
Saturday, July 26th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Hilltop Garden & Ponder's Prairie Patch, 3301 Walden Ave, Sioux City, IA, 51106 Map

Public Welcome Family-Friendly Free Event Home/Private Garden Tour Seed/Plant Sale Public Restroom Free Public Parking Drinking Fountains

The Morningside Garden tour includes two different styles of native plant gardens.

The Ponders' Prairie Patch is adjacent to the beautiful S. Ravine Park, and features purple coneflower, butterfly weed, little bluestem, black-eyed susans, and many more native plants. The garden is ever-evolving by human design and wildlife meddling.  🙂

Located at 3301 Walden Ave, Sioux City.

Tom & Cheri Stewart have created an ever-expanding, backyard native garden paradise that's both beautiful and ecologically significant.  In 2022, the Stewart's Hilltop Garden was awarded Sioux City's Yard-of-the-Year.   

Located at 2801 S. Cecelia Street, Sioux City.

Come walk the gardens and enjoy the pollinators who are also visiting!  

Then relax on a garden bench while enjoying some refreshments.  

Or shop the native plant sale at the Hilltop Garden and pick up a few natives for your own yard.  Proceeds from the plant sale go towards funding native plant gardens and educational programs in the Siouxland region.

Both garden walks are open yard style.  Stop in to look around, and come and go as you please.

The Loess Hills chapter of Wild Ones is a non-profit organization that promotes planting native landscapes, both small and large, in Iowa, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Native plants attract pollinators and other wildlife, enhancing your home and the environment. 

August 2025

Aug
1

Sara's Garden Walk

This event has ended
Friday, August 1st, 2025
to (Central Time)
Sara's Garden, 5115 Hamilton Blvd, Sioux City, IA, 51108 Map

Public Welcome Family-Friendly Free Event Home/Private Garden Tour Free Public Parking

Join Us at Sara's Garden Walk where there is a mix of garden habitats including petite woodlands with Sweet Cicely, Smooth Solomon Seal, Virginia Water Leaf, Snowberry and Ivory Sedge.

There is the shady rain garden with Marsh Marigold, Swamp Rose Mallow , Cardinal Flowers, Sedges and many other moist or shade loving plants.  

In another area there's a small stumpery with a few Ferns that are continuing to expand and behind the stumpery Yellow Jewel Weed grows naturally.     

These 3 gardens are backed by the Perry Creek bank.

In the front yard, are sunny areas with many native plants such as Liatris, Prairie Rose, Michigan Lily, Coneflowers, Coreopsis, Prairie Clover, Wild Indigo and Sedges. On the side of the house there are  more shade-loving plants including Columbine.  

There's also a non-native herb garden and small vegetable garden.    

This is a Free Event, Open to the Public.  

The Garden Walk is Open Yard style.   Come take a look around, come and go as you please.

Aug
16

Metzger's Garden Walk

This event has ended
Saturday, August 16th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Metzger Gardens, 1250 Tucker Hill Dr, Hinton, IA, 51024 Map

Public Welcome Family-Friendly Free Event Home/Private Garden Tour Public Restroom Free Public Parking Drinking Fountains

The Metzger native gardens were started in Spring of 2020 by Danielle & James and are ever expanding with each passing year. Each garden has a name and was designed by Danielle using plants mostly from Loess Hills Wild Ones native plant sales.

Most of the rock borders for the gardens were transported from Danielle’s father’s farm located in Buena Vista County. Danielle has a love for grasses and sedges.  Her favorite wildflowers are the different species of Purple Coneflower (Echinacea) and Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa). Her love of the Monarch Butterfly is what sparked and ignited her joy of native gardening.

The garden tour is free, open to the public, and open yard style. Come and go as you please.  Refreshments and restrooms will be available.

The Loess Hills chapter of Wild Ones is a non-profit organization that promotes planting native landscapes, both small and large, in Iowa, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Native plants attract native pollinators and other wildlife, enhancing your home and the environment. 

