25th Annual Land Ethics Symposium: Creative Approaches for Ecological Landscaping (General Admission)

Symposium Overview

Look forward to the 25th year of this not-to-be-missed symposium geared towards landscape architects, designers, contractors, land planners, municipal officials and homeowners. Learn how to create ecologically sound and economically viable landscapes through the use of native plants and sustainable practices. Continuing education credits will be available!

2025 Symposium Speakers

• David Hughes, RLA, Weatherwood Design:
  David Hughes is a Registered Landscape Architect and owner of Weatherwood Design LLC, a business specializing in native plant-based garden design and ecological/natural habitat conservation. For 35 years he’s designed and implemented practices that combine human needs with nature’s needs, helping both achieve a functioning and balanced state.
• Michael McGraw, Senior Wildlife Biologist, Princeton Hydro:
  Michael McGraw is a Senior Wildlife Biologist and Ecologist. Since 2002, Michael has performed an extensive variety of reptile, amphibian, and avifaunal surveys in the Eastern and Midwestern U.S. with a strong emphasis on endangered, threatened, and species of concern. He is currently managing and functioning as a lead biologist on a variety of projects, including wildlife surveys, ecological assessments, threatened and endangered species surveys, population biology research, wetland mitigation, sensitive habitat restoration, FAA-mandated wildlife hazard management plans for airports, land management and site master planning, and regenerative agriculture.
• Will Ryan, Ph.D., Director of Horticulture and Land Stewardship, Tyler Arboretum
  Will Ryan is a plant ecologist with over 25 years of experience in ecosystem research and management in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology (under the co-advisement of Doug Tallamy and Roger Latham) and an M.S. in Physical Geography with a focus on ecohydrology. His current role as Director of Horticulture and Land Stewardship at Tyler Arboretum, in Media, PA, involves the care of 100 acres of historic gardens and collections and 550 acres of biodiverse natural areas. In the preceding decade, he served as Senior Ecosystem Scientist at Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects in New York and Restoration Ecologist at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. His work has focused on landscapes ranging from globally rare grasslands of a few acres to complex landscapes of several thousand acres in the Blue Ridge of VA and Hudson Valley of NY. Among his facets of expertise are conducting baseline ecological conditions documentation, drafting land stewardship plans, and providing design and implementation oversight of ecological restoration projects. In his spare time, he enjoys being a father, biking, hiking, and botanical photography.
• Donald Pell, Horticulturist – Garden Designer, Donald Pell Gardens
  For over 30 years, Donald Pell has been reshaping landscapes throughout the Mid-Atlantic US by juxtaposing what we know with the unexpected, creating an endless wonder of visual possibility. An award-winning designer, horticulturist and lecturer, Don has gained prominence by inspiring clients to abandon the ordinary for adventurous, immersive landscapes. Don has taught at Longwood Gardens, and presented at the Delaware Botanical Gardens, to horticultural groups and at conservancy trusts throughout the US. His landscapes have won prestigious awards from the Perennial Plant Association, as well as Gold and Silver Awards for Design from the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD).
• Nancy Lawson, Founder, The Humane Gardener
  Nancy Lawson is the author of The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife and Wildscape: Trilling Chipmunks, Beckoning Blooms, Salty Butterflies, and other Sensory Wonders of Nature. A nature writer, habitat consultant, public speaker, and founder of The Humane Gardener, she pioneers creative wildlife-friendly landscaping methods. Certified as a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional and volunteer master naturalist, Nancy co-chairs Howard County Bee City in Maryland and co-launched a community science project, Monarch Rx, after discovering a little-known butterfly behavior in her own garden. Her habitat and books have been featured in Science Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Oprah magazine, Entomology Today, Ecological Entomology, American Gardener and on numerous radio shows and podcasts. Her most recent book, Wildscape, received an honorable mention in the American Horticultural Society’s national book awards and was a finalist for the 2024 AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books.

Learn more about this event

For more information, contact our Education Manager, Santino Lauricella, at education@bhwp.org or 215.862.2924 ext. 102.