Webinars
Managing Leaves to Maximize Biodiversity: What Recent Research Reveals
with Max Ferlauto
Friday, September 11 at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT
This webinar will be recorded and emailed to all registrants.
What We’ll Discuss:
Autumn leaf removal is a widespread landscaping practice, yet new research suggests it poses a significant threat to native urban insect populations that depend on leaf litter for overwintering habitat. This presentation discusses the ecological function of fallen leaves for native butterflies, moths, and other beneficial insects. Attendees will learn evidence-based yard management strategies to protect and increase the biodiversity of their yards.
About the Speaker:
Max Ferlauto, PhD.
State Entomologist at Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Max was raised in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia metropolitan area (DMV) where he developed a fascination with urban ecology. Then he went to Juniata College and majored in Plant Ecology. He then received a PhD in Entomology from the University of Maryland studying the effects of leaf raking on overwintering insects. He now works as the State Entomologist for the MD Natural Heritage Program where he studies and conserves rare insects.
Inviting Birds In: Fall Migration in Duluth, Minnesota
with Dudley Edmondson
Wednesday, September 30 at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
This webinar will be recorded and emailed to all registrants.
What We’ll Discuss:
Dudley Edmondson has been landscaping for birds for decades. He has created a biodiverse space around his home that is a magnet for regional birds as well as a favorite stopover for migrants along the Great Lakes. As a professional author and photographer he will inspire us with his incredible imagery while sharing stories of his favorite visitors.
“The human constructed world is such a thin and fragile veil obscuring the natural world around us, yet so many of us lack the ability to see through it.” – Dudley Edmondson
About the Speaker:
Dudley Edmondson, Author, Photographer, and Public Speaker
Over the last 35 years, Dudley Edmondson has become an award winning author and internationally recognized Photographer. His photography has been featured in galleries in Italy and Australia and publications around the world. His photographic work and adventure travels have taken him north and south to places like the Arctic Circle of Alaska and south to the Bahamas. As a Public Speaker he’s worked with many institutions of higher education as well as government agencies. Dudley has spent most of his adult life championing nature and highlighting the amazing Black, Brown and Indigenous people who he feels can serve as environmental and science career role models for people of color around the nation. Learn more and see a collection of his books.
Past Events: 2026 Webinars
Native Plant Gardening — Big and Small Spaces and Why It Matters
Originally recorded on June 9
In this webinar we discuss tips for thinking about all types of habitat restoration from larger scale restoration to smaller scale gardening that benefits birds and biodiversity. We’ll connect the dots on how changes from a single pot up to 1000 acre field restoration can have an impact.
Tweet Around the Bush: Plant and Bird Trivia with Project FeederWatch
Originally recorded on April 24, 2026
Project FeederWatch and Garden for Birds ran a virtual trivia event on plants and birds! Learn and to test your knowledge on different types of bird habitats and how you can help birds thrive in your neighborhood.
Designing Gardens for Bird w/Heather and Zoe Evans
Originally recorded on March 8, 2026.
Heather and Zoe discuss how to design a native plant yard that nurtures both people and birds. They guide you through simple sketching exercises, share design principles for creating inviting outdoor “rooms,” and show how to add paths, destinations, and woody plants for structure.
Past Events: 2025 Webinars
Unlawning Our Landscapes, with Benjamin Vogt
Originally recorded on April 1, 2025.
Ben explores the history of lawns and their unforeseen consequences. Learn how to convert lawn into habitat gardens. From plant selection to design, prep to management, this lecture runs the gamut on empowering people to make landscape changes.
Invasive Plants and Our Gardens, with Mhairi McFarlane
Originally recorded on July 17, 2025.
What are invasive species and what have they got to do with my garden anyway? Learn about the basics of non-native and invasive plants and what problems they cause. Learn some tips and tricks for identifying non-native plants throughout the seasons. We’ll begin to learn what we can do about them in our own spaces.
Leaving Our Fall Garden Resources, with Doug Tallamy
Originally recorded on September 9, 2025.
Doug Tallamy, entomologist, ecologist, conservationist, and cofounder of Homegrown National Park, discusses how fallen leaves and garden resources provide vital habitat, food, and spring nesting materials—all benefits to birds and biodiversity. His wealth of knowledge will inspire you to look at fallen leaves with a newfound respect.
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