9:10 – 9:40 a.m.

Registration and book sale

9:40 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.

Welcome and Introductions

9:45 – 10:45 a.m.

Beyond Beauty: The Wildlife Value of Natives and Native Cultivars in Mt. Cuba Center’s Trial Garden | Sam Hoadley, Mt. Cuba CenterJoin Sam Hoadley, the Manager of Horticultural Research at Mt. Cuba Center, as he highlights native plant species and cultivars from Mt. Cuba’s trials that will make beautiful and ecologically valuable additions to your garden. Take a deep dive into the insect and pollinator observations from the concluded evaluations of Monarda, Phlox, Echinacea, wild hydrangea, Vernonia, and Solidago and get a preview of the pollinator data from ongoing trials including oakleaf hydrangeas and Pycnanthemum. In addition, get a sneak peek at the Asclepias trial which is being evaluated for both pollinator value and for its capacity as a larval host plant for monarch caterpillars.

10:45 – 11 a.m.

Break

11 – 11:45 a.m.

Spread the Night: How Artificial Light Affects Life in the Garden | Phyllis Gricus
In this talk, Phyllis shares the impact of artificial light on ecosystems, uncovering how light pollution disrupts the natural rhythms of plants, pollinators, birds, nocturnal wildlife, and humans. She discusses practical ways homeowners and landscape professionals can minimize light pollution, helping restore ecological balance with simple, actionable solutions.

11:45 a.m. – noon

Break

Noon – 12:20 p.m.

Sustainable Garden Award Winners | Juliette Olshock
The Sustainable Garden Awards started in 2020 with the goal of inspiring Western Pennsylvania residents to design and maintain gardens that are both environmentally friendly and beautiful. With so many wonderful gardens to choose from this year, it was a challenge to decide on the winners. We are happy to announce the champions from the following categories: Native Plantings and Wildlife Gardens, Micro-Gardens, Abundant Edible Gardens, Gardens that manage Rainwater and Gardens for Personal Retreat.

12:20 – 12:30 p.m.

Program Spotlight: PA Master Naturalist Program

12:30 – 1:15 p.m.

Lunch and Book Sale

1:15 – 2:15 p.m.

Prospect & Refuge | Refugia Design | Jeff Lorenz and Sarah Leaskey
Refugia Design, based in Greater Philadelphia since 2015, embraces the ethos of designing landscapes that support native ecosystems to create biological corridors of refuge for plants, people and wildlife. Join founder Jeff Lorenz and Sarah Leaskey (RLA) to learn more about their design-build-stewardship approach to high impact, low input ecological landscapes. Passionate about planting a new paradigm in the minds of home gardeners and industry peers, join them to hear how an awareness of sound, movement, responsibly sourced materials and the built environment, alongside functional planting design, can create immersive, expansive outdoor spaces to explore, observe and unwind.

2:15 – 2:30 p.m.

Break

2:30 – 3:30 p.m.

The Beasts of the East: Large Mammal Reintroductions and the Conservation of Native Plant Communities in the Eastern United States | Andrew Moore
Author Andrew Moore will provide an overview of large mammal reintroductions in the Eastern U.S., and discuss the impacts of these projects on the management and restoration of native plant communities. Are large mammals and the conservation of biological diversity compatible in the modern landscape? And when do large mammals help--and when do they hinder--ecological restoration?

3:30 – 3:45 p.m.

Closing Remarks