SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – Alexis Doshas, nursery manager of the Native Plant Trust at Nasami Farm, will present the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) program “The Importance of Planting Native Plants in Our Landscape” on Tuesday, April 8, at 2 p.m., at the Nolin Murray Center, next to St. Mary’s Church, on Pleasant Street in Springfield. This program is cosponsored by the Springfield Garden Club.
Gardening with plants native to our region is a rewarding and practical endeavor. Native plants are adapted to our region’s geology, hydrology, and climate. This means when sited correctly, they require little maintenance to thrive and survive. Native plants are the basis for our region’s ecosystem services – think nutrient processing, clean water, and storing carbon – and support the intricate food webs that create resilient landscapes through biodiversity. Many insects, birds, soil organisms, and fungi have evolved with our native plants, creating symbiotic, specialized relationships. We’ll discuss the importance of including and supporting native plants in the stewarding of our gardens and landscapes, and look at a variety of options.
Doshas is a conservation horticulturist, plant ecologist, soil enthusiast, and graduate of the environmental studies department at Antioch University New England, with a concentration in conservation biology. Her path with plants includes running a small organic gardening business; working as a restoration associate with Safe Harbor Environmental Services in Wellfleet, Mass.; and leading field research on a long-term NSF-funded study for the Von Holle Lab on the effects and mitigation of chronic atmospheric deposition of nitrogen on heathland communities of Cape Cod, Mass. She is the nursery manager at Native Plant Trust’s Nasami Farm, where they grow thousands of native plants from wild ecotype seed to ensure genetic diversity and resiliency in our landscapes, and where she teaches classes on propagation, and native plant and soil ecology.
Sponsored by the University of Vermont, OLLI is run by local volunteer members, and is geared mainly towards seniors who are 50 years of age and older who enjoy learning for the fun of it. Anyone who would be interested in this type of program, regardless of their age, is welcome. The programs are held Tuesday afternoons, at 2 p.m., and last about an hour and a half.
You may view the entire semester’s programs by visiting www.learn.uvm.edu/olli/springfield. Preregistration can be done online at this website with a credit card. Payment can no longer be accepted on site. You may also register over the phone using your credit card by calling 802-656-8407 during regular office hours, Monday-Friday, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. There is a membership series Fee. Nonmembers are welcome and encouraged to attend individual programs for a single program fee.
You can check the above website on the morning of the program for any weather-related schedule changes.