Celebrating Conservation with Doug Tallamy

Our parks, preserves, and remaining wildlands – no matter how grand in scale – are too small and separated from one another to sustain the native trees, plants, insects, and animals on which our ecosystems depend. We can fix this problem by practicing conservation outside of wildlands, where we live, work, shop, and farm. We are at a critical point where we are losing so many native plant and animal species that our natural life support is in jeopardy. However, if many people make small changes, we can restore healthy ecological networks and weather the changes ahead.

Doug Tallamy, the T. A. Baker Professor of Agriculture in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, is traveling the country promoting the Homegrown National Park concept to challenge all of us to rise to the occasion and create diverse ecosystems in our yards, communities, and surrounding lands by reducing lawn, planting natives, and removing invasives. Join us for the Houston stop of his tour, to hear his sobering, yet hopeful and encouraging, idea to retore 20 million acres – about half of the surface area currently cultivated as lawns nationally – with native plants, and engage with other like-minded, conservation-focused residents of the Bayou City to explore how we can support the movement locally.

Entry fee of $55 includes after-hours access to the Garden, refreshments, and networking opportunities. garden members receive a $10 discount.

Houston Botanic Garden offers free parking, and Doug’s lecture will be held in one of our climate-controlled environments, rain or shine. If you have specific questions, please email education@hbg.org.

SCHEDULE

3:00-5:00 pm – Presentations Celebrating Conservation and Panel Q&A

• GVE for the Monarchs – Claudia E. Arana, Garden Villas Elementary
• The Katy High School Tiger Prairie: Our Goals, Our Grants, Our Garden – Dr. Rhonda Burrough & Katy High School Students
• Galveston Bay Watershed: You are More Connected than You think – Kari Howard, Galveston Bay Estuary Program
• Communities Coming Together – Melissa Wong, Houston Zoo

5:00-5:45 p.m. – Happy Hour and Light Bites

6:00 p.m. – Keystone Presentation

• Homegrown National Park: Building Networks for Life! – Dr. Doug Tallamy

ABOUT THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Doug Tallamy has authored 112 research publications and has taught insect related courses for 42 years. 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. His books include Bringing Nature Home; The Living Landscape, co-authored with Rick Darke; Nature’s Best Hope, a New York Times Best Seller; and The Nature of Oaks, winner of the American Horticultural Society’s 2022 book award. In 2021, he cofounded Homegrown National Park with Michelle Alfandari. Doug has been recognized with awards from The Garden Writer’s Association, Audubon, The National Wildlife Federation, Allegheny College, Ecoforesters, The Garden Club of America, and The American Horticultural Association.