Carl & Audrey Lavin Speaker Series: Celebrating Native Plant Month

April 2nd
Exploring Plant-Pollinator Relationships: Presented by Dr. Jennifer Ison, College of Wooster
Spring starts with bees in the breeches! Get a preview of many of the superb forest wildflowers that will be on display during April, learn about local bumblebee biology, and dig into the pollination of Dutchman’s breeches specifically!
FREE/ TWC Member, $5/Nonmember Registration required.

April 11th
Watershed-wise Landscaping: Presented by Elaine Bast, Stark County Soil and Water Conservation District
Explore how modern-day infrastructure affects our waterways and how you can turn your yard into its own mini watershed to reduce stormwater runoff, improve water quality, reduce potential drainage issues, and invite pollinators.
FREE/ TWC Member, $5/Nonmember

April 16th
Native Plant Gardening Basics and Challenges: Presented by Sarah Cline, TWC Director of Education A native plant garden requires less time and energy to maintain than traditional landscaping, but there can be a learning curve as you adopt a new approach to managing your landscape.
Let’s go back to the basics and break down the different elements of the native gardening process, such as assessing and preparing your site, selecting plants, and best practices for maintenance. We’ll define some common native plant gardening terms and discuss some challenges to consider as you install and maintain a native garden bed. We’ll make sure to leave plenty of time for questions and resource sharing, too! This program will be offered in-person and virtually.
FREE/ TWC Member, $5/Nonmember Registration required.

April 25th
Ephemeral Excitement: The Spring Rush for Sunlight, Nectar, Pollen & Love: Presented by Judy Semroc
Conservation specialist, field biologist, and naturalist Judy Semroc has 25+ years of experience offering hands-on exploration-based learning programs. She is the founder of Chrysalis in Time, the first Ohio chapter of the North American Butterfly Association (NABA), and also serves on the board of the Ohio Bluebird Society & Ohio Ornithological Society (Conservation Committee). Judy has co-authored two natural history guides, “Dragonflies & Damselflies of Northeast Ohio” and “Goldenrods of Northeast Ohio: A Field Guide to Identification & Natural History”.This program is part of TWC’s Earth Day celebration and will be offered in-person and virtually.
FREE/ TWC Member, $5/Nonmember Registration required.

April 30th
Regenerative Healing and Native Medicinal Plants: Presented by Leah Wolfe
Take a walk with herbalist Leah Wolfe from the Trillium Center to learn about ethnobotany, folklore, and the medicinal uses of native plants, plus learn how herbalists consider regenerative techniques before choosing native or non-native plants.
FREE/ TWC Member, $5/Nonmember Registration required

May 9th
FREE - Native Plant Garden Installation Demonstration
Jump into some hands-on learning and help create a beautiful garden for TWC visitors to enjoy for years to come. Then stop by the native plant sale to pick up your pre-order or browse our remaining stock before heading home to craft your own native garden oasis!
We’re wrapping up our Native Plant Speaker Series with a garden planting demonstration in front of TWC’s Lakeview Shelter. Before we start planting, we’ll share the steps we took to prepare our garden site, our garden design criteria, the rationale behind the native plants we selected, and our plan for ongoing maintenance of the space.