Native Plant and Sustainability Conference | Public and Professional Audience
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Schedule
8:45 – 9:15 a.m.
Registration and book sale
9:15 – 9:30 a.m.
Welcome and Introductions
9:30 – 10:45 a.m.
How to Design Biodiversity: Replicable Models for Resilience | Evan Abramson
While biodiversity is a goal for many gardeners and designers, few projects utilize science to document the impacts of designed landscapes on ecosystems or species. Featuring a series of case studies from across the Northeast, this session will present diverse approaches to understanding how landscape interactions influence the biodiversity of sites and communities.
2:10 – 2:25 p.m.
Break
11 – 11:50 a.m.
Transform Your Ornamental Garden into a Beautiful Biodiverse Habitat | Lynn Purse
Aesthetic beauty and ecological function don’t have to be mutually exclusive! Learn how to combine a few basic garden design principles with native plant choices in a way that will expand both the beauty of your garden and its biodiversity. Whether you have shade or sun, you can make practical choices about which plants to keep, which plants to remove, and which natives will thrive in previously enriched soil without flopping or looking messy. Lynn will share how she systematically tested native plants and transformed her North Hills garden over a 6-year period to surpass her 70% native plant target while retaining its ornamental garden appearance. Her garden is now a part of the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program and has been featured in local media outlets.
11:50 – 12:10 p.m.
Program Spotlight: Deer Management Program | Erica Allwes
12:10 – 1 p.m.
Lunch and Book Sale
1 – 1:20 p.m.
Program Spotlight: PA Invasive Replace-ive Program | Celine Colbert
1:20 – 2:20 p.m.
Native Lawns: Biodiversity, Beauty, and Function | Krissy Boys
Aesthetic beauty and ecological function don’t have to be mutually exclusive! Learn how to combine a few basic garden design principles with native plant choices in a way that will expand both the beauty of your garden and its biodiversity. Whether you have shade or sun, you can make practical choices about which plants to keep, which plants to remove, and which natives will thrive in previously enriched soil without flopping or looking messy. Lynn will share how she systematically tested native plants and transformed her North Hills garden over a 6-year period to surpass her 70% native plant target while retaining its ornamental garden appearance. Her garden is now a part of the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program and has been featured in local media outlets.
2:20 – 2:40 p.m.
Break
2:40 – 3:40.m.
The Regenerative Landscaper: Design and Build Landscapes That Repair the Environment | Erik Ohlsen
Every piece of land— from an urban courtyard to a multi-acre homestead— holds the potential to contribute to the healing of our planet. When we see the land through a whole-systems lens: where living soil, clean water, native pollinators, and human stewards work in functional harmony— we become active participants to transform ordinary yards into vibrant sanctuaries for all life. Discover practical, step-by-step design and installation principles and practices to regenerate your soil, invite wildlife home, and turn everyday ecological challenges into breathtaking natural abundance. Repairing ecosystems starts right outside your door, in your gardens, farms, and landscapes.
3:40 – 4 p.m.
Closing Remarks
Questions? Contact our Phipps' education team at edu@phipps.conservatory.org.
This conference counts as a 4 hour elective credit for the following Phipps certificate programs: Ecological Gardening and Landscape and Garden Design. CEU credits for PCH and LA CES are pending; please inquire for more information.
Conference Speakers
Evan Abramson
Evan Abramson is Founding Principal of Landscape Interactions, an interdisciplinary landscape planning and design studio based in Western Massachusetts with a renowned focus on biodiversity and science-based practices. Drawing on his diverse experience as a regional planner, farmer, community organizer, filmmaker and photojournalist, Evan designs landscapes and corridors that build resilience to a changing climate at the ecosystem level. He holds a Master of Science in Ecological Design from the Conway School of Landscape Design, a Bachelor of Arts from Vassar College, Certificates in Permaculture Design and Biodynamic Gardening, and is the author of numerous publications, including Pollinate Now, Farming for Biodiversity and Lincoln Pollinator Action Plan.
Lynn Purse
Lynn Purse is an internationally published photographer and garden writer who has lectured extensively on garden design both locally and throughout the country. A retired music technology professor, Lynn also taught courses on photo editing and videography at Duquesne University. Now she photographs and films gardens to feature on her YouTube channel @lynnpurse. She is currently rewilding the gardens and woods on her 1-acre property and documenting the process. She has won national awards for her garden videos which are highlighted on her website http://lynnpurse.com. She is currently collaborating with the Garden Conservancy on a yearlong Social Media project #inmygarden that highlights the ongoing changes in her personal garden.
Krissy Boys
Kristine (Krissy) Boys was introduced to native plant gardening in 1989 by the influential naturalist FM Mooberry, founder of The Millersville Native Plant Conference and the native plant gardens of the Brandywine Conservancy. Krissy has been a gardener for Cornell Botanic Gardens and a Finger Lakes Native Plant Society founding member. Krissy is a speaker throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, focusing on the topics of propagating, gardening, and restoring natural areas with regionally native plants.
Erik Ohlsen
Erik Ohlsen is a master of regenerative design, an internationally recognized Permaculture teacher, a landscape contractor, author, farmer, herbalist, storyteller, and practitioner of Nordic folk traditions.
Since 1999 Erik has founded numerous organizations that regenerate ecosystems including his award-winning design and build firm Permaculture Artisans and The Permaculture Skills Center where thousands of students around the world learn ecological landscaping and regenerative agriculture.
Working as an internationally renowned regenerative designer, he has committed decades to repairing ecosystems and connecting people with the land throughout the globe. He has designed and implemented hundreds of regenerated landscapes ranging from small urban lots to large tracts of land.
His many years of experience observing and listening to landscape patterns while managing installation crews have led to an extensive knowledge of ecological land development and planning. He is a specialist in water harvesting systems, food forest design, community organizing, facilitation, vocational education and much more. In all of his work there is a presence of social equity, climate justice, and ecosystem restoration and his stories and achievements continue to empower people worldwide.
