Events

Learn more and register for the Keweenaw Native Plant Symposium here: https://keweenaw.wildones.org/2021-keweenaw-native-plant-symposium/

7:00 p.m.—Sustainable Gardening
Dr. Brian Black, biology and environmental science instructor, Bay College, Escanaba, Mich.

Learning to live sustainably—to meet our needs without compromising the ability of future generations or other species to meet theirs—is essential. Yet many traditional gardening practices can waste water and energy, pollute off-site water and air, contribute to climate change, degrade the soil, spread invasive species, harm human health, and destroy wildlife habitat. How can you make your gardening more sustainable? What should you grow? How should you grow it? Brian will discuss how sustainable gardening promises to protect, restore, and enhance the ability of landscapes to provide ecosystem services that benefit humans and other organisms.

7:30 p.m.—KEYNOTE ADDRESS The Humane Gardener: Nurturing Habitat for Wildlife
Nancy Lawson, author, speaker, and habitat consultant

Why do we call some insects “beneficial” while others are “pests”? Why do we welcome some larger animals to our garden while calling others “nuisances”? Why are some plants considered “desirable” while others are “weeds”? In this myth-busting talk, learn how common growing methods divide the natural world into false dichotomies and perpetuate misperceptions about the wild species living among us. Discover practical ways to put humane gardening philosophies into action by protecting nesting sites for insects, birds and mammals; eliminating unintended hazards; identifying and nurturing plants that provide food and shelter; restoring habitat with minimal disturbance to animals; and humanely resolving conflicts with mammals and other commonly misunderstood creatures.

Nancy is the author of The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife, a columnist for All Animals magazine, a habitat consultant, a nationally known speaker on garden ecology, and the creator of HumaneGardener.com. She founded Humane Gardener to pioneer and promote creative planting strategies and other animal-friendly landscaping methods that help gardeners coexist with wildlife large and small.