Two Thirds for the Birds

World Biodiversity Forum
2022-06-26 08:00 - 2022-07-01 17:00 UTC
Under the theme Inspiration for Action, the second World Biodiversity Forum will bring together researchers across all disciplines of biodiversity science with practitioners and societal actors in a forum that offers inspiration and examples for actions and solutions to conserve biodiversity, and set us on a path towards transformation for sustainability.

World Biodiversity Forum 2022 is organized as a hybrid event, with the in-person meeting taking place at Davos Congress Centre, Switzerland.

Ecological Landscape Alliance Eco-tour: Gardening for Insects: Native Pollinator Garden
2022-06-18 08:00 - 17:00
The Ecological Landscape Alliance invites you to tour the private gardens of landscape designer and pollinator expert, Thomas Berger.

When choosing plants to support insects in our gardens, we want to make the most of our limited space. Which plants nourish the most species? And which kinds of insects need our support most urgently?

Thomas Berger has been designing landscapes for insects for more than twenty years in his own gardens and client gardens. Thomas pays particular attention to providing for two groups of insects:

The caterpillars of butterflies and moths (lepidoptera), which are an important part of the wildlife food chain.The pollinators, especially native bees that fulfill the essential function of pollinating not only our food crops but also native plants and thus contribute to their survival.Our goal for any garden should be to provide habitat for the largest possible number of insect species. Thomas Berger’s gardens demonstrate effective habitat that provide joy and beauty for humans as well.

Join us for a unique opportunity to explore the private gardens of an inspiring insect specialist, landscape designer, and passionate nature photographer.

Native Plant Trust Author Book Talk: The Northeast Native Plant Primer: 235 Plants for an Earth-friendly Garden
2022-06-10 13:00 - 17:00
Join Uli Lorimer, Director of Horticulture at Native Plant Trust, for the debut of his new book from Timber Press, The Northeast Native Plant Primer, 235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden. It provides a roadmap on how and why to include native plants in your garden and what plants to choose, whether you are new to gardening or a seasoned professional. For those of us who care about the natural world, the decision to plant natives in the garden is one of the most impactful and important choices we can make.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden Spring Gala "For the Birds" with Randall Poster, Edwina von Gal and Special Guests
2022-06-07 17:30 - 22:30 | Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, New York, 11225, United States
Celebrating the opening of For the Birds, a special exhibition on the wonders of birds and their habitats

Honorary ChairRandall PosterFor the Birds Creative Producer

Gala ChairsCourtney and Ian BroadwaterKeisha and Troy DixonAdam and Sylvana DurrettMimi and Whitten Morris

Guest HostsUlla JohnsonEdwina von Gal

Special Performance byVince Giordano and the Nighthawks

Strolling CocktailsDinner on Cherry Esplanade

Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s 2022 Spring Gala celebrates the opening of For the Birds, a multidisciplinary exhibition and program series that showcases birdhouses by artists of international renown devised to bring attention to the conservation and protection of birds and their habitats.

“For the Birds: The Birdsong Project” is a singular, prodigious undertaking by our honorary gala chair, Randall Poster. During the most isolating times of COVID-19, Poster, like many, sought out nature as a respite. The wonder of birds inspired him to gather friends and colleagues to celebrate and protect birds and their habitats. Spring 2022 will see the release of “The Birdsong Project,” a 20-album set of recordings celebrating birds by 200-plus contributors, including musicians, poets, visual artists, historians, and actors.

For the Birds at Brooklyn Botanic Garden includes an installation of artist-made birdhouses, beautiful signs and interpretation, education programs for children and adults, and a series of public events. By visiting, participating in programs, and observing the birds all around them in the Garden, visitors will broaden their understanding of conservation action for birds and green spaces. For the Birds will underscore that the existence of all birdlife rests on the preservation of plants and ecosystems.

Tickets range from $500 to $2,500; tables for ten start at $10,000. Proceeds from the Spring Gala provide essential support for the Garden—sustaining collections, programs, and the well-being of our community and staff.

The evening’s menu will be designed and prepared by Patina Restaurant Group. Each course will feature fresh ingredients that were sustainably grown and harvested.

Festive botanical attire encouraged. Tickets held at the door. Complimentary parking provided for cocktails and dinner guests.

For more information, contact Brooklyn Botanic Garden at development@bbg.org.

Earth Equity and Design for Freedom Landscapes Forum at Grace Farms
2022-05-26 09:00 - 16:00 | Grace Farms, 365 Lukes Wood Road, New Canaan, Connecticut, 06840, United States
Join Grace Farms Foundation, Edwina von Gal, an East Hampton-based landscape designer and founder of the Perfect Earth Project, and the Connecticut Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects for a convening to renew commitments to human rights and sustainable ecosystems in landscape design and land care.

This full-day event will feature panels, tours, walks, lunch and breakout discussions with tools for establishing a new paradigm to create biodiversity-positive, nature-based solutions in our landscapes, installed with sustainable materials free of forced labor and child labor.

