Throughout the history of Pennsylvania and the region, big trees have played a major role in our ecology, economy and social lives. The Pennsylvania Big Tree Register of the state’s Champion Tree Program is a catalog of over 2,000 of the state’s largest trees. In this talk, Aaron Greenberg will use examples from the Big Tree Register to show “who” the big trees of today are. Find out which species have reached truly massive proportions and where they can be found, from the urban forests of Southeastern PA to remnant old-growth forests preserved in the western part of the state. We will also discuss why big trees are important, the environmental, social and economic benefits of retaining big trees, and how these benefits compare to new plantings.

Aaron Greenberg is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist and an enthusiastic planter and steward of trees. He is the Arboretum Manager for Laurel Hill, a pair of historic Philadelphia-area cemeteries that combine to form a single 265-acre Arboretum with over 6,000 specimens. Greenberg also serves as the State Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Champion Tree program, a Pennsylvania Forestry Association program that catalogs and verifies the largest trees of each species in PA.

Program Fee: $15 (Members, enter your code at checkout to receive your 20% discount.)

All lectures will be held virtually using Zoom. They will be recorded and shared with everyone who registers for a short time.

What are the best plants to attract butterflies to your garden? Can you have a butterfly garden if you have shade? What other conditions do butterflies need to thrive? Learn the secrets to a successful butterfly garden.

Mary Anne Borge is a naturalist, photographer, author and educator. She is the editor of Butterfly Gardener Magazine, a naturalist and instructor at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve and a Pennsylvania master naturalist. She is the team leader for Lambertville Goes Wild, a volunteer organization that successfully led Lambertville to certification as a community wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. On her blog, Mary Anne writes about and illustrates with her photography the importance of native plants to all life.

Program Fee: $15 (Members, enter your code at checkout to receive your 20% discount.)

All lectures will be held virtually using Zoom. They will be recorded and shared with everyone who registers for a short time.

Over the past few years, organizations have re-examined what diversity, equity and inclusion mean. However, thoughts, values and considerations around accessibility have not been included in these conversations. For a person with a disability—be it hidden, visible, temporary, permanent or sporadic—accessing the outdoors can feel frustrating and exclusionary. Join Katie Samson, accessibility and inclusion educator and speaker, as she discusses her experience as a wheelchair user in nature. Learn how people can become better allies to support an equal and just environment for everyone.

Katie Samson is an educator, disability self-advocate and storyteller who actively engages in Philadelphia arts and culture. She is the director of education at Art-Reach, a non-profit organization that advocates for and expands accessible opportunities in the arts so the full spectrum of society is served. For 20 years, Samson was the spokesperson for KSF, a grassroots foundation created to support research studies and quality of life for people with spinal cord injury. She serves on the advisory board of Thomas Jefferson University, Department of Occupational Therapy, the board of directors for World CAFÉ Live and Team Sunshine Performance.

Program Fee: $15 (Members, enter your code at checkout to receive your 20% discount.)

All lectures will be held virtually using Zoom. They will be recorded and shared with everyone who registers for a short time.

During this lecture, Sandy will highlight two of six major restoration projects completed by The Land Conservancy. The presentation will focus on Yards Creek Preserve in Blairstown, New Jersey, and also the Nancy Conger West Brook Preserve in West Milford Township. The Conservancy received the Land Ethics award for the West Milford project, in large part, because that project led to the emergence of an unusual state-endangered plant known as Hottonia inflata (or American Featherfoil). This was the first report of Hottonia inflata in Passaic County NJ and one of only five reports of the plant, statewide.

Sandy Urgo, Vice President of Land Preservation and Stewardship, joined The Land Conservancy of New Jersey in December 2003 after spending the previous two decades pursuing her interests in open space preservation and sustainable land use in Northern New Jersey. Sandy oversees all components of our land preservation program, manages our Land Preservation Team, and is the primary liaison with many funders. She is The Land Conservancy’s lead negotiator for the acquisition of land for open space, farmland preservation, conservation and recreation purposes. She also leads our Stewardship Team, developing concepts and funding for our land and water restoration projects and oversees each restoration. Sandy served on the Roxbury Township Council between 1998 and 2005 and served as Roxbury’s Mayor in 2000 and 2001. She was a charter member and Chair of the Township’s Open Space Committee from 1994 through 2001 and served 8 years on the Township’s Planning Board. Sandy was honored to be the first to receive the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award for Land Conservation in 2018.

Program Fee: $15 (Members, enter your code at checkout to receive your 20% discount.)

All lectures will be held virtually using Zoom. They will be recorded and shared with everyone who registers for a short time.

Pollution events highlight concerns about how chemicals interact with our bodies, environments and social systems. Pennsylvania has had its fair share of environmental pollution affairs, and recent episodes—like that of the train derailment in East Palestine, OH, on the Pennsylvania border—continue to raise public awareness and concerns. Learn about environmental poisons, how to study them, prevent pollution and assess risks in your own environment through the story of Pennsylvania history.

Kimberly Garrett, Ph.D., is an environmental toxicologist and a postdoctoral fellow at Northeastern University in the interdisciplinary PFAS Project Lab. She earned a B.S. in environmental science from Allegheny College, and both a Master’s of Public Health and a Ph.D. in environmental and occupational health at the University of Pittsburgh. Her work examines connections between chemical contaminants, communities and social structures.

Program Fee: $15 (Members, enter your code at checkout to receive your 20% discount.)

