OMAHA, Neb. – Cultivating drought-resilient landscapes is the theme of the Heartland Native Plant Summit, coming to Omaha’s Lauritzen Gardens on Oct. 5 and 6.
The conference, the first of its kind in the region, is aimed at professionals engaged in in the development, design, installation and maintenance of landscapes, parks and green infrastructure. Through stimulating presentations, networking opportunities and tours of local demonstration sites, participants will explore innovative ways native plants can be used to craft landscapes that are beautiful, sustainable and naturally resilient to drought.
The first day of the summit will open with expert overviews of climatology, native plant ecology and green infrastructure initiatives followed by sessions on native plant horticulture, design and emerging landscape applications.
Presenters will include Heather Byers, owner and founder of Great Plains Nursery in Weston, Nebraska; Kelly Norris, director of horticulture at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden; and Lisa Treese, senior landscape architect with the Kansas City Water Services.
Attendees will have opportunities for networking and to explore Lauritzen Gardens, a 100-acre botanical garden located in the riverfront hills near downtown Omaha. The first day will conclude with dinner and a keynote address by renowned Great Plains conservation photographer Michael Forsberg.
Day two will open with panel discussions followed by a “where-do-we-go-from-here?” synthesis session concluding at noon, after which attendees can tour local sites that demonstrate practices highlighted during the summit.
The summit is being convened by a public-private partnership among Lauritzen Gardens; the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; and the Center for Urban Sustainability of the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
For more information and to register for the Heartland Native Plant Summit, visit here. Students can register for $75, half the standard registration fee of $150 per person.
For additional information, contact Jim Locklear at (402) 346-4002, ext. 207 or j.locklear@omahabotanicalgardens.org.
Lauritzen Gardens is a 100-acre botanical garden, comprised of several outdoor garden areas, that creates a living museum of unique four-season plant displays, maintained to the highest standards consistent with environmental stewardship.
It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the café serves lunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission to Lauritzen Gardens is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages six to 12, and free for members and children younger than six years old.
Lauritzen Gardens is at the riverfront hills at First and Bancroft Streets in Omaha and is close to the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium and the Old Market. For more information, visit Lauritzen Gardens or call (402) 346-4002.
-- James H. Locklear, director of conservation, Lauritzen Gardens at Omaha's Botanical Center
More details at: http://www.lauritzengardens.org