Program

And more to come...

2022 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

RICK DARKE

Pennsylvania-based consultant, author, and photographer Rick Darke’s work is grounded in an observational ethic that blends ecology, horticulture, and cultural geography in the design and stewardship of living landscapes.

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DR. JENNIFER D. ROBERTS

Dr. Roberts is the Founder and Director of the Public Health Outcomes and Effects of the Built Environment (PHOEBE) Laboratory as well as the Co-Founder and Co-Director of NatureRx@UMD

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NINA-MARIE LISTER

Nina-Marie Lister is Professor and Graduate Director in the School of Urban & Regional Planning at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson U) and Visiting Professor of Landscape Architecture at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.

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PROGRAM

The virtual Plan It Native Conference offers concurrent sessions as shown below; Tracks include Beginning with Native Plants, Design & Fundamentals, Gardens & Community Spaces and Large Landscapes. 

View 2022 Program

Day 1
14 Sep 2022
Day 2
15 Sep 2022
Day 3
16 Sep 2022

Roundtable: Beginning with Native Plants, Ask the Experts

September 14, 10am • You viewed all the Beginner’s Track videos, took your notes, and developed a long list of questions. Now what?! Let our expert panel answer those questions, point...
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Lydia Gibson
Sarah Beier
Roberta Vogel-Leutung
Matt Bunch

What Is Wild and Why It Matters

September 14, 12:00pm • A well-made garden should be full of life, human and otherwise, providing infinite daily opportunities to experience that glorious multiplicity of things and living processes. Inviting a...
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Rick Darke

Landscape Maintenance Practices that Support Pollinators and Keep Your Neighbors Happy

September 14, 1:30pm • Supporting pollinators in a neighborhood can be a tricky proposition. Homeowners associations, social norms, and neighbor relationships all play a role. Traditional landscaping techniques in many neighborhoods...
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Paul Brown

Creating Eco-conscious Neighborhoods: A Developer’s Experience

September 14, 1:30pm • Dig deep into the “green” history of Lee’s Summit-based residential developments and their use of sustainable practices—everything from land planning to native planting to community features. The...
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Cutter Gale
Hunter Gale

The Joys and Challenges of Working with Wild Spaces: Part 1 – Ecological Restoration

September 14, 1:30pm • Restoring ecological systems comes with multiple challenges, especially when the landscapes are fragmented and full of invasive species and other threats. Explore a variety of restoration projects,...
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Chris Helzer

The Incredible Editable Native Plant Garden

September 14, 3:00pm • The “incredible editable native garden” is an accessible approach to urban native landscaping that starts with simple DIY design and develops over time with thoughtful maintenance practices....
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Cydney Ross
Alix Daniel

Not in My Front Yard: Green Street Rain Gardens, Aesthetics, and Social Values

September 14, 3:00pm • Rain gardens seem like a benign way to treat stormwater runoff. However, there can be public resistance when this type of green stormwater infrastructure is installed...
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Eliza Pennypacker
Kate Cholakis

The Joys and Challenges of Working with Wild Spaces: Part 2 — Land Stewardship

September 14, 3:00 pm • Humans have served as stewards for the land for as long as humanity has existed. We face some new and daunting challenges these days, but also...
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Chris Helzer

Secret Life of Plants: A Celebration of Nature’s Gift to Humankind

September 15, 12:00pm • Alice Walker, an esteemed novelist and confirmed naturalist, once said “healing begins where the wound was made.” Wounds from pandemic despair, desertion, and other difficulties remind us...
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Dr. Jennifer D. Roberts

The Soil Resource as the Basis for Life

September 15, 1:30pm • To truly understand native planting, you must dig deep into the science of soil. In this session, learn about how soil serves as the living terrestrial matrix...
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Robert L. Kremer

Hope in Collaboration: Landscape Level Engagement for Monarchs and Pollinators

September 15, 1:30pm • Monarch butterflies, which many view as a symbol of hope and renewal, are on the verge of being listed on the US Endangered Species Act. With a...
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Christine Sanderson

Pathway to a Joyous Landscape: Plant Native Plants!

