The next WPPC Walk on the Wild Side is Saturday, June 28, 2025 at 11am and 1pm.
Walk on the Wild Side: The June 2025 yard walk will be Saturday, June 28 at the home of Stacy and Mike Iwanicki in Wonder Lake. Walks will begin at 11am and 1pm. The yard features former farm fields that now support over 100 species of prairie, savannah, woodland and wetland plants. The prairie covers 3/4 of an acre on the 1.24 acre lot. In late June the prairie should see several species blooming including Butterfly Weed, Prairie Coreopsis and Pale Purple Coneflower. Formal gardens away from the prairie also feature many native plants. A front ditch has been re-purposed as a rain garden that includes Blue Flag Iris, Canada Anemone and other moisture loving plants. Above the ditch is a small savannah area that includes White Oak, Ninebark, American Plum and other shrubs. More details and directions can be found on the Event Page for this walk. 9100 Marissa Trail, Wonder Lake.
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.
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.
