Events Calendar

Join us as we discusse phenology and it's importance in the natural world!

What is phenology? The word means “the study of phenomena” - so it literally refers to the study of things that appear or show themselves at certain times throughout the calendar year. 

Lucy Ellis, City of Chattanooga Department of Natural Resources, will be discussing what phenology is and how it relates to gardening and conservation landscaping. 

The goals of the class are to explain qualities that plants share with other living things, as well as characteristics that set them apart, and to become acquainted with the range of different organisms that make up the plant kingdom.

Be on the lookout: Once you have registered, we will email you with pre-course work and any other materials needed for this class.

Materials to bring! Notebook, pencils, snacks, water, and a lunch. This class will be both in and out of doors, please wear weather-appropriate clothing and footwear.

Registration Policy: 

As with all CNP classes, class size is limited. To give everyone the best opportunity to participate, there is a non-refundable cancellation fee of $10, with the balance refunded if you cancel at least 7 calendar days before the class will be held. If the class is cancelled by the instructor or the CNP program, registrants will get a full refund.

If registration is full, you may email [email protected] and ask to be placed on a wait list. This is not a guarantee that a spot will open up. Please be gracious, we are all volunteers.

Lookout Wild Film Festival showcases captivating outdoor adventure and environmental films from across the globe. Join Wild Ones for a fun weekend  connecting with fellow outdoor enthusiasts at this event. 

You don’t need to be a native plant expert to help at a Wild Ones table! Just bring a friendly attitude, be a good listener, and use our cheat sheets to help guide conversations. It’s a fun way to make new connections while supporting Wild Ones' mission. 

Please bring a folding chair. We will be inside. You're welcome to bring a favorite native plant or themed book to brighten up the display. More details will be emailed to you before the event. 

Board members meet to discuss our chapter's progress and make decisions when necessary.

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.

Join us for Margaret Rasmussen from Gainesville, Georgia's Redbud Project, A Model for Green Space Preservation, to hear how paying attention to what is around you can lead conservation advocacy in directions which connect nature within our community to all aspects of health and wellness: Biodiversity, Indigenous American Cultural Heritage, Spirituality, and Physical Health. 

Details coming soon!  

About this class: The goals of the class are to discuss plant cell and tissue types and major vegetative structures, explore reproduction, and sample some of the strategies and structures that plants use to continue life from generation to generation. 

Be on the lookout: Once you have registered, we will email you with pre-course work and any other materials needed for this class.

Materials to bring! Notebook, pencils, a 10X Magnifier, snacks, water, and a lunch. This class will be both in and out of doors, please wear weather-appropriate clothing and footwear.

Registration Policy: 

As with all CNP classes, class size is limited. To give everyone the best opportunity to participate, there is a non-refundable cancellation fee of $10, with the balance refunded if you cancel at least 7 calendar days before the class will be held. If the class is cancelled by the instructor or the CNP program, registrants will get a full refund.

If registration is full, you may email [email protected] and ask to be placed on a wait list. This is not a guarantee that a spot will open up. Please be gracious, we are all volunteers.

Join us for a discussion of Mary Reynolds' inspiring book The Garden Awakening. This book is based in the UK, and though plants mentioned in it are not native to our bioregion, the spirit of it's principles of healing the earth, its fascinating ideas for natural design and its encouragement for gardeners to foster a meaningful, reciprocal connection with the land will resonate with Wild Ones. 

From Mary Reynolds' website about The Garden Awakening--Designs to Nurture Our Lands and Ourselves,  (Also go to the website to watch an endorsement from the late Jane Goodall.):

After many years as an internationally acclaimed garden designer, Mary Reynolds finally realised that something was amiss in her gardens; they were failing on some level. Unwilling to remain as she had imagined and sculpted them, the gardens could not help following their true nature. They were not still life paintings. The land had dreams and intentions of its own…

Mary set out to discover what these intentions were, exploring how we might build a relationship with our gardens that encourages the truth of the land to be expressed alongside our own truth and creativity.

