Forum Agenda 2024
Wednesday September 4, 2024
North Carolina Botanical Garden
100 Old Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
8:30 Check-in, coffee and continental breakfast
9:00 Welcome and opening remarks
9:10 Session 1: “The Natural World as Critical Infrastructure”
Tom Earnhardt, Conservationist/Attorney/Producer/Writer
9:50 Networking Break, Exhibits Open
10:20 Session 2: “Landscapes that Perform: Leveraging Ecosystem Services for Large-Scale Impact”
Emily McCoy, Principal, Design Works; Associate Professor of the Practice, NC State University
11:05 Session 3: “Use of Native Plants in Challenging Urban Spaces”
Ben Bergmann, Horticulturist, City of Durham
11:50 Questions (Speakers 1, 2, and 3)
12:05-1:30 Lunch and Tours of NC Botanical Gardens
1:30 Session 4: “Under the Radar: Herbaceous Planting in North Carolina's Urban Environments”
Preston Montague, Founder, Preston Montague Studio
2:15 Panel Discussion: “Keeping It Real! HOAs, Community, Stormwater, and Native Plants”
Carrboro Stormwater Collaborative:
Debbie Shoffner, Town of Carrboro
Simon Gregg, Kris Bass Engineering
Meg Molloy, Community Engagement Volunteer
3:10 Networking Break, Exhibits Open
3:20 Session 5: “Native Food Plants to Heal the Land”
Justin Robinson, Earthseed Collective, Extra Terrestrial Projects, Country Gentleman Cooks
4:05 Q&A and Discussion
4:15 Concluding remarks & closing call to action
Debbie Hamrick, Director, Specialty Crops, North Carolina Farm Bureau