Living Landscapes: A Native Garden Conference

For information about our 2017 Conference: Please visit:  

https://westcook.wildones.org/the-beautifully-natural-garden-conference-2017/

 


Living Landscape Conference

Doug Tallamy at the podium

What an inspiring, uplifting event the conference was! Over 300 attendees were alternately moved, awed, and amused by Dr Tallamy’s presentation, and then the workshops kept up the momentum and tone of Tallamy’s talk.   We also heard from people who are now continuing that momentum into their own yards and even into their larger communities.  We cannot articulate how much this means to us; it will continue to drive us forward.

Thank you to all of you for attending the event and for your own continued dedication to creating more native gardens that continue to support the biodiversity we all need in so many ways.  Please feel free to drop us a line about what you learned from the conference, and while we understand that we need to use a different system for the registration process if we host another conference, we’d welcome any other constructive feedback at [email protected].

If you missed the conference and want to learn more about what you missed, read Tallamy’s New York Times Op-Ed piece: The Chickadee’s Guide to Gardening.  He has a wonderful site too: BringingNatureHome.net.

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Doug signing copies of his books
Last session
Chris Benda talking about the rare and endangered plants of the Chicago region
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Behind-the-scenes crew for the conference and plant sale
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Katerina, Pam, Doug, and Stephanie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Doug Tallamy:

We were so excited to bring Doug Tallamy to the Oak Park/River Forest area.  His work has been a catalyst for change at the grass-roots level and has helped us form the principles that guide how we treat our landscapes and prepare the ground (literally!) for future generations.  He has taught us that without native plants, there is little biodiversity, which humans as a species need to survive.  As he puts it, “Biodiversity is not optional.” He is also an Honorary Director for the national Wild Ones.

Doug Tallamy received his BS in Biology from Allegheny College in 1973, his MS in Entomology from Rutgers University in 1976, his PhD in Entomology from the University of Maryland in 1980, and his post-doctoral training at the University of Iowa in 1981. He joined the faculty of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware in 1981 where he is now completing his 31st year.  Doug currently serves as Chair of the Department and is also director of the Center for Managed Ecosystems.

Over the years Doug’s research has focused on various questions in behavioral ecology including the evolution of insect parental care, sexual selection, and plant/insect interactions. Chief among his research goals is to better understand the many ways insects interact with plants and how such interactions determine the diversity of animal communities. He has authored 78 research articles and has taught Insect Taxonomy, Behavioral Ecology, and the Conservation of Tropical Biodiversity.

Doug Tallamy in action. Photo: Awaytogarden.com
Doug Tallamy in action. Photo: Awaytogarden.com

Doug’s book Bringing Nature Home; How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens was published by Timber Press in 2007 and was awarded the 2008 silver medal by the Garden Writer’s Association. Bringing Nature Home has stimulated a national discussion about the need to share our living and working spaces with the biodiversity that runs our ecosystems. To this end Doug gives 80-100 nation-wide talks per year describing the essential role that insects and the native plants that support them play in ecosystem function.

He and Rick Darke have recently co-authored a book entitled The Living Landscape which easily helps gardeners design for beauty and biodiversity.

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The conference is made possible by a generous grant from the Oak Park/River Forest Community Foundation.