Wild Ones Mid-Mitten Chapter connects people and native plants 

The pollinator crisis has received a lot of attention in the news in recent years, but it’s much more than just about the bees and the honey. 

Susan Erhardt, president of Wild Ones Mid-Mitten chapter, says, “Without pollinators, vegetables don’t get pollinated, and you’re not going to produce as robust a crop.  Pollinators are critical to the fruit, and they rely on native plants.” In addition, habitat is more than food; it’s also where insects raise their young, she says.

“There’s been a crash in the insect population in general, and a big reason is loss of habitat. Our non-profit group promotes environmentally sound landscaping practices to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration, and establishment of native plant communities,” Erhardt says. 

Nationally, Wild Ones has been around since 1979 and now supports 98 chapters and 37 “seedlings” (start-up chapters) across 36 states. The Mid-Mitten chapter was founded in 2006 and encompasses Midland, Bay, Saginaw, and Isabella Counties. 

Mid-Mitten Wild Ones hosts relevant speakers at their monthly meetings, held at the Chippewa Nature Center (CNC), and organizes native seed collections and plantings. They also take hikes in natural areas, visit native gardens, and educate people on the value of native landscaping. The group also takes part in the annual Earth Day event sponsored by the American Chemical Society held at Dow High School each spring. “We strive to have varied programming, and have had some really good speakers over the years,” Erhardt says.

In addition, Wild Ones’ website boasts an incredible amount of resource information, from links to a variety of organizations and businesses with expertise in native landscaping to free webinars put on by the national group.

Martha Holzheuer, owner of Nature Niche, became a member of the Mid-Mitten chapter in 2014. “I love going [to the meetings and events] and learning,” she says. Their [Wild Ones] focus on education is key. They help people understand the why, and then show them how to do it [native landscaping] through different tools like publications and programming.”  

Both the Chippewa Nature Center and Nature Niche host native plant sales at various times throughout the growing season. Erhardt got involved in Wild Ones about seven or eight years ago through such a sale at the CNC. “[Planting] natives makes a lot of sense. Without them, there’s a disconnect between insects and other species,” she says. “Our society has gone away from native planting, and we need to bring it back. Native plants equal native pollinators like birds, butterflies, and bees. If you plant it, they will come.”

Wild Ones sells items at these plant sales, such as plant markers, gardening aprons, and journals. Erhardt says some of the profits go toward small honorariums for speakers, but the majority of the money goes toward funding two $500 grants awarded annually to nonprofits and other local groups wishing to establish native habitats. 

Gardeners, nature enthusiasts, and those concerned about the environment can start small, however. “You can start by simply planting one or two things, Erhardt says. “Then you feel like you’re doing something to heal the Earth.” She says native and non-native plants can be mixed quite easily. “Good native plants to start with include Black-eyed Susans, Sneeze Weed, Purple Coneflowers, and Golden Rod (not to be confused with the allergy-causing Rag Weed).”

Holzheuer gets Nature Niche’s plants from Wildtype Native Plant Nursery in Mason. She says they are the largest native plant grower in Michigan. “A healthy planet starts with native plants,” she says, echoing the mission of Wild Ones: Promoting native landscapes through education, advocacy, and collaborative action. Because this mission directly aligns with Holzheuer’s business, “it makes total sense for me to be both a member and partner with the group,” she says. 

Wild Ones Mid-Mitten chapter hosts meetings in the evening on the second Monday of each month at CNC and has about 40 paying members. Dues are $40 annually. Meetings are open to the public, and most events are free. Quoting from their website, Erhardt says, “We are a friendly group of gardeners and environmentally responsible people who enjoy learning together, visiting local nature preserves, and sharing experiences.”

She says, “Mid-Mitten membership has a pretty good cross-section of people, from a family with a middle-school-aged boy to those in their 70s and 80s. The commonality is people concerned with the environment.”

Holzheuer says, “I know as humans we are integral to our landscape ecosystems, and how we influence our landscapes is critically important to sustaining ourselves and the plants and animals we share the Earth with, locally to the global level. Conserving and promoting native plants is the beginning of everything else being healthy – the water, land, and air.”