Native shrubs don’t get nearly enough attention. They offer immense ecological value, amazing fall colors, tasty berries and nuts, hosts for rare caterpillars, fantastic flowers, and make great additions to ecologically minded landscapes. Join Dan Wilder, Ecological Landscape Alliance board member and Director of Applied Ecology at Norcross Wildlife Foundation for this May 2 online lecture that aims to encourage you to pay more attention to the ecological value of shrubs.
Dan Jaffe Wilder is an ecologist, horticulturist, and botanist with over fifteen years’ experience working with native plants and their associated ecology. His work has ranged from classrooms to nurseries to botanical gardens to wildlife refuges specializing in native plant ecology, propagation, wildlife habitat construction, and native edible landscapes. Dan is currently the Director of Applied Ecology for the Norcross Wildlife Foundation whose mission is to protect, enhance, and expand wildlife through conservation, education, and support. A prolific photographer and author Dan’s book Native Plants for New England Gardens was released in 2018.
Natural swimming pools are great for cooling off, diversifying habitat, and creating beauty in the garden, but they can seem out of reach for some because of the cost to install and maintain. Learn about Ecological Landscape Alliance’s Education Committee member Jennifer H. Campbell’s experience building and nurturing a small, informal natural pool at her home in northwestern New Hampshire, powered by a bubble pump system and native plants, for a fraction of the cost of traditional natural pools.
The April 3 webinar is FREE for ELA members $10 for non-members
Jennifer H Campbell made a mid-life change of career 20 years ago to ecological landscape design based in Northwest NH and Southeast Vermont. She is a graduate of the Conway School of Landscape Design 2007 and holds a Certificate in Native Plant Studies from the Native Plant Trust.
Join The Native Plant Trust and Trevor Smith, Design and Education Manager at Weston Nurseries, and past president of the Ecological Landscape Alliance, to learn more about his efforts to build thirty green roofs for bus shelters throughout the city of Boston, in conjunction with Mayor Michelle Wu’s commitment to green infrastructure. In addition to describing the history of this project and the process of building a green roof, Trevor will share the insights he has gained while pursuing this work. The talk will take place on Zoom on March 12 at 6 pm Eastern, and is $17 for NPT members, $20 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/greening-public-spaces-the-green-roof-bus-shelter-project/
A recording of this class will be available to all registrants for two weeks after the class.
We hope to see you at ELA’s Annual Conference scheduled for February 26, 27. and 28, 2025! Day 1 & 2 of the conference will remain virtual on Qiqochat to facilitate greater access and participation. Each day of virtual learning will consist of a number of concurrent presentations organized across three educational tracks.
The last day of the conference, we are organizing in-person member meet ups to build on the momentum from last year and continue expanding our community!This conference will give the ELA community a chance to engage and reflect on where the industry has been, to hear lessons learned, to prepare and adapt for the future, and to inspire each other to do all that we can to build and maintain resilient landscapes that work in harmony with the life that supports them.
Join a lively discussion with an introduction by Marie Chieppo, along with a post-conference event hosted by the Ecological Landscape Alliance, Kristin Adres, and Julie Esteves. The February 23rd event takes place at 10 am at the Mass Audubon Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary, 345 Bone Hill Road in Barnstable. Coffee and breakfast snacks are included – please bring your own cups. Register at http://tinyurl.com/ycp2e75y
Instructors Marie Chieppo and Jasmine Callahan will discuss the recent surge in demand for straight native species by homeowners and others who are invested in the campaign to attract birds and insects that depend on straight species for food and habitat on Saturday, Feb. 17, from 10 a.m. to noon. Why does this void exist and what can we expect down the road? The class includes a presentation and interview, with discussion and Q&A to follow.
Marie Chieppo has written articles for the Ecological Landscape Alliance and the Association of Professional Landscape Designers on the topic. An experienced ecological landscape designer, Marie also works in the retail sector at Hyannis Country Garden on Cape Cod. Jasmine Callahan is a former owner of Blue Stem Nursery and now the owner and propagator of Dragonfly Natives.
The class takes place at Berkshire Botanical Gardens in West Stockbridge, and is $40 for BBG members, $60 for nonmembers. Register at www.berkshirebotanical.org
What are mineral nutrients and how do plants use them? What are the signs of deficiencies and toxicities? In this Native Plant Trust three part online course on January 20 & 27 and February 3 from 10:00 – noon, you will learn some mineral nutrient foundations through an overview of soils, chemistry, and plant anatomy. We will explore how plants acquire, use, and translocate mineral nutrients.
