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DTSTART:20250601T000000Z
DTEND:20250601T000000Z
LOCATION:Kent Park Conservation Education Center
DESCRIPTION;ENCODING=BASE64:<p>Build conservation practices at home by adding native plants to your landscape. Learn from local experts through a new Native Plant Series. Johnson County Conservation will host four native plant sales and a speaker series in the spring and fall of 2025: May 4, June 1, Aug. 3, and Sept. 7.&nbsp; Each date will include a native plant sale. Our 2025 native plant vendor is Troutleaf Native Plants, based out of Johnson County. You do not need to register to attend the plant sale but registration is required for the native plant series.&nbsp;</p>
\n<p><em><strong>* Please note: You must register for each date of the Native Plant Series separately.&nbsp;</strong></em></p>
\n<h3><strong>Program Schedule:&nbsp;</strong></h3>
\n<ul>
\n    <li>9:00-9:40 am- Native Plant Sale w/Troutleaf Native Plants</li>
\n    <li>9:40-9:45 am- Welcome &amp; Introduction</li>
\n    <li>9:45-10:45 am- <em>Gardening w/Native Plants w/Troutleaf Native Plants</em></li>
\n    <li>10:45-11 am- Break/Shop Plant Sale</li>
\n    <li>11 am- noon-&nbsp; <em>Gardening for Pollinators w/Sarah Nizzi</em></li>
\n    <li>Noon- 1 pm- Program ends but plant sale continues until 1 pm</li>
\n</ul>
\n<h3><strong>Session Descriptions:&nbsp;</strong></h3>
\n<h4><strong>Gardening w/Native Plants w/Max Friton &amp; Dominic&nbsp;Balestrieri-Fox of Troutleaf Native Plants</strong></h4>
\nHow wet is wet? How dry is dry? How tall will it really get?
\nNursery descriptions can be vague, and trial and error can be costly. If you
\nhave struggled with choosing the right plant for the right place, or had a
\nplant fail that by all means should have worked, this talk is for you. Max and
\nDominic share their knowledge and experience with growing native plants and how
\nbest to research them before planting. They will also cover topics relating to
\nnative gardening such as local ecotype plants, pocket prairies, and home garden
\ndesign.
\n<p>&nbsp;</p>
\n<h4><strong>Gardening for Pollinators: How Small Spaces Can Make a Difference w/Sarah Nizzi</strong></h4>
\nSarah Nizzi of the Xerces Society will describe
\nhow individuals can make a difference in their communities for pollinators. We
\ncan all play a role in enhancing our spaces for the natural world and
\nourselves. The status and importance of pollinators will be discussed as well
\nas habitat installation. Site preparation strategies, plant materials, planting
\nand more will be presented,&nbsp;as well as available resources.&nbsp;&nbsp;
\n<h3><strong>Speaker Bios:&nbsp;</strong></h3>
\n<h4><strong>Max Friton &amp; Dominic&nbsp;Balestrieri-Fox:</strong></h4>
\n<p><strong>Dominic Balestrieri-Fox </strong>is a first-year master&rsquo;s student of
\nLandscape Architecture at Iowa State University and co-founder of Troutleaf
\nNative Plants. Like Max Friton, he has a lifelong love and encyclopedic
\nknowledge of Midwestern native plants from time spent in the woods, wetlands
\nand prairies of Eastern Iowa. He is particularly interested in helping people
\nto interact with, learn about, and care for their local ecological communities.
\nPrior to studying landscape architecture, Dominic received his BA in Political
\nScience from Northwestern University, where his studies included exploring the
\nintersections between human security and wildlife conservation.
\n</p>
\n<p>
\n<strong>Max Friton </strong>is co-founder, owner, and operator of Troutleaf
\nNative Plants. He has seven years of experience growing native plants and does
\nconservation work full-time as a land steward for Larkspur Ecological
\nRestoration. Max and Dominic saw an unmet need for native plants in the Iowa
\nCity area, so they decided to grow native plants and share their passion for
\nnatives with the community.
\n</p>
\n<p>&nbsp;</p>
\n<h4><strong>Sarah Nizzi:</strong></h4>
\n<p>Sarah
\nNizzi is originally from central Iowa and is a graduate from Drake University
\nwith a bachelor's of science in environmental science. Her specialities include
\nnatural resource management, native seed mix design, pollinator biology and
\necology, and education and outreach. Over the last six years Sarah has worked
\nwith the Xerces Society as a Pollinator Conservation Specialist and NRCS
\nPartner Biologist. Currently, Sarah covers all of Iowa, helping individuals
\ninterested in pollinator conservation, as well as supporting NRCS staff on
\nstate guidance and policy as it relates to pollinators, beneficial insects, and
\nnative habitats.</p>
\n<p>&nbsp;</p>
\n<h4><strong>Thanks to our partner organizations!</strong></h4>
\n<p>The plant sales and speaker series are being supported by the Johnson County Master Gardeners of Iowa and Troutleaf Native Plants. </p>
SUMMARY:My County Parks - Native Plant Series- Gardening w/Native Plants + Gardening for Pollinators
PRIORITY:3
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