Boston Flora

Tag: Desiree Narango

  • Thursday, April 16, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm Eastern – How to Grow a Better Bird Feeder, Live and Online

    Grow Native Massachusetts hosts Desirée L. Narango, Conservation Biologist at the Vermont Center for EcoStudies, will speak on April 16 on How to Grow a Better Bird Feeder at the First Parish Church, 7 Harrington Road in Lexington, and online via Zoom. Bird populations are declining at an alarming rate due to habitat loss, climate change, and pesticides. Fortunately, there are simple actions you can take to restore critical bird habitat in your yards and gardens. In this talk, Desirée will share her research on the importance of native plants to food webs, why insects matter for bird conservation, and the practical steps you can take to support bird habitat throughout the year.

    Desirée L. Narango is a conservation scientist at the Vermont Center for EcoStudies. Her research program focuses on understanding how global change impacts bird and insect populations, and identifying conservation solutions in human-dominated habitats including residential yards and urban green spaces. Desirée has a Ph.D. in Entomology and Wildlife Ecology from the University of Delaware.

    No registration is needed for the in-person talk, but visit https://grownativemass.org/Our-Programs/evenings-experts to sign up for Zoom

  • Thursday, November 11, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm – Regenerative Solutions for Resilient Landscapes, Online

    Connections are vital throughout healthy landscapes and include everything from interaction between pollinator and plant to the underground networking of mycelium.

    The degree to which a landscape is successfully connected determines soil health, biodiversity, local adaptation, colonization, and species survival prospects. All connections are further challenged as ecosystems cope with climate change.

    Join The Ecological Landscape Alliance online on November 11 from 8:30 – 4:30 for this unique opportunity to consider future landscapes and learn the importance of regenerative solutions. Register at https://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/regenerative-and-resilient/

    Roy Diblik with speak on Building Strong Foundations.

    Gorgeous perennial gardens packed with color, texture, and multi-season interest (think of stunning examples like the Lurie Garden) may be aspirational but are also achievable with some plant community know-how from award-winning plantsman and designer Roy Diblik.

    Roy’s design approach begins by learning a core group of plants, and all of the characteristics of the plants, that are reliable performers, tolerant of varied initial soil conditions. The next steps are combining them with complementary plants that thrive together when grown as a community. Roy also emphasizes a design approach that minimizes garden maintenance. One reliable species is Carex used as a groundcover to reduce reliance on wood mulch, create a healthier habitat for woody plants, create interconnected plant communities that benefit the well-being

    Then, Jane Slade will present Reconnecting with Natural Light Cycles that Support Human and Wildlife Health: Starving for Darkness

    Darkness is disappearing from the face of the Earth, blinding wildlife in the light. Since the industrial revolution and the invention of the electric light bulb, the natural ecosystems of the Earth spend more and more time bathed in artificial light within a 24-hour cycle. How does the artificial light and lack of darkness impact wildlife? How does the obstruction of the night’s sky affect bird migration, pollination, and reproduction?
    Much of the study of light and health has been dedicated to the impact of light upon humans; however, animals and plants are also intrinsically photosensitive and subject to the unwanted effects of stray light. How can a rethinking of design, landscape lighting, and codes alleviate some of these harmful effects? Ms. Slade will provide encouraging considerations to minimize these negative impacts.

    Finding the Mother Tree will be given by Suzanne Simard.

    Trees are connected, that’s right, CONNECTED. Through their research, Dr. Simard and her team have discovered that trees are connected below-ground via a vast fungal network. The Mother Tree project is investigating forest renewal practices that will protect biodiversity, carbon storage and forest regeneration as climate changes. This field-based research compares various retention levels of Mother Trees (large, old trees) and their neighbors, as well as regenerating seedling mixtures, in Douglas-fir forests located across nine climatic regions in British Columbia.
    What is the mysterious, powerful force that connects and sustains others? The old, large trees in forests are responsible for nurturing and connecting forests in the same profound ways that families and human societies nurture and connect their members. Learn about the vital and inseparable bonds that enable survival of all.

