Native Plant Symposium 2026

SUNY Adirondack

Student Opportunities & Internship Table

An informal networking session connecting SUNY Adirondack students with regional researchers, agencies, and conservation organizations. University faculty and agency partners will share current research initiatives and collaboration opportunities, while participating organizations present internship, volunteer, grant, and career pathways in native plant landscaping, ecological restoration, conservation, transportation ecology, and related environmental fields.

11:45 AM–12:45 PM

Registration & Networking

12:15–12:55 PM

BONUS SESSIONS – Choose One (Both Open to All)

OPTION A (Indoor – Brown-Bag Lunch Talk)

Native Bee Conservation: What You Need to Know

Presenter: Jennifer Michelle, GreenTown Consulting

Session Description:
An accessible introduction to pollinator conservation, clarifying the differences between honeybees and native bees and why native species require urgent protection. Learn how gardening practices, land-use decisions, and development patterns impact pollinators—and discover practical actions you can take to support native bee populations. Attendees are encouraged to bring lunch.

Presenter Bio:
Jennifer Michelle is a conservation consultant with GreenTown Consulting, specializing in pollinator habitat restoration and community education. Her work focuses on translating ecological science into practical strategies for homeowners, municipalities, and land managers.

OPTION B (Outdoor – Weather Permitting)

Building a Native Tree Nursery: American Chestnut Restoration

Facilitators: Mike Cahill, SUNY Adirondack Agroecology Professor
Nick Rowell, Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District

Session Description:
Join us for a hands-on tour of SUNY Adirondack’s on-campus native tree nursery and participate in an American chestnut planting demonstration. Learn practical techniques for establishing native tree nurseries, propagating native species, and contributing to regional restoration efforts. Topics include nursery site selection, seedling care, agroforestry principles, conservation partnerships, and participation in American chestnut restoration programs.

Note: If severe weather occurs, an indoor presentation will be provided.

Facilitator Note:
This session highlights collaboration between educational institutions and conservation agencies in advancing native species restoration and student engagement.

CONCURRENT SESSION WORKSHOPS

SESSION BLOCK 1 | 1:00–1:50 PM

TRACK 1

Designing a Functional Native Plant Garden

Presenters: Sam & Corliss Keenan, Country Home Landscapes

Session Description:
Walk through the complete process of designing a functional native plant garden—from initial site assessment to installation planning. Topics include evaluating sun, soil, moisture, and existing vegetation; setting homeowner goals; selecting regionally appropriate native plants; and designing layered plant communities that support pollinators and wildlife while remaining visually compelling.

Step-by-step guidance on assessing sites, selecting regionally appropriate plants, and designing resilient, low-maintenance native gardens.

Presenter Bios:
Corliss and Sam Keenan are landscape designers with Country Home Landscapes, specializing in residential native plant gardens throughout the Northeast. Their work emphasizes ecological function, thoughtful design, and homeowner education. They have completed over 100 residential native plant installations and regularly teach workshops on ecological landscaping.

TRACK 2

Native Tree Nursery Network to promote a Resilient Bioeconomy

Presenter: Dr. Ríobart É. Breen is the director of the University at Albany’s Institute for Transformational and Ecosystem-based Climate Adaptation (ITECA), which is dedicated to leading transformational climate change adaptation in the bioregion by advancing nature-based solutions and preparing the next generation of climate change leaders through community engagement and service learning.

Session Description:
The workshop will discuss the startup and development of ITECA’s new student-run native tree nursery on UAlbany’s campus and how this effort contributes to urban climate forestry, increases community resilience, prepares students to start their own business in an uncertain job market, builds a network of native tree nurseries, and contributes to a resilient local natural-resources based bioeconomy.

SESSION BLOCK 2 | 1:55–2:40 PM

TRACK 1

Growing & Using Native Plants as Edibles

Presenter: Jane Desotelle, Underwood Herbs

Session Description:
Discover how native plants can be integrated into home gardens as edible and useful species while supporting biodiversity. This session introduces native fruits, greens, roots, and flowers suited to Northeast conditions and explores propagation techniques, sustainable harvesting practices, and simple preparation methods.

Participants will learn how to safely identify species, cultivate native edibles in residential landscapes, and incorporate them into local food systems while protecting ecological integrity and honoring traditional plant knowledge.

Presenter Bio:
Jane Desotelle is an herbalist and educator with over 20 years of experience working with native medicinal and edible plants of the Northeast. She operates Underwood Herbs and offers educational programs on ethnobotany, wildcrafting, and sustainable cultivation.

TRACK 2

The Roadside Ecology of New York State Highways

Presenter: Lynn Godek, NYS Department of Transportation

Session Description:
An overview of NYSDOT implementation strategies and research efforts to restore, establish, and manage native vegetation along New York State highways. This session explores roadside habitat restoration, pollinator corridor development, erosion control using native plants, and soil stabilization strategies for disturbed infrastructure sites.