All lectures will be held virtually using Zoom. They will be recorded and shared with everyone who registers for a short time.

As we incorporate more native plants into our landscapes, there are so many good reasons to use plants propagated from seeds. But wild plants have evolved a dizzying array of mechanisms, including chemical-induced dormancy and mandatory cold stratification, to ensure that their seeds disperse, persevere, and germinate at just the right time under natural conditions. These mechanisms are not in place to frustrate would-be plant propagators but must be understood to successfully grow native plants from seed. A far-reaching discussion of the issues surrounding seed collection, procurement, and propagation, with information that will encourage the novice and challenge the professional alike.

Dr. Randi Eckel has been working with native plants for over 35 years. She founded the mail-order native plant nursery Toadshade Wildflower Farm in 1996 to further public awareness and availability of native plants. A life-long naturalist, lover of nature, entomologist, and confirmed plant and ecology nerd, Randi specializes in the interactions between plants and other living things. She is known for her lively and engaging lectures and workshops on growing and propagating native plants, and offers interesting, nuanced information on the complex issues facing native plants and native plant communities. She is the past president (and is currently serving as the vice president) of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey.

Program Fee: $15 (Members, enter your code at checkout to receive your 20% discount.)

All lectures will be held virtually using Zoom. They will be recorded and shared with everyone who registers for a short time.

On April 22’s Earth Day, an amazing one billion people in 190 countries will pause to commemorate the planet– planting trees, cleaning shorelines, engaging in teach-ins and sit-ins– making it the world’s largest non religious holiday. As a historian of Earth Day, Mike Weilbacher’s visually engaging lecture explores the rich and surprising history of the event, with a special focus on Philadelphia’s 1970 week of programming that garnered national attention. From the 1970’s past-event passage of a huge raft of legislation, to the birth of curbside recycling in 1990, to today’s global incarnation, Mike looks at the day’s accomplishments– and peeks into his crystal ball to predict its future.

Writer-naturalist Mike Weilbacher is an environmental educator with 40 years of experience teaching through lectures, walks, newspaper essays, theatrical performances and radio. His first book, Wild Philly, features 29 nature walks in the region, plus tons of additional information about nature and the environment. His article on horseshoe crabs and migrating shorebirds along the Delaware Bay has been recently published in Philadelphia Magazine.

Weilbacher travels the area offering lectures, walks and other programs on nature and the environment, talking about issues like climate change and protecting monarch butterflies. He’s presented many times at Preserve. A former nonprofit executive director, he’s known to public radio listeners as “Mike the All-Natural Science Guy” on the award-winning children’s radio show “Kid’s Corner” on WXPN, where he has been talking to children about nature and the environment for more than 35 years. Check out his website mikeweilbacher.com for more information.

Program Fee: $15 (Members, enter your code at checkout to receive your 20% discount.)

All lectures will be held virtually using Zoom. They will be recorded and shared with everyone who registers for a short time.

Frequently, conservationists and others have led us to treasure older forests more than other ecosystems. Open-field habitats and young forests, however, hold significantly more biodiversity than closed-canopy forests. Those younger forests are often undervalued and less protected. Dr. Dan Duran will sketch some of the differences in these habitats, give us an overview of the conservation issues, and discuss ways that listeners can get involved in helping to create and maintain early successional forest and edge habitats.

Dr. Daniel P. Duran is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Science at Rowan University as well as the Naturalist for Scotland Run Park, a 1300-acre nature preserve at the edge of the New Jersey Pine Barrens.  He has published research papers on agricultural entomology, biodiversity, molecular phylogenetics and climate change.  Dr. Duran has described 17 new species of insects and plants, previously unknown to science.  He received a B.S. in Environmental Studies from Stockton University in 1998, an M.S. in Entomology from University of Missouri in 2002, and a Ph.D. in Evolution and Ecology from Vanderbilt University in 2010.  In between his degrees, he has also worked for the Natural History Museum, London, UK and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama.  Dr. Duran is a co-author of the book “A Field Guide to the Tiger Beetles of the United States and Canada, 2nd Edition”.

Program Fee: $15 (Members, enter your code at checkout to receive your 20% discount.)

All lectures will be held virtually using Zoom. They will be recorded and shared with everyone who registers for a short time.

This lecture explores the journey of traditional plant-based healing into modern medicine. Indigenous communities have long used medicinal plants for holistic wellness. Science has harnessed the power of these plants and traditional knowledge to shape our modern pharmaceuticals. We will discuss the balance between natural remedies and lab-synthesized medicine. See how heritage and wellness come together at Petra Aroma in plant-based healing.

Dr. Daniella I. Olan is a pharmacist, herbalist, and entrepreneur dedicated to bridging ancestral plant medicine and modern science. With a background in pharmaceutical research and development, she founded Petra Aroma, a wellness brand inspired by Puerto Rico’s rich herbal traditions. Dr. Olan’s work explores the intersection of traditional healing, sustainability, and scientific innovation, empowering communities to reconnect with plant-based wellness.

She has trained with renowned herbalists and indigenous healers across the Caribbean and Latin America, integrating holistic and evidence-based practices into her work. Through lectures, workshops, and product development, she champions cultural preservation and sustainable wellness.

Program Fee: $15 (Members, enter your code at checkout to receive your 20% discount.)

All lectures will be held virtually using Zoom. They will be recorded and shared with everyone who registers for a short time.