Earlybird registration ends March 19th!
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Eco-system Gardening with Native Plants
Saturday, April 9, 2011 8am - 4pm
Quonset O'Club, North Kingstown, RI
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"Gardening with native plants is not just a peripheral option favored by vegetarians and erstwhile hippies. It is an important part of a paradigm shift in our shaky relationship to the planet that sustains us - one that mainstream gardeners can no longer afford to ignore." Douglas Tallamy - author of "Bringing Nature Home."
Hosted by the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society this conference will explain how to successfully include more native plants in your backyard and why it's so important to go so. Speakers include:
Garry Plunkett - "Creating Backyard Biodiversity"
This lecture is Natural Landscaping 101. It will share the story of a love affair with land, and the joy of creating and sustaining working natural plant communities in a suburban backyard.
Garry Plunkett has had a lifelong interest in natural ecosystems. He completed the New England Wildflower Society Advanced Certificate program in field botany in 2003. He has taught courses on New England forests, natural landscaping, and native ferns. He is Stewardship Coordinator for the Tiverton Open Space Commission and an Advisor to the Tiverton Land Trust.
Dr. Susan Gordon - "Our Changing Climate and Species Demographics"
Our rapidly changing climate is affecting both nature and exotic plant populations. Monitoring and identifying exotic species is critical to the survival of natural and naturalized sites.
Susan Gordon is the manager of Kinney Azalea Gardens in Kingston, RI. She is an adjunct assistant professor at URI, teaching plant identification, the physiology of flowering and intro to botany. She is a past president of RINLA, Rhode Island Nursery and Landscape Association.
Ellen Sousa - "New England Natural Habitat Gardening"
This presentation illustrates how to invite the sights, sounds and scents of nature into your life by landscaping your property as a natural habitat. A well-designed and thoughtfully planted garden can provide food, shelter and housing for many birds, pollinators and other "friendly" forms of wildlife. You will learn the value and need for increasing biodiversity in your backyard.
Ellen Sousa is a writer, teacher and garden coach living in Massachusetts on a small farm. She has a certificate in Native Plant Horticulture & Design from New England Wild Flower Society, and is certified as a Master Habitat Naturalist from Windstar Wildlife Institute. Bunker Hill Publishing will publish her book The New England Natural Habitat Garden in 2011.
Robin Wilkerson - "Native Heroes: Alternatives to Invasive Plants"
Native Heroes: Plants that not only enhance the esthetics of the garden, but also provide valuable nourishment and habitat for birds, mammals and insects.
Robin Wilkerson, who has been a gardener all of her life, consults widely on native plants and ecological gardening. She teaches at The New England Wild Flower Society, the Massachusetts Audubon Society and local adult education programs. She lives in Lincoln, MA and keeps a small flock of chickens that help her weed.
Carolyn Summers - "Gardens Filled with Life: Designing with Northeastern Flora"
Author and landscape architect Carolyn Summers will present an informative review of current research that reveals the many ways in which indigenous plants form the basis of the food web that supports a healthy, biodiverse landscape. Examples of striking, unusual native plants used in formal settings will be provided along with naturalistic styles to explore the full design potential of northeastern indigenous flora.
Carolyn Summers is the author of Designing Gardens with Flora of the American East, released by Rutgers University Press in April 2010. She was the first Director of Natural Resources for New York City's Department of Environmental Protection. With the Natural Resources Defense Council, she initiated a regional project to preserve and restore wildlife habitat and public access. Ms. Summers is currently an adjunct professor at Westchester Community College.
A panel discussion with all speakers will take place at the end of the day.
The cost of the conference is $50 if you register before March 19 or $65 afterwards. All proceeds go to the RI Wild Plant Society which is a non-profit organization devoted to the conservation of Rhode Island's native plants through habitat preservation, education, propagation and recreational programs.
To register for this conference go to the RI Wild Plant Society website. For more information contact the RIWPS office at 401 789-7497 or email them [email protected].
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