September 15, 1:30pm • Reflect on the joy and wonder that native plants can inspire in this session tracing one person’s inspirational landscaping journey. Alan Branhagen will walk you through the...
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Alan Branhagen

Soil Health and Sustainable Soil Management

September 15, 3:00pm • Soil health has several definitions but all emphasize soil’s functional capacity to sustain biological activity, maintain air and water quality, and promote plant, animal and human health....
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Robert L. Kremer

Greening Vacant Land with Native Plants as Bee Habitat

September 15, 3:00pm • Explore the Cleveland Pocket Prairie Project, a network of 64 vacant lots planted with eight distinct plant communities across eight neighborhoods within the City of Cleveland. Learn...
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Dr. Mary Gardiner

Roundtable: Meeting the Increased Demand for Native Plants

Learn how experts in the field of native plants navigate the challenges of meeting the increasing demand for native plants. From sourcing, transportation, species selection to ensuring their integrity, this...
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Mervin Wallace
Natasha Thomas-North
Claudio Vazquez

Rooftops – The Next Frontier For Native Planting; Lessons From Chicago

September 16, 8am • Chicago has long been a leader in the green roof movement, from glitzy amenity decks to native prairies 10 stories in the sky. Join Chicago-based Landscape Architect...
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Matthew Strange

Roundtable: Ask a Land Manager

September 16, 8:00 am • Ask this expert panel your questions about managing large and small landscapes, anything from prescribed burns, dealing with invasives, to the best seed mix combinations. This...
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Josh Cussimanio
Andy Carmack
Aimee Coy

Supporting Keystones- Providing Insect Sanctuary

September 16, 8:00 am • Dive into this fundamental session on providing sanctuary for insects of all types. Planting host plants is vital. Planting nectar plants is also vital. Once the...
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Paula Diaz

Funding Private Land Projects

September 16, 9:30 am • Finding the resources needed to fund native prairies, woodland restorations, stormwater solutions, or habitat restoration in private properties can be an overwhelming barrier. Learn what programs...
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Andy Carmack
Tim McCoy

Garden Maintenance for Wildlife: A New Way to Garden

September 16, 9:30am • How do you maximize plant and wildlife diversity in your yard and still have time to enjoy it? Learn about different landscape styles and the latest eye-popping...
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Scott Woodbury

Wisdom of the Wilds

September 16, 9:30 am • In this session, explore the use of wild edible and medicinal plants growing in the heartland. You will also learn about the deep connections between edible...
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Kelly Daniels

Challenging Lawn Order: Barriers, Bylaws and the Biophilic City

September 16, 11am • Many cities in North America are adopting and enacting policies that support and encourage native plant and wildlife diversity (biodiversity). In the face of climate change, ecological...
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Nina-Marie Lister

Field Trips

2022 Field Trips

O’Fallon Park Field Trip

Explore the historic O’Fallon Park: a municipal park in St. Louis, Missouri, that opened in 1908. This treasured park, for more than 100 years, has stood as a beacon to the neighborhoods it...
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Angie Weber
Aisha Muhammad

(SMSD) Native Prairie & Revitalized Entry Garden Field Trip

Tour this school district site in Overland Park containing three distinct ecological treasures on a relatively small footprint: a planted prairie, bioswales for stormwater filtration and run-off, and a large...
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Judd Remmers
Dr. Leigh Anne Neal

Urban Gardens Tour Field Trip

Tour three stunning and remarkable urban native gardens in the heart of Kansas City. Meet the homeowners who took on native landscapes with gusto, and created amazing native gardens teeming...
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Eric Tschanz
Kenn Boyle
Steve Oakes
Roberta Vogel-Leutung

Prairie Birthday Farm Field Trip

Tours of the Farm are an educational experience and include much more than a walk around the property.  There is a generous hour of visiting multiple production areas with detailed discussions...
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Linda F. Hezel

Habitat Architects Private Lands Field Trip

Visit an approximately 250-acre private land restoration that includes numerous habitat types in different stages of restoration.  Participants will get a firsthand look at what restoration efforts look like over time...
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Shannon Tyree