Adirondack Native Plants Symposium:

Building Resilient Landscapes

SUNY Adirondack Agricultural Business Program
Thursday, March 26, 2026 | 12:00PM–4:30 PM Conference

CONFERENCE OVERVIEW

The Adirondack Native Plants Symposium brings together practitioners, researchers, and community leaders to explore native plants as essential tools for ecological restoration, climate adaptation, and community resilience in the Northeast. This half-day symposium blends research-backed strategies with hands-on implementation, addressing practical applications from residential gardens to institutional landscapes.

Designed for both novice gardeners and experienced professionals, the symposium emphasizes the role of native plants in supporting pollinators, mitigating climate change, improving mental health, and creating sustainable landscapes that benefit both ecosystems and people. Attendees will gain actionable knowledge, connect with regional experts, and leave with concrete strategies to implement native plant projects in their own communities.

Through concurrent workshop tracks, bonus hands-on sessions, and a closing keynote, participants will explore how native plants function as living infrastructure—providing ecological services while reducing maintenance costs, water consumption, and environmental impact compared to conventional landscaping approaches.

1 Credit of Landscape Architecture Continuing Education Credit provided by DOT.

If you are an organization and wants to table, please reach out.


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Conference Agenda at a Glance

Thursday, March 26, 2026 | SUNY Adirondack

11:45 AM – 12:45 PM
Registration & Networking
Check in, connect with fellow attendees, and visit the Student Opportunities & Internship Table.

12:15 – 12:55 PM
Bonus Lunch Sessions (Choose One)

  • Native Bee Conservation: What You Need to Know (Indoor brown-bag talk)

  • Campus Tour & Demonstration: Building a Native Tree Nursery (Outdoor, weather permitting)

1:00 – 3:35 PM
Concurrent Workshops (3 Session Blocks)
Choose from two specialized tracks during each block:

  • Track 1: Applied Landscape Design & Implementation

  • Track 2: Institutional & Municipal Green Infrastructure

Sessions cover native plant design, climate forestry, pollinator corridors, shade gardening, wild foods & medicine, and the mental health benefits of green spaces.

3:45 – 4:30 PM
Closing Keynote (All Attendees)
Native Plants as Living Infrastructure: Designing Regenerative Landscapes
Keynote Speaker: Shanti Nagel, Design Wild

4:30 PM
Conference Concludes

2 Conference Tracks

TRACK 1: Applied Landscape Design & Implementation

Home Gardens | Small-Scale Projects | Design-Build Applications

Track Overview: This track focuses on practical, garden-scale applications of native plants. Sessions emphasize hands-on skills for creating functional, beautiful native gardens that support pollinators and wildlife while meeting aesthetic and budget goals. Participants will learn site assessment techniques, plant selection strategies, design principles, and maintenance approaches for residential and small commercial landscapes. Content is accessible to beginners while offering valuable insights for experienced gardeners and landscape professionals.

Who Should Attend Track 1:

  • Home gardeners interested in native plants, pollinators, and sustainable landscaping

  • Small landowners looking to restore native habitats on their property

  • Landscape contractors and design-build professionals working on residential projects

  • Garden center professionals and nursery operators seeking to educate customers about native plants

  • Small farm owners interested in agroforestry and native plant integration

  • Landscape design students seeking practical application skills

  • Agricultural business students learning about the native plant industry

  • Community gardeners working on neighborhood beautification projects

  • Anyone who wants to create ecologically functional landscapes at home

Track 1 Sessions:

  1. Designing Functional Native Plant Gardens (Corliss & Sam Keenan) - Learn the complete process from site assessment to installation

  2. Native Plants as Wild Foods & Medicine (Jane Desotelle)—Discover traditional uses and cultivation techniques

  3. Shade Gardening with Native Plants (Cevan Castle) - Master challenging low-light areas with woodland natives

TRACK 2: Institutional & Municipal Green Infrastructure

Professional Practice | Large-Scale Implementation | Research-Based Strategies

Track Overview: This track examines native plants as infrastructure—exploring research, design, implementation, and long-term stewardship of green spaces that support mental health, climate resilience, and community well-being. Sessions provide evidence-based frameworks for integrating native plants into institutional, municipal, and public landscapes. Participants will gain strategies for securing funding, measuring outcomes, building partnerships, and overcoming implementation barriers in professional settings. Content emphasizes scalable approaches and measurable impacts suitable for institutional decision-making.

Who Should Attend Track 2:

  • Municipal planners and urban designers developing community green space strategies

  • Campus facilities managers and sustainability coordinators responsible for institutional grounds

  • DOT personnel and public works staff managing roadside landscapes and public lands

  • Parks and recreation departments designing and maintaining public green spaces

  • Nonprofit conservation leaders working on habitat restoration and community projects

  • Public health professionals interested in nature-based interventions

  • Environmental consultants advising on ecological restoration projects

  • Environmental science students pursuing careers in planning, policy, or conservation

  • Grant writers and development professionals seeking funding for green infrastructure

  • Soil and water conservation district staff implementing native plant programs

  • Stormwater managers using native plants for green infrastructure

  • Anyone working on institutional or municipal-scale landscape projects

Track 2 Sessions:

  1. Climate Forestry & Urban Tree Systems (Rob Breen, ITECA/SUNY Albany) - Learn partnership models for climate-resilient urban forestry

  2. Pollinator Highways: NYS DOT's Native Plant Program (Lynn Godek, NYS DOT) - Discover large-scale implementation strategies and regulatory frameworks

3. Urban Green Spaces & Mental Health (Sara LoTemplio, UVM) - Gain research-based evidence for advocating and funding green space projects