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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (RIDGELY, MD—MARCH 6 , 2008)

ADKINS ARBORETUM SPONSORS SPRING GARDEN SYMPOSIUM MAY 16

Adkins Arboretum will host the 2008 Spring Symposium on Friday, May 16 from 8 a.m. to 4;30 p.m. at Chesapeake College, in Wye Mills, MD. Titled Earth’s Green Mantle—How It Works, the Symposium will provide an introduction to the fundamental scientific principles behind pressing conservation issues. Participants will spend a day with some of the region’s most respected scientists and teachers and will learn about carbon footprints, pollinators and native plants, soil fundamentals, plant genetics, water resources and more.

Keynote speakers Dr. Doug Tallamy, entomologist and chair of the University of Delaware’s Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, and author and photographer Rick Darke will share their passion for conservation practices that protect nature while enriching our lives. Whether gardeners, land stewards, teachers, community planners, landscape designers, homeowners, horticulturists or naturalists, participants will learn the tools to better steward the earth’s natural resources.

In his opening plenary session, Tallamy will provide an overview and introduction to his environmental message of life’s interconnectivity and the power of native plants to sustain wildlife. Sessions include Sex in the Garden—The Role of Pollinators; Plant Physiology—More Than the Parts; Soils are Alive; From Genes to Fossils—Evolution in Action; Ecosystems—Life Support Systems for All of Biodiversity; and Our Finite Fresh Water Resources. Darke will wrap up the day with a high-energy presentation that points toward a positive role for humans as stewards and gardeners.

Native plants will be for sale, and local environmental organizations will exhibit during the day.

Registration for the Symposium is $75 for Arboretum members, $90 for the general public, $50 for students, and $110 for registration and new individual membership. Lunch is included in the registration fee. To register and for additional information, visit www.adkinsarboretum.org, call 410-634-2847, extension 0 or e-mail info@adkinsarboretum.org

Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. Open year round, the Arboretum offers educational programs for all ages about nature and gardening. Through its Campaign to Build a Green Legacy, the Arboretum will build a new LEED-certified Arboretum Center and entranceway to broaden educational offerings and research initiatives promoting best practices in conservation and land stewardship. For additional information about Arboretum programs, visit www.adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.

Click here to register for the Spring Symposium.