Native Plant Lecture Series at Greenwich Botanical Center Kicks off with Talk by Dr. Donald Leopold

The Greenwich Botanical Center invites you to get curious and start your involvement by joining this kickoff event on Wednesday, March 3.

The Greenwich Botanical Center is excited to kick off its new virtual lecture series with an insightful discussion on native plants by Dr. Donald J. Leopold.

Dr. Leopold is a teaching professor and chair of the Department of Environmental and Forest Biology at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, as well as the esteemed author of Native Plants of the Northeast: A Guide for Gardening and Conservation. His work is renowned, as no other single volume on native plants has such comprehensive horticultural coverage.

It is an honor to host Dr. Leopold, but he is likewise honored to offer unique
insight and connect with our community, “events like those at the Greenwich Botanical Center often reach people who are very interested in learning about topics that perhaps they weren’t formally educated about. Such an audience is hungry for information. It’s always a pleasure to speak to such groups.”

No prior knowledge of native plants is necessary to attend. However, you may prepare to attend by picking up a copy of Native Plants of the Northeast: A Guide for Gardening and Conservation, now available
at the Greenwich Botanical Center Greenhouses and Boutique 130 Bible Street.

Dr. Leopold’s passion for native plants is sustained through an understanding that protecting native plants enables the biodiversity and health of our ecosystems. He advocates that our community members can enact conservation efforts and sustainable change in our local environments. Dr. Leopold asserts that it is as easy as starting in
your own backyard; “get involved with local opportunities to eradicate invasive species at parks and other public places, open up your garden spaces to visitors to share what you know, and continue asking questions and learning.”

The event is Wednesday, March 3 at 6:30pm. To register visit greenwichbotanicalcenter.org.

The lecture series is scheduled to continue as we move into spring. On March 18, the Greenwich Botanical Center will urge community members to think locally as Greenwich Native and local Audobon Land Steward Andy Chapin continues the conversation introduced by Dr. Leopold.

Andy Chapin will teach participants the additional value of native plants in satisfying their own aesthetic and sustainable gardening needs while maintaining desired boundaries with some of the environmental coinhabitants.

The Greenwich Botanical Center is dedicated to promoting horticulture,
conservation, and the arts through educational programs. The lecture series is sure to be insightful in prompting meaningful conversation and understanding of native habitats and furthermore, their importance to the health of our environment and community.