By Marilyn Chryst
Board Member-at-Large
Wild Ones – St. Louis Chapter
Thirty-two fantastic Wild Ones volunteers helped in our booth at this year’s Shaw Nature Reserve Spring Wildflower Market. From May 4 through May 7, they gave their time, energy, and knowledge to make it another successful year.
The volunteer efforts included:
- Setting up sawhorses
- Unloading plants
- Helping customers locate and select plants
- Manning cash boxes
- Managing entry and exit traffic
- Breaking down sawhorses
- Loading up the remaining plants at the end of the sale
We all worked together and sold 1,871 Missouri wildflowers and shrubs, while spreading our love and knowledge of native plants.
After paying our vendor, we made a final profit of $3,500. This money helps our Chapter promote native plants in many ways, including offering grants for native plantings, providing information at tabling events, sponsoring the landscape challenge, co-sponsoring the native plant garden tour, and supporting Shaw Nature Reserve’s Native Plant School.
I get a lot of praise for organizing the event, but as as always, the credit goes to all who helped. Thank you!
It was fun. I love talking about native plants.
Me too!
I just manned the cash box, but loved every minute of it again. Will definitely be back as volunteer next year!
Thanks for the update on numbers of plants sold and profit. Wow, almost 1,900 plants sold for a profit of $3,500. I am so impressed. We are awesome!
By the way, where do we get the t-shirts for STL Wild Ones?
Patience and prayer. J
The Wild Flower T-Shirt is available to order for $21 from the National Wild Ones website.
It was great meeting you at the event. I had fun also! 🙂
With so many other organizations and garden centers selling native plants and with increasing sales for some, it’s amazing how many people were lined up to purchase these plants on May 6 and 7. Not only that, but they paid for the privilege either by being a member or at the door.
Sorry I missed it this year. Thanks, Marilyn, for being the lynchpin and for the report.