OSHER LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTE
2nd Annual Gardening Symposium
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
8:00 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.
OLLI at UTMB, 1200 Market Street, Galveston, Texas 77555-0972
$30 All-Day Registration – Parking and Box Lunch Included
Open to the public, membership not required
For more information or to register, visit: www.utmb.edu/olli
Join the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute for a day of gardening tips and insider information. This year’s program will provide information on a variety of topics, presented by some of the area’s most knowledgeable gardening authorities. The symposium brings together amateur backyard gardeners and gardening professionals for a day of insightful presentations and networking. Topics will focus on eco-friendly landscape gardening with special emphasis on the unique cultural requirements of our coastal environment.
Agenda of Events:
8:00 a.m. Registration and networking, light breakfast provided
9:00 a.m. Symposium begins
Session 1: Coastal Landscape Gardening
Gardening in Galveston provides numerous opportunities for colorful landscapes and bountiful fruit and vegetable production. This 3-part series of presentations will highlight information on well adapted plants for our area, as well as gardening techniques and practices that are specific to the Upper Texas Gulf Coast.
9:15 a.m. Gardening Naturally with Native Plants: Greg Grant
10:15 a.m. Vegetable Gardening Galveston Style: Seeding Galveston
11:15 a.m. Coastal Heirloom Gardening: Greg Grant
12:00 p.m. Lunch and open exhibition area
Session 2: Butterflies, Bees & Birds in the Garden
Pollinators play a vital role in maintaining our coastal ecosystems. Considering that pollinators are essential to the reproduction of over 80% of all flowering plant it’s easy to see why pollinator conservation efforts are so important. Learn more about how you can support this important process by planting for pollinators, creating habitat and sources of food to maintain biodiversity in our coastal landscapes and gardens.
1:00 p.m. Monarchs and Migration for the Gulf Coast: Christine Anastas
2:00 p.m. Planting for Pollinators: Stephen Brueggerhoff
3:00 p.m. Selected Bird-Attracting Landscape Plants: Don Wilkerson
3:45 p.m. Closing remarks
Presenters:
Greg Grant, Smith County Extension Horticulturist, Texas Agrilife Extension Service
Greg Grant is an award-winning horticulturist, writer, conservationist, and seventh-generation Texan from Arcadia, Texas. Greg has degrees in floriculture and horticulture, both from Texas A&M University and has attended post graduate classes at Louisiana State University, North Carolina State University, and Stephen F. Austin State University. He has previous experience as a horticulturist with SFA Gardens, Mercer Arboretum, and San Antonio Botanical Gardens and instructor at Stephen F. Austin and Louisiana State Universities
Debbie Berger and John Sessions, Co-Founders Seeding Galveston
Seeding Galveston is an agricultural nonprofit with a 1-acre working farm in the heart of mid-town Galveston. Their mission is to make fresh grown produce available to anyone on the island. An outgrowth of the urban farming movement, Debbie and John have been planting, harvesting, distributing, and managing community gardens, including at OLLI, for several years.
Christine Anastas, Certified Master Gardener, Texas AgriLife Extension, Galveston County, Texas
Christine captivated last year’s Symposium audience with an in-depth look at Monarch butterflies and their incredible journey across North America to overwintering sites in Mexico. This year she will present an update on the state of Monarchs and discuss her most recent interest in moths and their role in the environment.
Don C. Wilkerson, Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M University, College Station
Don is a retired Horticulturist from TAMU-CS. He has lived on the Island since 2008 and his efforts to assist with Hurricane Ike recovery led to the creation of the Galveston Gardening website, as well as other informational resources. Don works with OLLI to help coordinate educational programs focused on landscape gardening.
Participating Organizations:
American Bird Conservancy
City of Galveston
Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council
Galveston Island Tree Conservancy
Galveston’s Own Farmers Market
International Oleander Society
OLLI at UTMB Gardening Group
Seeding Galveston
Texas AgriLife Extension
Texas Native Plant Society
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