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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>Native Shrubs for Backyard Biodiversity</em></li>
\n    <li>10:45-11 am- Break/Shop Plant Sale</li>
\n    <li>11 am- noon-&nbsp; <em>Fungi &amp; Plant Blindness</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>Using Native Shrubs to Boost Backyard Biodiversity w/Sarah Lawinger</strong></h4>
\nIn Spring 2025, Bur Oak Land Trust started an initiative to
\nincrease biodiversity in Iowa City. The Trust created the Backyard Biodiversity
\nProject, this year funded by a Climate Action grant from the City of Iowa City,
\nto provide local&nbsp;residents&nbsp;with a bundle of native shrubs for
\nhomeowners to plant in their yards at no cost. For decades, nonnative and
\nsometimes invasive shrub species have dominated urban landscaping and household
\ngardening. By returning native shrub species back to the urban landscape, we
\nhope to see positive changes for pollinators and climate resiliency in our
\narea. Attendees can expect to learn more about the benefits of planting native
\nshrubs in their yards.&nbsp;
\n<p>&nbsp;</p>
\n<h4><strong>Fungi &amp; Plant Blindness w/Sarah Delong-Duhon</strong></h4>
\nMost people walk through the world without truly seeing plants - their
\ndiversity, their functions, their essential role in life as we know it. This
\nphenomenon, called plant blindness, is even more extreme when applied to fungi.
\nDespite their crucial partnerships with over 90% of plant species and their
\nrole in shaping life on land, fungi remain largely unseen and unappreciated. In
\nthis talk, we&rsquo;ll uncover the hidden world of fungi and plants, exploring why
\nthey deserve our attention and how noticing them can change the way we see
\nnature.&nbsp;
\n<h3><strong>Speaker Bios:&nbsp;</strong></h3>
\n<h4><strong>Sarah Lawinger:</strong></h4>
\nSarah Lawinger is the Land Stewardship Director for Bur Oak
\nLand Trust, a local non-profit which protects and manages land in Eastern Iowa.
\nShe has been with the Trust for over five years, starting as a stewardship
\nfield crew member and putting in long days removing invasive plant species and
\nusing prescribed fire as a restoration tool. She enjoys sharing her passion for
\nand teaching others about native woody plants and spring ephemerals. Sarah
\nearned her Master of Natural Resources with a focus on Restoration Ecology from
\nthe University of Idaho and a bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing
\nfrom the University of Iowa.&nbsp;
\n<h4><strong>Sarah Delong-Duhon:</strong></h4>
\nSarah
\nDelong-Duhon is the president of the Prairie States Mushroom Club and a
\nUniversity of Iowa graduate. Through her research, she uncovered hidden
\ndiversity within the fungi genus Stereum, resurrecting previously
\noverlooked species. While she now works in clinical microbiology, Sarah is
\ndedicated to raising awareness about the natural world and the importance of
\npreserving it, using photography to showcase the beauty and complexity of fungi
\nand their ecosystems. &nbsp;
\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- Fungi and Plant Blindness + Using Native Shrubs to Boost Backyard Biodiversity
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