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CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
X-WR-CALNAME:Annual Sims Lecture: Native Swagger: Turning Heads with Native
  Plants
X-WR-TIMEZONE:Eastern Time (US & Canada)
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260809T192043Z
UID:tag:localist.com\,2008:EventInstance_52251041191245
DTSTART:20260412T213000Z
DTEND:20260412T224500Z
DESCRIPTION:Join us for our Annual Evelyn McNeill Sims Native Plant Lecture
 : Native Swagger: Turning Heads with Native Plants with Andrea DeLong-Amay
 a\, Horticulture Educator at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center!\n\n 
 \n\nSunday\, April 12\, 2026 5:30 PM ET\n\nHybrid - Join us in person or o
 n Zoom!\n\nFree\; preregistration required. Register >\n\n \n\nNative plan
 ts are resilient ecological powerhouses and anchor us to our botanical her
 itage. But too often\, they’re dismissed as messy or weedy. It’s time 
 to change the narrative! In this talk\, we’ll explore how to use native 
 plants to create gardens that are true people-pleasers. From wild to forma
 l designs\, lawns to containers\, sun to shade\, wildlife gardens to water
  gardens\, even edible gardens — you’ll see how natives provide habita
 t while also serving as the basis for stunning landscapes. Whether you’r
 e already a native-plant champion or just native-curious\, you’ll come a
 way with ideas to elevate your garden and give native plants the starring 
 role they deserve.\n\n \n\nABOUT THE SPEAKER\n\nFor over three decades\, A
 ndrea DeLong-Amaya has been living her life’s mission to honor the natur
 al world through presenting and teaching classes about the horticulture\, 
 ecology\, and importance of native plants in planned landscapes.\n\n \n\nO
 ver the prior 21 years\, she served as the Center’s Director of Horticul
 ture\, overseeing the nine acres of Texas native plant gardens\, and nurse
 ry programs. She’s been a staff member since 1998 and has over 30 years 
 of experience with Texas native plants in horticulture\, ecology and garde
 n design. Recently\, she has taken on a new role at the Wildflower Center 
 focusing more on teaching and advancing interpretation in the gardens.\n\n
  \n\nShe has contributed numerous gardening articles to publications such 
 as Taunton’s Fine Gardening\, Rodale’s Organic Gardening\, American Pu
 blic Gardens Association’s Public Garden\, Neil Sperry’s Gardens and e
 -Gardens\, Texas Gardener and Wildflower (the Center’s member magazine).
  Her regionally best-selling book\, the Texas Native Plant Primer (Timber 
 Press)\, was released in March of 2025.\n\n \n\nDeLong-Amaya has appeared 
 numerous times on Central Texas Gardener\, PBS’s long-running television
  program\, and was a two-time guest on WNYC’s Science Friday. Jennifer J
 ewell featured Andrea’s work in her 2020 book\, “The Earth in Her Hand
 s: 75 Extraordinary Women Working in the World of Plants\,” and intervie
 wed DeLong-Amaya on the podcast Cultivating Place. The Scott Arboretum of 
 Swarthmore College honored DeLong-Amaya with the prestigious 2025 Scott Ga
 rden & Horticulture Award in March 2025.\n\n \n\nABOUT THE SIMS LECTURE\n\
 nEvery spring\, the Garden offers a lecture focused on native plants and t
 heir conservation and ecology. The lecture series was initiated in 2000 wi
 th a gift from then Botanical Garden Foundation Board member Nancy Preston
 . Mrs. Preston wanted to honor her mother\, Evelyn McNeill Sims\, on the o
 ccasion of her 90th birthday. Born in Lumberton\, North Carolina\, Mrs. Si
 ms was educated at UNC-Greensboro and later moved to Kingsport\, Tennessee
 \, with her husband and daughter. Wildflower excursions in the mountains s
 urrounding Kingsport were a favorite activity for Mrs. Sims\, who eventual
 ly became a volunteer guide at Bays Mountain Nature Park.
GEO:35.899603;-79.03247
LOCATION:North Carolina Botanical Garden
SUMMARY:Annual Sims Lecture: Native Swagger: Turning Heads with Native Plan
 ts
URL;VALUE=URI:https://calendar.unc.edu/event/annual-sims-lecture-2026
CATEGORIES:Lectures
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