Midwest Native Plant Society, Inc.
We advocate the vital role of native plants in the landscape to preserve ecological integrity and connect people with nature.
Who We Are
The MIdwest Native Plant Society, Inc. is a non-profit organization 501(c)(3) which is operated by a board of volunteers. Our mission is to connect people and nature by promoting native plants. These plants play a crucial role in restoring habitats and the natural food chain for wildlife. By planting native plants, including trees and shrubs, we can help strengthen lost biodiversity and restore our land to a healthy and functional ecosystem. We are dedicated to advocating for the conservation of natural areas to protect and preserve intact ecosystems.
Each year, we organize a native plant conference and other events such as nature safaris, themed conferences and workshops, yard tours, and field trips. We explore both urban and suburban settings including wilder areas of Ohio that take us into the heart of our forests, prairies, wetlands, bogs, and fens. Our ultimate goal is to learn all about our natural world, and we invite you to join us in this quest to understand and appreciate the native flora and fauna of our region.
Join our expanding community and discover valuable information on our website, such as event registration and other relevant resources. We have no membership fees, but we welcome donations to aid our conservation and education endeavors, allowing us to host events that promote the significance of cultivating and protecting native plants.
Who We Support
The Midwest Native Plant Society selects organizations that meet specific criteria for the distribution of event proceeds. In addition, we also offer the White Oak Scholarship Program to support young naturalists and adults in related fields. Since 2010, we have donated more than $118,000 to worthy causes as we continue to hold events to educate about the importance of creating biodiversity using native plants in landscapes and the restoration of native habitats. Previous recipients of donations include:
- The Ohio Nature Conservancy – Sunshine Corridor
- YETI-Young Ecologist Training institute-Edge of Appalachia, Cincinnati Museum Center
- The Marianist Environmental Education Center (MEEC)
- Richard and Lucille Durrell Edge of Appalachia Education Programs
- Cardinal Land Conservancy
- Cedar Bog
- Ohio Botanical Symposium
- Beaver Creek Wetlands Association
- Black Swamp Bird Observatory
- Dawes Arboretum
- Friends of Caesar Creek
- Friends of Magee Marsh – Boardwalk Project
- Dennis Profant Scholarship Fund
- League for Animal Welfare
- A Force for Nature: Lucy Braun/Voyageur Group
- Arc of Appalachia
- Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association
- Ohio Invasive Plants Council
- Western Wildlife Corridor
- Little Miami Scenic Trails
- Cincinnati Zoo Pollen Nation Program
- Cincinnati Nature Center – Native Plant Program
- Polistes Foundation
- Friends of Shawnee State Park, Inc.
- Adams County Amish Bird Symposium
- Friends Caring for Cowan Lake State Park
- Dayton Area Wild Ones Chapter
- Greater Cincinnati Wild Ones Chapter
- Janet Lasley Legacy Garden at Caesar Creek
- Mothaplooza
- Homegrown National Park
- Amish Bird Symposium
Midwest Native Plant Society, Inc.
Board, Steering Committee, Volunteers:
Kathy McDonald, Mark Plunkett, Diana Malas, Debi Wolterman,
Debbie Karr, Austin Miller, Michele Martin Hisney, Cathy Plum.
Board: Jim McCormac, Teri Gilligan, Tom Borgman, Ann Geise,
Yvonne Cecil. Volunteers: Scott Hogsten, Randy Lakes, Ned Keller, Penny Borgman, Jennie Hefren, Lisa Rainsong, Wendy Partridge, Ruth Bowell, Stefanie Paeg.
Images on this site courtesy of Jim McCormac, Chris Zacharias, Brook Decubellis,
Kathy McDonald, Nina Harfmann. Ned Keller,
Artwork by Ann E. Geise.
“Chances are, you have never thought of your garden – – indeed, of all of the space on your property – – as a wildlife preserve that represents the last opportunity we have for sustaining plants and animals that were once common throughout the U.S. But that is exactly the role that built landscapes are now playing and will play even more in the near future.” ~Doug Tallamy, Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants
