Find out about our latest events, ongoing projects, and how you can get involved with the Wildflower Preservation and Propagation Committee!

 

 

 

The next WPPC Walk on the Wild Side is Sunday, July 20, 2025 at 11am and 1pm.

Walk on the Wild Side:  The July 2025 yard walk will be Sunday, July 20 at the home of Mike Gallery and Donna Hriljac in Bull Valley.  Walks will begin at 11am and 1pm.  This yard features a 2 1/4 acre prairie which was restored by removing invasives and non-native grasses, then seeding in different years.  The first acre was seeded in 2018 with the Pollinator Palooza seed mix from Prairie Moon Nursery in Minnesota.  After a two year break, the 1/4 acre backyard was seeded with a Shortgrass Woods Edge seed mix, and the second acre of the 2 acre piece was seeded in 2021 again using the Pollinator Palooza seed mix.  The result of this staggered seeding is 2 1/4 acres of prairies in different stages of development. At the time of the yard walk, one acre will be 7 years old, the other acre will be 4 years old and the backyard 1/4 acre project will be 5 years old. This results in the opportunity for some interesting comparisons about one acre’s plants versus the other’s versus the backyard’s mix. In July, there should be a wide variety of plants flowering on all sections.  We welcome anyone who is interested in prairie restoration for their yards or communities or is just curious!  More details and directions can be found on the Event Page for this walk.  7911 Bennington Ct, Bull Valley.

All Walks on the Wild side are free of charge and no pre-registration is required.  A list of all walks for 2025 can be found on the Garden Walks Page.

 

WPPC Sponsored Bus Trip to Nachusa Grasslands on July 27, 2025!

This event sold out quickly and registration is closed.  The WPPC will sponsor a bus trip to Nachusa Grasslands on Sunday, July 27.  Nachusa is located south of Rockford near Oregon, IL and consists of 4000 acres of restored and remnant prairie which is home to more than 700 plant species, 180 species of birds and a herd of bison.  The restoration work there has been ongoing for over 30 years with spectacular results.  Many of the plant and bird species are rare in Illinois.  The bison herd was added in 2014.  The Nachusa volunteers have enthusiastically offered us a guided tour out to see the bison as well as a visit to their seed collection/storage area where they plan future restoration efforts.  There will also be an opportunity to explore some of the trails near the visitor’s center.
The day will start at 8:15 with a bus ride to the preserve.  The drive should take around an hour and a half.  At Nachusa we will have about 2 1/2 hours to take in the sights and enjoy the tours.  At 12:30 we will depart the preserve and head to Oregon where we will enjoy a brunch buffet at Maxson Restaurant which is right on the banks of the Rock River with nice views.  There will be choices for those with vegan or vegetarian diets.  After lunch we will board the bus for the drive back to McHenry County.  More details will follow for those who register.  You can follow this link for more information on Nachusa Grasslands.
As part of our educational mission, the WPPC will subsidize a portion of this trip, so the price will be only $50 per person which includes the bus ride, Nachusa tours and lunch at Maxson Restaurant.  In order to make it easy on our fiscal sponsor (The Land Conservancy), we’re not accepting credit cards for this event.  After you register we’ll send an email with payment instructions.
We’re looking forward to seeing you on July 27!

 

Top 10 Things New Native Gardeners Need to Know

Watch an inspiring presentation that will encourage people new to native gardening or give the already convinced some new ideas. This was a zoom presentation given on March 3rd, 2022 entitled “Top 10 Things New Native Gardeners Need to Know” by Ken Williams. Enjoy!  Click here for video.

If you would like to learn how to plant a native garden in your yard, you can contact Kris Hall at NGYY@thewppc.org

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Your generous contribution plays a vital role in supporting our organization’s mission to promote and protect our natural environment. Your contribution will help fund our native plant seminar, outdoor classrooms work, pollinator education outreach and our mentoring (Natural Garden in Your Yard) program.

WHAT WE DO

Dedicated to:

Promoting the use of native plants in the landscape through preservation, propagation, and education
Advocating the conservation of open space, natural landscapes, wildlife habitat, scenic resources, and water in McHenry County and neighboring areas for the benefit of the general public
Engaging in and otherwise promoting the scientific study of and educating the public regarding local natural resources