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Back to Our Roots: Leveraging Native Plants to Restore the Environment

Early Bird Fee expires on Friday, January 8: $45

Regular Fee starts on Saturday, January 9: $55

NOTE: This will be offered as a series of live online lectures using Zoom with audience Q&A incorporated into the program. Each session will be recorded and a link to watch the symposium will be emailed to all participants.

Years of rapid urbanization have fragmented natural habitats with manicured lawns and barren over-development leading to significant declines in biodiversity. How can you reverse this alarming trend? Join us for a fascinating day of innovative presentations that dig deep into how native plants can restore natural ecosystems in a range of landscapes, from backyards and public gardens to urban and commercial projects.

Experts will tackle the native vs. non-native plant debate: Is a native plant-only prescription necessary? Under what conditions should non-native plants be incorporated, and what are the risks of using cultivars? Join the conversation as experts assess the scope of environmental benefits that native ecosystems create, such as decreasing pollution and fighting climate change.

We’ll explore the latest strategies to combat pollinator population collapse, considering key factors like pollination syndromes, specialist pollinators, plant genetics and floral balance. Speakers will demonstrate the latest tools to assess the sustainability of sites, including best practices for evidence-based designs that maximize the ecological, social and economic benefits of native landscapes.

Featured speakers include:

• Doug Tallamy, Professor & Chair, Department of Entomology & Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware: Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard
• Kim Eierman, Author & Founder, EcoBeneficial LLC: The Pollinator Victory Garden: Winning the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening
• Claudio Vazquez, co-owner of Izel Plants: Selecting & Sourcing Native Plants for Diverse Landscape Needs
• Emily McCoy, PLA, ASLA, SITES AP: Associate Professor of Practice in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, North Carolina State University & Landscape Architect at Design Workshop: Evidence-based Design in Landscape Architecture and Planning for a more Sustainable Future

Continuing Education

Continuing education units (CEUs) will be available for:

• American Society of Landscape Architects (LA CES 5.25)
• Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD 5.25)
• Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professionals (CBLP 5.25)
• Maryland Certified Professional Horticulturist Program (CPH 1.0)
• Delaware Master Gardener (5.25)
• Maryland Master Gardener (5.25)
• Pennsylvania Master Gardener (5.25)
• Virginia Master Gardener (check with your local extension office)

About the GreenScapes Symposium

The GreenScapes Symposium, formerly Green Matters, is an annual program sponsored by Brookside Gardens since 2004. The symposium will continue to concentrate attention on the intersection of horticulture and environmental issues Environmental stewardship is a core value of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), Brookside Gardens’ parent organization. As such, we strive to provide timely information and viable solutions to environmental challenges.