Lecture: A World of Discovery: Gardening for Wildlife Senses

Co-Sponsored with the Hardy Plant Society/Mid-Atlantic Chapter

Our outdoor surroundings are vibrant realms, places where many languages are spoken, sometimes in sensory alphabets we’ve only just begun to decipher. Much has been written about gardening for human senses, but how do plants and animals perceive the world around them? What do we miss when we landscape for our own visual appeal but neglect the perceptive experiences of our wild neighbors? Along with conventional landscaping practices, noise, light and odor pollution have many unintended consequences. Through science, heart, and our powers of observation, we can learn to mitigate these disruptions and create sensory refuges for the increasingly displaced flora and fauna who share our world. Join Nancy Lawson, author of The Humane Gardener and the new Wildscape: Trilling Chipmunks, Beckoning Blooms, Salty Butterflies, and Other Sensory Wonders of Nature, for an insightful and personal exploration into the sensory lives of animals and plants.

Registration is free, but required to receive the presentation recording link.

Program Details

• All registrations include access to the recording. 
• In-person registration is limited to 195. Due to limited seating, virtual participants cannot attend in person. 
• Virtual registrants will be able to view the recording shortly after the presentation concludes and can ask the speaker questions by emailing mfochs1 (at) swarthmore.edu in advance.
• Registration is free, but required to receive the presentation recording link.
• Email us  if you have accessibility needs for this program.
• For more information, review our program and event policies or call the Scott Arboretum office at 610-328-8025. 

About the Presenter

Nancy Lawson is the author of The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife and Wildscape: Trilling Chipmunks, Beckoning Blooms, Salty Butterflies, and other Sensory Wonders of Nature. A nature writer, habitat consultant, frequent keynote speaker, and founder of The Humane Gardener, LLC, she pioneers creative wildlife-friendly landscaping methods. Certified as a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional and master naturalist, Nancy co-chairs Howard County Bee City in Maryland and helped launch a community science project, Monarch Rx, based on scientific discoveries made in her own garden. Her books, garden, advocacy, and scientific endeavors have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Oprah magazine, Entomology Today, and Ecological Entomology.