Aug
19

DP Nature Center Garden Clean-up

This event has ended
Tuesday, August 19th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, 4500 Sioux River Rd, Sioux City, IA, 51109 Map

Volunteers Needed Public Welcome Free Event Habitat Installation/Maintenance Public Restroom Free Public Parking Lots of Physical Activity Drinking Fountains

Calling all garden volunteers!  Bring your hand tools, gloves, and drinking water to the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center on Tuesday, August 19th between 8am - 10am to help tidy-up the native pollinator gardens prior to the upcoming Garden Walk.    It's a casual, flexible work environment, so if 8am is too early, stop by at 8:30am or 9am to pitch in!

This Event will be canceled in case of heavy rain.    

Free and Open to the Public.

Aug
21

SC Railroad Museum Garden Clean-Up

This event has ended
Thursday, August 21st, 2025
to (Central Time)
Sioux City Railroad Museum, 3400 Sioux River Rd, Sioux City, IA, 51109 Map

Volunteers Needed Public Welcome Free Event Habitat Installation/Maintenance Public Restroom Free Public Parking Lots of Physical Activity

Calling all garden volunteers!  Bring your hand tools, gloves, and drinking water to the Sioux City Railroad Museum on Thursday, August 21st between 9am - Noon to help tidy-up the native pollinator gardens prior to the upcoming Garden Walk.  

This Event will be canceled in case of heavy rain.    

Free and Open to the Public.

Aug
23

RR Museum & DP Nature Center Garden Walk

This event has ended
Saturday, August 23rd, 2025
to (Central Time)
Sioux City Railroad Museum, 3400 Sioux River Rd, Sioux City, IA, 51109 Map

Public Welcome Family-Friendly Free Event Public Garden Tour Public Restroom Free Public Parking Drinking Fountains

Come join us at the Sioux City Railroad Museum and the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center Garden Walks on Saturday, August 23rd from 9am - 12pm.

The Sioux City Railroad Museum Garden Walk is from 9am - 11am and is located at 3400 Sioux River Rd, Sioux City, IA, 51109.

LaVone and Dotty welcome you to the native plantings at the Sioux City Railroad Museum!  We are in our 5th 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 long 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.

La Vone & Dotty, who designed and installed the gardens, will be available to answer your questions.

Afterwards, check out the native Pollinator Gardens at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center from 10:00 am to Noon, located at Sioux River Road, Sioux City, IA 51109.

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 the past few years. The nature center and LHWO volunteers assisted with the planning, planting and maintenance of our garden beds. We’ll share the design plan and information about the native plants that grow and flourish here.

September 2025

Sep
3

Akron Farmer's Market Table

Wednesday, September 3rd, 2025
to (Central Time)
Akron City Park, City Park Dr, Akron, IA, 51001 Map

Public Welcome Family-Friendly Free Event Public Restroom Free Public Parking

Come see our informational table setup at the Akron Farmer's Market on Wednesday, September 3rd from 5pm to 7pm in the Akron City Park.   

Other organizations such as: Loess Hills Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy's Broken Kettle Grasslands, Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, Adam's Homestead Nature Center, and Prairie Woods Nature Center will also have informational tables setup.

Sep
9

Wild Things Welcome at Jefferson Beer Supply

Tuesday, September 9th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Jefferson Beer Supply, 202 Main St, Jefferson, SD, 57038 Map

Public Welcome Family-Friendly Youth Engagement Free Event Program/Speaker Presentation Hands-On/How-To Workshop Public Restroom Free Public Parking

Join us for a Wild Things Welcome Happy Hour and workshop at Jefferson Beer Supply, on Tuesday, September 9th, to learn about our Loess Hills ecosystem and ways to engage with nature in your backyard.  The Loess Hills chapter of Wild Ones, will be providing information on how to introduce native plants to your backyard and a native seed-bomb making table for the little ones, or anyone else that would like to make seed bombs.

