special event
Saturday, May 3, 2025
Join the Movement: 125th Anniversary Symposium
Join the Movement is for first- and long-time gardeners, lovers of the natural world, environmental advocates, and curious learners who want to explore both why and how to work with native plants. Our panelists will offer their expert perspectives on how to select plants, work with the space you have, and maintain your plantings across all four seasons. Attendees will leave with a well-rounded approach to starting their own ecological garden and will be provided with take-home materials to guide their journey. Build community with other new and experienced gardeners, and join the movement to increase the beauty and resiliency of New England and the planet, one native plant at a time.
The symposium will be recorded, and the recording will be available for three months following the event.
Attendance at the symposium will earn one MCH credit.
Speaker Sessions
70% to Save the World: Why and How to Plant New England Native Plants
The movement to plant with and to advocate for New England native plants begins with small, approachable steps. Learn the fundamental principles of ecological gardening, and find out how to apply these principles to your own garden from Uli Lorimer, Native Plant Trust’s Director of Horticulture and The Boston Globe’s “Ask a Gardener” columnist. Nature lovers, gardeners of all experience levels, and environmental advocates will come away from this presentation with clear reasons why to plant New England native plants and suggestions for how to work with them, including expert recommendations for plants to add to your own space.
Starting from the Inside: Gardening in Collaboration with Nature
The process of incorporating beautiful northeast native plants into spaces of all sizes can offer us solace, joy, and an outlet for our creativity, particularly when we choose to work with the material that our immediate environments provide. Renowned landscape designer and founder of the PerfectEarth Project Edwina von Gal will teach you how to arrange and care for your plantings in collaboration with the Earth. Listen in to gain approachable tips for designing with native plants in your own space, and discover how to interact with the resources available within the “closed loop” of your garden in order to support wildlife, nurture soil, and promote both biodiversity and beauty.
From the Ground Up: Using Water and Soil to Nourish Your Native Plantings
As gardeners and explorers of the natural world, we expect (and even love) to get our hands dirty and our feet wet. Learn about the intricacies of the ground beneath you, and your plants, as you explore how water moves within different kinds of soil and how to capture water in order to support your plantings. Join stormwater superhero Trevor Smith, past president of the Ecological Landscape Alliance, current board member, and Weston Nurseries’ Design and Education Director, as he shares practical suggestions for restoring the natural water cycle in spaces of all sizes. You’ll leave this presentation with an increased awareness and appreciation for how soil and water interact with each other and with plants, as well as practical strategies for increasing the water efficiency in your space to help your plants thrive all year long.
Rethinking Lawn
When ecologically-minded individuals like us hear the phrase “replace your lawn,” we often experience a mixture of excitement and overwhelm. Join this presentation to ground yourself in small-scale, pragmatic ways to begin re-enlivening your outdoor spaces and increasing their ecological benefits. Dan Jaffe Wilder, Director of Applied Ecology at Norcross Wildlife Foundation and author of Native Plants for New England Gardens, will share a variety of ways to grow the biodiversity and resiliency of your surroundings, ranging from maintenance strategies to lawn alternatives to whole-lawn replacement. You’ll walk away with plentiful, manageable tips to incorporate as you re-imagine, re-engage with, and replace the lawns around you.
| Date/time details | Saturday, May 3, 2025, 9 AM - 1 PM |
|---|---|
| Location | Zoom |
| Fee | $125 |