2025 Annual Symposium

Homegrown National Park:
A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard

 

Featuring: Douglas W. Tallamy, William R. “Bill” Fontenot and Cheryl Geiger 
Date: Saturday, January 25, 2025
Time: 9:00am – 2:00pm
Location: EBRPL – Main Library, 7711 Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70806

CEU’s for Master Gardeners and Landscape Architects
Hospitality, Vendors, and Hilltop Gift Shop Book Sales

Join us for an inspiring afternoon with renowned ecologist, Douglas Tallamy, as he discusses the transformative “Homegrown National Park” movement, an aspirational project to repurpose half of America’s lawnscape for ecologically productive use. Our ecosystem cannot solely be sustained by national parks and forests. The intention is to unite fragments of land scattered across the country into a network of habitat, starting in our own backyards. 
Bill Fontenot and Cheryl Geiger will share their insights and experiences in planting native species and creating local ecological networks to help restore biodiversity and strengthen the surrounding environment. Learn practical tips on how you can locally contribute to this national challenge. Join this growing movement and be a model for positive change! 

 
Douglas W. Tallamy is the T. A. Baker Professor of Agriculture in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, where he has authored 112 research publications and has taught insect related courses for 44 years. Chief among his research goals is to better understand the many ways insects interact with plants and how such interactions determine the diversity of animal communities. His books include Bringing Nature Home, The Living Landscape, co-authored with Rick Darke, Nature's Best Hope, a New York Times Best Seller, and The Nature of Oaks, winner of the American Horticultural Society’s 2022 book award.  In 2021 he cofounded Homegrown National Park with Michelle Alfandari. His awards include recognition from The Garden Writer’s Association, Audubon, The National Wildlife Federation, Allegheny College, Ecoforesters, The Garden Club of America, The Herb Society, and The American Horticultural Association.

Photo: Rob Cardillo

“Homegrown National Park”
Our parks, preserves, and remaining wildlands – no matter how grand in scale – are too small and separated from one another to sustain the native trees, plants, insects, and animals on which our ecosystems depend. We can fix this problem by practicing conservation outside of wildlands, where we live, work, shop, farm, and ranch. Thus, the concept for Homegrown National Park: a national challenge to create diverse ecosystems in our yards, communities, farms, and surrounding lands by reducing lawn, planting native, and removing invasives. The goal of HNP is to create a national movement to restore 20 million acres with natives, an area representing ½ of what is now in lawn, as well as millions more acres in agriculture and woodlots. We are at a critical point where we are losing so many native plant and animal species that our life support systems are in jeopardy. However, if many people make small changes, we can restore healthy ecological networks and weather the changes ahead. 

William R. “Bill” Fontenot dedicated his career in biology to restoring the ecological integrity in lands, from the smallest urban gardens to the largest wildlife management areas. Since 1987 he has also operated his own wildlife management, “wildscape” design, and ecological consulting business, specializing in ecological assessment, biological inventory, land-use planning and management, and wildlife-friendly native plant-oriented landscape planning. As a professional naturalist, Fontenot has led thousands of guided tours, and has consulted and lectured at many institutions throughout the eastern U.S. He has volunteered his field biology skills for numerous agencies and groups including the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, Louisiana Ornithological Society, and Louisiana Native Plant Society. His book Native Gardening in the South (third edition), is a must have resource for your library, and will be available for sale.

“The Nuts and Bolts of Wildscaping on the Gulf Coast”
Fontenot will share his experience as a consultant in garden design, installation and maintenance exclusive to Louisiana. Fontenot will offer suggestions on his wildscape design process made easy, and attendees will be encouraged to submit questions to be addressed during his talk. Take the stress out  Wildscaping- it is something we can all achieve. 

Cheryl Geiger is a horticulturist, landscape designer, and owner of Secret Garden Landscapes based in New Orleans, Louisiana.  The ecological sciences guide her approach to gardening, with 20 years’ experience in horticulture and environmental conservation, including 10 years working in Louisiana.  She further promotes the mission of building ecologically functional landscapes through education and community outreach, serving as board member for the Native Plant Initiative of Greater New Orleans.  

“Choosing Native Plants: Using the Genius of Nature to Design a Landscape”
Geiger will share her background and personal philosophy using Louisiana native plant communities as inspiration. Learn how to design a successful garden, applying The Secret Garden Landscape Process, to overcome challenges and obstacles- from initial site visit to installation and beyond. Geiger will also share several of her tried and true favorite native plants. 

 

 

Registration Details

$85 - Hilltop Members
$95 - Non-Members
$50 - Students

On-Line Preregistration
is Closed.
Walk-Ins welcome.

 

Corporate Sponsorships

 

 Questions? Call 225-767-6916 or email: info@friendsofhilltop.org.