The Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College in Valhalla is hosting its annual spring conference on Thursday. I went for a couple of the lectures last year and they were suburb.

Here’s info straight from them:

“The Native Plant Center (NPC), which is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a number of special events and programs, is sponsoring a Spring conference on Thursday, March 20.

“Radical Transformations: The Process of Natural Landscape Establishment is the Fifth Annual Natural Landscape Design Conference co-sponsored by The NPC and New Directions in the American Landscape. It will be held on Thursday, March 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Everything is changing in our landscape gardens; why we create them, how we plant them, and how we live in them are all being re-evaluated and revolutionized. Explore how innovation, creativity and ecological understanding can enhance the individual experiences and global impacts that our landscapes provide.

“The Big Picture: Backyard Forward; Small Places, Big Decisions by William Shutkin. Zoom in on Google Earth from the stratosphere to a single property and you will see, quite literally, where the big meets the small. From the profound to the practical, Shutkin will illustrate how local landscape decisions affect not only our own backyards, but the planet as a whole. Our presenter is a global leader in sustainability and social entrepreneurship. An attorney, author, educator and non-profit leader, Shutkin’s expertise spans a variety of fields and disciplines, from urban planning to economic development, green design to global warming, and public policy to social justice. He has written two books, the award-winning The Land That Could Be: Environmentalism and Democracy in the Twenty-First Century and A Republic of Trees, Fields Notes on People, Place and the Planet.

“The Details: Creating Natural Landscapes for the Real World by Larry Weaner. Are native plant gardens automatically “low maintenance?” Are all natural gardens “wild” in appearance? What actually is a “sustainable” landscape? We will move beyond the buzzwords and oversimplifications to examine a practical, step by step process for creating easily managed landscapes that seamlessly combine ecological diversity, cultural expression, and garden art.

“Weaner is recognized nationally for his work in integrating the ecological sciences with the fine art of garden design. He has been president of Larry Weaner Landscape Design Associates since 1982 and has designed gardens throughout the Eastern U.S. Larry’s projects have been featured in national and international publications and he is a past board member and environmental committee chair of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. He also developed the New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL) educational series in 1990.

“The Long Term: Gardening on Earth; A Half-century of Respect for Nature by Richard W. Lighty, Ph.D. Over a 45 year period, Lighty and his wife Sally have designed, installed and maintained, without outside help, a seven and one-half acre property with two and one-half acres of lawn and gardens. Lighty will illustrate how the use of innovative techniques, many derived directly from natural processes, has allowed them to reduce maintenance on these extensive gardens and natural areas to approximately eight hours per week.

“He is a pioneer in the introduction of native plants for gardeners, particularly in his work as the founding director of Mt. Cuba Center for the Study of Piedmont Flora in Greenville, De. From 1983 to 1998 he managed the center’s development emphasizing the selection, introduction and display of native plants.

“The cost of the conference is $115 for NPC members; $122 for non-members. The fee includes lunch and breaks. Advance registration strongly encouraged due to luncheon reservations.

“Registration accepted up to 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 19 preferably by fax at 914-606-6143. Use form on the web site or call 914-606-7870.”