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...
Dr. Keeley will review selected chapters of the second edition of the 2019 book Corridor Ecology that captures advances in the field since 2006. She will give an overview of corridor design objectives, including topics such as corridor dimensions, sensitivity to human activity, and topography and microclimate for climate-wise connectivity. With an extensive human footprint...
Special ELA Members Only Event - If you aren't yet a member, you can join here. Are you looking for an alternative to traditional swimming pools? Considering a natural swim pond for your next design project? Join ELA and Karina Lapierre, BFA and Owner of Lavish Gardens, to ask your questions and get professional advice...
Landscape designers nationwide believe in the many benefits of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI); but, for this strategy to succeed, the public must want these installations in their yards, parks, schools, and neighborhood streets. This session presents a study of public reactions to the appearance of GSI, focusing on rain garden installation within the municipal streetscape...
Portland is the largest urban area in Maine and many of the region’s native plants and the fauna that depend on them have been replaced with buildings, paving, and exotic plant species. Creating a vision for restoring native habitat was the goal of the Portland Pollinator Vision Plan, a joint project between Wild Seed Project...
Green infrastructure, pollinator gardens, food gardens are increasingly integrated in PK-12 learning environments. This session will describe how the built environment and natural settings can facilitate deeper learning, an approach to education that not only seeks to achieve traditional academic standards, but also seeks to foster innovation in problem solving, collaborative work, effective communication, inquiry,...
Strategic conservation in farmed and urban landscapes can disproportionately increase biodiversity. Nick Haddad has worked for three decades to understand how to conserve landscapes to benefit pollinators and other species. He has created large experiments to test the role of targeted conservation efforts. For example, landscape corridors through urban and farmed landscapes can created superhighways...
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...
MARCH 29 -- ECOLOGICAL LAND CARE Ecological Land Care sounds easy, but as we learn, actually integrating horticulture with ecology takes time and patience. This session will help us understand how we, as gardeners, can meld horticulture and ecology practices to positively impact gardens and ecosystems. We will also explore why traditional garden practices (ie,...
JULY 12 -- PLANT LAYERING OPTIONS FOR MORE COLOR, DIVERSITY & HABITAT Learn how to enhance the landscape you already have. Identify your yard and garden's (boring) gaps and explore native plant options for a variety of seasonal colors and wildlife benefits. These choices increase the diversity of your landscape, as well as create healthier...
AUGUST 17, 2023 -- ORGANIC TURF CARE: A PRACTICAL APPROACH This practical webinar will share a step-by-step development to implementation of Organic Turf Care programs. We will look at a...
AUGUST 23, 2023 -- FERNS - THE GREEN WONDERS OF NATURE Often times by the dog days of summer, some plants in the garden are looking weary. These plants may...