New York Botanical Garden Webinar with Edwina von Gal and Sean Barrett Sea to Soil: Using Kelp as a Soil Amendment
2022-05-24 18:00 - 19:30
This lecture will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions.Native to the East Coast, sugar kelp may become an important tool to sustainably maintain plant health, given it is rich in important micronutrients and powerful bio-stimulating compounds. Take a deep dive into the many ways kelp-based fertilizers can dramatically strengthen root zones and improve soil health while also removing carbon from the atmosphere and combating climate change.

Edwina von Gal at the Garden Club of St. Louis
2022-05-17 00:00 - 17:00
Edwina von Gal will present at the GCSTL’s largest meeting of the year. Time TBD.

Earth Equity Round Table at The Church
2022-04-24 14:00 - 16:00 | The Church, 48 Madison Street, Sag Harbor, New York, 11963, United States
The Church is pleased to host Earth Equity Round Table on Earth Day!

Edwina von Gal of the Perfect Earth Project will lead an EARTH EQUITY* program at The Church in honor of Earth Day (which all days should be) with a panel of professionals, politicians, and others involved in trying to make our lives healthier and more sensible while making sure that those who deal with our landscapes (our own backyards!) are protected from toxins and pollution.   Learn how so many of these simple improvements to our lives also save us time and money! The 2-hour symposium will begin with a short talk by professor, author, and explorer Carl Safina of The Safina Center, followed by a lively panel, including Sag Harbor Mayor James Larocca. A Q&A will wind up the program with refreshments to follow. Anyone curious or concerned about making their own uber-local environment happier, healthier, and more worry-free is welcome! This program is made possible by generous sponsors Tom and LaVon Roush.

*Should you need assistance with the ticket price, please reach out to admin@thechurchsagharbor.org. We are happy to offer sponsorship for tickets, through a generous donation from Tom and LaVon Roush. *Earth Equity is a call to action – it asks us to consider all life forms, and the systems that support them, as essential to the health of people and the future of planet.  Every decision, purchase, and practice should originate from a position of “do no harm”.   Our landscapes and gardens provide an easy and effective place to begin to practice earth equity. There are so many positive actions one can take.  Examples include: Making a commitment to toxic/pesticide free maintenance promotes biodiversity and protects workers from exposure to harmful chemicals.  Using circular biomass management and electric equipment reduces fossil fuels, greenhouse gasses, air and noise pollution. Planting native plants restores biodiversity. Choosing sustainably sourced, biodegradable, and forced labor-free materials ensures maximum ecological and human rights standards.  There is no additional cost, but the benefits are immediate and immense.

Edwina von Gal at the Pequot Library Climate Summit
2022-04-23 13:00 - 14:30 | Pequot Library, 720 Pequot Avenue, Southport, Connecticut, 06890, United States
Our obsession with tidy, “clean” landscapes is proving to be harmful to the things that we love. How can we step away from the need for “neat” and let nature play a role in how we perceive, design, and maintain our human-dominated landscapes? Join celebrated landscape designer Edwina von Gal for a lecture that considers the rewards of gardening with nature – not against it. She will also discuss her new initiative Two Thirds for the Birds, a call to action to landscape and environmental professionals to make all their projects habitat friendly.

Pequot Library Climate Summit 2022

Tufts University Environmental Studies Lecture: Conservation Through a Lens: Why Stories Matter
2022-04-21 12:00 - 17:00
Jen Guyton, Photographer

Stories have the power to persuade and motivate. In conservation, they can be a critical first step in convincing people to take action. In this talk, photographer Jen Guyton will discuss her journey from scientist to storyteller, and take you along on some adventures that she have had in conservation photography. She will also explore how storytelling has contributed and continues to contribute to conservation.

LIISMA-LINPI Conference: Resilient LI
2022-04-07 08:00 - 17:00
The Long Island Invasive Species Management Area and our host organization, the Long Island Native Plant Initiative (LINPI) are pleased to announce our upcoming virtual conference on April 7, 2022. We hope to provide great opportunities for learning the latest on invasive and native species on Long Island, with an eye for preparing for future challenges together.

Lexington Living Landscapes: Kill Your Lawn, with Dan Jaffe Wilder
2022-03-24 19:00 - 22:30
Every house in America should be fronted with a non-native monoculture with the maintenance requirements of a golf course and the ecological value of a strip mine; a place where all flowers are called weeds and signs essentially saying “keep off” are the norm.

Does that idea seem a bit odd to you? It’s time to take a second look at this idea we call lawn. Join Dan Jaffe Wilder, co-author of Native Plants for New England Gardens and Director of Applied Ecology at Norcross Wildlife Foundation, to learn about options available to us, from whole lawn replacement to managing existing lawn in more ecologically beneficial ways. From well-known plants to brand new introductions, we will discuss various options that fit the needs of various lawn spaces.

Held over zoom. Hosted in partnership with Cary Memorial Library. Co-sponsored by the Lexington Conservation Division.