    The next talk will be by Desiree Narango Phd, on Using Informed Plant Selection to Restore Pollinators and Songbirds.

    Functional food webs are essential for the successful conservation of ecological communities. In terrestrial systems, food webs are built on a foundation of co-evolved interactions between plants and their consumers. Efforts to restore urban and suburban green space, provide ecosystem services, and combat adverse impacts of development have resulted in widespread tree- and garden- planting efforts. Yet, little attention is given to the importance of plant identity for successfully supporting biodiversity. In this presentation, Dr. Narango will discuss the ecological and evolutionary relationships between plants, pollinators, and songbirds and highlight her recent research demonstrating that particular native plants are crucial for supporting local food webs. She will also share examples where species interaction data can provide quantitative metrics to inform planting guidelines to restore wildlife habitat in shared, living- and working landscapes.

    She’ll wrap up by offering some advice for how each person can help move planet Earth towards this best-case scenario. It turns out that the most effective actions to change over-arching systems are collective, political actions, whereas personal lifestyle changes and landscaping choices offer more of a cultural and personal template for the future. Come to have your hope renewed and your enthusiasm for action elevated!

    Finally, Yujuan Chen, Phd, will speak on Human-Natural System Connections: Soil, Water, and Trees. Currently more than half of the world population lives in urban areas — human-natural systems. Coupled with a changing climate, cities and towns are under high pressure to provide residents with sufficient resources, a livable environment, and desired quality of life. This presentation will discuss human-natural system connections including soil, water, trees, and their interactions with human decisions and activities. At the international level, how can we comprehensively integrate forests and trees into sustainable urban development with sound policies? At the regional level, how can we strategically and effectively engage communities in soil management and conservation? At the site level, how can we help urban tree establishment, improve tree growth, and ultimately sustain related long-term ecosystem services (e.g., stormwater mitigation) through urban soil best management practices? The findings from a set of studies will be shared to illustrate the connections and potential of green (trees), blue (water), and brown (soil) infrastructure in the city.

    For full biographies and information, visit https://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/regenerative-and-resilient/

  • Thursday, June 24, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Managing Yards for Plant Biodiversity, Online

    Suburban yards can support remarkably high plant biodiversity. How homeowners manage their yards largely determines the plant composition of these expanding ecosystems. In this free Native Plant Trust online talk on June 24 at 10 am, Woodwell Climate Research Center ecologist Christopher Neill and conservation biologist Desiree Narango describe findings from a one-of-a-kind, nationwide research project that examined the flora, soils, microclimates, insects, and birds in suburban yards in six metropolitan regions across the United States, including Boston. Neill will address how suburbanization does or does not homogenize residential landscapes compared with the natural areas that surround these cities. He will connect this new research to ways that homeowners can modify their yards to support native plants and wildlife, and how Native Plant Trust and Woodwell Climate Research Center’s new collaboration shares the research with a broader audience. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/managing-yards-plant-biodiversity/

  • Sundays, November 15 & 22, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm – Rooted in Place Online: Annual Ecological Gardening Symposium

    Offered online for the first time, Berkshire Botanical Garden’s 5th Annual Rooted in Place Ecological Gardening Symposium invites you to create a new, environmentally sensitive vision by exploring the connection between the surrounding landscape and your home.

    The symposium features four informative lectures over the course of two days, November 15th and November 22nd, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. with sessions offered live through Zoom followed by question and answer periods. Registration deadline is 9 a.m. on November 15. Recordings of the lectures can be accessed until January 1, 2021. 

    Our expert presenters will examine the intersection of the wild and cultivated landscape while exploring ecosystem services offered by native plantings, including the role they play in our gardens.

    Become inspired to plant gardens designed to support diverse and resilient ecological communities in the face of a changing world. Online registration for this program is temporarily unavailable. Please call 413 354-8410 to register. 

    Conference presenters include Heather Holm, Ulrich Lorimer, and Dr. Desiree Narango.

