Grow Native Massachusetts kicks off its 2026 Free Public Lecture Series on February 11 with Basil Camu, the author of From Wasteland to Wonder: Easy Ways to Heal Earth in the Sub/Urban Landscape. The program will be live on Zoom, at 7 pm – 8pm Eastern. Register at https://grownativemass.org/Our-Programs/evenings-experts

The way we currently manage our suburban and urban landscapes is creating an ecological wasteland. Fortunately, we have an alternative path: by working ​​with natural systems instead of against them, we have the power to help Earth heal. Basil will begin by discussing the functions of natural systems and how they’re being damaged by standard land care practices. Then he will delve into impactful ways we can take action, from planting saplings and saving mature trees, to creating pocket forests and replacing our lawns with Piedmont prairies. Finally, for those who want to help shift paradigms even more, Basil will introduce us to his initiative Project Pando, which provides a model for community-based efforts that gather native seeds, raise them into trees, and give them away for free.

Basil Camu pursues his purpose and passions as the co-founder of Leaf & Limb, a tree care company in Raleigh, NC, and Project Pando, a non-profit that aims to connect people to trees. He is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist His work has been featured in the New York Times, Gardenista, and A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach.