Annual Evelyn McNeill Sims Native Plant Lecture: Adventures in Ecological Horticulture

With Rebecca McMackin, Ecological Horticulturist 

Date: Sunday, April 6, 2025
Time: 5:30 PM-6:45 PM EST, followed by a reception in the Pegg Exhibit Hall
Location: Hybrid - Virtual and In-person attendance options
Free; preregistration required. Register >

Who doesn’t love butterflies? Habitat cultivation is a vital component of creating ecologically healthy landscapes, particularly in urban settings. But traditional landscaping practices rarely take biodiversity into consideration, and there is a dearth of effective guidelines to inform this goal. 

For ecological horticulturist Rebecca McMackin, biodiversity is central to landscape management. In her 10 years as Director of Horticulture at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Rebecca oversaw 85 acres of diverse, organic landscapes, all managed to support birds, butterflies, and soil microorganisms. 

Join us to learn how to use ecological insight and experimentation to develop new management strategies – and why careful observation and documentation of the insects, birds, and other wildlife in your gardens is crucial to their success.