UConn Native Plants and Pollinators Conference set for Oct. 19

The UConn Native Plants and Pollinators Conference will take place Oct. 19 at the UConn Student Union Ballroom (Room 330) located at 2100 Hillside Road, Storrs, Conn.

Register online at http://cahnrconference.uconn.edu/. Early Registration is $50 by Friday, Sept. 8. and $60 after Sept. 8. Student registration costs $25 with valid school ID.

Registration fee includes parking, morning refreshments and lunch. Parking is available in the North Parking Garage (103 North Eagleville Road) and South Parking Garage (2366 Jim Calhoun Way). Please bring your parking garage ticket with you to check-in for validation.

Please note that the registration system will accept only one credit card payment per email address, whether for an individual or group registration. If after submitting your individual or group registration, you need to pay for additional registrations, please do so by phone. Please call 860-486-3336 between 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Questions about registration? Contact: Donna Ellis, donna.ellis@uconn.edu or call her at 860-486-6448.

The program for the conference includes educational sessions that growers can use to improve their understanding of which native perennials and shrubs are favored by pollinators, and more.

Full program:

8:00 - 8:45 a.m. Registration and Coffee

8:45 - 9:00 a.m. Welcome and Introductions
Vickie Wallace, Extension Educator, UConn Extension and 
Dr. Michael O’Neill, Associate Dean and Associate Director, UConn Extension

9:00 - 10:00 a.m. “Lifestyles of Pollinators”
David Wagner, Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut
Learn about the ecology and behavior of insect pollinators and their conservation.                           

10:00 - 11:00 a.m. “Native Perennials for Bees, Butterflies, and Birds”
Emily DeBolt, Fiddlehead Creek Nursery, Fort Ann, N.Y.
Discussion of herbaceous perennials to support pollinators, including top-performing cultivars, and examples from design/build projects.

11:00 – 11:15 a.m. Break

11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. “Selecting Native Shrubs for Season-long Pollinator Support”
Jessica Lubell, Associate Professor, Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Connecticut
Landscape uses of native shrubs, both popular and under-used, will be covered in sequence of bloom to create season lasting pollinator support.

12:15 - 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 - 2:00 p.m. “Research Update: Examining Pollinator Attraction of Shrub Nativars”
Jacob Ricker, Graduate Student, Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Connecticut
Report from the first data collection season of our UConn study to evaluate pollinator support of several native shrub species and their cultivars.

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. “Native Trees for Pollinators”
Andrew Brand, Broken Arrow Nursery, Hamden, Conn.
Native trees with ornamental characteristics that also function to support pollinators through flowers and foliage.

3:00 p.m. Pesticide Recertification and Adjournment – Safe Travels!

Pesticide Credits - PA, 1A, 3A, 3B, 3D, 10: 6 credits