We are excited to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Grow Native! program and host the virtual 2020 Grow Native! Professional Member Conference! We hope you will enjoy the lineup of fantastic speakers and topics this year.
Itinerary
8:30-8:40 a.m.
Welcome from Ronda Burnett, Grow Native! Committee Chair, and Carol Davit, Executive Director of the Missouri Prairie Foundation
8:40-9:40 a.m.
Keynote Presentation and Q&A: Soil Carbon Dynamics in Restored Prairie and Native Grassland Plantings by Dr. Sara Baer
Dr. Sara Baer, Director of the Kansas Biological Survey, will provide an overview of soil and organic matter dynamics and how to increase carbon storage via native plantings. Dr. Baer will also share her research on local ecotypes.
Landscape Architect PDHs and International Society of Arboriculture CEUs available: 1 Landscape Architect, 1 Certified Arborist, 1 BCMA – Science.
9:40-9:55 a.m.
2020 Grow Native! Ambassador Award Recognition
9:55-10:55 a.m.
Presentation and Q&A: Landscaping with Native Trees: Species Selection, Maintenance, & Ecological Benefits by Mary Nemecek and Matt Arndt
Learn from Burroughs Audubon President Mary Nemecek and Certified Arborist and Consulting Forester Matt Arndt about selecting the right native tree for the right space, tree care, and the importance of woody species as host plants for a wide variety of insects, which in turn support birds and other cherished wildlife. A selection of both canopy and understory native trees for various growing conditions and landscape applications will be shared, as well as considerations for tree selection in terms of ecological benefits.
Landscape Architect PDHs and International Society of Arboriculture CEUs available: 1 Landscape Architect, 1 Certified Arborist, 1 BCMA – Management.
10:55-11:05 a.m.
Break
11:05-11:45 a.m.
Presentation and Q&A: Native Landscapes for Municipalities: Challenges and Opportunities by Chuck Caverly and Doug Bauer
Doug Bauer, President of DJM, and Chuck Caverly, Native Landscape Solutions and City of Maryland Heights councilmember, will share case studies of native landscaping projects for municipalities, and share the perspective of a city official in the St. Louis area. They will explain the challenges associated with projects, opportunities they have seen, and goals for future projects in municipalities.
Landscape Architect PDHs and International Society of Arboriculture CEUs available: .5 Landscape Architect, .75 Certified Arborist, .75 Municipal Specialist, .75 BCMA – Management.
11:45-12:10 p.m.
Grow Native! Updates by Carol Davit, MPF Executive Director: New Strategic Plan and Certification Test
Free for Grow Native! professional members and their staff, and Missouri Prairie Foundation members, $30 for nonmembers.
Not a member yet? Individuals can become members of the Missouri Prairie Foundation, and native plant businesses can become Grow Native! professional members.
Speaker Bios
Dr. Sarah Baer
Mary Nemecek
Matt Arndt
Matt Arndt is a consulting forester and arborist, and is the owner of Matt’s Healthy Woods & Wildlife. He carries certifications from both the Society of American Foresters and the International Society of Arboriculture. In addition to his full-time forestry work, Matt also has side businesses in native seed production and custom web development. He has served as President of the Missouri Consulting Foresters Association since 2013, and is the vice-chair of the Missouri Invasive Plant Task Force. He also serves on the Natural Resources Subcommittee of the NRCS State Technical Committee, the Missouri Farm Bureau Forestry Advisory Committee, and the Cameron Park Board.
Charles “Chuck” Caverly
Charles “Chuck” Caverly has over 30 years experience in the landscape design, maintenance and native plant industry. Chuck joined Native Landscaping Solutions in July of 2014 bringing to the team both native and horticulture industry plant material and operational knowledge coupled with planning and zoning municipal experiences. Chuck has created numerous residential and commercial landscape design projects integrating native plants, hardscape materials, and site drainage. Through his municipal experiences, Chuck has participated in comprehensive plan development, strategic area management plan for the Howard Bend Levee District, Great Streets Initiative, and has become an active board member with the St. Louis County Municipal League in addition to being a board member of the Missouri Municipal League.
Doug Bauer
Doug is president of DJM Ecological Services, Inc. & Pure Air Natives, Inc., a pair of companies dedicated to the furtherance of native plants in the urban landscape. He has project experience throughout the Midwest and has completed engagements with clients across many business and government sectors. His specific skill set involves developing, installing & maintaining naturalized plantings in environments that aren’t so natural—think bioswales, rain gardens, green roofs, permitted stormwater facilities, levees, urban park districts, and corporate campuses.
Doug has degrees from the University of Illinois & University of Chicago, and has spent the past couple months splitting his time between multiple green roofs in Clayton, MO, a series of mitigation plantings on islands in Pool 12 of the Upper Mississippi River near Dubuque, IA, and various urban redevelopment projects in St Louis and Kansas City. Doug is married (Aubrey) has two daughters, Harper & Blaine and a son, Oliver.
Ronda Burnett
Ronda is the chair of the Grow Native! committee. She has been a Community Conservation Planner with the Missouri Department of Conservation since 2005. She helps communities connect to nature and enjoy the enhanced quality of life made possible by healthy fish, forest, and wildlife resources. Ronda holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Louisiana State University and a Master of Urban, Environmental, and Land Use Planning from the University of Kansas.