We will also learn skills to identify how mineral nutrients are impacting a plant’s health and how to remedy plants suffering from improper nutrition. Please note: NPT does not make video or audio recordings of classes or programs available after the fact, because it believes education is interactive, with instructors and students building a community and culture of learning.
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 habits for many species. This Ecological Landscape Alliance webinar takes place Wednesday, July 12 at 6 pm Eastern.
Presenter Michele Chalice is an Environmental Landscape Designer with a Master’s degree in Resource Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture. She practiced as a licensed Landscape Architect for three decades in Chicago, IL, and Madison, WI before coming to Keene, NH. Michele now owns Healthy Home Habitats, a consulting firm that works with clients in the Monadnock region, designing yards and gardens that shift traditional landscapes into habitat-enhancing spaces with a variety of native plants. She offers public programs on regenerative, sustainable, and ecologically-friendly landscape management and design topics. She also offers hands-on workshops at the Healthy Home Habitats’ urban demonstration gardens in Keene. You can find Healthy Home Habits on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Tower Hill Botanic Garden’s annual Urban Tree Symposium is dedicated to exploring the importance of urban forests and ways we can improve our green spaces. Each symposium brings together experts in the fields of forestry, horticulture, biology, technology and more. You can expect to hear current and important information that will impact your work in our communities and your own home. The Urban Tree Symposium is geared towards professionals but all with a curious mind around plants and green spaces is encouraged to attend. The 2023 Urban Tree Symposium on February 3 from 9 – 3 will be entirely virtual. You will receive a link with your confirmation email following registration. Cosponsored with the Ecological Landscape Alliance in partnership with Speak for the Trees. For a full breakdown of this years Urban Tree Symposium check out the information below.
The 2022 Review of Massachusetts State Forest Health will be presented by Felicia Hubacz, Forest Health Specialist with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Description: Every year there are growing concerns and moments of positive progress in our local forests. Monitoring the changes in our ecosystems can better help us plan for the present and future. Join DCR Forest Health Specialist Felicia Hubacz as she discusses the Massachusetts major forest health issues in 2022. Learn to identify current and future threats to our forest and how the DCR Forest Health Program is currently monitoring and managing for them.
Felicia Hubacz is a graduate of UMass Amherst and has worked as a forester with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation since 2010. During that time, she has worked on many forest health related issues including the Asian longhorned Beetle, Emerald Ash Borer, Gypsy Moth, White Pine Needle Disease, and many others.
Nina Bassuk, Professor Emeritus, Urban Horticulture Institute, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, will speak on Beyond the Native/Exotic Debate.
Description: Should you always plant native trees? This presentation will sort out some of the issues dealing with the ‘natives only’ debate and strive to shed more light than heat regarding this hot-button topic. We will get our definitions straight and strive for a scientific basis that support biodiversity and a healthy ecosystem.
Nina Bassuk has been a professor and program leader of the Urban Horticulture Institute at Cornell University for the past 40 years. She is on the Board of Directors of the New York State Urban Forestry Council and is co- author of Trees in the Urban Landscape, a text for landscape architects and horticultural practitioners on establishing trees in disturbed and urban landscapes. In addition, Dr. Bassuk has authored over 100 papers on the physiological problems of plants growing in urban environments, including improved plant selections for difficult sites, soil modification including the development of ‘CU-Structural Soil’ and improved transplanting technology. She works closely with municipalities to help implement best practices in urban forestry management.
Laurence Wiseman, Senior Advisor, Urban Forestry, American Forests, presents More then Beauty: Capturing the Full Value of Urban Trees.
Description: Larry Wiseman will describe how municipalities have attempted to account for the ecosystem benefits that trees provide to their communities. He will discuss different approaches for applying these values to the web of rules and regulations that affect urban trees and forests — from access and equity to zoning and development.
During his four-decade career in forest policy and programs, Larry Wiseman founded and sustained several nonprofit organizations including American Forest Foundation where he served as founding president and CEO until 2009. By then, the Foundation had grown to 32 staff, a budget of $11 million with an endowment of $150 million. Afterward, he served as the Administration-appointed chair of the Congressionally chartered National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council. During his tenure at American Forest Foundation, he oversaw creation of the first US forestry certification system for family forest owners and the Institutes for Journalism and Natural Resources.
