Engage Our Experts to Speak at Your Event
We give talks about conservation, horticulture, botanical education, and more
Native Plant Trust has compelling speakers available for presentations, seminars, panels, symposia, and other events. Speaker fees are used exclusively to support our programs.
Please request speakers by contacting them directly via the email addresses in their bios, below.
Meet Our Directors
Director speaking engagements cost $1,000 for a one-hour presentation.
Michael Piantedosi, Director of Conservation
Michael began his career in botany as a researcher in cyanobacteria and freshwater plant communities at the Univ. of New Hampshire, where he received a degree in plant biology. His botanical background includes occupation in regional herbaria, as a horticulturist, and as plant biology research technician. In 2014, he joined the Conservation Department of Native Plant Trust as manager of the New England Plant Conservation Program, Seeds of Success-East, and Native Plant Trust’s regional seed bank of rare and endangered plant germ plasm. Michael has served as Director of Conservation at Native Plant Trust since 2019.
Speaking topics:
- Botany
- Conservation
- Ecology
- Habitat restoration
- Endangered and rare plant species
- Seed ecology
Uli Lorimer, Director of Horticulture
Uli oversees daily operations at both Garden in the Woods, Native Plant Trust’s botanic garden in Framingham, MA, and Nasami Farm in western Massachusetts, a nursery focused on propagation of and research about New England native plants. Uli, a native of Delaware, grew up with an interest in all things green and held positions at the US National Arboretum and Wave Hill before becoming curator of the Native Flora Garden at Brooklyn Botanic Garden between 2005 and spring 2019. During his tenure at BBG, Uli worked closely with botanists throughout the region to collect seed from the wild, propagated new plants for the collection, and documented and studied the region’s biodiversity. Uli is a tireless advocate for the use of native plants in the designed landscape, advancing this narrative through public speaking, teaching, radio, podcast, social media, and print media. He has contributed as an author and photographer to several publications, including Tough Natives for Tough Places and A Native Plant Reader. He holds degrees from the University of Delaware in Landscape Horticulture and Foreign Languages and Literature.
Speaking topics: His book, The Northeast Native Plant Primer: 235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden (Timber Press and Native Plant Trust, 2022); wide-ranging horticultural and gardening topics
Meet Our Staff Experts
Staff speaking engagements cost $500 for a one-hour presentation.
Arthur Haines, Senior Research Botanist
Arthur is a plant biologist specializing in the taxonomy and identification of New England tracheophytes. He is the author of Flora Novae Angliae (2011), published by New England Wild Flower Society and Yale University Press, and several other books, including Flora of Maine, A New Path, and two books on foraging/medicinal plants. In addition to his work studying advancement in plant systematics, Arthur is an administrator for the Go Botany and Plant Share websites and a Flora of North America regional reviewer.
Speaking topics:
- Flora of New England
- Plants of conservation concern
- Ethnobotany (foraging, botanical medicine, place-based skills)
Erik Sechler, Ecological Programs Coordinator
Prior to joining Native Plant Trust, Erik worked with Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program as an ecological information specialist and county inventory ecologist, and with New York Natural Heritage Program as an ecologist specializing in natural community ecology, avian habitat ecology, and vegetation mapping. He has more than 10 years’ experience working for a Natural Heritage Program and NatureServe as an ecologist and has also worked with Manomet and The Trustees of Reservations on Martha's Vineyard. He holds a master’s degree in Conservation Biology from Antioch New England University, where he studied habitat modeling of Louisiana Waterthrush in southern New Hampshire, and a pre-medicine degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His professional interests include avian, natural community and conservation ecology, rare plant ecology, conservation and management, habitat assessment, and invasive plant ecology and management.
Speaking topics:
- Avian ecology
- Natural community ecology
- Conservation ecology
- Rare plant ecology
- Conservation and management
- Habitat assessment
- Invasive plant ecology and management
Alexis Doshas, Nasami Farm Nursery Manager
The staff at Nasami Farm grows thousands of native seedlings from known wild ecotype seed. Alexis holds a master’s degree in conservation biology from Antioch University New England and teaches many classes on propagation and native plant ecology for Native Plant Trust.
Speaking topics:
- Native plant seedling propagation
- Native seed collection and propagation
- Native lawn alternatives
- Soil ecology
- Slow gardening