|
Meeting Schedule: 7:00 pm Welcome & Announcements 7:10 pm Program/Presentation |
November-March meetings are Zoom only
All of our meetings and garden tours are free and open to the public. Please invite a friend! October, November, April and May meetings will be in person. However, there may be a Zoom option. January, February and March meetings are Zoom only. |
Native Bee Conservation: Our Yards Matter!
(Co Hosted with the Twin Cities Chapter)
Presented by Judy Cardin
September 17th, 2026
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Oak Grove Presbyterian Church
2200 W Old Shakopee Rd, Bloomington, MN, 55431 Map
Live Stream Available
(Co Hosted with the Twin Cities Chapter)
Presented by Judy Cardin
September 17th, 2026
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Oak Grove Presbyterian Church
2200 W Old Shakopee Rd, Bloomington, MN, 55431 Map
Live Stream Available
Judy Cardin is an educator with the Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade program, and is a bumble bee conservation and native habitat expert. She is administrator of the Wisconsin/Midwest Bumble Bee Observers Facebook group, where she identifies bumble bees and helps with bumble bee conservation questions from thousands of group members. Judy and her husband Bob transformed their 1/4-acre urban yard into a pollinator and bumble bee queen sanctuary. She learned first hand in her own yard what each of us can do to make a difference for pollinators, and will share the best native plants for native bees, and how to create nest, hibernation and shelter habitat in your own yard. Judy and Bob’s yard is featured in the spring issue of National Wild Magazine: Queen Bumble Bee Habitat.
John Kramer
Transitioning Turf to Native Plantings: How To
October 20 and November 12 at 7pm
Eden Prairie Community Center, Room 110
16700 Valley View Rd, Eden Prairie, MN 55346
6:45-7pm social
Over a period of several years John Kramer and his wife Becky worked on smothering portions of their grass on their 1/3 acre lawn in Roseville and replaced it with over 100 species of native plants. John had recently retired and welcomed this environmental restoration challenge in his yard. He read widely, and slowly mapped out a strategy that included 6 steps. He will focus on these first three at our October 20th Wild Ones Prairie Edge Chapter Meeting : Identify your Goals; Assess current conditions; Create a Design Plan. He will follow up with three more in our November 19th meeting.
John and Becky were thrilled with the result and wandered daily around the yard, discovering what new plant was up or insect visiting. The native plantings became a great advocacy resource as they answered neighbor's questions, shared seeds and plants, and hosted yard tours and plant sales.
During the presentation we will sit around tables and have some interactive sharing times as you identify and share Goals for your yard. There will be lots of pictures and time for questions as well. Come join us as we all try to figure out how we can provide a more thriving planet for our kids, grandkids, and neighbors.
John and Becky were thrilled with the result and wandered daily around the yard, discovering what new plant was up or insect visiting. The native plantings became a great advocacy resource as they answered neighbor's questions, shared seeds and plants, and hosted yard tours and plant sales.
During the presentation we will sit around tables and have some interactive sharing times as you identify and share Goals for your yard. There will be lots of pictures and time for questions as well. Come join us as we all try to figure out how we can provide a more thriving planet for our kids, grandkids, and neighbors.
About John
John Kramer has had a life long love of nature. His gardening journey started with growing vegetables and conventional plants after buying their first house. The awareness of the importance of native plants grew while learning about the connection between plants and wildlife when reading a book called Landscaping for Wildlife; then working with the watershed district to install a rain garden at his church; and finally running across a Wild Ones chapter about 8 years ago. Big River Big Woods, in Roseville, connected him to a community of fellow restorers that provided educational opportunities and resources.
Retiring early from his UPS job, he found his passion in environmental restoration. He started shrinking their turf lawn on their ⅓ acre lot, eventually replacing most of the grass with over 100 native plant species of flowers, trees and grasses. They enjoyed seeing the wildlife thrive as they provided more shelter, food and water. The native plantings provided opportunities to advocate for native plants, share seeds and plants, and host yard tours and plant sales. He and his wife Becky recently moved to the SW Metro to be closer to their 3 grandchildren but miss their yard very much.
Retiring early from his UPS job, he found his passion in environmental restoration. He started shrinking their turf lawn on their ⅓ acre lot, eventually replacing most of the grass with over 100 native plant species of flowers, trees and grasses. They enjoyed seeing the wildlife thrive as they provided more shelter, food and water. The native plantings provided opportunities to advocate for native plants, share seeds and plants, and host yard tours and plant sales. He and his wife Becky recently moved to the SW Metro to be closer to their 3 grandchildren but miss their yard very much.