Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center and the Wachiska Audubon Society collaborated to create a new type of garden tour. Tour the Wild Side is a free, self-led tour across Lincoln to 11 locations (5 on Aug. 21, 6 on Aug. 22) between the hours of 10 am – 3 pm. The tour will highlight yards and greenspaces with native plants, provide local resources about the plants and where to find them, and much more.
“With habitat loss, rapid development, and climate change, birds and insects have very little important habitat left,” said Jason St. Sauver, senior education manager at Audubon’s Spring Creek Prairie. “We can change that immensely by turning urban and suburban yards into patches of prairie.” St. Sauver further explains how this is more beneficial economically because native plants require less water and fertilization than traditional lawns.
Tour the Wild Side locations and details are listed below and on Wachiska Audubon Society’s website. Each tour location will have a welcome table and, as well as the landowner, roving naturalists to help answer questions about the plants, insects, birds, and more. Participants can visit any location between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm (Midwest Natives Nursery will be offering their tours specifically at 10 am and 1 pm on Sunday, August 22). Kids’ activities will take place Sunday at Walt Branch Library with a live bird presentation by Raptor Conservation Alliance at 12:30.
“Wachiska looks forward to partnering with Spring Creek Prairie to help people discover nature in urban places,” said Wachiska board president Theresa Pella. “It’s there, we just need to be open to seeing it."
Tour the Wild Side Locations:
SATURDAY, August 21:
- St. Sauver yard – 2911 South 14th Street
- Moncure yard – 4520 Gertie Avenue
- Spitzer & Welsch yard – 4501 East Eden Drive
- Vogt yard – 3755 West Plum Street
- Grossbart & Henkelmann yard – 3810 Stockwell Street
SUNDAY, August 22:
- Wachiska / Walt Branch Library native garden – 6701 South 14th St (in back)
- Van Dorn Park - 930 High Street
- Elliott Elementary School garden – 225 South 25th Street
- Beattie Elementary School garden – 1901 Calvert Street
- Fontenelle Building urban prairie – 4706 South 48th Street
- Midwest Natives Nursery – 4200 South 1st Street (*Tours at 10am & 1pm only)
Tour the Wild Side is a free event, but donations are always welcome. To help save on resources, water will be available to refill personal water bottles. For information, visit Wachiska Audubon Society’s website at wachiskaaudubon.org or email Jason at scp@audubon.org.