Inside The Garden Awakening is the forgotten bible of gardening. Mary divined and collected old ways of working with land from before we lost the connection with the earth beneath our feet. None of this information is new; it is all ancient, forgotten knowledge and wisdom, buried in the roots of our ancient cultures and within the depths of the earth itself.

Mary has spent a lifetime learning how to live gently with the land, weaving the knowledge out of her own stories, experiences and dreams and bringing it into the light in a way that rips away any mystery or separation from the worlds of energy and spirit around us, and the world of the earth beneath us.

The Garden Awakening is a blueprint for a ground-breaking garden, but it is not a solitary space. Instead it aims to be the foundation of a world wide web of ever expanding, living, interconnected ecosystems. Places where people and nature are one and creation and interrelation expands. You will never be able to look at your garden in the same way again…

Everything becomes simple if you immerse yourself in nature. Life’s complications melt away, leaving only the truth of the present moment, and the presence of what I call God. In this place we can see our soul reflected in every living thing, every gust of wind and splash of rain, and here we can find peace. This is our true home. Yet we are losing what little wild places we have left in nature, those corners where the spirits of the earth are flowing freely, where harmony, and balance still exists and we feel accepted for the truth of who we are. We have gone off course and need to find our way again. An old pathway, overgrown and forgotten, is waiting impatiently to lead us back home. Nature is willing us on.

Join us to hear Barbara Johnson, member of the Chattanooga Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society, Vice President for Programs speak on the connection of plants and the timing of bird migration. 

How can we lay the best botanical table for the birds coming, going, and raising families here in Eastern Tennessee? Migrating and nesting birds have always relied on abundant fuel high in fat and protein to navigate the challenges of weather, geography, and competition. They must also find species-specific shelter and nesting sites. Add to those challenges diminishing habitat, invasive plants, climate change and human-built dangers. How can we help? As citizens and landowners, we can choose which plant communities to protect and implement, to best support these beautiful, necessary inhabitants of the web of life. Bring on the bugs, berries and branches! 

Barbara Johnson grew up in Kansas and lived in Maryland before retiring to Chattanooga in 2019. She studied Biology at the University of Kansas and worked as an elephant keeper, an ecological guide, an educational consultant, and a breathwork practitioner. She and her husband built a house in 2007 on the outskirts of Annapolis and landscaped two acres with native plants (with the exception of a few Korean viburnum!)  She began birding as a college student in the Flint Hills of Kansas. She served as president of the Maryland Ornithological Society, and now serves as the program chair for Chattanooga’s chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society.

This course explores how native plants can transform your home landscape into a thriving habitat for birds. Participants will learn the essential elements birds need—food, water, shelter, and nesting sites—and how to provide these using regionally appropriate native plants. The class will cover plant selection, seasonal considerations, and design strategies that attract a variety of bird species while supporting local ecosystems. Perfect for homeowners, gardeners, and nature enthusiasts who want to create sustainable, bird-friendly spaces.
 

Registration Policy:  As with all CNP classes, class size is limited. To give everyone the best opportunity to participate, there is a non-refundable cancellation fee of $10, with the balance refunded if you cancel at least 7 calendar days before the class will be held. If the class is cancelled by the instructor or the CNP program, registrants will get a full refund.

If the class fills up, you may email [email protected] and request to be put on the wait list. This does not guarantee a spot will open up. 

Please remember that we are all volunteers and deserve grace and patience.

Details coming soon! 

2026 Spring Plant Sale!

Join us for this free event.  A variety of local and regional native plant nurseries will be selling a large selection of plants.

Some vendors may take pre-orders as well – contact them individually for more info.

Possible vendors (list confirmed closer to time):

Carolina Wild  

Chattanooga Bluebird Society

Euchee Meadows Nursery  

Native Plant Rescue Squad   

Overhill Gardens  

Pennyrile Botanics  

Reflection Riding Native Plant Nursery  

Solstice Handmade  

Sustainabillies LLC  

Tennessee Naturescapes  

Thomas Nursery  

The Azalea Farm  

Volunteer at the Wild Ones booth during our Spring Plant Sale, one of the highlights of our chapter's year!

