April Presentation

A bubble rock Diane installed to replace her birdbath.
Birds are attracted to the sound of moving water.
They bathe and drank from it, as do the squirrels!

A hummingbird sitting in a nest in Diane's yard.

April 23, 2026

Gardening for Birds

Presenter | Diane Hirigoyen

Social 6:30pm - 7:00pm 

Presentation 7:00pm - 8:15pm

Richfield Community Center 

7000 Nicollet Ave, Richfield, MN

Diane Hirigoyen will review the diet of birds, and then compare birds and insects in relation to ecosystem services, threats, habitat requirements, actions people can take, and some resources.

Diane was born and raised in Michigan. She received a degree in Clinical Laboratory Science from Michigan State University and a master's degree from the University of Minnesota in Medical Microbiology. She worked at Hennepin County Medical Center for 37 years in the microbiology and molecular laboratories. Upon retiring Diane focused on birding and gardening. She has been a member of Wild Ones since October 2019. In the fall of 2022 she was accepted into the Xerces Society Ambassador program. 

Spring Member-Only Tours

Pasque Flower Meadow and Nine Mille Creek Trail Hike, Bloomington

April 19th, 1:00- 2:30 pm

Bonus Native Garden Visit | 2:30 to 3:00 pm

REGISTER HERE

Meeting Place: Parking Lot at Rock Church, 2201 W. 108th St., Bloomington

Hike leaders:  Roz Johnson and Nathalie Shanstrom, Wild Ones Twin Cities members, Bloomington residents.

Please join Wild Ones Twin Cities members on a hike to see a rare Metro prairie meadow where Pasque wild flowers should be in bloom. We’ll then walk down to the Nine Mile Creek trail, currently undergoing Phase 1 of a major restoration project, to see what's emerging after a long winter. This hike is somewhat hilly so bring your hiking poles if you want. Wear good hiking shoes and bring water.

Optional extension activity: Around 2:15-2:30 pm, we will drive to nearby Oak Grove Presbyterian Church, 2200 W. Old Shakopee Road, Bloomington to see the Vanatta Memorial wildflower garden. You will see an example of Pasque flowers as well as other spring natives in this micro climate garden designed by Nathalie Shanstrom in collaboration with Julia Vanatta.

We especially encourage new members to attend. Group will be limited to 15 people. If it rains, hike will be rescheduled and you will be notified.

Life Beneath Our Feet: Understanding Soil

7515 Izaak Walton Road W, Bloomington, MN 55438

Saturday, May 2nd, 11:45am-4pm

Space is Limited- Members Only | REGISTER HERE

Come and learn about the Izaak Walton League Bush Lake ecosystem where over 12,000 native plants have been installed. Jim Etzel will give a presentation on healthy ecosystems, healthy soil and water infiltration. We will extract and view soil cores, and soil infiltration rates. Some samples will be sent to a lab and results will be available at a later date.

This event is open to members of Bush Lake Ikes (register on their website), Wild Ones and by invitation on a first come basis. Space for parking is limited, please walk, bike or carpool if possible. If you would like to attend and are not a members, please join today! 

Note: Parking on site is very limited, we encourage everyone to use bicycles (if you live nearby) or carpool. 

Agenda:

11:45 am - 12:15 pm     A tour of Bush Lake Izaak Walton League

12:15 pm - 12:45 pm     Lunch/social

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm        Presentation by Jim Etzel, Understanding Bush Lake’s Ecology & Life Beneath Our Feet: Understanding Soil

2:00 - 4:00 Observe soil ecology, collect soil samples and perform soil infiltration test.

Questions: 

For Ikes and invited guests, email Jill Crafton 

For Wild Ones Twin Cities members, email Susan Van Baerle 

March Program

Due to the heavy snow over weekend combined with forecast for more snow Tuesday evening, we have moved our Tuesday, March 17 chapter program to Tuesday, March 24.

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Social 6:30 pm | Program 7:00 pm

Richfield Community Center | 7000 Nicollet Ave 

LIVE STREAM HERE

Visualizing the Native Garden: 

A Practical Design Tool for Planning Gardens

Presenter | Dustin Demmer

Many native gardeners have extensive plant lists—but translating those lists into cohesive garden designs is another challenge. This presentation introduces a unique, illustration-based native plant design tool that offers a fresh, hands-on approach to garden planning. Unlike traditional paper or digital layouts, this novel visual system allows gardeners to visually test layouts, experiment with layering, and evaluate bloom progression in a more intuitive way. After introducing this intuitive design process, we will go through a design scenario for a small, city garden with plenty of flowers and short grasses in the increasingly popular mixed style of gardening. 

Dustin Demmer founded the native plant nursery Blazing Star Gardens 13 years ago with a mission to bring native plants back into our communities. By promoting practical, low-maintenance strategies, he works to make native gardening accessible to beginners and experts alike. He is especially known for his use of short sedges and grasses as the structural backbone of a garden—so much so that one customer once remarked their design had “too many grasses,” even though Dustin had already reduced them by half of what he typically recommends.