In 2024 the Wild Ones St. Louis Chapter, along with our two sister chapters, continued to make important impacts in the St. Louis region, thus furthering the Wild Ones mission of Connecting people and native plants for a healthy planet.
Membership
Wild Ones membership continues to grow, locally and nationally.
- St. Louis Chapter
- In December of 2023, St. Louis Wild Ones had a membership of 421. In
December 2024, STL chapter membership is 427. - In January of 2024, the Southwest Illinois chapter started with 6
members. Throughout 2024, with encouragement from the St. Louis
chapter, many Illinois members of the St. Louis chapter transferred
membership to the SWIL chapter.
- In December of 2023, St. Louis Wild Ones had a membership of 421. In
- Metro area
- The combined membership of St. Louis metro area chapters (St. Louis, St.
Charles Area, and Southwest Illinois) was 484 members at the end of
2023. The current metro total is 567 – a whopping 17% increase overall. - Our metro area is one of two in the country with the highest membership,
along with Front Range (Denver metro) which currently has 566
members.
- The combined membership of St. Louis metro area chapters (St. Louis, St.
People continue to find out about Wild Ones and native plants in multiple ways, usually by word of mouth from a friend or knowledgeable garden center employee, and sometimes by national publications. An article in the New York Times, by Margaret Renkl was particularly effective in bringing new people to our chapter and others: Easing the Biodiversity Crisis One Flowerpot at a Time (11/25/2024).
Election
In the Fall 2024 election, Wild Ones St. Louis members re-elected Marsha Gebhardt for
President and Laura Yates for Secretary by an overwhelming majority. Also, the
membership approved by an overwhelming majority to establish 2-year terms for
elected officers serving on the Board of Directors. The officer terms will be staggered to
avoid an entire turnover of the board in any year.
A three-member nominating committee coordinated the Fall 2024 election process with
the first-time use of an electronic nominating process and election ballot. We are
grateful to Pam Hass, April Anderson, and Blake Ritter for stepping up to serve on the
nominating committee and ensuring the election complied with the new chapter by-laws.
Volunteers
Volunteers are the ‘root system’, the ‘mycelia’, the ‘seeds’ of Wild Ones productivity.
- ‘Unofficial’ volunteers
- More than 100 volunteers were invited to attend the chapter’s Volunteer
- Appreciation event in July this year. Look for an article celebrating that event in the winter issue of the Wild Ones Journal.
- Most members support the mission of Wild Ones in their daily lives by:
– educating and inspiring friends, neighbors and family
– demonstrating the principles and effects in their home landscapes
- ‘Official’ positions: We encourage you to view the Chapter Leadership page on our
website to meet some volunteers who are key to our work.- Board of Directors
– Marsha Gebhardt, President
– Dawn Weber, Vice President and Technology Chair
– Penny Holtzmann, Treasurer
– Laura Yates, Secretary
– Sue Leahy, Outreach Chair and Coordinator of the Plant Tag Project
– Renee’ Bennage, Membership Chair and Plant Sale Chair
– Brenda Adams, Program Committee Chair
– Kate Lovelady, Mentoring Chair and Seed Pod Facilitator - Chairs, Coordinators and others
– Kathy Bildner, Grants Chair
– Ann Early and Bob Siemer – Tabling Coordinators
– Erin Goss – Chairperson, Landscape Challenge
– Donna Short – Photographer/reporter for Gathering Highlights
– Besa Schweitzer – Contributor to the Journal, and host of This Month in our Native Garden – the 2024 monthly series accessible on the chapter’s YouTube channel
- Board of Directors
Gatherings
- Garden Gatherings – The chapter held Garden Gatherings every month from
April through October. Check out the Gathering Highlights, by Donna Short, on our website. - Winter Speaker Series – These occurred each month between January and
March.
– January: Michael Garrett on Missouri Oaks
– February: Ask a local expert
– March: Susie Van De Reit – Into the Weeds (and seedlings) - November Annual Meeting and Seed Exchange
Partnerships
The effects of the chapter’s work are multiplied through our many collaborations.
- See the Partners for Native Landscaping website
- We continue our partnership with St. Louis Audubon Society’s Bring Conservation Home program to produce the annual St. Louis Native Plant Tour
- See below (Budget) for chapter donations to specific ‘partner’ organizations
Budget 2024
Through the hard work and generosity of Wild Ones St. Louis members the chapter was
able to further the mission in the St. Louis region. Here are primary sources of income
and largest expenditures.
- Income:
- Dues Reimbursements for this year: $3,962.00 (Our large, established chapter
receives $9 from each of our members’ annual fees.) - Plant Sale profit: $5,210
- Donations:
– Individuals: $700 (from $50 to $500) from four individuals in 2024
– $100 from individuals at the Shaw Nature Reserve native plant sale
– The Enterprise Mobility Foundation™ provided a grant for $1000, which
had been submitted by Enterprise Mobility team member and Wild Ones
St. Louis member Sara McClenning.
- Dues Reimbursements for this year: $3,962.00 (Our large, established chapter
- Expenditure:
- Grants: $4,000 is budgeted for grants each year.
- Donations to other organizations:
– Bring Conservation Home (St. Louis Audubon Society) – $1,000
– Grow Native! – Silver sponsorship – $2,000
– Shaw Nature Reserve/Native Plant School – $1,500
– Great Rivers Environmental Law Center – $500
– Certification Exams – $500
We look forward to another year of learning and working together in 2025!