    Heather Holm is an award-winning author and nationally sought-after speaker, spending much of her time passionately educating audiences about the fascinating world of native bees and the native plants that support them. Her first book, Pollinators of Native Plants, was published in 2014, and her latest book, Bees, published in 2017, has won six book awards including the 2018 American Horticultural Society Book Award. Heather’s expertise includes the interactions between native bees and native plants and the natural history and biology of native bees occurring in the Upper Midwest and Northeast. Heather’s presentation, What’s the Buzz About Native Bees explores the nesting habitat, life cycle, pollen collection, brood rearing, and general characteristics of common genera of native bees occurring in the Midwestern, Eastern United States, and southern Canada. The pollination of native plants and the mutualism between native plants and native bees will be highlighted, in addition to the presentation of floral resources and how the physical characteristics of bees can influence their effectiveness as pollinators.

    Ulrich Lorimer is Director of Horticulture at Native Plant Trust. A longtime advocate for native plants in designed landscapes, Uli firmly believes that ecological gardening can help heal our planet and bolster biodiversity in all its forms. His work as a native plant and biodiversity advocate is informed by years of work in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Native Flora Garden, in the woodland garden at Wave Hill in the Bronx and even earlier at the US Botanic Garden. Uli’s presentation, What I have Learned from Observing Plants in Nature, engages gardeners and horticulturists to turn outdoor hikes into inspiring, learning experiences — an approach which fosters inspiration, reinforces the ecoregion concept, shows how ecosystems and their components function, and emphasizes how plant communities are connected with all other forms of life, humans included. This talk will explore how observations made from nature can help expand our plant choices, inform design decisions, and result in gardens that support biodiversity, aesthetics and ecosystem function. 

    Dr. Desiree Narango is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and current David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellow. Her research interests include ecology and conservation in human-dominated landscapes, plant-animal interactions and community-driven science. Desiree has a PhD in Entomology and Wildlife Ecology from University of Delaware, an MS in Natural Resources from The Ohio State University, a BS in Environmental Biology from SUNY: ESF and nearly 15 years experience studying wildlife. She’s also an active birder and gardener who enjoys getting others excited about the natural world in their own yards. Dr. Narango’s presentation, Native Plants in Gardening Practices, addresses her research on how native plants and gardening practices influence birds, bees, butterflies and moths in residential yards, addressing the specialized relationships between native plants and insects, why insects matter to birds, and steps you can take to improve habitat for wildlife at home. She will also share resources to find more information about native plants, nature-friendly gardening and participating in community-driven science. 

    There will also be a panel discussion with Bridghe McCracken, Drew Monthie, and Rebekah Lamphere. Full details may be found at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/rooted-place-online-annual-ecological-gardening-symposium

  • Wednesday, September 11, 7:00 pm – The Chickadee’s Guide to Gardening: Why Native Plants Matter to Songbirds and the Food They Eat Webinar

    Residential landscapes and gardening practices can have a positive (or negative) impact on wildlife. In this September 11 Ecological Landscape Alliance webinar, Dr. Desiree Narango will speak about her research studying plant and wildlife interactions. The talk will focus on her recent work comparing the contributions of native and non-native plants to food webs by studying breeding birds in Washington, D.C. suburban yards. In addition, she will talk about the relationships between plants and insects, why insects matter to birds, and steps you can take in your landscape designs or in your own yards to improve habitat for wildlife. Dr. Narango will also share resources to find more information about nature-friendly gardening and participating in community-driven science.

    Dr. Desiree Narango is a Postdoctoral Researcher at City University of New York and a visiting researcher at University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research interests include urban/suburban ecology, plant-animal interactions, and community-driven science (to name a few). Desiree has a PhD in Entomology and Wildlife Ecology from University of Delaware, a M.S. in Natural Resources from The Ohio State University, a B.S. in Environmental Biology from SUNY: ESF and over 15 years’ experience studying wildlife. She’s also an active birder and gardener who really enjoys getting others excited about the natural world in their own yards. Free for ELA members, $10 for nonmembers. Register at www.ecolandcaping.org.