His first foray into urban forestry came when he was asked by the White House in the early ‘80s to help develop and lobby Congress for President George H. W. Bush’s signature America the Beautiful initiative. His work was recognized in a Rose Garden ceremony. Throughout his career he has provided strategic counsel to many organizations, including the Sustainable Urban Forest Coalition – the national umbrella organization for urban forestry in the US. Larry was recognized by the National Arbor Day Foundation with its national Legacy Award for career achievement in forest conservation.
While serving as senior adviser for urban forestry programs at American Forests, he helped draft Atlanta’s and Boston’s urban forest ordinances, co-created the Vibrant Cities Lab, and led the team charged with creating Arlington, Virginia’s urban forest and natural resources plan. This novel component of the county’s comprehensive plan is rooted in equity as well as biophilic and smart growth principles. Wiseman began his career as a film and television producer for a public television national production center. His programs aired locally and nationally on PBS. He earned an AB [Highest Distinction] from Dartmouth College, and an MPA from Princeton University School of Public and International Affairs.
Next, you will hear Tonay Gooday-Ervin, Inventory Arborist, Davey Resource Group, on Finding Kinship with Trees and Arborists.
Description: Comparing and contrasting indigenous perspectives on living in relation to the world and how we live in tandem with trees in New England, this is a personal journey of learning about plants twice, as an indigenous person living in community with all living things and in a professional arboriculture setting. What can we learn from other ways of living in regard to tree work? How can we draw parallels and foster community better with the people and trees around us all? Laugh and learn through a story of finding teachers in unexpected places and saying yes more often.
Tonay Gooday-Ervin (they/them) is a member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe in Arizona, a third generation Cuban-American, an indigenous dancer/artist and an MAA certified arborist. Tonay is a social and environmental justice advocate living in Providence and doing tree work/public education about trees and indigenous knowledge across southern New England. They work at Davey Resource Group out of Worcester as an inventory arborist, as a committee member for the PVD Tree Plan, and for the Providence Neighborhood Planting Program. They are seeking a synthesis where one day indigenous knowledge and traditions are honored and considered in tree work at large.
Finally, hear about Long-term Urban Tree Canopy Change: Complex Drivers in Post-Industrial Cities from Lara Roman, PhD. Research Ecologist, Forest Service.
Description: Municipal leaders throughout the United States are pursuing ambitious goals to increase urban tree canopy (UTC), often tying these goals to planting campaigns, but UTC change is driven by forces besides planting. This presentation will address long-term UTC change in Philadelphia, as well as Holyoke and Chelsea, Massachusetts, which are all post-industrial cities, and our findings point to the need to consider how urban development and socioeconomic trends shape UTC goals. The complex mix of UTC change forces include population declines and associated forest emergence on vacant land, past planting campaigns, and development/redevelopment pressure.
Over the past several decades, tree canopies in post-industrial cities have changed significantly due to shrinking populations, the existence of “weedy” trees on vacant land, and the emergence of tree planting campaigns. This talk will explore these changes over time in large cities such as Philadelphia, as well as small towns in Massachusetts.
Dr. Lara Roman is a Research Ecologist with the USDA Forest Service. Her research centers on the temporal dynamics of urban forests, including tree mortality and growth, canopy cover change, historical legacies, species composition change, citizen science monitoring, and the factors constraining or enabling tree planting in diverse urban neighborhoods. These studies involve close collaborations with urban forestry professionals at municipalities and nonprofit organizations throughout the US, and her contributions to urban forestry practice were recognized with an Early-Career Scientist Award from the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). She has led or coauthored over 50 publications, including a recent urban tree monitoring field guide that set the standard for longitudinal data collection of city trees. She received a PhD at the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor’s in biology and Masters of Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. When she is not measuring trees, she is baking or hiking with her husband and two young daughters.
Join the Ecological Landscape Alliance on February 22 & 23, 2023 for the 29th Conference & Eco-Marketplace – all online. We’ll energize your practice and prepare you for the season ahead with two full days of research, field-tested expertise, and innovative case studies. All presentations will be recorded and made available to registrants after the conference. You can enjoy the event live, and then revisit presentations at your leisure. This year, our theme is BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS. This theme will give the ELA community a chance to hear about the importance of relationships as we interact with our lands, wildlife, plants, and each other. At ELA, we take pride in the relationships we build with speakers and members alike. Sessions on Wednesday, February 23 will focus on the areas of building relationships that support wildlife, and how we work together: building teams and partnerships. Pricing options range from $40 – $315, and the complete conference schedule and registration links may be found at https://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/ela-2023-winter-conference-eco-marketplace/
