Programs
Brown Bagging it in My Backyard
Join us for this Zoom series presented on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at Noon.
In the Garden with Some Good Fronds:
Garden-worthy Native Ferns
Wednesday, August 12, 2026, Noon
Steve McKee, Botanist
Steve McKee is from Mansfield, Ohio, where he served as director of the Richland County Park District for 35 years. He has been interested in ferns for about 50 years, has studied them in several states and countries, and has grown over 20 species of native ferns in his Ohio gardens.
In his retirement, Steve still searches for rare ferns in both Ohio and Utah, where he is a volunteer botanist for Zion National Park.
Steve’s program will focus on native ferns that you can grow in your Ohio garden.
Next in our Series
Collecting and Saving Seeds: Reap what you Sow in the Next Growing Season
Wednesday, September 9, 2026, Noon
Kimberly Lessman, Seed Bank Manager, Holden Arboretum
Saving seeds is an economical and joyful way to renew the beauty of your backyard garden. Participants will learn how to identify various types of seeds, learn when seeds are ready for harvest, and how they can be stored for the following growing season. Join Seed Bank Manager, Kim Lessman, to learn about seed saving best practices in your own backyard.
Kim Lessman is the Seed Bank Manager for Holden Forests & Gardens. Initiated in 2023, the Holden Seed Bank is working to source, collect, and redistribute native seeds of local ecotype to support restoration and reforestation efforts in northeast Ohio.
Past Programs
We hope you enjoy this archive of past programs. More will be added as they become available.
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Butterflying in My Backyard:
A Match Game
MaryLynn Delfino
Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Good Bug – Bad Bug
Matt Valencic
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Download Resource Handout
Lighting up the Night: Gardening for Fireflies
Elijah Crabtree
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Every Yard Counts: Backyard Contributions to Bird Conservation
Matt Shumar
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Using Native Plants on Our Home Grounds
Debra Knapke
Wednesday, March 10, 2026
Ecoregions of Ohio and the Plants that Grow There
Hope Taft, Former First Lady of Ohio
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Wild About Winter
Harvey Webster
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
At Home with Native Nut Trees
Nathan Johnson
Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Shrub-tastic! Native Shrubs Worth Knowing and Growing!
Amy Goletz
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Rooted for Success: Tree Planting Best Practices
Chad Clink
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Gardening for a Concert: Creating Concert Halls for Nature’s Music
Lisa Rainsong
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
The Totally Awesome Virginia Opossum
Harvey Webster
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
A Conversation with Ginger Woolridge and Harvey Webster
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Ginger Woolridge and Harvey Webster
Spring Migration
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Matt Valencic, Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland
Native Plants: It Takes a City
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Julie Slater, Meadow City Native Plant Nursery
Planting for the Planet 101
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
John Barber
Will it Be Beautiful?
February 12, 2025
Photographer Steve Cagan
Why We Should Care: Finding and Fostering Hope in a Rapidly Changing World
December 11, 2024
Harvey Webster
Where Do They Go?
November 13, 2024
David Tomashefski, Meadow City Native Plant Nursery
Let’s get this done…. The worst invasives and how to put an end to them
October 9, 2024
Matt Valencic
Bringing Nature Home
August 14, 2024
Peggy Spaeth
Soft Landings
Wednesday, July 10, 2024
David Tomashefski, Meadow City Native Plant Nursery
May Day! May Day!
May 1, 2024
John Barber