Gabriella Paez, Member, PHS Tree Tenders Advisory Committee and Community Voices group that is drafting Philadelphia’s Urban Forestry Plan

Virtual Lecture

Urban communities across the nation are suffering disproportionately from the impact of climate change. This is mainly due to limited tree canopy and other issues stemming from the lack of investment that historically took place in minority neighborhoods. Learn how Philadelphia is tackling this problem by mobilizing communities to own the change in their neighborhoods. From TreePhilly's Yard Tree Giveaway program to PHS’s Tree Tenders street tree plantings. Learn firsthand how this work has impacted communities from an organizer and activist who has led this work on the ground.

Gabriella Paez is a community organizer and activist who has dedicated her professional life to encouraging individuals in underserved communities to be changemakers. Gabriella, originally from the Dominican Republic, has called Philadelphia her home for the last 15 years. She holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Eastern University and a master's in non-profit leadership from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice. Gabriella served as the Education and Community Development Coordinator at Esperanza, a local non-profit, for six years. In her role at Esperanza, she developed and led programs aimed at the revitalization of Hunting Park in North Philadelphia, with special focus in protecting and enhancing open spaces and the environment.

Gabriella's work has been recognized with multiple awards including Activist of the Year by SustainPHL, the Rising Star Award by the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations, Tree of Fame by TreePhilly, and the Award of Merit by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

Tuesday, May 18 | 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Members:  $10 | Non-members:  $15

The Barnes Endowed Lecture is presented annually in memory of Laura L. Barnes, founder of The Barnes Foundation Arboretum.

Peter Zale, Ph.D., Associate Director, Conservation, Plant Breeding and Collections, Longwood Gardens

Virtual Lecture

Pennsylvania’s native orchids range from the rare and showy to the quiet and unassuming.  Conservation of these beautiful plants and their habitats is critically important and public gardens must play a key role in supporting these efforts.  Orchid conservation requires a multidisciplinary approach in which orchids are monitored where they grow naturally (in situ), and where they are grown in safe areas away from their natural habitats (ex situ). Longwood Gardens initiated a native orchid conservation program in 2015 that focuses on horticultural aspects of ex situ orchid conservation including seed propagation, seedling establishment, and collections development, that is balanced with in situ restoration, population assessments of rare species, and field work to catalogue previously unknown orchid occurrences.  Peter will discuss the development and successful outcomes to date, and future aspirations for the program.

Wednesday, June 16 |  1—2 p.m.

Members:  $10  |  Non-members:  $15

The Barnes Endowed Lecture is presented in memory of Laura L. Barnes, founder of The Barnes Foundation Arboretum.

Virtual Class

Eloise Gayer, Assistant Horticulturalist, Chanticleer Garden

With thousands of varieties of roses to choose from, variable in size, growth habit, cultural requirements and blooming time, caring for roses in your garden can feel a bit daunting. With the right tools and knowledge, any gardener can enjoy a fragrant, colorful, beautiful rose in their garden. This class will provide an overview of rose care including pruning, planting, fertilizing, and disease prevention, as well as resources for independent study. We will learn about different types of roses and their particular cultural requirements, the best roses to grow for the Philadelphia area, and we'll explore some of the Morris Arboretum's most exciting rose varieties, which will be at their peak in early June. A question-and-answer session will follow the lecture. 

Wednesday, June 2  | 10:00am - 11:00am

Members: $10 | Non-members: $15

Virtual Class

Larry Weaner,  Principal, Larry Weaner Landscape Associates, FAPLD and founder of New Directions in the American Landscape

Ian Caton,  Founding Principal, Wood Thrush Nursery

Demand for high performing, ecology-based landscapes is increasing faster than the availability of the specialized knowledge to achieve them. This intensive, live, virtual course (three and a half hours on Day 1 and Day 2) provides real-world guidance for designing and documenting all phases of native landscape development, including native plants and ecological processes specific to the mid-Atlantic U.S. Attendees will receive a 100+ page, password-protected digital manual that documents all aspects of the program, including plant selection criteria, plant recommendations, ecological process-based management specifications, and guidance for maximizing the aesthetic and experiential landscape appeal.

This course carries 6 CEUs for ISA certified arborists (3 per day) (S=2, P=2. M=2). and 6 LA-CES credits for landscape architects.

Thursday and Friday, July 15 and 16 | 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Fee for both sessions:  $150