Ecological horticulturist, Rebecca McMackin speaks at the Avalon Theatre on Sunday, Nov 9th, 2024
Adkins Arboretum is proud to announce the 2025 Naturally Better Landscaping Speaker Series, a free four-part series designed to help homeowners, HOA boards, land managers, and community members explore practical and inspiring ways to care for the land using native plants and ecology-based practices.
This series is part of the larger Naturally Better Landscaping, a multi-year education and outreach initiative developed initially in partnership with ShoreRivers, and now in an extended collaboration with Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, Pickering Creek Audubon Center, and Phillips Wharf Environmental Center. The project is generously funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust and Queen Anne’s County. This year’s speaker series expands on the success of earlier events, offering timely guidance from nationally recognized experts in the fields of horticulture, ecology, and design. Attendees will gain insight into how everyday landscaping choices impact pollinators, water quality, and climate resilience, and how to create landscapes that benefit both people and wildlife.
2025 Speaker Schedule:
Specialist Bees with Heather Holm Saturday, August 9, 1–3 p.m. Cadby Theatre, Chesapeake College, Wye Mills, MD. Register here. Discover the vital relationships between native plants and specialist bees, and how to support them on your property.
What Do You Mean I’m Not a Perennial?! Native Shrubs and Small Trees for Perennial Companionship with Bill Cullina Sunday, August 31, 2–3:30 p.m. Oxford Community Center, Oxford, MD. Register here. Learn how to enhance the beauty and structure of your garden using native woody plants that work in harmony with perennials.
Cultivating Change: A Native Landscaping Success Story Saturday, October 25, 2–3:30 p.m. Adkins Arboretum, Ridgely, MD. Register here. A panel of Cove Creek Club residents shares how their HOA shifted to native plantings, what worked, what didn’t, and what’s next.
Reimagining Our Landscapes: A Talk by Rebecca McMackin Sunday, November 9, 2–4 p.m. Avalon Theatre, Easton, MD. Register here. Ecological horticulturist Rebecca McMackin will explore how we can transform gardens and green spaces into thriving, resilient ecosystems that support biodiversity and respond to a changing climate.
All events are free and open to the public. To ensure adequate seating and materials, pre-registration is encouraged. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847. A 400-acre native garden and preserve, Adkins Arboretum provides exceptional experiences in nature to promote environmental stewardship.
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