Events

Discover Plants That Do More Than Look Good:  Talking “Plants with Purpose” by Monika Maeckle.

Join Wild Ones DFW: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes, and co-host Wild Ones South Central Texas for a special online presentation featuring author Monika Maeckle, who will introduce her new book, Plants with Purpose: Twenty-five Ecosystem Multitaskers, recently published by Texas A&M Press (May 19, 2025).

In this engaging session, Maeckle explores a fresh approach to plant selection by asking practical and ecological questions of each featured species:

Can you eat it or make tea from it? Does it serve wildlife or offer health benefits? Is it low maintenance or have a compelling cultural story? Does it provide a unique service to your landscape?

Every plant included in the book had to answer "yes" to at least three of these criteria—not including beauty. As Maeckle argues, in a time of increasing ecological urgency, aesthetic appeal alone is no longer enough. Our landscapes deserve—and ecosystems require—plants that work harder.

Whether you're a gardener, naturalist, or simply plant-curious, this presentation will inspire you to think differently about what grows in your yard and why.

About the Author:
Monika Maeckle is a San Antonio-based gardener, monarch butterfly tagger, and founder of the Texas Butterfly Ranch website and the city’s annual Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Festival. With a long career in media, she also co-founded the San Antonio Report, where she remains a contributor. Maeckle’s passion for pollinators led her to work closely with the National Wildlife Federation to designate San Antonio as the nation’s first Monarch Butterfly Champion City and to launch a pollinator habitat initiative that now boasts over 1,100 registrants.

She raises butterflies and native plants in her Mariposario garden and at her family’s Llano River ranch, where she and her community have tagged more than 10,000 monarch butterflies—over 60 of which have been recovered in Mexico. Plants with Purpose is her second book and reflects her deep commitment to restoring ecological function to our landscapes through plants that offer more than just good looks.

Event Details:
Thursday, June 19, 2025
7 PM to 8 PM CDT
Via Zoom

Don’t miss this opportunity to reimagine your landscape with purpose-driven, multifunctional plants.

We hope to see you there!

Texas Tough Native Plants for Droughts and Floods

Presentation Details
It’s either too wet or too dry in North Central Texas. What can you plant that can handle both extremes? This program recommends several “Texas Tough” native plants that work well in a residential landscape setting and manage to survive on their own within our local North Central Texas Cross Timbers and Texas Blackland Prairie ecosystems.

About Our Speaker

Carol Clark is an amateur botany enthusiast, a Texas Master Naturalist, a longtime member of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and is a Conservation Specialist with Monarch Watch.

She also co-administrates the Texas Native Bee Co-op Facebook page, and chairs the Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas committee. She and her husband own and operate Clark Haven Farm, a wildlife preserve and custom wildflower seed business in Cooke County.

Carol grew up with a nature photographer father and wildlife artist brother, and has spent much of her life looking around and learning in the great outdoors. Her favorite things to do are leading discovery walks in local natural areas and finding and photographing interesting plants and insects.

A Wild Ones Certified Native Habitat is a symbol of your dedication to biodiversity, ecological restoration, and the creation of a nurturing environment where native flora and fauna can thrive. A certified native habitat demonstrates your support for beneficial pollinators, birds, and other wildlife, and contributes to a healthier, more sustainable environment.

Join us on Thursday, August 28th, 2025, from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM CDT to learn about Wild Ones, their Certified Native Habitat program, and the step-by-step process to qualify your landscape.

About our Speaker:

Trent Cruthis, Vice President, Wild Ones DFW – Grapevine, Texas

As Vice President of Wild Ones DFW, Trent Cruthis is a passionate advocate for native plant conservation and ecological restoration. With a deep-rooted commitment to sustainable landscaping and environmental education, Trent plays a pivotal role in advancing Wild Ones’ mission to connect people with nature through native plants.

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon!