Walk on the Wild Side:  The WPPC’s July Walk on the Wild Side event will be hosted by Sarah and Scott Michehl on Saturday, July 23, 2022.   You’ll be able to explore a 1.25-acre yard in a residential neighborhood that has been converted from traditional non-native landscaping to majority native species. Sarah and Scott have lived at the property for 10 years with their two children and dog and have been removing invasive species and adding native trees, shrubs, and plants ever since. Formal front yard sun and shade gardens (HOA-friendly), foundation plantings, privacy hedgerows, lawn-to-prairie conversion, newly-planted ground cover gardens, and a 1/2-acre oak savanna restoration with a tiny creek will be visited.  Sarah has received much inspiration from our community and has a passion for blending the beauty of native plants in a formal setting with ecological function. Come hear the lessons learned (ugh bindweed is the worst), and see the projects-in-progress!   For more details and directions, see the event listing.  The guided walks will begin at 10am and 11:45am.  Information on all of this year’s other walks can be found by clicking on the button below.  All walks are free of charge and no pre-registration is required.  They are all guided walks with the tours beginning at the posted times.  3117 Larkspur Dr, Crystal Lake.

Natural Garden in Your Yard:  If you’d like to plant a garden full of plants native to northern Illinois but aren’t sure where to start, we can help!  Our mentoring program is now taking applications for next year’s program.  Planning and plant selection will take place this fall so that gardens can be planted next spring.  The program will match you with an experienced native plant gardener who will help you design your garden.  There is no charge for the program other than the cost of the plants.  If this appeals to you, simply download the application and mail it in.  For more information on the program, check out the garden mentoring page.

Donations:    If you would like to make a donation, our mailing address is:

The WPPC c/o The Land Conservancy,  P.O. Box 352,  Woodstock, IL  60098

Please make the check out to the Land Conservancy and annotate in the memo that it’s for the WPPC.