Partners for Native Landscaping
2025 Series
2025 Events
Workshop & Plant Sale - April 5th, 2025
Keynote Speaker: Heather Holm
Native Predatory Wasps: Their Role as Pollinators and Beneficial Insects
Native bees and predatory wasps share the same lineage and also share many behaviors and habitat requirements. Predatory wasps feed their offspring insects (and spiders) and bees diverged from this carnivorous diet to feed their offspring plant-based food (pollen and nectar). Flower-rich landscapes provide critical habitat for both adult bees and wasps because they each consume flower nectar; in addition, wasps need diverse, flower-rich landscapes to hunt for their prey. Heather will highlight many amazing natural history and biology facts about native wasps illustrating their nesting habitat, prey specificity, and the ecosystems services they provide—pest insect population control and pollination.
Heather Holm is a pollinator conservationist and award-winning author of four books: Pollinators of Native Plants (2014), Bees (2017), Wasps (2021), and Common Native Bees of the Eastern United States (2022). Both Bees and Wasps have won multiple book awards including the American Horticultural Society Book Award (2018 and 2022 respectively). Heather’s expertise includes the interactions between native pollinators and native plants, and the natural history and biology of native bees and predatory wasps. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Minneapolis Star Tribune, and many local publications. Heather is also an accomplished photographer and her pollinator photos are frequently featured in print and electronic publications.
Wednesday, April 2, 2:00 p.m.
Community Care & Conservation: How to Transform Vacant Lots Into Neighborhood Green Spaces
Aisha Muhammad - Missouri Department of Conservation
Having nature close to home allows both human communities and the natural environment to thrive. By implementing conservation practices and increasing native biodiversity, people can enjoy the beauty and benefits of the outdoors, reduce flooding, improve air quality, and reduce temperatures. Join this session to discover the steps, tools, and practices to revitalize vacant spaces in a neighborhood-centric way.
