Field and Forest: Observation, Analysis, and Action (6 hrs)
Ted Elliman, Uli Lorimer, Mark Richardson, & Larry Weaner
Walk 1 will visit and analyze several woodland habitats where we will discuss how their varied environmental conditions and disturbance histories have affected their current vegetative composition. These will include a rocky, upland forest where Oaks comprise most of the canopy; while witch hazel, Canada mayflower, Pennsylvania sedge, mountain laurel, and a host of native herbs dominate the understory. Little to no invasive species are present here. We’ll also visit an adjacent lowland forest where invasive species abound, but with occasional novel species like rattlesnake plantain and large whorled pogonia. We’ll wrap up the walk by visiting a beaver pond where a living forest has been replaced with a sunny wetland community.
Walk 2 will contain visits to multiple meadows with varying compositions and histories. We will start at an establishing native meadow that was planted in 2021. Here we’ll find warm season grasses and short-lived species like black-eyed Susan and partridge pea. Directly adjacent is an older meadow dominated by cool season pasture grasses and many of the broadleaf forbes that commonly associate with them. The walk will continue past a wet meadow managed by periodic mowing, with a large population of native forbs and shrubs. Finally, we’ll visit a vernal pool overrun by various invasive species. The overarching goal for Walks 1 and 2 is learning to recognize the conditions that determine the absence or abundance of native or exotic species; and use that understanding to more effectively enhance the landscapes we plant and manage.
Date & Time: Friday, September 29th, 2023, 9 AM - 4:30 PM ET*
This is Day 2 of 2 days that will be held at NEBG at Tower Hill. Day 1 is classroom instruction and Day 2 is field walks. Register individually by day.
Location: New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill
11 French Dr, Boylston, MA 01505
Fee: $285
Event Category: Professional
CEUs: APLD (6), LA CES (6), ISA (Certified Arborist 3, BCMA Management 3), MCH (1), MLP, NOFA (4)
See here for details & instructions.
*Time listed above includes instructional time & breaks. There will be 6 session hours.
Light breakfast, lunch, and drinks are included in the registration fee.
Check-in & breakfast begin at 8:30 AM ET.
This session will be held mostly outdoors.
COSPONSORED & HOSTED BY
We want to thank our Institutional Ally:
Ted Elliman is one of the most respected botanists in New England. He worked for 12 years as a botanist for Native Plant Trust (formerly the New England Wild Flower Society), where he continues to teach botany and ecology classes. Previously, he worked as a contract ecologist for the National Park Service and other federal and state environmental agencies. He is the author of Wildflowers of New England (Timber Press, 2016), and with Lauren Brown co-author of Grasses, Sedges, Rushes: An Identification Guide (Yale University Press, 2020). Now semi-retired, he continues to teach botany and ecology classes for Native Plant Trust and other conservation organizations and botanical gardens in New England.
UIi Lorimer is the Director of Horticulture for Native Plant Trust. He oversees the facilities and operations at Garden in the Woods and at Nasami Farm. Uli brings 20 years of experience working with native plants in public gardens with previous positions at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Wave Hill Garden, and the US National Arboretum. He is a tireless advocate for the use of native plants in designed spaces through his public speaking, writing, lectures, and media appearances. Uli is the author of The Northeast Native Plant Primer: 235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden (Timber Press, 2022). Uli feels most grounded with his hands in the soil.
Mark Richardson is Director of Horticulture for New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill in Boylston, MA. He leads a team of horticulture staff and oversees a living plant collection that spans 16 distinct garden spaces, two conservatories, and over 100 acres of surrounding woodlands and wetlands. Thanks to his leadership, New England Botanic Garden became the first botanic garden in the nation to earn Green Zone certification from the American Green Zone Alliance. Previously, Mark served as Botanic Garden Director for Native Plant Trust, where he oversaw Garden in the Woods and Nasami Farm native plant nursery. He is co-author of Native Plants for New England Gardens (Globe Pequot, 2018).
Larry Weaner, FAPLD, founded Larry Weaner Landscape Associates in 1982 and established NDAL in 1990. He is nationally recognized for combining expertise in horticulture, landscape design, and ecological restoration. His design and restoration work spans more than twenty U.S. states and the U.K., and has been profiled in numerous national publications. His book Garden Revolution: How Our Landscapes Can Be a Source of Environmental Change (Timber Press, 2016) received an American Horticultural Society "Book Award" in 2017, and in 2021 he received American Horticultural Society’s Landscape "Design Award" and the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) "Award of Distinction."
Photo by Kim Sokoloff
