Events

Celebrate the trees throughout Lexington with friends and neighbors to grow a healthier community. Enjoy the trees and green spaces throughout our area by participating in tree plantings, walks, tours, hikes, educational programs, and more. Most of the events and programs are free and include all ages, interests, and abilities. 

It’s a week-long celebration dedicated to enhancing and appreciating Lexington’s tree canopy. made possible by a range of groups and individuals throughout Fayette County. Tree Week Lexington is a community effort!

A community event with support from Wild Ones
No Wild Ones meeting is scheduled for October

For a full list of Tree Week events, click to visit this website

Attend Wild Ones hosted events:
A Poem Lovely as a Tree
Gardening in the Shade of Trees
Wild Ones Native Plant Giveaway

Bring your garden-related items to our overflow grassy area in the back of the main parking lot at The Arboretum starting at 8:30 a.m. We welcome plants (non-invasive only, please), books, tools, etc. The exchange starts at 9 a.m. and is done in about 15 minutes, so be on time!

You do not have to bring anything to participate, there is no cost, and pre-registration is not required.
The plant exchange will be canceled in the case of severe weather.

Bring your native plants that you have to share and swap them for other native plants in Wild Ones Native Plant Giveaway. All plants must be natives and have the name of the plant with the container. You can bring your native plants any time on Saturday the 17th and place them on the driveway near the garage. On Sunday the 18th, you can bring plants up until 1:00pm. The giveaway starts at 1:00pm. 

Following the giveaway, plan to attend the free Tree Week event at this address, "Gardening in the Shade", starting at 2:00.

A free Tree Week event hosted by Wild Ones
You plant a tree and it’s full of promise. You eagerly anticipate the tree’s shade, and after a few years, it happens. You bring out a chair and sit under your tree with a book, a cup of coffee, a glass of wine. Then the shade gets larger and deeper. The turf grass struggles under your new tree as it doesn’t like the shade nearly as much as you do. So, how do you put it all together—the shade and a ground cover layer of plants under your tree to create a thriving habitat? This walk through a large, mostly shaded garden suggests ways to manage a woodland floor for diversity, pollinators, and beauty. And the walk includes refreshments!

No pets please. Terrain is not suitable for wheel chairs and may be difficult for walkers. Plenty of parking on the street. Host Beate Popkin.

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.

Plant taxonomy is the branch of botany dedicated to the scientific identification, description, nomenclature, and classification of plants. It organizes the estimated 390,000 known plant species into a hierarchical system based on shared characteristics. Ann Witherington, a Lexington Wild Ones member, will explain Plant Taxonomy to us gardeners—the naming of straight species, cultivars/nativars, and hybrids. She will cover classification systems especially the 'new' APG system and present a fun 'quiz': The use and misuse of plant names!

Ann has a master’s degree from Northeastern University in botany with a major in plant taxonomy. She taught biology at Asbury University for 20 years and designed for her students a demonstration garden in her yard labeling all her plants both latin and common names.

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.

Enjoy conversation, laughter, and food with our fellow members! Bring whatever favorite dish or desert you want to share, Wild Ones will supply the drinks and service ware. Do not bring alcoholic drinks. Included in our meeting will be a seed swap and a game of trivial pursuit.

So what seeds do you bring to the seed swap?
Bring clean, dry seeds from your garden or yard from correctly identified, KY native, straight-species plants. Do not bring cultivars, named varieties, or non-native plants. Include the scientific name whenever possible. Growing information can be added later. Start collecting, cleaning, and drying now so your seeds are ready to share.

Preferred option: Labeled packets
Label packets with the common and scientific names, light and soil preferences, bloom time, flower color, and any required germination treatment, such as cold stratification or scarification.

Alternative option: Bulk seeds
Bring larger quantities of cleaned, dried, identified native seed in a container. We’ll provide envelopes and supplies for participants to make and label their own packets at the swap.

Nothing to contribute? No problem—you can still plan to leave with plenty of seeds, especially since Wild Ones will be donating seeds for everyone to take home.

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.