Audubon Society of Rhode Island
Transforming the Landscape
Audubon Symposium on Supporting Native Plants and Pollinators
Saturday, April 20, 2024; 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Rhode Island College, Donovan Dining Center
600 Mount Pleasant Ave, Providence RI
SMITHFIELD, RI (March 13, 2024) – Birds, bees, and other beneficial insects are in steep decline – and the health of their populations is inextricably linked to our own. Join Audubon for a spring symposium on Transforming the Landscapeand learn how to create a sustainable community and support our native species by creating beautiful pollinator habitat at home.
Gardens and landscapes that include native plants and avoid pesticides provide enormous benefits to native pollinators and the many species of birds that live or pass through Rhode Island. Every garden, yard, patch of landscaping, or patio planter can make a real difference to support populations of local wildlife.
Many landscape companies and homeowners use the “mow and blow” method of landscaping and unknowingly decimate overwintering insects and diminish soil integrity. Pesticides that flow from yards into our waterways not only kill the beneficial insects we need, but decrease essential habitat for birds, butterflies, bees, and aquatic wildlife. These harmful chemicals also pose a threat to our health and wellbeing.
Keynote Speaker Dr. Doug Tallamy, Professor and Chair of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware is well known for his lauded books on landscaping for wildlife. Tallamy will present an overview of his research and discuss the many ways that participants can restore biodiversity and support pollinators on their property. His books will be available for purchase at the event, and a book signing is scheduled.
Speak with local garden designers, community organizers, and Rhode Island’s scientific community to discover how your space can grow into a pollinator paradise. Leave with knowledge on where to find native plants, ways to communicate with your community about this vital issue, and how to get your garden on the map by joining Audubon’s Pollinator Alliance.
Join scientists and organizations in the environmental community to learn about the latest honeybee research out of the University of Rhode Island, the detrimental effects of neonicotinoid pesticides on wildlife and our waterways, and local efforts to establish a living seed bank for native plants.
Symposium Speakers:
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Doug Tallamy, Professor and Chair of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware.
Dr. Steven Alm, University of Rhode Island Professor of Entomology and URI Bee Lab
Lee Ann Freitas, Director, Roger Williams Park Botanical Center
Sally Johnson, of Ecoastal Design
Shannon Kingsley, Seed Collector/Botanist, Rhode Island Wild Plant Society
Jen West, Coastal Training Program Coordinator, Narragansett Bay Research Reserve
Phoenix Wheeler, Audubon Director of Advocacy
Other organizations represented at the event:
Stormwater Innovation Center, URI Master Gardener Program (free soil testing),
Rhode Island Wild Plant Society/ReSeeding RI, Barrington Pollinator Pathway
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit asri.org/PollinatorSymposium.
Ticket Price: $60/person; $30/student.
Coffee, snacks, and lunch included in admission fee.
Sponsor packages available starting at $500. For more information, please contact Audubon Director of Development Jen Cleland at jcleland@asri.org.
Photo: Bumblebee in the Audubon Palmieri Pollinator Garden by Casey Chan.