Jefferson Beer Supply is making a special beer to promote and celebrate the project, a Lemon Honey Wheat Ale with local flowers.  JBS will also have other alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages for sale.    

This event is free, open to the public, and family-friendly.

Sep
12

Fall Native Plant Sale - Members Preview Members Only

Friday, September 12th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Hilltop Gardens, 2801 S Cecelia St, Sioux City, IA, 51106 Map

Members Only Family-Friendly Free Event Chapter Social Seed/Plant Sale Public Restroom Free Public Parking Drinking Fountains

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

If you're not a member, but want to join us, click the “Join” button on our homepage: 

https://loesshills.wildones.org

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.

Sep
13

Fall Native Plant Sale- Public Welcome

Saturday, September 13th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Hilltop Gardens, 2801 S Cecelia St, Sioux City, IA, 51106 Map

Public Welcome Family-Friendly Free Event Home/Private Garden Tour Seed/Plant Sale Public Restroom Free Public Parking Drinking Fountains

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.

Sep
18

Free Webinar: "EcoBeneficial Landscape Strategies for the Climate Crisis" with Kim Eierman

Hosted by Wild Ones National
Thursday, September 18th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Online/Virtual

Public Welcome Recording Available Free Event Program/Speaker Presentation

Discover how ecological landscaping with native plants can make your landscape more resilient and help address the climate crisis. This webinar will highlight practical, evidence-based approaches to designing and maintaining landscapes that build resilience to climate change and support native biodiversity. Join Wild Ones for a free webinar, “EcoBeneficial Landscape Strategies for the Climate Crisis,” featuring environmental horticulturalist and ecological landscape designer Kim Eierman.

Read More

Sep
27

Seeds and Snacks- Seed Harvest at Prairie Hills

Saturday, September 27th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Prairie Hills farm, 15384 N Ridge Rd, Westfield, IA, 51062 Map

Volunteers Needed Public Welcome Free Event Hands-On/How-To Workshop Seed Handling Public Restroom Free Public Parking Lots of Physical Activity Drinking Fountains

Come join us for a Native Seed harvest at Bill & Dotty Zales' beautiful Prairie Hills homestead in Westfield on Saturday, September 27th from 1pm to 5pm.  A variety of native seeds will be harvested by hand.  

Bring clippers, garden gloves, and drinking water.  

Then join us for light refreshments and snacks, afterwards. 

Seeds harvested will be used to enhance local prairie restorations.

October 2025

Oct
11

Native Seed Harvest at Hilltop Gardens

Saturday, October 11th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Hilltop Gardens, 2801 S Cecelia St, Sioux City, IA, 51106 Map

Volunteers Needed Public Welcome Free Event Hands-On/How-To Workshop Seed Handling Public Restroom Free Public Parking Lots of Physical Activity

Join us for a Native Seed Harvest at the Stewart's beautiful Hilltop Gardens.  Volunteers will collect Native Seeds by hand which will be packaged and distributed through the LHWO's Seed Library later in the year.

Both novices and experienced harvesters are welcome.  Instructions will be provided.

Bring clippers, gloves, and drinking water. 

Oct
16

October Wild Ones National Webinar with Doug Tallamy

Hosted by Wild Ones National
Thursday, October 16th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Online/Virtual

Public Welcome Recording Available Free Event Program/Speaker Presentation

Details coming soon! 

Oct
19

Adopt-a-Street Clean-Up: Lincoln Way

Sunday, October 19th, 2025
to (Central Time)
South Ravine Park - Parking Lot, Sioux City, IA, 51106 Map

Volunteers Needed Public Welcome Family-Friendly Free Event Hands-On/How-To Workshop Free Public Parking Lots of Physical Activity

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.

November 2025

Nov
20

November Wild Ones National Webinar with Larry Weaner

Hosted by Wild Ones National
Thursday, November 20th, 2025
to (Central Time)
Online/Virtual

Public Welcome Recording Available Free Event Program/Speaker Presentation

Details coming soon!