SPONSORS

WILD ONES KEWEENAW CHAPTER
KEWEENAW GARDEN CLUB * KEWEENAW LAND TRUST
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION MASTER GARDENERS
MICHIGAN TECH SUSTAINABILITY DEMONSTRATION HOUSE

Join us for a morning of fun and inspiring talks on the fascinating world of native plants!

Registration is free. After registering, you will receive an email with a link to the webinar. A reminder will be sent shortly before the symposium.

9 a.m.—Carolyn Miller
“Michigan Native Plants: From Their Habitat to My Home”

Michiganders know the flowering season is short, and Carolyn makes the most of it. Every spring, she is out combing various habitats to photograph as many plants as she can. In this presentation, she will give us all a photographic tour of some of her journeys throughout this incredible state. From prairies, to bogs, to cedar swamps, when hiking, she is always looking down. “That’s why I miss so many bird species!” she says. Some of these plants have found their way into her urban yard, where they are thriving. “Watching the diversity of insects that visit the floral resources is a treat!” says Carolyn. “Let’s take a tour of some of my favorite plant species in the state.”

Carolyn holds a BS in botany/plant pathology from Michigan State University and is currently the plant recorder for MSU. Using GIS and GPS technology, she records the location and health of shrubs and trees across the 5,000-acre campus (5,000. She loves what she does and is truly a tree hugger. Before this, she was the curator of plant collections at the Naples (Florida) Botanical Garden, where she took a keen interest in native landscapes. Moving back to Michigan, she began a quest to landscape with native plants. Through trial and error, she now knows what works in her urban Lansing yard. Currently, she is the president of the Wildflower Association of Michigan, recording secretary for the Michigan Botanical Club, a master’s student in biology at Miami University (Ohio), and serves on various environmental groups in the mid-Michigan area. In her free time, she and her wife, Diane, enjoy birding, botanizing, camping, cooking, and hanging with their cat, Rougarou.

10 a.m.—Michelle Wietek-Stephens
“A Watched Seed Never Sprouts: Adventures in Starting a Native Plant Nursery in the U.P.”

What started in 2004 as a newlywed couple reintroducing natives to the yard of their starter home blossomed in 2021 into the region’s only full-fledged native plant nursery. Located at Michelle’s century-old family homestead near Marquette, Designs by Nature—Upper Peninsula Native Plants, LLC, provides plants for education centers, service organizations, site remediation, landscaping, and home gardeners. Michelle is herself a U.P. native and an avid hiker, biker, observer of nature, and gardener. During her previous 15-year career as an environmental consultant, Michelle advised on environmental protection, site restoration, and wetland management.  After making time for a growing family, Michelle established U.P. Native Plants in December 2020 with the help of her family and launched the website for this web-based business in March 2021.

Michelle will speak on her experiences opening a native plant nursery in the unique climate and culture of the U.P. in the middle of a pandemic; native plant selection appropriate for the U.P., and what the future holds for her nursery.