Presentation Descriptions
9:00-10:00am EST
Poisonous Anacardiaceae: Poison Ivy and Beyond
Susan Pell, United States Botanic Garden
The cashew family, Anacardiaceae, includes a number of economically important plants and many notoriously poisonous species. From poison ivy to cashew and poisonwood, we will explore the diversity of the family and learn more about its toxic members, which are distributed across approximately 33 genera. Detailed information about poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) and the contact dermatitis it causes will be presented. The economic and ecological importance of these toxic taxa will also be discussed.
10:15-11:15am EST
100 Plants to Feed the Monarch Butterflies
Stephanie Frichie, Xerces Society
A book about planting for monarchs (and for motivated readers and gardeners) is not quite as wondrous as monarchs and their individual life cycles, their host relationship with milkweeds, or their annual migrations in North America, but it is something of a miracle. Only a few decades ago, the concept of creating native-plant gardens was just beginning to gain traction. Fortunately, with wider awareness, the movement has grown. In addition to monarch and milkweed life history, the threats to monarchs and the best practices for supporting this North American royalty, we’ll cover selecting plants, designing habitat, site preparation, planting, follow up management and monitoring – including how to contribute to monarch conservation through community science projects.
12:45-1:45pm EST
Panel Discussion: Understanding the Jumping Worm Problem
Moderator: Mark Richardson
Panelists: Christopher Evans, University of Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences; Angela Gupta, University of Minnesota Extension; Josef Gorres, University Vermont
What’s with these worms?! Snakeworm. Jumping Worm. Crazy Worm. The common names provide an apt description of Amynthas agrestis. Introduced in the U.S. 80 years ago, this aggressive invasive earthworm is making its way across the country. Join our panel of experts to learn about the threat.
2:00-3:00pm EST
Taking on the Big Places: How to Build and Maintain Self-Sufficient Landscapes
Dan Jaffe Wilder, Norcross Wildlife Foundation
There are a variety of strategies for landscape maintenance that gardeners employ, but mulching, weeding, planting, and various other tasks become problematic when we start looking at acres instead of square feet. How does one manage a woodland as opposed to a woodland garden? What strategies can be applied to multi-acre meadows? How can we manage for specific species when getting down on our knees and weeding is not a viable option? Join Wilder, author and applied ecologist, to explore how to manage the big places. With case studies from Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, he will explain various strategies for creating and maintaining large landscapes with ecology and self-sustainability at the forefront.
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