NATIVE PLANTS 32ND ANNUAL LAHR SYMPOSIUM U.S. NATIONAL ARBORETUM SATURDAY MARCH 24, 2018 32nd LAHR Biodiversity in Managed Landscapes
8:30 9:30 9:40 REGISTRATION AND PLANT SALE WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION DR. RICHARD OLSEN Director, U.S. National Arboretum RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT OF URBAN FORESTS: MEASURING SUCCESS Cities turn to ecological restoration of urban forests to improve air quality, ameliorate urban heat island effects, improve storm water infiltration, and provide other social and ecological benefits. New York City embarked on the ecological restoration of forest remnants JOAN FEELY Curator, Fern Valley Native Plant Collection, U.S. National Arboretum in urban parks in the 1980s, focusing on natural areas invaded by woody non-native plants. LEA JOHNSON will examine the long-term effects of these efforts on forest structure and composition, invasive species abundance, and native tree recruitment. Schedule 10:45 REFRESHMENT BREAK 11:00 POLLINATOR INTERACTIONS WITH NATIVE CULTIVARS A growing demand for landscape-worthy native plants has fueled an increase in the selection, breeding, and availability of native cultivars. Meanwhile, widespread initiatives to enhance foraging and nesting opportunities for bees and other insects usually recommend native plants. But are the cultivars as valuable in pollinator habitat gardens as the unimproved species? ANNIE WHITE will explore this question, sharing four years of field data measuring pollinator preference for many commonly used natives and corresponding cultivars. 12:00-1:15 LUNCH AND PLANT SALE 1:15-2:15 CONCURRENT SESSIONS (NEXT PAGE) 2:20 THE NATIONAL GARDEN: 10 YEARS AND COUNTING Since 2006, BILL MCLAUGHLIN has overseen the creation and development of the U.S. Botanic Garden s superlative Regional Garden that features native plants from America s mid-atlantic states. A meticulous approach to site preparation and plant selection was part of the recipe for this garden s success, uniqueness, and appeal. Now entering its second decade, the Regional Garden finds itself within a larger context of North American species throughout the USBG s campus. Learn from Bill how native American plants reinforce concepts of diversity, ecology, and sense of place while inspiring with their beauty. 3:30 ADJOURN
CONCURRENT SESSIONS TAKE PLACE SIMULTANEOUSLY FROM 1:15-2:15 PM. A B C ECO-INSPIRED LANDSCAPE DESIGN FOR URBAN AND RURAL SPACES JOHN MAGEE is well-known for successfully blending impressive hardscapes with vibrant, native plant based gardens. He will share his approach to creating ecologically diverse landscapes in northern Virginia and the DC area, using his award-winning photography to INVASIVE DOPPELGANGERS AND VEGETATION CHANGE IN DC-AREA NATIONAL PARKS Non-native, exotic species are a major threat to natural ecosystems in the Mid-Atlantic region, and we invest considerable time and effort in managing them. A key step in controlling exotic species is correctly identifying pests and distinguishing them from native species that may look similar. A BIRD S EYE VIEW OF BIODIVERSITY HOT SPOTS IN THE DISTRICT Despite its relatively small geographic footprint, Washington, DC is a key illustrate designs from start to finish. He will also share a few of the insights he has gained through the many conversations he has had with top designers and horticulture experts while co-hosting the Native Plant Podcast. LIZ MATTHEWS will discuss some of the most problematic exotic plant species in the Mid-Atlantic region, provide tips for correctly identifying them, and briefly describe one of the National Park Service programs for tracking vegetation change in natural areas. migratory route and breeding location for nearly 250 bird species. It is a growing city where both humans and wildlife enjoy a wealth of parks and natural spaces interspersed within its dense urban environment. Wildlife biologist DAN RAUCH will share his observations of birds and discuss research that reveals the importance of places like the National Arboretum to healthy wildlife populations and the unique challenges and opportunities driven by this city s blend of natural and urban landscapes. Concurrent Sessions
