Events

In this special collaboration, Robin Wall Kimmerer, author, botanist, and founder of Plant Baby Plant, joins youth leader and Nurture Natives founder Esther Bonney for an intergenerational conversation about belonging, reciprocity, and native plant action. 

Together, they will explore questions such as:

How do we create opportunities for young people to have a voice and feel empowered, even when they are not homeowners or decision makers?What kinds of relationships and mentorships help people stay engaged in native plant work over decades?Why do stories, shared practices, and community invitations matter just as much as plant lists?

Robin and Esther will reflect on what invites people into this work, what keeps them here, and what elders and youth have to teach each other.

Our upcoming webinar with Basil Camu explores practical, evidence based ways to heal suburban and urban landscapes by working with trees, soil, and natural systems, drawing on real world practices from Leaf & Limb and community centered models for restoring life where we live, work, and play.!  

Join us for the first workshop of the year at Reciprocity Community Food Forest.  We will be giving a how to presentation on tapping a Large Silver Maple Tree at our Food Forest by tapping it together. For refreshments  we will have taste samples of  Sugar Maple Water that we plan to tap a week before our workshop. Along with the Sugar Maple Water samples we will also have White Pine Soda samples so if you would like to try, please bring your own Cup! While enjoying the refreshments we will talk about the benefits of drinking Maple water seasonally and respecting the tree by only taking what is needed & giving back by planting more trees with Reciprocity. Maple water contains more Manganese, Calcium, Sodium, and almost as much potassium as Coconut Water. For Gatorade fans, Maple water is an all natural sports drink! For maple syrup fans it would take 50 gallons of sugar maple water to get 1 gallon of maple syrup. So although we love maple syrup as a treat, this workshop is to show the value of an absolute necessity, clean mineral rich, free, Water that revitalizes our body with minerals we are lacking in a season when we need it the most. (Event is subject to being rescheduled t Sunday , February 22nd depending on weather.)

Join Joey Santore, creator of Crime Pays But Botany Doesn’t, for a candid Wild Ones National Webinar examining how inherited garden aesthetics shape native plant landscapes. Drawing on field experience and real ecology, Joey challenges tidy design norms and explores why dense, irregular plant communities are often the most resilient and ecologically sound.

Event Description:

Did you know that the Zebra Swallowtail butterfly relies on a single tree for its entire existence? In a remarkable ecological partnership, the Pawpaw is the exclusive host plant for this species. The caterpillar form depends entirely on Pawpaw leaves for nourishment, even absorbing natural toxins from the tree that protect them from predators throughout their lives. 

Join us in this workshop, where expert Gabrielle Marsden will guide us through the fascinating biology of this bond, explaining why the presence of native Pawpaws is the essential key to the Zebra Swallowtail’s survival in Pennsylvania. To see Gabrielle's work in action before the event, visit her video series at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znMYriSN3Ow&list=PLISKL21_b6P6-6LfN2gGro8xSOaz3-DRe

In this two-part event, we’ll have hands-on conservation learning by planting Pawpaw trees together at Duncansville Memorial Park. After establishing these initial host sites, we will break into smaller groups at 3:00 PM to plant additional groves at nearby locations. By expanding these native habitats, we are directly ensuring that the Zebra Swallowtail has the resources it needs to flourish in our community for generations to come.

Check out where we have planted Pawpaws in Blair county so far and locations of wild pawpaw groves in this ever evolving map in link below

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1MWDTLstCAOrHauRWVuwRsVcpFmUaTOQ&ll=40.42378534411041%2C-78.408726577896&z=13

Get involved: If you have a permitted location within a 1/2 mile of a waterway where a group of Pawpaw trees can be planted please fill out this form below.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeHJ4xdIjv0Ct_rmucEkuTzOesA62sUCz3p-xdMjirlsO8ffQ/viewform?usp=header

UPDATE: Due to weather this event has been postponed to Sunday, April 26th, at 1pm. 

Come help us tend to one of the most established community eco gardens in Blair County. Since we began our work in 2023, countless adults and youth have lent a hand to this project. Because of that collective effort, we have seen a beautiful increase in wildlife diversity with every passing year.

We will begin the session with a guided tour of the rain garden to witness the incredible progress of our native species. You will get an up-close look at American plums, pawpaws, serviceberries, elderberries, and aroniaberries, along with raspberries, blueberries, and dozens of native wildflowers. If you are visiting for the first time, this is the perfect introduction to the space and its history.

Following the tour, we will transition into hands-on care by cutting back last year's flower stalks, weeding, and potentially adding new native plants to the soil. Please bring a pair of gardening gloves and a curiosity to learn. Whether you are a regular or a first-time volunteer, your help ensures this habitat continues to flourish.

Join award-winning author, photographer, and educator Rick Darke for What Is Wild and Why It Matters, a free national webinar on Tuesday, April 28th at 10 am CT. Discover how inviting a bit of authentic wildness can create a vibrant landscape that sustains you and local biodiversity. This national event is presented in collaboration between Wild Ones and Homegrown National Park.

Guild planting is about transforming us from laborers into wild-tenders. By designing plant communities that mimic the stability and function of natural ecosystems, we create gardens that are incredibly productive yet require very little maintenance. Instead of fighting against nature, we recruit plants to do the work for us by building soil, deterring pests, and conserving water. This allows us to catch and store our energy into years of abundant yields. We will be planting a symbiotic network of plants to help sustain our food forest for years to come!

Join us for a hands-on afternoon of growth and stewardship at the Reciprocity Community Food Forest. Whether you are a seasoned gardener or have never touched a trowel, this session is the perfect way to connect with your neighbors and the land.

We are focusing our energy on building a resilient ecosystem through guild planting. By surrounding our existing fruit trees with supportive companion plants, we create a self-sustaining “guild” that naturally suppresses weeds, deters pests, and enriches the soil.
 

This is an all-ages event with tasks ranging from heavy lifting to light weeding. Activities include:

Installing flowers, herbs, and groundcovers around our fruit trees. Maintaining our raicn garden to ensure proper drainage. Invasive species identification and removal. General Maintenance like mulching, path clearing, and general cleanup of the forest.

What to Bring: Please wear closed-toe shoes and clothes you don't mind getting dirty. We recommend bringing a reusable water bottle, sun protection, snacks, and your favorite gardening gloves if you have them.

A food forest is more than just a collection of trees. It is a community resource that provides fresh produce, pollinator habitats, and a peaceful green space for everyone. Your help ensures this forest thrives for seasons to come.

No registration is required. Just show up ready to get your hands in the earth!

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon!