Grow the Good Life

As you begin your garden plans for 2024, the Bedford Master Gardeners offer some helpful instruction and advice with our annual Grow The Good Life program.

This year's seminar will be three presentations on gardening with a focus on the environment. The seminar will be on March 9, 2024, in-person at Bethlehem United Methodist Church, 13586 Old Moneta Road, Moneta, VA from 9AM to 3PM.

The speakers for this year's Grow The Good Life are Joe Lamp'l, Jim McCormac, and Jim McGlone.

The registration fee for attending the event in person covers the three speakers, your choice of lunch, and plenty of time to visit with our wonderful vendors, including Justin Kelley -- a professional tool sharpener. The lunch selection options will be given during registration checkout.

DOORS OPEN AT 9AM. Seminar starts at 9:30AM

Speakers:

9:35AM - 10:50AM

Joe Lamp'l -- "Ecological Gardening for Beauty and Biodiversity: A 10-Step Blueprint for Success" (via Zoom)

For centuries, gardens have existed for one main purpose; to bring beauty to our lives. Today, we know that gardens can offer so much more than that. In light of habitat loss, alarming increases in threatened wildlife species now on the verge of extinction, and the ever-increasing threats from climate change, it’s time to think beyond gardening for just ourselves. The new gardening ethic considers gardening in a way that enhances the surrounding environment for the benefit of all other life as well through the practice of ecological gardening. This presentation will explore how we’ve gotten to this point, why now, and provides a solid, 10-step blueprint for success that we can all implement no matter where we live or garden. It’s not only important that we act now, it’s essential!

1 1:30AM - 12:45PM

Jim McCormac -- "Mysterious Moths -- Growing the Darker Side of Butterflies" (via Zoom)

Our enchantment with butterflies isn’t surprising. These daytime flyers are easily observed and collectively encompass a rainbow palette of colors punctuated with ornate patterns. However, their close relatives the moths overwhelm butterflies in species diversity and sheer numbers. Most moths are nocturnal and largely out of sight and mind. Nonetheless, they are one of the most important animal groups. Moths are inextricably intertwined with native plants, bats, birds, and the whole of the eastern deciduous forest ecosystem. They play an enormous role in the pollination of native plants and over the eons have spurred the evolution of myriad defensive plant compounds to ward off caterpillar herbivory. In addition, they are often far more interesting than butterflies, both visually and behaviorally. This talk will be a pictorial journey into an intriguing and little known world that unfolds all around us. We can greatly benefit the ecosystem around us by “moth-gardening” in our yards.

1 :30PM - 2:45PM

Jim McGlone -- "Why Native Trees Matter" (In Person)

For too long trees have been viewed as an ornamental option. A growing body of research, and our own experiences during the pandemic, point to trees, particularly native trees, as not being optional in the health and well-being of people and the planet. Learn how you can help fight the 3 great environmental crises of our time.

2:45PM - 3:00PM Wrap up and evaluations (In Person)

Instructor bio's:

Joe Lamp'l:

Joe Lamp’l is the creator and producer of Growing a Greener World, an Emmy Award-winning national series on public television, currently airing in 96% of the US and 38 countries.

The program tells the stories of the people behind those gardens, the heroes doing great things for the planet through organic gardening, green living, small farming, and simple yet significant ways to lighten their footprint on this planet.

In 2011, The American Horticultural Society honored Joe as the recipient of the Society’s B.Y. Morrison Communication Award, which recognizes effective and inspirational communication—through print, radio, television, and online media.

In recent years, he has been the recipient of the Garden Writers Association Gold Award for Best On-Air Talent and others. Most recently Growing a Greener World received a 2018 Daytime Emmy Award, the 2018 Pioneer Taste Award, and The Taste Award for Best Branded Program, Breakout Storyteller of the Year and Best Green or Organic Program, Series or Film.

As the founder and “Joe” behind joegardener.com – Joe has created an ever-growing site dedicated to all things gardening and horticulture through the best how-to videos, podcasts, online courses, and blog posts available.

Jim McCormac: Jim worked for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for 31 years as a botanist, and later specializing in wildlife diversity projects for the Division of Wildlife. He has authored or coauthored six books, including Birds of Ohio (Lone Pine 2004); and Wild Ohio: The Best of Our Natural Heritage (Kent State University Press 2009). The latter won the 2010 Ohioana Book award. He is a coauthor of the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II book. His book, Gardening for Moths, in collaboration with Chelsea Gottfried, was released in February 2023.

Jim writes a column, Nature, for the Columbus Dispatch, and regularly publishes a natural history blog. He has written numerous articles in a variety of publications, and has delivered hundreds of presentations throughout the eastern United States. He was named 2015 Conservation Communicator of the Year by the Ohio League of Sportsmen. Jim is an avid photographer, shooting a range of natural history subjects. He has had hundreds of photos published in various forums, including the TV show Jeopardy!

Jim McGlone: Jim McGlone has a PhD in Human Ecology (aka Economics) from Virginia Tech and a Master’s Certificate in Environmental Law and Policy from the USDA Graduate School. He has taught economics at Virginia Tech, Ohio State and Northern Illinois University, and done research at the Economic Research Service of the USDA. A self-taught naturalist and ecologist, he has managed the natural resources of a 500 acre park in Fairfax County and recently retired as an Urban Forest Conservationist with the Virginia Department of Forestry in Northern Virginia.

He continues to do environmental education with Tree Stewards, Master Naturalists, Master Gardeners and other groups. He is also an ISA Certified Arborist and has the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification.