The Van Buren Conservation District is excited to announce that we are once again hosting a virtual Backyard Symposium! The series is called “Building a Better Backyard: Bringing Your Yard to Life.” This is an online speaker series hosted on Zoom in which folks have been invited to talk about a host of topics that connect people with the wildlife and environment around us. Recordings will be edited and posted on our YouTube Channel www.youtube.com/c/VanBurenCD after the week of live presentations.
Each day (Monday through Friday) at 2:00 PM, one of our engaging speakers will cover a topic that will help you further transform your yard into a haven with the environment in mind. Topics include: native plant and nativar differences, the importance of bees, pest management, edible mushrooms, and permaculture.
The schedule is as follows:
- Monday, Feb. 14 | Abigale Bristol (Strike Team Coordinator, SWxSW Corner CISMA) | “Natives and Nativars: Exploring the Difference”
- Tuesday, Feb. 15 | Charlotte Hubbarb (KVCC Professor & President of the Kalamazoo Bee Club) | “BeeYond the Bees’ Knees”
- Wednesday, Feb. 16 | Chris Imler (Horticulture Educator, MSU Extension) | “Don’t Spray, Let The Insects Prey!”
- Thursday, Feb. 17 | Christopher Swinnson (Mycophile’s Garden) | “Introduction to the Mushrooms of Michigan”
- Friday, Feb. 18 | Garrett Heator (Trees and Teas Permaculture) | “Introduction to Permaculture”
So, mark your calendars and plan to join us – this series is for everyone and all skill levels! You can register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WkXSUTKWTemtV2DDWa2awQ. Even if you can’t attend, register for the event and we will email out the link to the recordings of the presentations once they’ve been posted to our YouTube Channel.