Information about internships, grant opportunities, and partnerships through NYSDOT and DEC will also be available at the tabling area.

Presenter Bio:
Lynn Godek is a Professional Landscape Architect with the NY State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), currently working in the Landscape Architecture Bureau, Landscape Ecology Unit. She received her Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from SUNY Environmental Science & Forestry (ESF) in Syracuse, NY. With over 16 years of professional experience, including time in private practice, she has managed a wide range of multidisciplinary projects and is passionate about the role of landscape architecture in addressing ecological and climate challenges.

SESSION BLOCK 3 | 2:45–3:35 PM

TRACK 1

Regenerative Gardening for Small Landscapes: Lessons from Farmers for Home & Community Growers

Presenter: Cevan Castle, Cevan Castle Environment + Design

Session Description:
Regenerative agriculture has transformed how many farmers think about soil, resilience, and long-term productivity—but what does that framework look like when applied in home gardens, community spaces, and the shared green landscapes within towns and small cities?

Drawing on conversations with farmers across the country who have transitioned from conventional or organic systems to regenerative approaches, this session explores the mindsets, decision-making frameworks, and land-stewardship practices that guide regenerative farming, and how those ideas translate to smaller-scale landscapes.

Rather than focusing on individual techniques, we’ll look at the process of transition: why growers adopt regenerative approaches, the challenges they encounter, and what changes over time as soil and ecosystems recover. Together we’ll consider how these principles can inform the way we care for gardens, community spaces, and public green areas, helping landscapes become healthier, more resilient, and more productive over time.

Presenter Bio:
Cevan Castle is a designer, consultant, and educator. Trained in sculpture and architecture and with more than twenty years of teaching experience, she focuses on research-informed concept development, building public engagement, centering accessibility and inclusion, and collaborative design and implementation planning for civic and educational green spaces. She began her practice in Detroit, Michigan, contributing to civic green space initiatives that shaped her community-centered approach to design.

TRACK 2

Your brain on nature: how spending time in nature affects mental health, brain activity, and behavior, and how to leverage this impact in your work

Presenter: Sara LoTemplio, University of Vermont

Session Description:
What happens in our brains when we spend time in nature? This research-focused session explores the growing body of evidence linking time in natural environments to improvements in mental health, emotional regulation, and cognitive functioning. Drawing from research conducted in her lab as well as studies from across environmental psychology and neuroscience, Sara Lotemplio will highlight how exposure to natural landscapes influences brain activity, stress levels, attention, and behavior.

The session will also explore emerging theories about why nature produces these effects, including the role of sensory complexity, evolutionary responses to natural environments, and the psychological benefits of biodiverse landscapes. Participants will gain insights into how these findings can inform the design of programs, public spaces, gardens, and landscapes that intentionally support mental health and community well-being.

Presenter Bio:
Born and raised in the Adirondack region of New York, Dr. Sara LoTemplio is an Assistant Professor in in the Rubenstein School of Natural Resources at the University of Vermont and director of the RAAIN lab. Her background is cognitive neuroscience, and she studies restorative effects of natural environments on brain activity, attention, stress, and mood, using behavioral and psychophysiological measures such as ECG and EEG. Her research also focuses on practitioner preparedness to implement nature/health interventions and research–practice partnerships. Outside of the lab she enjoys nature, reading, cooking, and time with her family.

3:45–4:30 PM

Closing Keynote (All Attendees)

Landscapes as Essential Groundwork for Our Future: Stewardship, Community, Native Plantings, and the Work of Becoming Kin Again

Keynote Speaker: Shanti Nagel, Founder, Design Wild, Inc

Session Description:
As we move into a new age of ecological landscaping, how do we rethink our residential and civic landscapes so they actively support biodiversity, climate resilience, and community well-being? Drawing from real-world projects and community-based design work, this keynote explores practical approaches to creating beautiful, functional gardens and public spaces that expand biodiversity while reconnecting the human spirit to the natural world.

Participants will gain inspiration and actionable strategies for transforming landscapes from resource consumers into ecosystem contributors—strengthening connections between people and place while centering biodiversity, stewardship, and community action in a changing world.

Keynote Speaker Bio:
Shanti Nagel is the founder of Design Wild, a landscape design firm working at the intersection of climate, humans, and community well-being. She believes that the relationship between humans and the natural world is essential for individual health, strong communities, resilient ecosystems, and a viable future on Earth. She grew up gardening in upstate New York, founded an organic vegetable farm at age 20, and later managed one of New York City’s largest urban farms. A graduate of the School of Professional Horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden, she has spent the last decade designing ecologically rich and resilient landscapes throughout New York City and the Hudson Valley.

4:30 PM

Conference Concludes