Wild One Events – Chapter and National

A World of Discovery: Exploring the science and heart of sensory wildscapes.

Maryland Native Plant Society  Monthly Program

This meeting is hybrid. We ask that you register for your preferred option; after registering, you will get Zoom login information and in person location information.

Co-sponsor: The University of Maryland Extension with host Lisa Kuder

The program is free and open to the public.

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 human visual appeal but neglect the sensory experiences of our wild neighbors? Conventional gardening practices often interfere with other organisms’ abilities to interact with their environment in ways we can scarcely imagine. Through science, heart, and our powers of observation, we can learn to mitigate these disruptions and create sensory refuges in an increasingly noisy world.

Nancy Lawson a member of the Nation's Capital Region Chapter of Wild Ones and 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, and founder of The Humane Gardener, she pioneers creative wildlife-friendly landscaping methods. Nancy co-chairs Howard County Bee City in Maryland and co-launched a community science project, Monarch Rx, after discovering a little-known butterfly behavior in her own garden. Her books, garden, advocacy and scientific endeavors have been featured in Science Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Oprah magazine, Entomology Today, Ecological Entomology, and American Gardener. Her most recent book, Wildscape, received an honorable mention in the American Horticultural Society's national book awards and was a finalist for the 2024 AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books.