LEA JOHNSON is an ecologist and associate professor at the University of Maryland, Department of Plant Science & Landscape Architecture. She applies basic research in plant ecology to land management and design. She collaborates with land managers to understand the ecology of environments changed by people, and to advance the role of science in successful interventions to improve ecosystem health in an urbanizing world. Her interest in the long-term effects of ecological restoration led her to the subject of her dissertation at Rutgers University. JOHN MAGEE has been designing and building landscapes in the Washington, DC metro area and beyond for the past 25 years, creating artistic landscapes that also provide habitat for wildlife. He owns and operates Magee Design based in Middleburg, VA, and co-hosts the popular Native Plant Podcast. He is on the Board of Directors of the Piedmont Environmental Council and is widely recognized as one of the DC area s most experienced landscape designers in the use of native plants. With a horticulture degree from Ohio State, John merges the science of horticulture with the art of implementing naturalistic landscapes. WILLIAM MCLAUGHLIN is the Curator of Plants at the U.S. Botanic Garden, where he has spent his 30-year career as a horticulturist. He is an avid plantsman who travels extensively visiting wild native plant habitats in America and abroad. In the early 1990 s, Bill began to build the collection of unusual Southeastern native plant species that would become the heart of the USBG s National Garden. Now as Curator of Plants, he oversees the entirety of the Botanic Garden s plant-based content, and supervises the continued development of the three-acre National Garden, that is beginning its second decade of delighting visitors with American native plants. DAN RAUCH is a fisheries and wildlife biologist at Washington, DC s Department of Energy and Environment. For the past 8 years, Dan has been taking inventory and monitoring the birds of DC to determine which habitats are linked with their biodiversity. His bird research also investigates climate change impacts, urban land use and adaptation, and the success of habitat restoration and conservation projects in the District. Speakers ELIZABETH MATTHEWS is a botanist for the Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program of the National Park Service s National Capital Region Network. She leads the I&M s long-term vegetation monitoring initiative, which tracks forest vegetation at more than 425 monitoring sites distributed among eleven National Parks in and around DC. Her research interests include the impacts of land management on forest structure and composition, vine ecology, and vegetation classification. Prior to her work here, Liz studied vegetation dynamics in California and in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, where she earned a Ph.D. in Plant Ecology from the University of North Carolina. ANNIE S. WHITE is an ecological landscape designer and the owner of Nectar Landscape Design Studio in Burlington, Vermont. She is also a lecturer of landscape design at the University of Vermont. Annie earned an M.S. in Landscape Architecture from the University of Wisconsin and a Ph.D. in Plant and Soil Science from the University of Vermont. She is passionate about designing cutting-edge, science-based, and pollinator-friendly habitats at all scales, from urban backyards to rural agricultural landscapes.
Native Plants: Biodiversity in Managed Landscapes Registration: $95 Registration for FONA* members: $76 To register, click here. Choose 1 concurrent session among the 3 listed. Please note that this year we are using an external online registration which will add a small fee to the registration. We are not able to accept checks at this time. Sorry, no refunds will be given for cancellations received after March 16, 2018. For more information, please call 202 245 5898. 2018 Lahr Symposium attendees can earn 4 CEU s supported by the American Society of Landscape Architecture. Registration includes all sessions, morning coffee, and box lunch. Choose from 2 lunch offerings: Vegetarian or Omnivorous. NATIVE PLANT SALE 8:30 2:00 pm Located adjacent to the Administration Building. FONA s* Native Plant Sale proceeds support the Fern Valley Native Plant Collection. Many vendors accept cash and checks only. *FONA: Friends of the National Arboretum Saturday, March 24, 2018 U.S. National Arboretum 3501 New York Ave. NE Washington, DC 20002 DRIVING DIRECTIONS The National Arboretum is easily accessible from Routes 295, 495, and 50. For complete driving directions from all surrounding areas, please see www.usna.usda.gov There are two gates: one on New York Avenue (Route 50 East) and one at 24th and R Street NE, off of Bladensburg Rd. We strongly recommend using the R Street gate. For GPS, enter 2400 R Street NE. PUBLIC TRANSPORT The closest Metrorail stop is Stadium Armory Station on the Blue and Orange lines. Transfer to the B2 Metrobus; disembark the bus on Bladensburg Road at Rand Street, just past the Arboretum sign on the right. Walk back to the sign at R Street and walk down R Street 3 blocks to the Arboretum entrance. PARKING Free parking can be found just inside the R Street gate, adjacent to the Administration Building. When this lot fills, look for signs to direct you to additional parking. Information & Registration