Urban Nature – Human Nature–WV Hardy Plant Group

Please join the Willamette Valley Hardy Plant Group  at 7:00 PM in the Unitarian Universalist Church, for guest speaker Dr. Peter Del Tredici discussing urban ecosystems as the ultimate manifestation of the dynamic interaction between humans and nature—between our desire for neat, orderly landscapes on the one hand and our fear of messy ecological chaos on the other. This presentation will focus on the plants—both native and non-native—that grow without cultivation in cities and their remarkable ability to flourish in spite of stressful environmental conditions. Cities—along with the plants and animals they support—can be considered “novel” ecosystems that not only reflect a tumultuous past but also preview our unpredictable future. The spontaneous vegetation that inhabits our cities is as cosmopolitan as its human population and, quite frankly, better adapted to their changing environmental conditions than the native species that once grew there. Like it or not, these novel ecosystems have become the new normal and people need to recognize that they not only help make our cities more livable but also help clean up the mess we have made of the planet. Learning how to manage them to increase their aesthetic and ecological value is both a challenge and an opportunity for gardeners and professional horticulturists.

For more information about the group or this event, visit the website at www.thehardyplantgroup.org/events or email at info@thehardyplantgroup.org.