You don’t need to be a native plant expert to help at a Wild Ones table! Just bring a friendly attitude, be a good listener, and use our cheat sheets to help guide conversations. It’s a fun way to make new connections while supporting Wild Ones' mission. 

Please bring a folding chair and dress comfortably for the weather. You're welcome to bring a favorite native plant or themed book to brighten up the display. More details will be emailed to you before the event. 

Join Jay Clark, who conducted extensive research for his book “Wildflowers of Pigeon Mountain.” for  a deep dive into the the biotic and abiotic factors that make the Shirley Miller Wildflower Trail such a special place. 
The cove forests of the Southern Appalachians holds remnant ecosystems as well as habitat that are more common in more northern states.

STAY TUNED for more details.

Registration will open in MID JANUARY.

Join Wild Ones at the Master Gardeners of Hamilton County's Master Your Garden Expo! Focused on gardening and the outdoors, this event offers a wide range of exhibits, demonstrations, educational activities, and vendors for both experienced gardeners and the general public. This year's theme, “Victory Gardens Revisited," complements the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 

Expo Hours:

Saturday, April 11, 2026 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 12, 2026 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

You don’t need to be a native plant expert to help at a Wild Ones table! Just bring a friendly attitude, be a good listener, and use our cheat sheets to help guide conversations. It’s a fun way to make new connections while supporting Wild Ones' mission. 

Please bring a folding chair and dress comfortably for the weather. You're welcome to bring a favorite native plant or themed book to brighten up the display. More details will be emailed to you before the event. 

Volunteer sign up link to come. 

Gear up for adventure with Wild Ones at the Chattanooga Outdoor Festival! We'll be celebrating the diverse outdoor recreational opportunities Chattanooga has to offer.

You don’t need to be a native plant expert to help at a Wild Ones table! Just bring a friendly attitude, be a good listener, and use our cheat sheets to help guide conversations. It’s a fun way to make new connections while supporting Wild Ones' mission. 

Please bring a folding chair and dress comfortably for the weather. You're welcome to bring a favorite native plant or themed book to brighten up the display. More details will be emailed to you before the event. 

Volunteer sign up info to come. 

Board members meet to discuss our chapter's progress and make decisions when necessary.

We are seeing more and more research on the importance of plantings around and under established trees. From overwintering sites for moth and butterfly larvae/pupae, nursery sites for the beloved lightning bugs, protection for amphibians,  mini habitats for the lesser known insects. Understory/soft landing plantings offer the opportunity to support pollinators by providing nectar and host plant resources, but also as a functioning ecosystem of its own.

Join Lucy Ellis, Natural Resources Project Manager for the city of Chattanooga for this Certificate in Native Plants Class. Learn about the small, yet mighty organisms who call the understory home, and what YOU can do and plant to support them.

STAY TUNED for more information.

Registration Opens in mid February.

Have you ever wondered how plants are able to travel across a landscape? Most of us are familiar with the seeds that are able to be blown by the wind (think milkweed, dandelions, trees that produce ‘helicopter seeds’ like elm and maple. 
What about non ‘flighty’ seeds? What is their strategy for dispersal? Who have they partnered with over millennia to ‘carry’ out this job for them? 
Were you able to take the class with Jay Clark at the Shirley Miller Wildflower Trail? How did the bluebells and other spring ephemerals move around the cove?

Workshop Overview
This hands-on course introduces participants to the fascinating world of ants and their
ecological roles in native plant gardens. Through field-based observation and interactive
activities, learners will identify common ant species found in gardens and nearby habitats, investigate how ants disperse seeds, form mutualistic partnerships, and exploit
resources—ultimately influencing the composition and health of native plant communities.

This class will be taught by Dr. DeAnna Beasley, UTC professor and researcher.

Registration opens mid March

Board members meet to discuss our chapter's progress and make decisions when necessary.

Details coming soon! 

Board members meet to discuss our chapter's progress and make decisions when necessary.

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon!